Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

[CC245]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

I had a 1990 24.5' Chris Craft. It had a 350hp 460 big block. It was a sport cuddy, so it would wieght alittle more than that Sea Ray. Even with a big block it was by no means quick. It would eventually get going pretty fast and handled big water very well. As far as fuel economy, you can watch the 20 dollar bills flying out the back as you speed down the lake. I guess that's why it had a 75 gallon fuel tank. My .02 would be to look for somthing a little newer, a little smaller, and a little lighter.

 

[jtmarten]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

"Can anyone give me some insight on what the performance/handling is like?"


With a single small block, my guess is mid-40s top end, and fairly slow to plane, depending on how much payload you have. Would be a nice $6k boat.

 

[Steve91T]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

I think I'm done with this boat. I just don't think it's the boat for us. We love the space it has on the inside, but I just think that it's going to cost more to operate than we'd want and be to slow for us.

I do like that Mariah though. Here's the link again.
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/1995-MARIAH-Shabah-Z202-97448241

It's a 20 footer, only a foot bigger than our Larson, but it looks great and has the 350 V8. And from what I've read, they built very good boats back then. I just need to have a boat mechanic check it over very well. And yes, I will definitely make sure we take it for a spin before I buy it.

I do think they need to include a trailer for that price though.

I really do appreciate all the help here guys. Buying a boat is tough. I just read through all of Frisco's thread. I definitely do NOT want to get myself into that situation.

I'm going to try to see the Mariah tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks again,
Steve

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

the older Mariah boats are suppose to be a very nice boat... You are looking to get a V8 they cost more...
I love my 4.3.. easy to work on and pushes my 17ft rig around with ease.. Has neck snapping holeshot..
But since you are going 20ft or greater a V8 is what ya need.. Get that fella with the 24ft to let ya take it out on the water so you can see if you like the perfromance... Only way to know how it runs on the water...

 

[Steve91T]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

I've got a question. This Mariah is being sold by a Marina. I know paying a mechanic to look the boat over is a smart idea, what do you do when purchasing from a marina? They have their own boat mechanics, but at the same time, they may be told to make the boat sell, don't make it right. What if I can haggle some sort of warranty? Like 30 day after the season starts, to allow me to make sure the boat has no major problems.

Or do I still find a boat mechanic from a different marina and have him check it out?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

I'd get an independent mechanic to look at it. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't trust them to give an unbiased report on it.

 

[Steve91T]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

I just saw the boat. Its in beautiful shape. Needs some waxing, but that's it. The marina that's selling it for a lady has been maintaining this boat since new. They know the original owner by name and obviously the 2nd, current owner. It has been kept in a covered slip since new.

I'm impressed. I had no idea this marina would know its entire history. They are extremely nice and I feel this family run marina would not sell me a bad boat. They will do a full service, compression check, check the lower unit, along with checking for rot and fix a couple minor things. I especially feel better knowing this is not a trade in boat. There is little profit in it for them, so there is no reason to cover anything up.

They are going to try to find me a tandom axle trailer and include it in the price.

I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks again,
Steve

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

I see I got mentioned earlier about my sea ray. I looked at alot of sea rays before buying this one. They ALL had issues with rot. This one was just skillfully covered up. I strongly believe that all older boats that have foam will have this issue sooner or later.

 

[Steve91T]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

Yeah, I've read and posted in your thread. Honestly it worries the crap out of me, but I'm not sure what to do about it. Are all boats older than 10 years old going to have problems?

Problem is I can't afford something new with no wood.

It really sucks there is no real way of checking for rot. But would you agree that buying a boat with a known history is taking a less of a chance?

So here's a question....I know it will eventually need some rot work. Usually is it just the floor? Or is it usually going to be a full rebuild like yours?

I'm trying to be careful, especially after reading about your story. Just seems like there is only so much you can do.

Steve

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

Got a old boat.... No rot... Been kept out of the weather.. Mine still has the original floor... My next one will for sure be composite...

 

[captmello]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

I was helping a friend shop for boats last fall. We were looking for mid 90's runabouts, $5000 price range, which was a common fall price in our area.

