1987 230 Weekender purchase

K

KHE

Member
Feb 28, 2012
238
West Michigan
Boat Info
1997 Sea Ray 240 Sundancer
Engines
Mercruiser 5.7L EFI alpha 1 Gen 2 drive
I'm looking at an '87 230 Weekender with a Mercruiser 260 that is in very good condition. I will probably purchase it if it passes a marine survey. It does not have a camper top which I'll need to obtain one if I purchase the boat. Where would be a good place to locate a camper top and frame for this old of boat? The frame is the most important as I can have a canvas shop make the actual top but if I could find a used OEM frame, I'd like to go that route.

It has been professionally maintained - the only mechanical item that needs repairing is the exhaust bellows which I can do myself. I plan on going over the whole boat and repairing what needs to be repaired. Once I review the service records on the engine and outdrive, I'll know what to check/replace. Any suggestions on what to look for/replace? Thanks!
 
flyer, thanks for the response! The transom, stringers and floor were replaced 9 or 10 years ago by a fiberglass shop that does work for the marina. I plan on having it surveyed just to make sure nothing is wrong.

Thanks for the link to the camper canvas - blue is the color I need and it looks like it has the canopy/bimini top side curtains as well. I'll contact them and see if they can ship the items to me.
 
I sent three emails to the seller that had the camper top on Craigslist as there was not a phone number. He never answered any of the emails and the posting has been deleted so it must have been sold.... I need to keep looking - if anyone has any leads, please let me know.
 
Update: I had a marine surveyor meet me at the boat Friday afternoon. If the surveyor gave the boat a green light, I was going to take it on a sea trial and then purchase it. The price was good; I had a cashier’s check and a bill of sale with me.

The boat looked very good on the outside – all the gel coat shined. There was blistering on the gel coat along the spray rails on the bottom which would only get worse over time. The surveyor noticed stress cracks on the underside near the spray rails and said that was an indication the boat was pounded on rough water.

The transom had been repaired along with the stringers and floor (supposedly...) but the transom had a 28% moisture content vs. 4% on the side of the boat. Bottom line, the transom had water/rot in it. At this point, I knew I was not going to go through with the purchase. The surveyor then dug some rotten wood or some sort of filler material out of the transom... The wood near the engine mounts had a 40% moisture content.

The marine mechanic who maintained the boat for the current owner told be that if the boat sat for a week or more, it was difficult to start so he installed a primer bulb in the fuel line near the engine… I asked him why he didn’t run a volume and pressure check on the fuel pump since the symptom pointed to a weak fuel pump and he said something about the ethanol in the fuel. I told him something didn’t sound right with that. The surveyor noticed the “primer bulb” and stated that was unsafe since the bulbs don’t meet the flammability resistance specs. that the fuel lines meet and if there was an engine fire, it could quickly become a huge, uncontrollable fire. The surveyor agreed the real issue was probably the fuel pump and said when he sees things like that, he can’t help but wonder what else was “fixed” in such a manner.

The surveyor told me that he wouldn’t take his family out on that boat which was very telling. He also said that in two years, given its condition, the boat would deteriorate such that it would not be saleable. It’s frustrating when you think you’ve found the one to buy and it turns out to be junk…

It would have cost way more than the boat was worth to repair it properly and make it safe. $100 - $150 for a survey on a boat is money well spent in my opinion.
 
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Sorry to hear about the disappointment but it's great that you went through those steps.
A great example of how involved a used boat purchase needs to be and knowing what you might be getting into.
Best of luck with finding another boat in better condition.
 
150 bucks well wasted IMO
sorry it didn't work out but it worked for the best for your wallet
 
The surveyor only charged me $95.00 since it didn't take the full time. I agree - money well wasted...LOL. I learned a lot by talking with the surveyor and observing. That in itself was worth the $95.00 in my opinion. I'm thinking about buying a moisture meter so I can pre-screen a prospective boat before paying for a survey. I need to do some research on moisture meters.
 
I put a deposit on another 230 Weekender Sunday. It's a 1989 with only 617 hours on it and much better equipped than the 1987 rotted one I looked at earlier. It is sitting on an E-Z Loader trailer that has been very well maintained over the years and is in very good condition also. The boat looks brand new and needs nothing except a light cleaning and I got it for a very very good price. It included life jackets, dock lines, marine radio, dock hook, etc. I tapped all over the transom with a plastic hammer from the inside and did not detect any soft wood. I also checked the engine mounts and they were solid.

My offer is contingent on a marine survey and sea trial. Marine surveyors in that area are substantially higher priced (3X) than the one I used earlier and I am thinking that given the condition of the boat, I may just buy a moisture meter and check it myself and then sell the meter.
 
I had a surveyor meet me at the boat yesterday to test the structure for moisture and it failed... 30% moisture on the lateral brace in the engine bay, 26% on the transom, 22% near the port motor mount pad, and one area of the deck over the cabin checked as high as 30%. The surveyor said the transom was what concerned him the most. The surveyor said If I wanted to proceed with the boat, the next step would be to take core samples from the transom and analyze them but that would require permission from the boat owner. I told the surveyor that I would not proceed with that as I did not want to get involved in replacing the transom. He told me that it may be able to be salvaged by removing the engine, outdrive, gimbal, etc. and then storing it in a heated facility over the winter with a heat lamp on it. Again, I did not want a project of that scope and even if I were able to get the transom dried out and resealed, the stringers and deck would need to be fixed also.

I got my deposit back and drove 1-1/2 hours home. The surveyor only charged me $100 since I only needed moisture readings. I was really disappointed...
 
you may spend alot of money on surveys on boats in the era you are looking at
ever think of looking a little newer ??
 
Jim,

I'm looking into purchasing a moisture meter as well as looking for a newer boat. I don't know how new of a boat that I'd need to purchase to get a "dry" one though.
 
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