Boat Question… Any info would be appreciated.

  • chris_b
    Western WI
    Posts: 3
    May 28, 2013 at 12:58 pm #1239381

    I’ve never owned a boat before, but have been keeping my eyes open (but not actively looking) for a good deal on a used boat. I ran across a 1989 Starcraft SFM 160 (fish & ski) with a 60 hp Evinrude VRO motor for $2600.00. I called the guy and asked about the boat & he said the only thing he knows doesn’t work is the gas gauge. It looks to be clean & in good condition (needs a bit of a buffing though). It comes with an EZ Loader trailer (with spare tire), 2 batteries, 4 seats, electronics, trolling motor (although the guy admitted it’s a cheap trolling motor), and a travel cover. Does anyone have experience with this boat / set-up? What are the things to look for & questions to ask when I go take a closer look at this boat & talk to the guy. The main use for this boat would be for fishing & taking my kids out on the water (ages 5 & 7). Any skiing / tubing would be very infrequent, if at all.
    Thanks!

    walleyenordy
    Cottage Grove, MN
    Posts: 502
    May 28, 2013 at 1:10 pm #1173841

    ChrisB
    I would check the motor over mechanically (waterpump, compression on cylinders, how it starts). Also check the transom of the boat and stress of it. Check the bottom of the boat and everywhere else for issues. I think the other minor things as it is an older boat is fixable or replacable. As for the year/price I am not sure if its a good deal or not. Would have to take a look at it. If you want me to give more input send some pictures with it. But all in all you are getting a boat to take your kids out and enjoy sometime on the water with them.
    Have fun with it.

    Buzz
    Minneapolis MN
    Posts: 1814
    May 28, 2013 at 1:26 pm #1173846

    I’d look a little more. For a 89 motor and boat the price seems to be the most attractive thing about it. First time boat owner, where will you keep it? Is it a travel cover or storage cover. How soon before you out grow it? Plan on replacing everything that is more then 5 yrs old. Even if the hubs on the trailer have been repack annually, they will likley need new bearings soon. Tires don’t last long. You always want to travel with a spare tire. Wiring in older boats often is to light for modern trolling motors. Does it have a bilge pump and livewell aerator?

    I would try to find a 18′ boat with a new and larger engine and sink $$$ into trolling mtr, electronics.

    After having a boat for awhile, most folks are thinking about having enough rod and gear storage, engine reliability,

    chris_b
    Western WI
    Posts: 3
    May 28, 2013 at 1:28 pm #1173847

    WalleyeNordy,
    Thank for the info! Here’s a couple pictures of the boat I’m looking at…

    TheFamousGrouse
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 11666
    May 28, 2013 at 2:33 pm #1173863

    For an 89 boat to have lasted this long, it must have had reasonable protection from the elements and maintainance. Both are key to its value now.

    Overall, from the pics it looks decent and the price seems to be in the right range. I very much like the snap-on cover as keeping water out of the boat while it’s being stored is EVERYTHING.

    Things I’d check:

    1. Compression on all cylinders and general mechanical condition. If you don’t have a compression tester, spend $20 at NAPA and buy one. Compression should be above 90 and no variance greater than 10% on all cylinders.

    2. Hopefully some generic mechanic didn’t hack out the VRO oil injection system. If they did, I would be very careful. The VRO system has been the victim of a lot of internet badmouthing by armchair mechanics who don’t understand how it works and blame it for all manner of evils, most of which are not actually possible in reality. Do NOT give in to anyone who tells you to cut out a working VRO and simply run pre-mix in the tank. They are idiots and forgetting to mix the fuel is far more likely to kill your motor than is a VRO failure, which because of the design, is next to impossible.

    3. Transom and floor. with the outboard tilted halfway up, push down on the shaft. The transom should not flex more than a few degrees. With the floor, check it thouroughly for rot by probing it every few inches. Be especially thorough in corners.

