Buying my first Seacraft, how does this one look?
 

Hey guys and gals, First time posting.

Been looking for my first classic seacraft the last few months and I think I've found my candidate. I've left a deposit but have not seen the boat as it's a good 4 hrs away from me.

It's a 88, one owner boat. Husband past away and the wife put it in storage for the last 8 yrs.

The wife does not know any history on what the husband did with it but from what I can see in pictures is what appears to be a newer solid transom with a stainless marine bracket.

Not sure if that would have been standard back then?

They are unsure on the fuel tank and whether it was stored with fuel. (It's on consignment at a used boat lot)

The motor has good compression and they replaced a bunch of parts on it and have it running with there fuel tank.

I've left a deposit and the price without me actually seeing it yet is 7,500 with the trailer.

Let me know what your thoughts are. I'm concerned about the fuel tank. If it was stored with fuel are the original tanks still good after all these years?

They say the boat is in immaculate condition. No soft spots. Solid as a rock everywhere.

http://ocala.craigslist.org/bod/4703789581.html

Kinda bad timing, I was in Crystal River a few weeks ago and would have been happy to look at it for you. From the CL pictures it looks like a sweet deal for $7500. Good luck!!

I would not count on the motor lasting too long, might get a little use out of it before it starts to cost a lot to keep running. The transom enclosure is nice. The bracket could use a swim platform IMO. I would absolutely have the tank cleaned, and I would probably replace all the fuel lines too.

Nice boat though. I think hull and trailer are probably worth $5000 even if you have to replace the tank.

Ok. Thanks!

Yeah, motor will probably be replaced fairly soon.

I really need a swim platform as well. Do you think there is any market for that bracket and motor? If the motor is sound and running good.

I'd like to try and get the price down more. Hard to do when I have not seen it yet. But good to know the hull and trailer are about 5k.

Those Stainless Marine brackets have minimal flotation, so if you plan to replace it, get one with more flotation. A Hermco bracket is all glass and has the most flotation of anything on the market.

Amazing I never saw it on CL. Look's like a deal to me.

Looks like a good deal. If I had a few extra $$$ I probably would of gone and picked it up already myself

Good to know. Thanks guys! I used "search tempest" and searched all of floridas craigslist.

Only been for sale a week.

Glad I got the deposit in!!!

Can't wait.

There's a 18 for sale in Stuart it's out on Kanner Hwy.
Looked good driving bye Yamaha power with t-top.

looks very nice,clean bottom and more for an 88,go for it !!

Take a 4' straight edge with you when you go to look at it. If you can find a 6' straight edge, that's even better. Lay it along the hull bottom just forward of the transom on all six hull panels and look for hook (concavity) in the hull panels. Rumor has it there was a mold being used for the 23s in the late 80s that had a hook on one side. If the starboard panels are consistent with the port side panels, you're good to go. If there's a hook on one side, the boat will heel to the other side when on plane and will be difficult to trim.
Dave

would this hold true on a October 84 build 23 sf?

I've never seen it, but heard it was in the late '80s boats. Easy enough to check with a straight edge.

Thanks for that info. I will do that.

Just wondering why u say this about the motor? The older mercury 2.4 and 2.5 liter outboards were some of the best motors mercury ever produced. The blocks have been modified and built to turn over 10000 rpms and horse power over 300. Yea it is a older motor and it may cost a little to replace old gas lines and recondition it but it could be a very dependable motor if up dated. It could have way worse power. I would run it till she dies if it don't give you many problems. I'm using a 2.5 on my 20' Seacraft project (newer efi model). A newer 4 stroke would be nice but you can fill that tank many times for what it cost to replace the motor.

There was 1 mold for the 23 that had a hook in it. Potter supposedly warned SeaCraft Industries about it when they took over his bankrupt operation in 1980 and told them not to use it. However that bad mold was apparently used occasionally during the 1980's because I noticed the hook pictured below when I looked at an 80's vintage 23 Sceptre for a forum member about 6-7 years ago! The most noticeable hook was on the center panel on the port side. There was about a 1/8" gap between my straightedge and the hull about 6" forward of the transom.

Bringing a straight edge. If I find a gap like that is it worth walking away?

At the least use it to work on the price. Honestly I don't think you can buy a 23 cheap enough. I want one very badly but the money it would take to turn one around keeps me a looker and not a taker.

Kudos to you though if you've found a diamond in the rough. If that bracket is done right, floor isn't soft you're doing pretty good.

Statistically speaking, I think the chances of any particular 23 having a hook are fairly low, but if it IS one with the hook, as Ryan said, it will provide some leverage to get the price down a bit. It's not a deal killer, as it's easily fixed with a couple of layers of 1708.

Well. I walked away from it. It's solid but more of a project then I'm honestly ready for.

It did have a hook on the port side. Every panel. Worse then what you pictured.

Some soft spots around the console.

Fuel tank looked rough.

Transom was solid though. Motor runs.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...psf3lmcbbp.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...psntzsw4cx.jpg

A friend of mine bought the boat. It is a project, but the hull is in pretty good shape. It has some hook in the bottom, but it looks to be uniform from one side to the other. We only found one small soft spot in the deck under the rear starboard corner of the console. The rest of the deck and the gunwale cap are solid. The transom and all the hatches are solid.

The motor looks to be in good shape if a tad neglected. It's a 2.0 Merc 200 with 130-135 psi compression in all six holes. We attempted a sea trial, but the boat wouldn't go into gear, forward or reverse. The remote control was shot. My friend took a chance and bought it as-is.

We got it home and replaced the remote control with the one that was on my 25 when I bought it. Now it goes into gear. When we took it to the river, it peed like an old man with prostate problems and overheated every time we put a load on it. We pulled the thermostats and they had been gutted. I told my friend, "I believe you need a poppet valve". He said, "What the hell is a poppet valve?".

Long story short, I replaced the thermostats, the poppet valve, and the spark plugs (there were three different types, only two were the right ones). Now it pees like a race horse and should be good to go. The first time we got it on plane, I noticed the anti-ventilation plate was buried, so I also raised the engine two holes.

For the time being, we have to run on a remote fuel tank because the under deck tank has an unknown quantity of 5 year old fuel. The wiring is a mess, and the through hull for the forward fish box leaks like a sieve. It's all manageable stuff, but the boat was far from turn-key.
Dave