Advice on a 282 Sailfish

[Mustang65fbk]

Good luck, hopefully all goes well!

 

[used2sail]

it went reasonably well. we found the beginning of the exhaust corrosion in both mid sections; its not un expected and at 185 hours its not too bad yet but its not going to go away. Sea trial went very well, the boat rode great, there was a little chop, maybe 2 feet and probably 20 knots of wind and she rode very well. the surveyor noted several items needing attention which isn't surprising on a 16 year old boat that hasn't gotten used much.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

it went reasonably well. we found the beginning of the exhaust corrosion in both mid sections; its not un expected and at 185 hours its not too bad yet but its not going to go away. Sea trial went very well, the boat rode great, there was a little chop, maybe 2 feet and probably 20 knots of wind and she rode very well. the surveyor noted several items needing attention which isn't surprising on a 16 year old boat that hasn't gotten used much.

Are you going to continue with the potential buying process or look elsewhere?

 

[used2sail]

All the sales folks are in Fort Lauderdale at the boat show. When they get back we are going to sit down with the surveyors report and discuss the findings and see what they are willing to do in terms of bringing the items back into working condition. I'm sure most of it is from lack of use but some is going to require money being spent by someone. The fridge didn't get cold, live well pump was making noise but not pumping, sewage holding tank level indicator was showing full but i doubt there was anything in there, the macerator pump wouldnt do anything, and there was a soft spot on the bow near a cleat that is going to need a repair and of course the mid sections on the motors isn't going to stop corroding. The tech that pulled the lower units and looked up there told me he does 3 or 4 boats mid sections every winter and in his opinion you could expect 3 or 4 seasons before you need to get the new mid sections put in. I'm of a mind that parts and labor never get cheaper (as some one on here mentioned) and im thinking to just roll the repair into the purchase and be done with the worry . The other items I'd like addressed especially the soft spot and I'm hoping the dealer is willing to work with us on the list of defects. I'm fully aware its a 16 year old boat and its not going to be perfect but i'd like to have the major systems working correctly.

have any of you gents dealt with getting to the sewage holding tank or the macerator pump? how tight is the access? what about swapping a new fridge? where does one look for a 12V DC fridge? I know i can do most of the work myself, I just need to have a gauge on the pain in the a$$ factor on some of those items

 

[Mustang65fbk]

For comparison purposes, my boat is 18 years old now and when I bought it last October the dealer actually required that everything be in working condition before they listed the boat for sale online. Which was great on my end as I didn't/don't want to pay top dollar for something that needs some considerable work and items fixed or replaced. I'd work everything that bothers you about the boat into the price and if it doesn't work out then oh well, move onto the next one. Good luck with whatever you decide on doing.

 

[RobboNJ]

You had a big day. Hope it alll went well!

 

[seasick]

I can't speak about the holding tank access but the fridge is fairly simple. Note that marine fridges are not the same as a regular compact mini fridge. The primary requirement is to get a unit that fits the old opening if possible and it should be possible. Find you current make and see what is available. Isotherm or Dometic are as good as any a place to start.
Marine fridges come in a few configs, The most common are DC only and combo AC/DC models. DC models run off your batteries. AC/DC can run off either batteries or shore power.
If you have shore power wiring, you might want to think about the dual voltage models if you think you will be spending a lot of time at the dock (which needs shore power service)

One feature that you should get is a fridge that when on DC, will shutoff if the battery voltage gets too low. Yes, your food may get spoiled but your batteries won't get run down to nothing. That for when you are out at sea with the fridge running but motors off ( and no generator)

 

[RobboNJ]

I replaced the macerator pump on my 2008 Sailfish earlier this year. The macerator sits on top of the holding tank. It's a bit of a reach to get the mounting screws and hoses, but doable. Luckily I have long arms. The pump is readily availble at boat stores. I also had to replace the hand pump on the toilet, which is very easy to do. Now all plumbing works fine. I just need to empty the holding tank before I have the boat pulled for the season.

Hopefully you do not have to do anythimg with the holding tank. That looks like a bigger and harder job.

 

[used2sail]

I replaced the macerator pump on my 2008 Sailfish earlier this year. The macerator sits on top of the holding tank. It's a bit of a reach to get the mounting screws and hoses, but doable. Luckily I have long arms. The pump is readily availble at boat stores. I also had to replace the hand pump on the toilet, which is very easy to do. Now all plumbing works fine. I just need to empty the holding tank before I have the boat pulled for the season.

