Re: thoughts on this boat?
The boat has obviously been well taken care of. Even if it was detailed prior to the photos being taken, its hard to hide past wear & tear. That said, I wouldn't contemplate spending thousands of dollars on any boat without inspecting it personally. For that many thousands of dollars, I would also want a trusted marine dealer to inpsect the engine.
Depending on what you want to do with the boat, I don't think it is underpowered. Yes, it can take up to 140 hp, but that doesn't mean that 115hp isn't enough.
One of the things that I think I would do very quickly, if I were thinking seriously about this boat, is to find out what ten year old Seaswirls typically sell for. My guess is that the engine alone is worth about $3,000. I just "googled" for a minute and found that there is a Seaswirl dealer in Jersey by the name of Coty Marine - they have stores in Perth Amboy, Seaside Heights, Toms River & Wildwood. I would talk to them and just act like a potential customer. Tell them what you are interested in and see if they have a used model. Ask to see the boats and ask the for the listed price. You never know, $8000 might be a bargain for this boat.
As for the 100% feedback, its a nice thing to see, but may or may not be important. Look at what types of items the seller has auctioned in the past. If he/she has sold a bunch of high ticket items, and has a bunch of happy buyers, its a good sign. On the other hand, if he/she has been selling garage sale type items, about the most you can get from the rating is that the person is a nice person, who describes what they have for sale well. It doesn't mean that they might have a clue as to potential problems with this boat.
On warranties - I don't find the "as is" statement to be unusual at all. Private sellers put statements like this in ads for boats, cars, etc. all the time. When I sell something like a car, I put it in the bill of sale also. Mine says, point blank, that I warranty nothing! That is exactly what caveat emptor is all about. Its not that the seller is trying to get over on anyone, but honest people can sell something with a defect that they truely don't know about. While they might choose to "make something right" if an issue comes up, there can be situation where they just don't feel resposnbie for a particular circumstance. Some here might remember the thread where one of our members sold a boat that was running just fine, and the buyer then blew the motor up the first time he used it.
One thing about this boat does make me curious - the prop shows a lot of paint wear for only having 100 hours on it. It looks to me like the owner was digging a little mud or sand with it at one time or another. While there are no signs of an overheat when you look at the apint on the powerhead, I would ask the question. Additionally, some of the folks here might know if a 2001 Johnson has a computer/memory in it that would reveal such problems. If it does, that will come up during the engine inspection.
I say, find out what its worth, go see it, get it inspected and make your offer. As clean as the boat is, this might be the right deal for you.
I may go take a look at this 99 Maxum though.