Re: Looking at a 1987 24ft bow rider this afternoon...
Just got back from looking at the boat. The pictures definitely did not do it justice. The blue is a deep blue, fresh paint. Some orange peal, but that's ok. The gel coat has hardly a scratch on it, and has no oxidation. I couldn't find any stress cracks anywhere. The interior was very clean. It was sitting outside, with the boats covers on, and then a huge tarp over it. We unstrapped the front and climbed into the boat, leaving the back of the boat still covered. We noticed that there was no damp or musty smell. The carpet and upholstery is in great shape, definitely looks original, but you wouldn't know it was an 87. The engine, from what i could see, was extremely clean. No rust, and all hoses look new. The outdrive looks great, with no dings. I do know the owner had just serviced the outdrive, with new gimbal bearings and bellows. The trailer was freshly painted with a metallic silver, and the tires are new. It's also got a new surge brake assembly.
The owners friend was there to show us the boat. Unfortunately, he doesn't know a whole lot about the boat. What he does know is that the guy took it in as a trade, but decided to keep it for him and his wife. They didn't have time to use it much last year, that's why he's selling it.
I told him that I want to talk to the owner, because I have questions that this friend can't answer.
I have to say, my wife and myself were very impressed with this boat. Very clean and very roomy inside. Tons and tons of storage. We really like the layout also. I didn't think I'd like the bench seat on the left side, but once I saw it, I really like it.
If I'm going to go any further, I need to talk to this guy and get some details on the engine, outdrive, and condition of the floor. Even though it was dry and there were no soft spots, I need to get in there and poke around a little more.
I don't think this is a $4000 boat, but it's definitely not a $7000 boat. I'm honestly thinking that I'd be comfortable with $6000. $5000 would make me very happy, but I know that's not going to happen.
I want to talk to you guys about this size boat with this engine. Here's what I liked about my 19 ft Larson. 50 MPH top speed, quick acceleration, and good handling. It was fairly nimble. It was easy to pull a tuber or a skier. I could also launch and recover by myself with ease. It was also pretty good on gas. But what we didn't like was that it was fairly small inside. It also had a pretty rough ride.
Stingrays really appeal to me. They are fast. I like that. I want my next boat to be fun to drive. I'm not saying I want a Donzi (well, I do), but I don't want a sluggish pig. Honestly, the way the Larson performed was great. I understand that this boat is bigger and heavier, but it does have the 350 V8. As long as I find the sweet spot, how much more fuel will this thing burn compared to a 19 ft 4.3?
I'm sorry to write a book, but I'm just needing some help. I'd like to hear what you guys think now that I gave you more information. Once I talk to the owner, and I'm still interested, I'll have him pull the boat into his shop and take the covers off so I can really climb around it and remove some access covers in the floor to see what I can find. If that passes, then I'll ask for a test drive.
Anyway, thanks again. I really appreciate the help.
Steve