Hopefully you do not have to do anythimg with the holding tank. That looks like a bigger and harder job.

did you access the holding tank from the mid berth side or did you have to remove the cover for the fuel tank and go at the holding tank from the aft side? Good news that the macerator was outside the tank, i was thinking it was inside the tank based on something i read somewhere.

 

[Legend]

did you access the holding tank from the mid berth side or did you have to remove the cover for the fuel tank and go at the holding tank from the aft side? Good news that the macerator was outside the tank, i was thinking it was inside the tank based on something i read somewhere.

2004 SF has the Groco Macerator. The unit is bolted to the top of the tank but the mechanical structure of the macerator is in the tank. It is s pain to get to but as used2sail said it is doable.

 

[RobboNJ]

I accessed the macerator through the mid berth hatch. You only need to remove the two mounting screws on the bow side of the mounting bracket. the stern slide slips under the screws that hold the other "thing" that is on top of the holding tank. Attached are a couple of pics to show you what I mean. When you buy the new macerator, you'll also see the back two slots that slide in, versus the front two mounting holes.

 

[used2sail]

I accessed the macerator through the mid berth hatch. You only need to remove the two mounting screws on the bow side of the mounting bracket. the stern slide slips under the screws that hold the other "thing" that is on top of the holding tank. Attached are a couple of pics to show you what I mean. When you buy the new macerator, you'll also see the back two slots that slide in, versus the front two mounting holes.

Thanks for the pictures they are very helpful. I reviewed some pictures I had taken of the boat I'm looking at and I saw the hatch in the mid berth aft bulkhead. I had only seen the side of the tank from the hatch below the center of the mid berth where the sea cocks for the head are and the hydraulic pump for the trim tabs is mounted. It looks a lot easier from the pictures you sent than what i had initially imagined.

 

[Jamato14]

I’m kind of stuck using the marina where the boat is being sold, there’s no trailer and even if there was my 1/2 ton truck wouldn’t get very far with this boat. I asked the sales guy and he basically told me not to worry that with such low hours there wouldn’t be a problem. I’ve already contacted a surveyor and asked that the engines get looked at, hopefully he has a guy who is willing to do the inspection at the marina. I’ll discuss the corrosion issue with the salesman and surveyor on Monday.

I have a 2000 sailfish 272 and am out of NH/southern ME. If you’re interested I have a great Yamaha mechanic that’s mobile and can survey the engines for you. My previous boat had a 2002 F225, he did the engine survey when I bought and sold and I had him scope and do the exhaust kit before I sold in case I kept it. Also, the sales guy is wrong when it comes to the hours and corrosion issue. The issue has nothing to do with hours, first gen Yamaha 225’s used dissimilar metals in the dry section of the exhaust so it can happen just over time with moisture in the air or water that has enough salinity or debris to conduct it. As for the boat, I tuna fish primarily and can typically only fish sundays given the current RFD’s so I go down every Saturday and spend from Saturday-Sunday night on it. Me and my fiancée also vacation on it and sleep on it a handful of times a year together the most we’ve done is 5 days 4 nights. I’m on the shorter side 5’10ish and the cabin is tight lengthwise when laying on one side of the vberth. When I’m alone I sleep in the middle with no issues with head room. Ours has all of the amentities (ac/hot water heater etc), but we are on a mooring and I don’t currently have a portable generator so can’t use them unless we rent a slip. I’m never too hot on it and I typically run warm especially at night but the temp drops enough on the water that it’s comfortable to sleep. The vberth can become a little stiff on the back after 2/3 nights on it but a foam mattress pad between the sleeping bags and cushions makes it way better. Mine doesn’t have a carpet below and when I sleep on it I’m fishing for stripers with live/chunk mackeral off my mooring so before bed or heading into the cabin to grab something I wash and/or sanitize my hands, change clothes and leave the fishing clothes up top. One thing that the previous owner did to make the cabin way more comfortable was make a screen for the hatch. So I can keep it open for airflow and not get eaten alive. I’ve put ~400 engine hours and spend 10-20 nights a year on the boat the past 2 seasons in the area you’re looking at so if you have any questions or want more details PM me and we can talk further. Curious what marina is selling as very few to no marinas in NH on the ocean are certified Yamaha dealers with factory certified mechanics from what I’ve found the past 3.5 years owning Yamahas.

