newbie wants to buy a boat
 

Hi boat people! I have been a lurker here for a week or so,have
enjoyed reading all your posts. I have found a 1989 16' "Forester"-red
and white.Has a 65 horse Merc on it.This boat looks like it has never
been in the water,but the upholstery is quite beat from the sun.[top
panels of seats are all 'cracked,peely and faded.
Now,I know this is a 'pleasure boat' or would you call it a
runabout,or???? But,my primary use of the boat will be for fishing.[I
also have available a 8 horse motor for use in lakes which are
restricted to smaller motors]
Is anyone familiar with this boat? Who makes it? Should I buy this and
fish from it,or would I be better off buying the very old 14' Lund
fishing boat I found for a lot less money?
Also,would it be much harder to put this 16' fiberglass boat into and
out of the water,than say,the aluminum 14 footer??
Can anybody give me a 'guestimate of the weight and/or top speed of
these two boats,the fiberglass 16' with Merc 65 Horse,and the 14'
aluminum with 35 Horse Johnson??? My guess would be they would both
reach about the same speed,but with the 'glass boat using more fuel??
Right?
Please jump in here and give me any advice or insight you may have!!!

newbie wants to buy a boat
 

52hawk wrote:

I have found a 1989 16' "Forester"-red

Is anyone familiar with this boat? Who makes it?

Looks like Forester was a brand, from maybe 1974-1994.
You don't specify the model, but a 157 Sport seems to
fit the bill. According to nadaguides.com, thats a 700#
hull.

I have a 600# 14' hull with a 70hp. I think we get up
close to 35, so I would expect you to get in the 30s.

Should I buy this and fish from it,or would I be better
off buying the very old 14' Lund fishing boat I found for
a lot less money?

Only you can really answer that. Is the condition of both
boats equal? Which one do you feel more comfortable with?
Any glaring issues with them? Check for soft sports in the
floor, transom problems. Make sure the motor runs, shifts,
turns. Get any hints and tips the previous owner has about
the boat. As cheap as they are, I wouldn't bother with a
survey. They're a "throw-away" boat. Meaning, while its your
hard earned money, its not that much of it.

Also,would it be much harder to put this 16' fiberglass boat
into and out of the water,than say,the aluminum 14 footer?

Probably not. Once you get used to launching, it gets pretty
easy. Just remember the drain plug and undo the tie downs.

but with the 'glass boat using more fuel??
Right?

You're probably looking at mixed use.. 2-3gallons per hour
of running the outboard. Its not all that much.


sam

newbie wants to buy a boat
 

Thanks for the quick response, guys!! The aluminum 14' is a Lund. I
especially thank you for the hints on checking the hull and transom-
being a autobody man by trade,I really don't care for fiberglass
much,but the 'glass boat in question looks 100% better than the Lund...
There is a wooden panel which lifts out of the center of the floor-I'll
're-inspect the 'glass boat this afternoon Thanks!!!!
Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
On 22 Aug 2006 05:26:01 -0700, "52hawk" wrote:

Please jump in here and give me any advice or insight you may have!!!

With a boat this old, you may want to do a very careful look see for
certain things - such as how solid is the floor and transom, any
excess movement in both (like grab the skeg of the engine and lift it
up and down watching the transom - any movement, you've got a major
problem. Same with the floor - walk about and make sure it's not
"squishy". There might be an access panel somewhere for you to take a
look-see under the floor - look around. Another good way to check the
interior stringers is with a bore light - essentially a long
screwdriver looking thing with a very long neck with a light bulb on
the end. Stick it in the drain plug hole at the stern and take a look
to see if it looks wet - stick your finger in it to check for "gunk" -
gunk would indicate that the stringers are going south.

Another trick when inspecting the boat is to find a small rubber
hammer (or even a big one) and just tap out the hull and transom - if
you hear a solid thunk, then it's probably fairly decent - if you head
a dead sounding thud, chances are the wood is no good. Believe me,
you will know the difference between a thunk and a thud.

Look for cracks and crazing - this boat will have normal wear/tear
issues for it's age, but any cracks/crazing should be surface only and
not with any depth.

Even if your are only paying $1,000 or so for the boat, spend $100
shop time and have the engine gone through with a written repair
report to you stating compression numbers, condition of the spark
plugs, etc. An hour of shop time can buy you a lot of engine
inspection.

These boats are no longer in production.

With respect to weights, no clue, but guessing based on other boats of
it's type, boat/motor/trailer maybe 1300 lbs - plus or minus 100 lbs.

Aluminum will always be a better boat, but a 14 with a 35 might be a
little problematic - in particular with an additional 8 hp kicker.

What kind of aluminum boat is it?

newbie wants to buy a boat
 

52hawk wrote:
been in the water,but the upholstery is quite beat from the sun.[top
panels of seats are all 'cracked,peely and faded.

According to the book by J.P. Lamy, upholstery repairs can involve a
prohibitive cost. If the damage is bad (peeling etc), you should walk
away from the deal.

Think, read, be patient. There could always be a better 2nd hand boat
deal available next week. Fall is a buyer's market. If the deal is not
very good, you don't need to take it.

Risto