    There’s no point in nitpicking with a boat this age. It’s coming up on 25 years old, so as others have pointed out, you will have all the normal maintainance on a boat that age. Once you get on top of it so that you know WHEN things were done last, this is generally not an issue, but here’s a short list of things I’d do sooner rather than later if you don’t have proof of when they were done:

    – Trailer bearings.
    – Make sure all tires are good and not cracked.
    – Change spark plugs and lower unit oil. Grease all zerks on outboard. Change water pump.
    – Run as much of the existing fuel and oil out as you can and refill with quality fuel and semi-synth or full synth oil.
    – Add a high quality fule filter / water seperator like a Racor unit. This will pay for itself in peace of mind.
    – Check all batteries have proper water level.

    mwal
    Rosemount,MN
    Posts: 1050
    May 28, 2013 at 3:35 pm #1173886

    I have had friends with vro oil systems that just up and quit. Ask to make sure it is working well or if the are mixing gas and oil in the fuel tank. Otherwise others have posted great points to look at.

    Mwal

    TheFamousGrouse
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 11666
    May 28, 2013 at 5:41 pm #1173922

    Quote:

    I have had friends with vro oil systems that just up and quit. Ask to make sure it is working well or if the are mixing gas and oil in the fuel tank.

    As with any engine’s fuel system, the VRO system contains mechanical and rubber components that can wear out with age and use. The VRO unit is fully serviceable, so any system that quit can be repaired.

    The VRO system is also often blamed for fuel system problems that go away not because the VRO was replaced, but in the process of replacing the VRO, the real issue was inadvertantly corrected. The most common example is air leaks into the fuel or oil lines. Replacing the VRO and in the process tightening up hose clamps and replacing cracked hoses fixes the problem, but the problem wasn’t the VRO in the first place, it was a cracked hose or loose clamp that could have been fixed by replacing a $2 hose clamp or a $10 section of fuel line.

    Many generic mechanics cite the cost of replacing a VRO pump as justification for simply ripping it out and going to premix. That line of logic simply proves that they don’t know their buttski from a hole in the ground. If they really were trained OMC mechanics and understood how the VRO system worked, they would simply troubleshoot the existing VRO and only replace the parts that were needed.

    If the VRO’s working on a 25 year old engine, leave it alone would be my advice. A comptent OMC mechanic will probably recommend overhauling the pump at some point, but I would consider this to be normal maintainance and if you work it out as a cost per year considering it should probably be done every 10 years, it works out to $20-40 per year.

    Grouse

    chris_b
    Western WI
    Posts: 3
    May 28, 2013 at 6:40 pm #1173937

    Wow, thanks for all the detailed info on what to look for guys! That’s awesome. Maybe when I pay off my student loans I’ll invest in a larger boat with a bigger motor & more bells & whistles, but until then, if I can get my hands on a competent boat at a reasonable price to be able to do more than just shore fish I hope I’ll be ahead of the game. I fish with my ex’s dad & he’s an accomplished machinist & competent mechanic with space to store the boat indoors over winter. Getting a boat would allow us to get out on the water more, especially now that my kids (his grand-kids) are getting older. My impression on Starcraft is that they are an overall good quality / sturdy boat (if maintained well – I’m sure as with anything). Does this ring true with the rest of you?
    Thanks!

    mwal
    Rosemount,MN
    Posts: 1050
    May 28, 2013 at 6:43 pm #1173938

    Good points Grouse my friends did not go through OMC certified mechanics that I am sure of. They just said disable and premix. They favor backyard type of mechanics so I am sure they did not properly trouble shoot other than figure out oil is not getting into gas.

    Mwal

    Tom P.
    Whitehall Wi.
    Posts: 3528
    May 29, 2013 at 12:22 am #1174034

    With the VRO system Evenrude had an updated unit that was absolutely darn near trouble free. Be sure the warning buzzer is working in the control box when the key is turned on, if not that would be the first thing I would fix. It will warn, over heat, low oil or non working oil system. Good luck and have fun with your new boat if you buy it.

    TheFamousGrouse
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 11666
    May 29, 2013 at 1:41 pm #1173637

    Quote:

    My impression on Starcraft is that they are an overall good quality / sturdy boat (if maintained well – I’m sure as with anything). Does this ring true with the rest of you?
    Thanks!

    Yes, I’d have no hesitation in going with a Starcraft of this vintage. Starcraft always had good build quality in alumnium boats and if you look at the numbers of boats like the Starcraft Islanders from the 1980s that are still out there on big water catching fish every day, they obviously were good boats.

    Grouse

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