Value of Starcraft Seafarer 14 DLX and trailer?

[looserivet]

I've been looking around for a few months for a good used 14-15ft aluminum boat and trailer to make use of a 9.9hp Mercury four stroke outboard I've got. The motor requires a 15" transom.
A buddy and I went to look at a few over the weekend, the one I liked the best was a 1995 model, no motor, walk through middle bench, livewell, measuring about 14.5ft long. The boat is super clean and its sitting on a tubular frame Load Rite trailer that's a few years newer than the boat. The trailer looked like new as did the boat.
The guy was asking $1750 for the boat and trailer.
The second boat we looked at was $1,500, basically the same hull but a few years older, on an older trailer with 8" tires and no lights.
I was only interested in the first boat, and the guy said he'd let it go for $1600 cash, no less.
I didn't think that was a bad price especially after looking at new boats a week earlier and seeing they wanted $2,600 for the hull, and $1,260 for a matching trailer, plus all the tax and stuff a new boat will incur.

My buddy said I'd be crazy to spend $1,600 on a used aluminum boat, he seems to think its only worth $800 to $1000 tops.

We're not talking about a row boat here, its a 14.5ft Starcraft with a wood deck, livewell, and a clean trailer. All I'd have to do is hang my motor and go fishing. The boat even comes with a pair of padded seats if I want them. (The kind that fold down and sit atop a short pedestal).
After looking around here and nearby areas, everything that's cheaper has been junk, basically bare hulls with nothing but bench seats and no trailers. Sort of car top sized 14ft boats.

I looked at the various boat value guides online but they seem to dump anything older than about 10 years into the $300 category, if they were accurate, I'd have a boat for each day of the week here.

Is $1600 that off base for what is basically a new looking 1995 Starcraft SF14DLX on a galvanized trailer?

 

[ahicks]

If you like the boat, stop listening to your buddy and go for it.

The "I want it factor" is definitely in play when establishing what a boat is worth to YOU.

 

[southkogs]

A lot of this depends on what is available in your area and what kind of shape it is in. I think the price sounds high: it's a 25 year old boat with no motor. In my area, I don't think you'd get $1k for the boat and trailer.

BUT ... if the boat is in good shape, and you REALLY do like it, and you can't find anything comparable cheaper. Then, the price is the price. You may have overpaid for the boat, but that boat will do quite a bit and last quite a while. It won't be a "bad" purchase.

 

[briangcc]

There's an old adage...you pay a bit more for a well cared for boat. If it does what you want and is in the condition you're happy with then I'd pull the trigger. You have to be happy, not your buddy.

 

[looserivet]

There's a ton of smaller boats and row boat type hulls for $1000-1500, but nothing with a floor, livewell, and wider beam like this one. The thing looks almost new, the guy kept it in the garage and apparently rarely used it. He just moved here from the midwest, so its freshwater clean. Everything here in NJ is corroded away, missing rivets, or dented up.
I priced a new boat and the boat alone is $2,699 and I'd have to drive a couple hours to buy it out of state.
There are no Starcraft dealers here. My last boat was a Sea Nymph, they used pressure treated wood in the transom and it ate through the aluminum in 8 years. I maybe used it 5 times total in freshwater only.
A buddy has a similar boat, his is a bit older and its in great shape after years of crabbing with it in saltwater.
The trailer looks brand new, the one light is broke but that's a non issue to me. The galvanizing is perfect, like it was made yesterday, the tires are mint, and the bunks look brand new. I'd hang a set of LED lights anyway so the lights would be coming off day one either way. I also like to run a ground to each light so eliminate any issues down the road.

I have a motor, and two trolling motors from my old boat, one transom mount and one bow mount.

My only concern is how to mount a pedestal seat in the rear location since the rear seat houses a livewell. The front seat has a factory in seat mount and it comes with that seat.

Something I'm finding is that a lot of the CL and FB ads for boats around here are either bogus or the sellers just don't answer emails. I've seen a few others I'd have liked to look at but never got a reply. There's been at least a dozen or so that just didn't reply. .

 

[JimS123]

Funny you ask that question. Two years ago I sold that very boat after having owner her for 8 years. She was a few years newer though.

I did buy her new, so it was unmolested and in immaculate condition. I loved that boat and she treated me very well. The only reason for selling was that I wanted something a little bigger, and with a Bimini and steering wheel.

The hull and deck are warrantied for the life of the original owner, so that says a lot about how Starcrafts are built. The hull is a Deep V (though a fairly shallow deadrise), not a rounded Semi-V, so she handles very well in the chop.

Not many around because not too many are willing to part with them. Your deal sounds good, so if it were me I wouldn't let it get away.