Seemed like every boat had some rot. The ski locker, we called the rot locker, was the best place to find the rotten stringers. even if it was carpeted you could feel the soft/rotted wood. Also the rear bulkhead, in front of the engine compartment was a commonly rotted area.

This is why some boats are worth more than others. You can go look at two very similar boats. One rotted out, one not, both asking the same price. What are they worth?

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

I think I would cry after dumping 5000 into a buying a rotted boat(sorry frisco).. I went winter shopping to maybe get something a little newer than what I have... Lord folks want a lot of cash for boats they have just left out in the driveway.. Like said before.. Lots of rot out there.. Some people don't really care about their boat.. Must be nice to have enough money to let it burn uncovered beside your house.. I wouldn't know...
Anyhow we desided we may just keep the ol Four Winns.. When the COBRA craters.. If it craters.. Buy the aftermarket replacement..

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

Are all boats older than 10 years old going to have problems?

Generally yes because almost all are stored outside most of their lives, some covered some uncovered.

It really sucks there is no real way of checking for rot. But would you agree that buying a boat with a known history is taking a less of a chance?

You can check for rot but you will have to gain access under the deck to the stringers and foam below. Buying a boat with a know maintenance history is really no greater or less risk IMO. Everything could have been maintained to the nth degree by the marina but on your maiden voyage your motor blows up. Things happen.

So here's a question....I know it will eventually need some rot work. Usually is it just the floor? Or is it usually going to be a full rebuild like yours?

No. If your floor is showing signs of rot then generally everything below it is gonzoed as well. Rot starts from below and works it way up to the deck. Rarely is there a soft spot on the deck solely on its own.

I would contact a marine surveyor and talk to him. I would also recommend hiring a marine surveyer to inspect the boat before you buy it. He will help you determine where the problem areas are both in the boat and drive train.

 

[oops!]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

wow....first off......lets clear up some stuff......

the states in in the biggest ressesion in many years.....boat dealerships still have 08 models on the lots,,,,and the manufacturers are just now starting to make more boats.

prices for used boats are high because everyone wants money....but will take anything they can get for them.

the sea ray was really overpriced...they are fantastic boats...one of the best...but that one was high for the year.

the mriah is nice but again over prices without a trailer....one that fits the boat...not a cheap pos roller trailer.

all boats that are kept out side (over 20 years) will have issues...look for a garage kept boat.

if there is rot...or soft spots...take 2k right off the top.
here is a trick....if you cant see any rot.....take the boat out and weigh it on the scales then check the manufacturers specs on the weight....if you are out 100 lbs...be suspicious.

if you just let go a 01 larson that handled like a race car....you will have problems liking an older 24 footer that does not jump the same......the 24's are bigger boats and will be slower out of the hole unless there is a jet airplane motor pushing it.

keep looking till you get a deal....and water test everything first

 

[Lou C]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

I agree the older boat/rot issue is a dilemma, I went thru the deck/stringer repair process with my 88 FW and it was an experience I do not want to repeat. I almost bought an 89 Steigercraft, with a brand new 350 Chevy crate motor and Volvo 290 drive, it had a solid deck and just needed a shift control, cables and some minor repairs. But I kept thinking about the possibility of hidden rot, the price on this boat was good enough that it'd still be a good deal if some repairs were needed, but I don't want to get into that again. About the only thing you can do is try to find a boat that was stored inside. And here's another tip, do NOT buy any open boat, that has a carpet over plywood deck. That construction is a breeding ground for rot, moisture gets under the carpet and can't get out and carpet staples penetrate the deck which makes the rot take hold. An open boat has to have glassed over and gelcoated deck, period. No carpet on the deck, EVER. Since I fixed the FW I may just keep running it and when it's time for a new engine, re-power it. At least I know what I have and how it was stored. If I could not find a stored inside boat, frankly I'd keep saving money till I could get a late model all composite boat.

 

[Steve91T]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

Thanks for all the responses. I talked to the marina today. He's got a nice trailer located that he would included with the boat. I told him that's the only way I'd take it. This trailer is painted maroon, dual axle with surge brakes, and has mag wheels. They are going to do a compression check, run it up, check the outdrive and basically go through the entire boat. I told him that I'm worried about rot. Even through there are no signs, I'm still worried. They are going to go through it and see if there are any soft spots at all.

