Yar Craft Boats

Buying a 1998 Yar Craft 1785 BT with a 60HP Yamaha….. Wondering if anybody else has a Yar Craft around this year or if anyone else has one period… If so, how do you like your Yar Craft? Can you give me a a short review?
Thanks

I believe Frydog had one he sold a year or two ago, he would be a great person to answer many of your questions. Not sure if it was that exact model, but I know it was close.

I had a 1999 1785 Wrangler DC with 150 VMax, which I bought used in 2005 and sold just last year, for more than I paid. Can’t say enough about the quality of the boat from that era (still made by original family owners back then). Only sold it to downsize a bit, since I haven’t been doing as much big water fishing anymore. Performance with the 150 VMax was excellwnt, with great hole shot and 50 mph top speed. My first thought with your 60 hp Yammy is that you might be a bit underpowered for optimum performance. What’s max hp rating on the 1785 BT?

z-man wrote:

I had a 1999 1785 Wrangler DC with 150 VMax, which I bought used in 2005 and sold just last year, for more than I paid. Can’t say enough about the quality of the boat from that era (still made by original family owners back then). Only sold it to downsize a bit, since I haven’t been doing as much big water fishing anymore. Performance with the 150 VMax was excellwnt, with great hole shot and 50 mph top speed. My first thought with your 60 hp Yammy is that you might be a bit underpowered for optimum performance. What’s max hp rating on the 1785 BT?

I really enjoyed fishing in Z-mans Yarcraft. Very stable and appeared to be a well built boat. Storage was well designed and the overt-all layout was nice.
I encountered a very embarrassing situation driving that boat, and was told of others that encountered the same/similar. With Z-mans boat running 3/4 or better throttle and trimmed up, the bow/haul just barley rides above the water. When I made a more than subtle turn, that haul grabbed and we spun around uncontrollably. I was responsible for it, and should have never assumed on how a vessel handles at higher speeds. From running my boat like a sports car everyday, I was a fool to open it up before knowing how it actually handles. Still feel bad about that incident.
The plus side is how it drafts water. It has a little deeper draft in the haul and it is more stable in the wind. I’ve fished in a few on Bago, and it was a comfortable boat to be in all day.

Thanks for all the feedback! I’m buying it through a friend and I’ve always liked the boat when riding passenger…. I believe the boat maxis out with either a 70 or 75

When I was recently shopping for a new-to-me boat, I tried out 2 different Yar Crafts and 3 Tuffys before ultimately settling on a used Tuffy Osprey. For some reason, I’ve always valued having a boat that was unique to those of my friends and neighbors. Alumacrafts, Rangers, and Lunds didn’t really appeal to me.

The Yar Crafts were both beautiful boats, just on the higher-end of my price range. I went with a slightly older Tuffy (2008) and have been happy also. My next boat will either be another Tuffy, a Warrior, or a Yarcraft.

Historically that vintage of Yar-Craft hulls were very solid.

I had a 1999 Yar-craft 1678bt and the hull/ride is as good as you can get in a boat that size. I would easily take that boat out in rough water and it was better than many 17-18 foot aluminum console boats I’ve been in. Tracks/trolls extremely well. I also fish a lot of skinny rivers/lakes and it shines there. A very versatile boat. If I get too old to launch a bigger boat someday, I’d have no problem going back to that boat or similar.

The only thing I would recommend that you do is take it to a reputable boat repair shop and have them give it a work out before you buy. I took mine to a shop where the guy jumped up on the motor and tried to swing it back/forth to see if the transom was soft at all. He removed transducer plates and stuck a screwdriver in the holes, in the floor too, checking for any wood rot. The older glass hulls themselves are good, but transoms and floors are wood before about 2005. Glass over wood on the transom is fine until water gets in there and doesn’t dry out, because it’s sealed in there – it will rot. Repairing a transom on a boat like that is $4-6k and a floor at least half that amount. Not worth buying it…

I looked at plenty of boats until I bought that 1678. It was the most solid boat by far. I walked away from several others.

Once I knew it was solid, I took the 50hp off and replaced with a new 60hp 4 stroke (the max for that hull). The 50hp did about 24-25 mph but had a slow hole shot. The 60 popped out of the hole and topped out around 30-31. Tillers are notoriously very conservatively rated, so I think you really need to consider the max rating, especially if you fish with 2-3 people.

Great boats, I remain a big fan of Yar-craft hulls…

I have a 2016 2095BTX. It is by far the best ride I have ever had. I have a 200 verado on it and loaded with gear, gas, and two people it will do 49mph. But to be honest that really does matter it backtrollers like a champ and I’m able to keep it on structure in most conditions. I will be getting another yar-craft when the times comes. I don’t think a person can go wrong with any of the major boat manufacturers.