Looking at a 255 Amberjack

270win

270win

Well-Known Member
PLATINUM Sponsor
Jul 12, 2009
1,019
Atlanta, GA
Boat Info
1991 Sea Ray 350 SunDancer
Engines
7.4 V Drives
I've found a fresh water 255 Amberjack that I'm considering buying. It has twin 170's/Alphas and I'm wondering how the boat will do power wise with those engines? I've seen these with single 7.4s and twin 4.3s too. I'm sure these engines burn less fuel, but I'm wondering how well, or IF, they will hold the boat on plane around 3,000 RPM.

Anybody got one or know of one like this that can chime in?

Also, anything major to look for? It's been surveyed and found to be very solid and mechanically sound.
 
270Win,

I'm sure it's at least adequate with that set-up. I think the power you choose will depend on how you plan to use the boat. If you fish (troll), i think this would be a great set-up. If you're looking for a bit more speed, you will want the single 7.4, or twin 350's.

Nice wide boat. Good luck!
 
ghuskin said:
270Win,

I'm sure it's at least adequate with that set-up. I think the power you choose will depend on how you plan to use the boat. If you fish (troll), i think this would be a great set-up. If you're looking for a bit more speed, you will want the single 7.4, or twin 350's.

Nice wide boat. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Well, we plan to go to Mexico Beach twice each summer for two weeks. I'm sure we'll do some trolling and some bottom fishing. But I also wanted the range to get WAY out and the redundancy of twin engines to get back.:grin:

The rest of our boating is on a land locked lake that gets rougher than the Gulf of Mexico on most summer weekends. My family likes to ride around on the lake a lot so we are always on the move. As long as it'll make a nice breeze without running the motors hard it'll be fine. I guess worst case I could always upgrade to 205hp 4.3s...
 
ghuskin said:
270Win,

I'm sure it's at least adequate with that set-up. I think the power you choose will depend on how you plan to use the boat. If you fish (troll), i think this would be a great set-up. If you're looking for a bit more speed, you will want the single 7.4, or twin 350's.

Nice wide boat. Good luck!
Click to expand...
By the way-
I LOVE the old 83 225!!! One of my all-time favorite cuddy boats...:smt038
 
FWIW when I was on the way to the launch to have my boat hauled out I gave it a good max speed run for about 3 minutes with my newly rebuilt 5.7- 260hp motor. My top speed was 30mph at 5000 rpm's with a 1/4 tank and no water with one passenger in relatively calm water. With my motor set up my boat is a tank fully loaded but is almost fun to drive when empty. These are big and heavy boats. Don't expect to win any drag races with that set up, but you will have a BIG boat for the LOA and a very sea worthy boat as well. I am 6'6 and I can stand up in the cabin. I think I saw the boat you are referring to in boattrader. Let us know how the sea trial goes.

Let me know if you have any specific questions. CageRattler just finished repowering his last summer- you might want to PM him. I haven't seen any others on this site with twins, but I guess that doesn't mean that they aren't out there.
Good Luck.
 
the twins are out there. need to look. Usually these AJs are picked up quick, as they are great fishing and day boat platforms.

Thanks for the comments on the 225CC!

I would scour craigslist in the various freshwater areas (detroit, cleveland, toledo) for these boats. Have you looked at the 270AJ? Same beam, still trailerable.
 
Wow! Thanks for all those leads.

So 30 mph with a single 260 lightly loaded? I'm guessing I'll be about the same...that'll work for my purposes. If it's too slow I'm positive that twin 5.7s would make the boat run strong.

I was reading CageRattler's thread. A lot of great info there.

I fly out in two weeks to see the boat and sea trial it. I'll post up some pics and may even have some real time questions as I'm looking at it.
 
270win said:
Wow! Thanks for all those leads.

So 30 mph with a single 260 lightly loaded? I'm guessing I'll be about the same...that'll work for my purposes. If it's too slow I'm positive that twin 5.7s would make the boat run strong.

I was reading CageRattler's thread. A lot of great info there.

I fly out in two weeks to see the boat and sea trial it. I'll post up some pics and may even have some real time questions as I'm looking at it.
Click to expand...

Have fun! I love the layout, flexibility, and simplicity of these boats. Its almost like a minivan on the water. My boat rarely moves any faster than displacement speeds- don't want to spill any drinks.
 
Big Island Lifer said:
Have fun! I love the layout, flexibility, and simplicity of these boats. Its almost like a minivan on the water. My boat rarely moves any faster than displacement speeds- don't want to spill any drinks.
Click to expand...

Hahaha- yeah, we boat on a land locked lake 95% of the time...nowhere to go really.

We had an old 23' Chaparral that we liked, but it was worn out. We bought a 1992 29' Chaparral Signature for the cabin room. But the cockpit space was just not big enough even for our family of four. So we went to a 90' Sea Ray 23' cuddy...HUGE cockpit but we missed the stand up head. Traded it for an 84 31' Wellcraft Express cruiser...it was a good move money wise but the boat just never felt right for us. We had lots of small issues continually and some larger issues looming on the horizon. I don't mind putting money into one but I gotta love the boat first!

So, I think the Amberjack is the best of several worlds for us. HUGE cockpit, stand up size cuddy with a real head, twin engine redundancy and trailerable. It'll stay in the lake seasonally and in my shop over the winter months.

Thanks again for all the great input!
 
I passed on the boat. The price was low but it needed a lot of work. More than what I wanted to deal with.

I found an 84 225SRV that I'm going to look at tomorrow.
 
Bought the 225SRV...New thread coming up!
 
Sorry the 255AJ didnt work out for you. You just cant beat that wide open huge cockpit.

I got mine cause i wanted a single screw but I would have went for the 270AJ if i wanted twins.
 
CAGE RATTLER said:
Sorry the 255AJ didnt work out for you. You just cant beat that wide open huge cockpit.

I got mine cause i wanted a single screw but I would have went for the 270AJ if i wanted twins.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have to agree, the AJ has one seriously roomy layout. I would probably have been better off with a single too. I bought this 225SRV because I've just always loved these boats. It's probably the better boat for is for trailerability. My truck would pull the AJ, but I'd need permits and it would be a bigger deal than this 225...my truck won't even know it's back there. :)
 
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