Help choosing an older cruiser - 1993 Chris Craft Crown 262 or 1995 Rinker 265 Fiesta Vee

[SDSeville]

Hi Everyone, I haven't been around iboats in a few years, but am getting back into boating again. I bought a 1977 Catalina 27 to get a slip in Oceanside CA (3 year waiting list) and am looking to replace it with a powerboat. It will mostly be our condo on the water, but will likely do some inshore kelp bed fishing and cruising once in a while.

I am currently looking at a couple older cabin cruisers- a 1995 Rinker 265 Fiesta Vee with Mercruiser 5.7 (230 hours) and a 1993 Chris Craft Crown 262 with VP 5.8 (150 hours). Neither boat has been kept in the water. I plan to get a survey done when I pick a favorite.

What do you all think? Thanks for your help.

Rinker -
https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/boa/d/san-diego-1995-rinker-fiesta-vee-265/7882320218.html

Chris Craft -
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1031576028691655/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

[Lou C]

I say neither.
The Rinker needs all new upholstery and looks like the cabin was flooded, did it sink? If you're going to self maintain it the engine is in a hole, lots a luck working on it hanging upside down.
The Chris Craft looks to be in much better condition but that's not a Volvo drive, it's the very rare OMC Cobra cone clutch, very hard to find parts, and I bet no one will work on it. These can be converted to a Merc or Volvo but that's thousands of dollars to get done. So price would have to be market value minus at least $6000-$7000 for approx cost of conversion assuming engine is OK. 5.8 Ford, no Merc will work with that on second thought, Volvo SX is the only conversion that will work.
Both are really too old, keep in mind older boats like that use wood in the structural members and can have a lot of rot. One good thing is being in Calif, the climate is warmer and dryer which is better for that, here in the northeast, the cool damp climate is about the worst. Wood rot basically kills boats, renders them unsafe, and uneconomical to restore.

 

[SDSeville]

Thank You!! Nice catches!

Checked with the Rinker seller and he said no flood, "only rainwater got in there". Haha - a cabin filled with any type of water is flooding.

Regarding the Chris Craft drive, I just assumed a VP drive. You saved me a 4 hour round trip drive to look at it.

 

[Lou C]

Thank You!! Nice catches!

Checked with the Rinker seller and he said no flood, "only rainwater got in there". Haha - a cabin filled with any type of water is flooding.

Regarding the Chris Craft drive, I just assumed a VP drive. You saved me a 4 hour round trip drive to look at it.

Hey I have owned an OMC Cobra for 23 years, so I'm pretty familiar with them and there are ones you can get parts for (mine) but others that are a real headache (that one).
So yeah keep looking, even for a dockside condo you don't want an old boat with rot and an impossible to work on engine. Just from my experience. I won't buy any boat with poor access even if you're not fixing it yourself, the guy you pay to do it will charge more just because of that.....

 

[flashback]

Most any boat as old as those is gonna have rot.

 

[Kosmofreeze]

Most any boat as old as those is gonna have rot.

Probably should qualify this by saying, "... any boat as old as those that has been slipped is gonna have rot ...". My 2001 Chris Craft Constellation 26 "lives" on her trailer (high and dry) and has spent most of her life in a climate controlled toy-shed in the high, dry desert of Wyoming - dry as a bone. I don't disagree with you, if the boat "lives" in the water ... water ingress (and rot) will find a way.

 

[Lou C]

Well
Here in salt water land
All the rot I ever had has nothing to do whether the boat was on a trailer or on a salt water mooring. It’s the climate (damp, cool most of the year) and rain (frequent). Freshwater rots boats salt water not so much.

 

[rolmops]

Lou is completely right. Don't touch those two. Neither facebook nor Craigs list will give you the info you need.
You should take a walk in the marina and talk to small time professional fishing boat owners about their rigs. they can probably tell you what not to buy. You are in salt water , so outboards or a completely closed cooling system (cooling tubes in the hull) would be ideal. Remember money saved by buying an older boat is often money lost because of repairs that need to be made

 

[Lou C]

In salt water I/Os take a lot of extra maintenance; it can be done and I’ve done it but unless you commit to staying on top of it, you’ll wind up regretting it. In the So Cal coastal area strongly consider outboard power unless you plan on doing what I’ve done for 20+ years. And due to my age, there’s no way I’d get an I/O for my next boat if there is one lol! It’s hrs of maintenance every year fall & spring and anti fouling the drive & transom mount is just a nasty hateful job. As an old salty mechanic once told me you can have an In, or an Out but not an in/out!