Boat selection questions

[Danno]

Wasn't that a 17' Chaser? I didn't look too closely at it.

[wedocq]

I think what you can take away from this is Arima boats are built to last, AND they are built to keep you safe. We can go on and on about all the other attributes (and trust me we can), but really, those 2 are the most important.
-Shawn

[vxhatch]

Wasn't that a 17' Chaser? I didn't look too closely at it.

It was a 16' SC

[Fish On]

I just want to know how come the person who uses it the least ends up cleaning it the most ......

[raiduh4life]

Old thread revival.  I've been on the hunt for a 17' SC.  However, I received a tip on a very lightly used 16' SC.  I generally will only be fishing 2 (both pretty good sized guys) with a very occasional 3rd person.  How much space/comfort would I be giving up with that last foot?  Also, this particular boat is outfitted with a mid 90's, low hour Mercury 75hp 2 stroke.  I had made my mind up that I wanted a newer 4 stroke.  The 75hp should be sufficient for this boat however, how much am I going to regret (if at all) the 2 stroke engine?  Thanks, Ray.

[Seattleflyfisher]

It depends on money. My  :twocents: is I would never do a 2 stroke again. If you are getting the boat a great price then sell the 2 stroke and put a 4 stroke on it.

How much for the 16?  Year?


SFF

[GoodDays]

My vote would be not to settle for less than you want. If you have an ideal... Stick to it and search a little harder.  It will show up.
Boats, like wives, are very expensive to upgrade once you have them :-(

GoodDays Greg

[raiduh4life]

The 16' SC is a 1994.  The 75hp Merc 2 stroke was bought with it as a package. 

What's a '94 Merc 75hp 2 stroke with "low hours" on it worth on CL?  Who ever came up with the "Keith" - that's pretty good.

I'm still going to look at this one tomorrow.

Upgrade?  Good days, I always thought women were like parking places - all the good ones get taken up first and all that's left are handicapped.   :biggrin:

[amazing grace]

All three of my current boats have two strokes.  The boat I have the fondest memories of that I still don't own had a honda 90hp on it. The boat was fine, the motor was exceptional.

You can get a lot of boat for the money with a two stroke on it.
You will pay top dollar for one that already has a four stroke. You ultimately have to decide if it is worth it.

There is nothing wrong with a good, well maintained two stroke. But, you will most certainly long for a four stroke. The hard part about that is that it is darn hard to find a good, affordable used four stroke to repower with.

The last thing I will say is that four strokes have been around long enough now that buying an older used  one comes with serious risks imho.

I personally would have no problem buying the boat you are talking about if it checks out and is with in your budget. That 75hp should bring $1600-$1800 I would guess.       

[Markshoreline]

The biggest advantage of 4 stroke motors is the fuel use which is generally half the usage of a 2 stroke plus the 2 stroke burns very expensive oil.  Now that gas is $4/ gallon and 2 stroke oil is $5/qt your operating costs get very pricey! 

[So.Cali]

Ray, I had a kieth on my boat when I bought it, and replaced it with another two stroke (E-tec). There was a number of reasons I wanted a new motor, but mostly for the better fuel economy, and fuel injection. Im slowly setting mine up to run about a hundred miles out to chase tuna, but I also like to take summer trips to the eastern sierra's which is a considerable elevation change and didn't want to mess with changing out jets in the carbs every time I went to the ocean or the mountains. If you plan on keeping within a few miles of launch, the ol kieth will probably last you many years.

[Sea Bear]

Sometimes lightly used means it hasn't been used in a long time.  Might need to be serviced before you taker out.

I guess it depends on the price & the year/condition of the boat.  Most of the time you get what you pay for in a used boat.  I've found there is usually a lot of maintenance required before launching, no matter what the previous owner says.  I have 3500 in my old 17sc, with a low-hours 2 stroke.  It has been a lot of tinkering, which I enjoy almost as much as boating.  But if you don't like to tinker, then you should be on the lookout for a ship shape outfit.  If you aren't a back yard mechanic, you might be better with a 4 stroke... everyone I've talked to likes them.

I'll still stick with my Keith, though.

