Friend is looking at Shamrock 246WA Hardtop

[ccave04]

Hello,

Second post about my friend(boss) looking at boats... last time was a Grady White for 6K... today is a Sharmrock 246WA Hardtop for 25K, obviously he has increased his budget.

Craigslist Ad:
http://syracuse.craigslist.org/boa/3054383355.html

Any suggestions for things to take a look at on this boat.. I am not really familiar with an Inboard setup at all (last I saw one was on my fathers old Penn Yann). Tips are appreciated... boat listed at 25K from the few pics looks pretty legit.

 

[ccave04]

Re: Friend is looking at Shamrock 246WA Hardtop

I take it no one has any experience with these boats...

How about inboard engines in general, anything to keep an eye on when looking it over..?

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Friend is looking at Shamrock 246WA Hardtop

i worked for cruisers when they bought shamrock a few years ago (sold it awhile back). I went down to FL help with construction problems and help them get things going well. They are a very nice boat. Only one engine which is more difficult than two or an I/O for manuvering, but with some practice can be done quite nicely. Quiet running and a good hull. I would look at the shaft and shaft log (where shaft comes through hull). Look at the rudder. WATER TEST IT! The engine is pretty much the same as an I/O except for the transmission and cooling. Has a through hull water pick-up with a strainer. There are two different cooling options. Raw water and Fresh water. The fresh water has a heat exchanger that runs antifreeze just like your car but uses sea water to cool the antifreeze instead of air. I would not buy a raw water engine. To much damage can be done with salt water running through an engine. All in all a very nice boat with no transom board to worry about, just the stringers under the engine to check out. If I could afford it I would want one.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Friend is looking at Shamrock 246WA Hardtop

Very nice riding boat, but slow. Personally, I would only consider diesel powered

My question, why did it need a new motor after only 5 years? Repowered in 2006 with 425 hours = 70 hrs a year. 5 years x 70 = ~350 hours when repowered.

 

[Ned L]

Re: Friend is looking at Shamrock 246WA Hardtop

I've always admired Shamrock boats (principally because they are inboards in a size range that other builders force you into an outboard or inboard/outboard). They've been around for a decent number of years (late 70?s ? early 80?s I think). Never heard to much about them ? never heard anything bad about them. Inboards are by far the simplest drive train for a boat. There is nothing that a regular car mechanic can?t handle. As far as things to check specifically on an inboard, with the boat out of the water check the prop for dings & damage, give the prop shaft a good shake to make sure the cutlass bearing in the strut isn?t worn (a real little bit of juggle is usually ok), and I?d look around where the strut fastens to the hull for any stress cracking (though I would consider it very abnormal to see any). With the boat in the water run her through her paces & see if there are any ?odd? vibrations. The stuffing box on the shaft should be just occasionally dripping or just wet around the shaft (if a traditional packing nut type) or dry around the shaft if a dripless stuffing box. Not much else on an inboard drive train.
To George's comment about cooling. I think this one is 'fresh water cooled' (good thing). That looks like the surge tank just inboard of the starboard exhaust riser (the thing that looks like it has a radiator cap on it).
Now maneuvering an inboard in close quarters, esp. this one with a shallow tunnel, will be a good bit different than an outboard or I/O. Steering and responsiveness in reverse will probably not be as good.
------------ Ah, Cruisers owned Shamrock for a while, ... That explains the tunnel! (Their early models didn't have tunnels) Thank you George.
Personally I?d opt for the Shamrock, but I just prefer a good solid inboard.

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Friend is looking at Shamrock 246WA Hardtop

Duhhhhh, says FWC right in the cl advertisement to.

 

[Stevens520]

Re: Friend is looking at Shamrock 246WA Hardtop

I don't know about the newer Shamrocks; but I did find a review of an older one.
http://www.yachtsurvey.com/boatreviews/shamrock_26.htm

 

[ccave04]

Re: Friend is looking at Shamrock 246WA Hardtop

Thanks for the responses guys! -- George & Ned very good insight into some things to look at, excatly what I was hoping for. Dingbat, I said exactly the same thing to my friend that I thought it was odd the engine had to be replaced so quickly... not sure what the guy used for but he must definetly use the thing...

I tried to see if my boss wanted to go look at it today (mostly so I could get out of work) but the seller has yet to return any phone calls... I'll update if we ever go look at it. Thanks again.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Friend is looking at Shamrock 246WA Hardtop

70 hours a year is "hardly using the thing". I put more hours on my boat during the 3 weeks of Spring Trophy season (Stripers)

 

[Ned L]

Re: Friend is looking at Shamrock 246WA Hardtop

OK, so the ad does say FWC.... You know what they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words".