I'm not sure if you can see in the pictures (I don't think you can), but there is an access panel in the floor behind the ski locker. It's screwed down and is I would say about 1x2' or something like that. Fairly large. I'm absolutely going to have them open that up and see what's in there. I'm thinking that'll allow us to see the stringers and basically look under the floor.

I agree that carpet is bad. What's kind of odd is the bow area has snap in carpet and is glassed under it. I wonder why they didn't do the same in the back.

So, here's a question...what if there is no signs of rot at all. Would it be possible, maybe next winter, to pull the carpet up and glass over the floor without ripping it apart?

Or....I've heard about people ripping up the floor, and then just using composite decking boards.....like the ones you find at Lowe's.

They come in a bunch of colors, easy on the feet, non skid texture, and will last forever.

Of course I'm not wanting to do this for a long time, I'm just thinking of what I may face in the future.

Last question....they said this boat has lived in a covered dry slip its entire life. I will, unfortunately, be storing the boat on the side of my house, but under covers. Is it possible that the stringers will last for many years to come?

Sorry for all the questions. I honestly hope boat has no problems. I feel pretty good that this marina is going to be very honest. It's a small, family run business. The owner said he had absolutely no problems with me watching them go through the boat. I said I would love to be there and learn more about the boat.

Also, if this trailer falls through (apparently the dude is trying to find the title for it, he's a friend of theirs), I found a guy a couple of hours away who has a bunch of trailers for sale for cheap, all with new tires and working lights, but probably not pretty. The Marina has agreed to drop the price to $7500 without a trailer. Again, this isn't their boat, they are selling it for an old lady. So, they can't really haggle on price.

Anyway, thank you again for all the help...
Steve

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

It is certainly possible that it's not rotted. It is also certainly possible that if you keep it covered and dry that it will stay solid. It does sound like everything is on the up and up. Price still seems high for that age of a boat but if there's nothing newer and nicer (just newer doesn't mean squat if it isn't as nice) and you're comfortable with it, then who's to say it's not a fair deal. On the floor thing.....the boat has a plywood floor that is most likely at least tabbed into the hull with fiberglass. It is part of the structure of the boat. Removing it and replacing it with composite deck boards (which are ridiculously heavy by the way) that are just screwed to the stringers, is not a good idea.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

you would think for that kind of money it would have a trailer with armorall on the tires.. It's not going to fit on just any ol trailer you pick up unless you are just super lucky... You have enough money to spend to find a really nice boat... Hold your horses... Falling in love with every boat you see will get ya in a mess... It's a addiction...

 

[dorelse]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

Well, I personally love the 90's Mariah's. They were/are great boats, they have their own unique styling, and were a pretty spendy boat when new. The downside, because there always is one, is that Mariah boats, as a company, doesn't exist as the same entity that they were when that boat was made.

The new Mariah has no connection to the old Mariah...other than using the name & badges.

However, if that's a good solid example, there's no reason to not buy it because of that...just know that any unique parts will be hard to find.

That price would be a good price in my area as well, a 20' bowrider with a V8...yeah, that's a very good price for my location, even without the trailer.

 

[riverkeg]

Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...

I bought my 91 Rinker 2 years ago for $7500. I'm the third owner but the second owner had it for 14 years, always stored inside. My neighbor recommended the boat to me (they were high school buddies). We all boat the same area on the Mississippi river and everyone that knows that boat tells me the same thing: "you'll be happy with that boat, it was babied and well cared for". As a matter of fact, the previous owner has a campsite right by the launch and stops down whenever he sees me putting in or pulling out just to see how the old boat is doing. It has wood decking with carpet on top and it's as solid as can be. Of course, it's still a garage boat and I'm fortunate that way but I wouldn't neccessarily be worried about a wood decked boat if it's been stored well. It also helps that it's trailered 25 miles each outing and that helps things dry out.

It's comparable in size (20' 6") and with a V8 (350 mag, 270 hp) and runs and handles great.

Did I pay too much for it? Maybe in some eyes but not mine because I'll have it a while and we'll get our enjoyment from it. It has been a problem free boat (except for a starter) and I'm sure not the only one out there.