Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

[marcijim]

My wife and I are retiring soon and plan to buy a good, used boat for Florida fishing. We figure 19 or 20 feet of Sea Hunt or Aquasport, maybe Grady. We are trying to keep fuel costs and dependability in mind, but will probably have to go with boat and motor circa 1990-95 because of initial cost and our budget. <br /><br />Can anyone with a good deal of experience recommend the best motor ('90-95) for the job.<br />Our boating experience has not been recent, and there have been many changes. Your input will be appreciated.<br />Jim

 

[JB]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

Hi, MarciJim.<br /><br />Welcome to the board.<br /><br />I suggest you first choose your boat or a few choices and get back to us with more details.<br /><br />Any engine in that range for that period is probably a pretty good one, but I would advise against FORCE because of difficulty with parts and service.<br /><br />My personal favorite 90hp from the early 90s is Johnson, but others have their favorites, too.<br /><br />Give us more to go on and you will be overwhelmed with advice. . .promise.

 

[marcijim]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

Thanks AM,<br /><br />We are looking at: '90 Grady Tournament, 19'<br /> <br /> 87 Grady WA cuddy, 20'<br /><br /> '98 Sea Hunt Triton 200, 19'<br /><br />Grady runs approx 6-800 lbs more than Sea Hunt<br /><br />Also, is Grady White that much better of a boat than Sea Hunt, or are we paying for a name?<br />Thanks, folks.<br />jim

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

My 2 cents....Any of the boats mentioned for outboards, the same vintage (90'-95') Johnson, or Evinrude in the 150, V6 size, I think would be a good dependable choice. <br /> I would recommend staying clear of the Fuel injected "Ficht" of 1997-2000, Also made by OMC (Johnson/Evinrude)..

 

[Solittle]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

Do either of those have no wood in the construction? That would be a plus so you do not have to worry about rot.

 

[cggcpa1]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

The Grady is a much better boat. They are not even in the same category as far as construction. Yamaha motors of that era have good reputation. Be sure to have a mechanic that you hire to look over a boat and give it a "report card" before you finally purchase a specific boat. Have a leak down compression test done on the engine to determine its general health. I would also recommend having the carbs rebuilt.

 

[JB]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

I agree with walleyehed, MarciJim.<br /><br />All of the boats listed need over 100hp to perform well. I also agree that you should avoid the FICHT RAM injected engines of that era. I might add Mercury Optimax injected engines.<br /><br />Either the Johnson or Yamaha V6 150hp would be a good choice for minimum power. 200 hp would be even better if the boat is rated for it.<br /><br />I also agree with CGGCPA that the Grady Whites are a cut above the others you list in quality. <br /><br />Another high quality boat would be a Boston Whaler. They don't ride as well as the Grady Whites, but I believe the quality of construction and detail is even better.

 

[seahorse5]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

The 150-175 Johnson and Evinrude motors have a good reputation for reliability. If you are looking at Yamaha, get a '94 or later motor which is more resistant to saltwater corrosion. Earlier ones had regular steel shift shafts and engine corrosion problems.<br /><br />No matter which motor you choose, have a QUALIFIED marine tech check out the engine completely. Salt water use plays havoc with metal and electrical parts, especially if the motor was not maintained correctly.

 

[marcijim]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

Thank you to all who have responded. Your experience and advice is very much appreciated by us. There are just too many variables, and we were feeling a bit overwhelmed. <br /><br />We are both familiar with the names of several boats, but not much experience with any. I personally have ridden in a Whaler and a Grady, although that was many years ago, and they were both bare-bones rental boats. <br /><br />Are there other boats in this category you can recommend? We will be using it for both fishing and island hopping around SW Florida.<br /><br />Also, Between Johnson, Evinrude and Yamaha V-6 which would you buy ('90-99)? and why?<br />Jim and Marci

 

[kenneths]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

I feel the "right outboard" will be dependant on condition. Knowing a little history on each engine you may consider, would be helpful. Items such as compression, any visable corrosion, generally, the condition cosmetically can tell some of the story. If it's had good care, it will show. <br />Any engine you consider, I would recommend a compression check by a competent individual, as this "can" tell the general condition of internal (costly) components....Good luck!

 

[Solittle]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

I'm going to shy away from the which motor/boat to buy and hit on size. A 19-20' will be fine for real close to shore in the Gulf, Florida Bay or the Keys. However there is a huge difference between a 19-20 and a 21-23' in boating in these waters. I normally run in the SE coast and the keys in a 23' CC but have also run on the SW coast. I have run 15-28' boats over the years here but spent most of the time in a 19' (15 yrs) and my current 23' (10 yrs).<br /><br />I am what might be considered a safety conscious conservative boater and don't get my kicks bouncing up and down. Many the day has come and gone where I have seen folks either going real slow or getting their teeth bashed in in their 18-20' boats in moderate winds while I cruise by quite comfortably. I have also enjoyed many days out while friends have left their 18-20' on the trailer because the water was too rough for them.<br /><br />Something else for you to think about----------

 

[marcijim]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

Dear SoLittle,<br /><br />Thanks for the input re: boat size. I suppose size does matter! LOL The reason we are leaning towards 18-20' is easy of trailering. mobility and economy. Actually, we have pretty much ruled out an 18 footer as too small. Even the 19 footers seem a bit cramped and not much freeboard. <br /><br />Is there a reasonable compromise that will give us comfort and safety on the open Gulf (we will be living in Port Charlotte), and yet be manageable on a trailer? Dockage just costs too damned much these days.<br />Jim

 

[Solittle]

Re: Much needed advice, please, for a couple of novices.

marcijim - I'm not sure where I want to start this and may end up just rambling. I think I'll focus on things to think about in the 22-23' range. The reason I will focus there is that I had a 27 1/2' trailerable flybridge on a triple axle trailer for a while and it was just too much. Lots of scary work at the ramp and the pucker factor in pulling it down the road was not fun (lots of other words as well).<br /><br />Two factors in the 23' range - <br /><br />First is the tow vehicle & trailer - With a 23'er you will need a double axle trailer with (and I consider this a must in any boat over 18') disk brakes. With the right setup there is little difference in pulling a 23'er or an 18'er. Most trailers for these boats will be galvanized, have bunks and be completely submersible.<br /><br />The next factor is the ramps that you will launch and retrieve from. You will need to be able to float the boat off the trailer and float it back on. Yes you can get a trailer with rollers and use a power winch but this is viable, in my opinion, only for the smaller boats. The two important things for ramps - one is the gradient and the other is the length of the ramp itself. Many of the ramps in south Florida do not have enough slope (are too shallow) and/or the ramps are not long enough. This means that even if you have the best tow vehicle/trailer combination you are going to have problems getting the boat off & on the trailer.<br /><br />In my case, my boat is a 1988 23' Wellcraft CC with twin OMC 1.6L SeaDrives. It sits on a twin axle galvanized trailer with bunks and SS disk brakes. It is a heavy 23'er.<br /><br />I pull it with a 1993 Ford Explorer which has been a good tow vehicle for us but I would want something larger if we pulled long hauls or ran up/down hills. The Explorer is light for this application and has a short wheelbase but it has worked OK for us for 10 years we have had this boat.<br /><br />To sum up - with a well setup rig and a good ramp a 23'er is quite manageable. The wife & I are in our early 60's so are beyond the point that we are willing to put up with most hastles.<br /><br />As a closing thought - You mentioned the high cost of dockage to which I agree. We have our boat in in & out storage now in Key Largo at a cost of $200.00 per month. Yes that is a lot of $ but it is an option since I don't have to keep it there year round.