looking to buy a 74 23footer

s3ns3sfail4456 · #1 09-09-2006, 11:03 AM

hey everyone, i guess i'm the new guy, anyways. a local shop is sellinga 1974 center console, im not sure what model it is. It has dual i/o's. each have 140 horsepower. It was repowerd in 1995, and the rest was done a few years back. its going for around 29,000. what are you opinions on that? is the price decent? heres the link http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...=blackdiamond&

its got a blue hull which is think is awesome.

-scottyyy

oldfielder · #2 09-09-2006, 01:17 PM

Once you get the bug, there's no fighting it. That said, with that aged power, that sounds pretty steep to me. It really depends how much they've been run and cared for, but you may be looking at engines or major parts sooner than you think. From a guy running a single i/o, I love the feel and balance of this power, but I'm not sure I would want to deal with the maintenance of two of them. Then again, they could be tuned and cared for beautifully.
I think it's a buyer's market right now and if you are patient you will fine good quality for less money. If you can get a great boat, for say, 15, you could put brand new warranteed power on it for what you have left over for that other 14 and now you're talking.
It is a beautiful boat, though, and who knows, you may already be smitten

Good luck either way.
Let us know what you do. There aren't too many other 23 cc i/o guys that post here too much.
PM me if you have any questions about things to poke around for if you are taking a closer look.
Doug

Ikan Besar · #3 09-09-2006, 03:10 PM

"im not sure what model it is."

"its got a blue hull which is think is awesome."

These boats came in a number of configurations which are listed in detail in the Specifications section of this website. While you may indeed like the blue color, any boat can be painted. At nearly $30K for a 34 year old boat at the end of the season, I think you have the luxury of time to research the various models before jumping on this one. If you want this one after learning the different models and more about them, I suspect this one will still be there waiting for you.

ScottM · #4 09-09-2006, 09:29 PM

FYI - that boat has been for sale for 2-3 years now. I'm not saying anything is wrong with it, because I have no idea, but I do know it's been on the market for a while which means a lot of people probably feel it's too much $$. The twin I/O config is probably not helping either. I've seen the boat in person when it used to be in Scituate Harbor and it is very nice.

Jon G · #5 09-09-2006, 10:16 PM

Take a look at this one for comparison, http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...34&searchtype= I'm glad its to far from me or I might be persuaded to go get it. I think the twin I/O is a nightmare for most poeple. I do ALL of my own work and looking at two I/O's makes my head spin, one I can hande but two is a whole lot of work. That 23 looks nice but you can get in to one for less and make it exactly what you want. Like Scott says I think they are asking a little to much for it and the average joe isn't going to drop 30K on a thirty plus year old boat. Now take an average SeaCraft lover and you will find them buying a hull for $3000 and putting another 27K into it to make it there own restoration and thats a differant story worth every penny

. Take my uncles old lapstrake Lyman back in the eightys. He paid nothing for it, almost junk in someones back yard, spent some $$$ and three years restoring it in his backyard shop and he had his ultimate boat(no one was allowed to where shoes in this boat lol), one of the nicest restorations I have ever seen. Now, could he get back what he put in to it? Like most things like this the answer is no, but to the guy that restored it, it was pricless. This boat turned every head that ever laid eyes on it weather you liked boats or not you stoped to look as it went by, gold leaf on a mahogany transom just does something to people

You just can't buy that at a marina. You can pick up a real big project or get one that you can use right away and work on it as time goes by(thats what I did and am still doing).I would rather buy a solid boat and do it my way. Good luck Jon

s3ns3sfail4456 · #6 09-10-2006, 11:38 AM

yes, i know its a little much, but i dont have time to restore. whats teh deal with twin i/o's? why are they such a nightmare. my family owned a 69 foot hatteras with dual inboards and that was trouble ever....

CHANCE1234 · #7 09-10-2006, 01:10 PM

Scottyyy, it seems like you have already made up your mind on this boat. It is a nice looking boat, i have seen it in person, but i would agree that it may be a bit over priced. Keep in mind that you are on the best seacraft website, with top notch people who know a deal when they see one. So if these guys say there are or will be better deals out there, (and i would have to agree) i would listen to what these guys have to say. I am just speaking from experience, these guys know a thing or two.

peterb · #8 09-10-2006, 01:59 PM

Scottyyy,

I believe that this boat has been sale at about this price for 1.5 years. Wwasnt it used as a charter boat by the previous captain/

Net/net, I would think/hope that there would be some give on the price.

Jon G · #9 09-10-2006, 04:02 PM

Scottyyy, I/O's are genrally a high maintainence item compared to inboards, each drive has three rubber bellows that should be replaced every couple of years, u joints and gimble bearings that don't really care for salwater. One I/O can keep you busy but two can keep you real busy! Not to mention exhaust manifolds and risers.
A straight inboard is less comlicated and has a lots less moving parts in the drive to give you a headache. If you want that boat pay a good mercruiser tech to go with you and look at those engines and drives, and remind the broker that at this point they are eleven years old. I dont care how many hours are on them they are still eleven years old. The rubber bellows will rot out even if the boat is sitting land. My sister in law bought a 19' boat with a 4cyl I/O last spring it was eleven years old in nice shape with only 249 hrs. this spring it needed a gimble bearing and bellows, it cost her $600. An I/O is great if you put it in brand new and stay on to of it with above average maintenance but they can drive you nuts when they start getting a little tired. I think the most trouble free Seacraft- I/O set up is a single V-8 with a Bravo outdrive, the are much bigger and take a beating. That is a good looking boat, but ask about the fuel tanks and transom, it doesn't say anything about those, and everyones definition of "restoration" is differant. Have them show you the paper work from Metan with just what the resoration included. The work that I have seen from Metan up close has been great. Make them on offer depending on how it looks and how much was done. Good luck

s3ns3sfail4456 · #10 09-10-2006, 07:09 PM

well...i dont think im gonna be getting a new boat anytime soon now..my current boat caught on fire today...it aws relaunchd yesterday..and i guess the new wiring that was done shorted and caused a fire and wiped out the engine compartment....im not sure of the damage, but its pretty bad. thank god for fast acting people at my marina.. check out the photos

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...u/boat%20fire/