New Member

[Jim831]

Hello, new member here from MA. Great site!
I have an opportunity to buy a 1986 21' Ciera for $2200. It's a little rough but complete. I've heard horror stories about rotted stringers, replacing rotted decks, waterlogged foam, etc. How would I check if this boat has any of these problems? Thanks, Jim

 

[NYBo]

Re: New Member

Welcome to iboats!

The first step is to determine whether the cockpit sole (a.k.a. "deck") is original. If it is, check every square inch for soft spots. If it's sound, chances are very good that the stringers are good too. If not, the stringers are suspect, and the foam may be waterlogged. The most likely area for the transom to start to rot is around the perimeter of the opening for the outdrive. This is hard to check without dismantling things a bit, so looking for bolt heads or nuts that are sunk into the transom surface. That can be a very bad sign!

 

[tpenfield]

Re: New Member

It is highly probably that there is some rot with that brand of boat and that vintage.

Where in MA (Massachusetts) are you? If you are close by, I'd be happy to assist.