 

[82rude]

Where I live in about the time it took you to type out your post it would of been sold.With over 250,000 lakes in Ontario (conservative estimate) 14 footers are highly sought after.In my area decent ones don't even last a day .I put 2 on my front lawn and in within the hour they were sold for my asking price .If you like it buy it or else somebody else will.

 

[Scott Danforth]

remember, while you are contemplating this, someone is hitting their bank for a fist full of dead presidents to buy the boat.

My 1950's fishing boat, trailer, and motor will fetch over $1000 and its not a starcraft

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

You can buy a boat that’s bigger than a row boat with a trailer for $1600?

in the under $3000 range it solely depends on condition And what’s available in your comfortable search area not age.

$1600 if it and the trailer are in good to better condition what might you find for less or more that you’d regret your purchase, the day after you buy it a slightly better deal will show up, if you don’t buy it will a better deal show up.

myself at $1600 if it’s good deal I’d buy it and keep shopping if another boat comes along that works better buy that and sell this one minimal loss of funds maybe you even make a few bucks,

 

[JimS123]

Where I live in about the time it took you to type out your post it would of been sold.With over 250,000 lakes in Ontario (conservative estimate) 14 footers are highly sought after.In my area decent ones don't even last a day .I put 2 on my front lawn and in within the hour they were sold for my asking price .If you like it buy it or else somebody else will.

I traded my Starcraft in on my Whaler. The dealer was half way across the state and we made the deal by E-mail. I sent him pics of the trade and without hesitation he offered considerably above blue book without even seeing the boat in person.

 

[UP HOOKER]

I have had a couple of those Hulls over the years. I just picked up another one, this one is a 1989 SF 14 SC . It also came with a really nice trailer and no motor. The trailer is a 2018 Karavan roller that looks like it could handle a 17 footer and basically new. The Boat needs a floor and could use paint. I happily gave $1,300. For it.

 

[UP HOOKER]

This is what the 89 SF Looks like

 

[looserivet]

The problem is I'm looking for a boat I can hang a motor on and go fishing, he's looking for a boat that's cheap regardless of condition. There's plenty of old 14ft boats out there that have leaking rivets, dents and missing paperwork.

 

[ahicks]

So my question would be, who's buying the boat? You or him?

 

[roffey]

You have your answer. Not one post was its to expensive. If you keep looking you will always find a better deal, problem is, all those fish getting away and days missed on the water. Boats are what you are willing to pay for it. If you like it and don't mind spending the cash then go for it.

 

[JimS123]

If the $1600 boat is the pic in post #13 I'd jump on it fast.

Go back to the guy with 15 brand new $100 bills and i bet he'll take it. If not, pull one more out of your wallet.

BTW, it looks like its fitted for a cover. See if the guy has that too.

 

[looserivet]

I figured I'd come back here with an update. By the time I got back to that seller, the boat was gone. He ended up selling the boat and trailer separate to people from different states. The boat went for $1500 minus the trailer, the trailer went for $650.
The guy who bought the boat was from PA, which apparently doesn't recognize NJ homemade trailer registrations.

I pretty much gave up going into any deal with my buddy on a boat, he wants a boat to hang a 4hp on, I want one that I can hang a 40hp on.

I'm kind of glad i waited, there's a ton of boats out there cheap with all that's been going on now. I'm seeing 16ft Starcraft Super Sports and Holidays for cheap, in running condition.
I've been talking to a guy with a 12 year old Lowe 16ft deep V with a 40hp Mercury engine who's asking $1400, but the trailer is way too heavy and basically junk. I'm leery about Lowe/Grumman/Sea Nymph boats though, I've had a few over the years with corrosion issues due to them using pressure treated wood in the transom. My last Grumman used to pop a half dozen rivets every time I took it out. They were corroding from the inside out. I finally gave up sold it.

There seems to be two 14ft Starcraft hulls, one with a more swept back bow and one with the more classic bow.
When I went to look at the one on CL, it had a decal or model tag on it that said something about it being an 'Alaskan' style hull. It was deeper than any other's I've looked at by about 6" and rated for 35hp instead of 20 or 25hp.
I wasn't fond of the livewell but I'm sure I could find a way to plug that hole somehow and just do away with all the mess in the back of the boat. I really never saw much use in a 12"x24" livewell in a seat. To me, that thing being there just makes mounting a pedestal seat and swivel that much harder.
I used to own an early 14 Seafarer, about a 1972 or so. The hull was considerably narrower with far less freeboard.
What I'm thinking is that they likely made a similar hull in 16ft, if they did, that's what I need to find.

I did pick up a super clean Honda 9.9 the other day, not that I needed another motor but I didn't have a short shaft Honda in 9.9hp. Besides, for $250, I couldn't say no.

The way things are going I may be able to trade some toilet paper for my next boat.