[LvrWurst 21 SR Skip]

FYI....I was up at Buck's Outboard yesterday and see that they still have a way older 17 SR Soft Top on a trailer with Yami 115-2stroke.   They will not let it go for less than 5K...Overall, if I were in a project mood, this boat & trailer will clean-up well and be a good solid starter boat.

"way older" = before Arima serial numbers were posted on transom.

Submitted for the good of the order....J Doo Dad

[woody]

Sea Bear

"If you aren't a back yard mechanic, you might be better with a 4 stroke ... "

2 Strokes are inherenty easier to work on.  Back yard mechanics prefer 2's over 4's.  Like a 21 stud (flathead)or an inline 6 is easier for a back yard mechanic then today's engines.

Woody

[Chuck Jones]

Cali;  If you're planning on taking your boat into the high sierras, you need to check on the laws and ordinances for those areas....many of the lakes have outlawed two strokes for environmental reasons.

[LvrWurst 21 SR Skip]

Re: Lightweight Sanitary Facility: I have found that in open boats a 5 gallon bucket and a large poncho for privacy.   

[StreamFixer]

Poncho ----  What a great idea   

StreamFixer

[xplorz]

Cali;  If you're planning on taking your boat into the high sierras, you need to check on the laws and ordinances for those areas....many of the lakes have outlawed two strokes for environmental reasons.

With SoCali's e-tec, there is no lake in Califoria that your boat with a 4 stroke is allowed on that his CARB 3 Star emission level 2 stroke can't go. Now there are a couple of lakes Woody couldn't go on with his old-tec 2 stroke. But anywhere a 4 stroke is allowed, a current emission regulated direct injected 2 stroke can go.

http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Environmental/TwoStroke/

Two-Stroke Vessel Engines:

Facts About Two-Stroke Vessel Engines
Two-stroke engines are not "banned" for use on all waterways in California, nor is there any plan to do so.
Carbureted and electronic-injection two-stroke engines are considered high-emission engines. Generally, these engines were manufactured prior to 1999.
A carbureted two-stroke engine can emit up to 25-30 percent of its fuel unburned into the water or atmosphere, which is why high-emission engines are prohibited on some lakes.
There are no salt-water or river restrictions in California on high-emission two-stroke engines, excluding personal watercraft (vessels such as Jet Skis) bans in some areas. For example, San Francisco has prohibited personal watercraft within 1200 feet of its shoreline. See "Local Restrictions" on our Web page for a list of lakes.
Direct injection two-stroke engines, made since 1999, are considered clean emission engines and can be used on every water body in California, with some exceptions not related to emission limits.
A new direct injection two-stroke engine will normally have a label sticker (with 1 to 3 stars) on its engine cover indicating that it meets California Air Resources Board emission regulations for 2001, 2004, and 2008 for vessel engine manufacturers.

[raiduh4life]

I passed for now on this Arima.  The boat (and owner) had a lot of little things that just weren't right. 

I'm not a big backyard mechanic - simple stuff is OK. 

[strokersquid]

Remember there is a HUGE difference between an old 2 stroke and a newer direct injection 2 stroke ( for example an etec. yamaha DI, or an optimax ) the new DIs have many of the features people like in an older 2st ( great acceleration ) but have about the same fuel efficiency as a 4st. my SR 17 originally came with a 100 HP 2 st Merc. it was noisy and with only a 27 gal tank i would have to plan where there was fuel available ( at a marina cost of course ) if i was out long. i replaced it with a yamaha 100 hp  carb f 100 since i didn't want to pay the extra $ for the  newer fuel injected models. the 4 st is better on fuel and not as loud but is a lot heavier and i had to put on tabs to get it to plane quickly. my friend has a Striper 19  with a 130 Ficht ( the predecessor to the etec ) . it is fast, powerful,bulletproof, and gets about the same gas milage even though it is a bigger and heavier boat ( and he drives faster than me ). wish i had a DI 2 st, but the carb'd 4 stroke is a definite improvement over the old Kieth.

[strokersquid]

i think you are on the right track with a 17 SR, especially if you want to go out on the ocean. i would not go out on the Pacific in a smaller boat. i go out crabbing all the time under the golden gate, and on SF Bay. Both can frequently get very rough. i think the 17 SR is a good balance between utility, cost and ease of launch, tow etc.