1994 252 Sailfish

[Robroy7426]

Hello

I was given an opportunity to buy a single owner 1994 252 Sailfish with 2006 Suzuki 225's. Motors have a little over 600 hours on them.

The boat is a single owner boat and is in great shape. From the research I have done and seen it looks like my 2 biggest issue could be the transom condition and the fuel tank. I have been on the boat once when it was in the water, and I was very happy with the amazing condition, but at that time i was not informed on issues in respect to this particular boat. The boat has since been taken out of the water and I will be able to do a better inspection on it.

The boat has what i think is a European transom, with the ladder on the port and the door that opens on the opposite side. How do I view the transom and structure underneath with this type of configuration?

Also any additional items that I should look for?

Pricing for these is sort of all over the place so if im in this for around $15K am i ok?

I know I am new here but all things playing out like I think they will I hope to be a strong contributor moving forward.

Thanks
Rob

 

[PointedRose]

$15k isn’t bad for a rig like that, but is that the listing price? Generally listing price is a starting point for negotiation. Go over the boat and its systems in detail, flip every switch, open every hatch, look in the bilge, open seacocks, etc. Anything that isn’t operational or needs attention is a negotiation lever. You can get a survey if you need to, or bring a boater friend to help. A marine survey for inspection will find potential issues (possibly not all) but you need a mechanic if you want engine compression checked and engine health assessed. 600 hrs isn’t bad but what if one is a dud?

how long do you plan to keep it, how handy you are with maintenance and do you enjoy fixing things impact the decision. There will be maintenance issues with that age of boat, but nothing that can’t be fixed. The transom should be inspected closely, inside outside and the top bangcap for any water intrusion or signs of cracking or delamination of the fiberglass.

it you wanted to sell the boat in a couple years, would you be willing to sell at a lower price if the used boat market is no longer as strong as it has been?
Does it have a decent trailer or does that need work?

 

[Robroy7426]

thanks for all the good info

i am prepared and capable to deal with issues, but I have never had a boat this size of vintage so there a
is a learning curve for sure.

no trailer in the deal, but the boat has been meticulously maintained by the owner and a very very good marina so I think as long as structurally I’m ok, then I will have a great 2 or 3 years with the boat before I make any decisions.

 

[PointedRose]

no trailer in the deal, but the boat has been meticulously maintained by the owner and a very very good marina so I think as long as structurally I’m ok, then I will have a great 2 or 3 years with the boat before I make any decisions.

Tougher sell without a trailer imho. I’d discount the price a bit. $2k would be minimum to find a used trailer.

 

[Bg56126]

Get a good understanding of the electronics package as well. Does it have a VHF, GPS, Depth and do they all work? A new electronics package for that boat can be anywhere from $1k to $8k depending on what you need to buy. I'd check that out as you go through the process.

Otherwise, what you've noted are the general "issues" I've heard with these boats. As someone mentioned earlier, flip every switch and press every button to make sure it all works. I'd also check compression and have a mechanic do a check of the engines.

If you have any pics, post them. I'm sure you'll get some opinions

Good luck!

 

[Robroy7426]

Great info thanks

i come from the bass fishing world, so I am taking my bass graph and using them on the boat, and upgrading the bass boat.
my big issue is not having a feel for the transom, but I will spend some time on that and work my way from there

 

[glacierbaze]

35 hours a year since the re-power, so maybe 50 hours a year when it was his new toy. Low hours overall. So where was the boat stored in the meantime, high and dry, or out in the weather? What is the condition of the cushions and the enclosure?
If it has the euro transom, the chances of a bad transom are less.