Sea fox 230WA for about $5000 ...and possible a very very noisy engine?

[Nathan k]

Hi,

There is a sea fox 230 and it's going for around $5000 (not 100% sure on currency rates) , however, there is no engine or windscreen.

Now i know the windscreen is not cheap so I?m planning to not get one.

The engine is proving out to be tricky though. I?m at the edge of my budget here and the only cheap way is buy some fletcher with a like a 90hp 2 stroke and then sell the hull and body to get a bit of the money back, Will probably end up costing ?700.

Second option is buy a XR2 racing engine (200hp) for about ?1700. i have only ever heard one once and it is the loudest thing i have ever heard come out the back of a boat

So three big questions here really.
1) How much is a sea fox worth anyway? Unheard of here in the uk.
2) How much power do i need? It?s a 23ft boat and I?d like to tow tubes and wakeboard.
3) Anyone know some info on these XR2 engines? or would maybe getting getting 2 fletchers and taking both engines be better?
Thanks in advance for your time.

Nathan

 

[Gman 82 aquasport]

Re: Sea fox 230cc for about $5000 ...and possible a very very noisy engine?

Re: Sea fox 230cc for about $5000 ...and possible a very very noisy engine?

#1 you can google search to find the value of the hull... but unless it's a later year and includes the trailer, 5K without a motor could be on the high side. I have seen many of the sea fox boats here and on the coast, everyone who I asked said they were happy with them...
#2 search for specs for the year sea fox and it should list max HP rating for the hull..If you are going to pull a tube and /or wakeboard I would go to the higher end of the HP rating.. if it's rated for 200hp I would go 175-200.
#3 I don't know anything on the XR2 engines so can't help you there.. but if the boat was set up for a single and you install a double set-up you will need to modify a few things, mounting and steering and fuel lines and controls and wiring.... so staying with a single could save some headaches...
Garry

 

[Nathan k]

Re: Sea fox 230WA for about $5000 ...and possible a very very noisy engine?

Turns out it's a WA not a cc.

yeah it comes with a double axle braked trailer.
still no luck in finding the max hp though :S

 

[Willyclay]

Re: Sea fox 230WA for about $5000 ...and possible a very very noisy engine?

1) How much is a sea fox worth anyway? Unheard of here in the uk. Nathan

A Sea Fox boat could be from either of two USA manufacturers according to the USCG-maintained Manufacturers Identification Code (MIC) database at this link: http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic1.aspx?company=Sea+Fox&sort=mic. MIC is the first three alpha characters in the hull's HIN which should be molded into the upper-right exterior area of the transom. The last four characters of the HIN should be numeric and will tell you when that boat was built. Armed with that info, you can make a better determination of the value. Good luck!

 

[The Famous Grouse]

Re: Sea fox 230WA for about $5000 ...and possible a very very noisy engine?

I think you need to think this through a little more, Nathan.

Sea Fox, IMO is a lower-line, entry level boat brand like Bayliner. I would look long and hard at that boat and make absolutely sure there are no other condition issues like a rotted transom or stringers.

I see you are in the UK. You will be seriously compromised without a windscreen in UK conditions. I lived there for several years and I know.

A racing engine is not suitable for a fishing boat or for wakeboarding. You need control at both low and high speeds and a racing engine will give you nothing but headaches. Plus, I would not touch an engine that has been raced. Every component in that thing could be within a few hours of shattering.

You also have to keep in mind fuel costs and factor that into the equation. A 90 HP 2 stroke (and all larger 2 strokes for that matter) drink fuel like it's going out of style. My last 2 stroke was a 150 HP Johnson Ocean Pro and on average I got 2-3 miles per GALLON when running open water. In UK terms, you would be drinking 2 litres of petrol per mile.

Now given that your UK fuel prices are currently over 1 pound ($1.90) per liter, your running costs could easily be over a hundred pounds per day in fuel and oil alone. Wakeboarding and tubing will consume large amounts of fuel in a boat that size.

I think you have to consider if you're really in a position to own a boat right now. Boat is actually an acronym for Bust Out Another Thousand. If you can't afford a windscreen replacement I have to question if you're really in a position to own the rest of the boat anyway. Fuel, oil, maintainance, storage or dock fees, etc. Don't mean to be a downer, but I think you should take your time and really think through what you want and can afford.

Grouse