 

[used2sail]

Jamato, Thanks for the offer of your mechanincs contact info, feel free to PM it to me for future reference. The boat is in Portland at Port Harbor and they are a certified Yamaha dealership. We droppped the lowers and found the very beginning stages of the corrosion but I'm working with the folks at the marina to hopefully work the mid section kits into the sale of the boat rather than waiting for it to get worse.

I'm glad to hear you are able to stay aboard successfully, we are hoping to be able to stay aboard rather than drive home after a long day on the boat.

I guess is should ask about the fishing regulations in the Portland/Portsmouth/Gulf of Maine area. I had to look up the RFD you mentioned to be sure what you were referring to. We are looking to fish the boat around 50% of the time. When i was younger ( in the early 80's i'm estimating) we used to go just outside Portland harbor and catch as many big cod as we wanted. As far as i remember there was no limit, no license, just bring a rod and reel and some steamer clams for bait and come home with a cooler full of cod. Now it seems theres area closed to fishing, no cod can be kept, I'd love a brief run down of what I'm gonna need to fish for some ground fish and perhaps some tuna next summer. I found a "plain language" version of the HMS ( highly migratory species) fishing rules for a couple years ago and it was 31 pages long....can anyone give a short overview of how the fishing works now??

 

[wahoo33417]

First, congrats on buying a great boat. A good compromise between fishing and cruising.

A 2007 282 for us here. Also no trailer. But we take some long distance boat trips every year. There are many folks who make their living trailering boats. For example, last year, the guy we use trailered our boat to one point of the Great Lakes and then picked us up at another point three weeks later.

We do a trip like that every year, somewhere new each time. So we think the boat is liveable for short periods of time. We also had mattress toppers custom made to go over the hard-as-a-rock cushions.

Every few days we stay somewhere with a hotel to stretch out a bit and get a long hot shower (I removed the hot water heater for more storage).

Also, I added AC to the cabin myself. A few people of this forum have done it, each doing it a bit differently.

Sure hope you enjoy her for a long time and good luck!

Rob

 

[used2sail]

Rob, Im hoping we find the cabin as liveable as you do. We'd really like to weekend regularly, and hopefully get into the longer trips similar to your great lakes voyage. I like the notion of occasionally staying in a hotel for a chance to reset for a night or two, thats a great way to handle a longer trip. Where did you get the mattress toppers made, I've heard several reports of the factory cushions on the vee berth being uncomfortable so we should get something better in place before we try to overnight on the boat.

 

[wahoo33417]

Rob, Im hoping we find the cabin as liveable as you do. We'd really like to weekend regularly, and hopefully get into the longer trips similar to your great lakes voyage. I like the notion of occasionally staying in a hotel for a chance to reset for a night or two, thats a great way to handle a longer trip. Where did you get the mattress toppers made, I've heard several reports of the factory cushions on the vee berth being uncomfortable so we should get something better in place before we try to overnight on the boat.

Where we live in West Palm Beach, we have several marine bedding options nearby. We took the Grady mattresses to them (E.J. Schraeder) so they could make an exact fit with 4" pillow tops. Now we just go with the pillow tops. Makes it easier to get to the storage areas below the cushions as opposed to having two sets of cushions in place. And, when we want to raise the table into place, there is only one cushion to set aside.

We could have gone with 6" cushions, but the price goes way up and they become more difficult to manage, both on the boat and storing off the boat. The 4" cushions work fine for us.

Rob

 

[ttles714]

i WAS IN SEARCH OF A SAIL FISH FOR THE SAME PURPOSES AS YOU STATED .... THEN I DISCOVERED THE MARLIN ... SINCE THAT POINT I HAVE OWNED TWO MARLINS ... 2001 AND 2007 ... THE MARLIN IS AN AMAZING MULTI PURPOSE BOAT ... WHETHER IN FIVE FOOT SEAS , A NASTY INLET, OR 2 FEET OF WATER ON THE SAND BAR. IT IS A GREAT FISHING / FAMILY BOAT AND FOR OVER NIGHT TRIPS IS MORE THAN DOABLE ... AND IS PRETTY COMFORTABLE FOR A BOAT THIS SIZE ... i DON'T TRAILER IT BUT I HAVE A TRAILER AND HAUL IT OUT MYSELF FOR WINTERIZING ... AN EXPENSE SAVED. WITH THE WAC YOU LOOSE A LITTLE CABIN SPACE BUT THE TRADE OFF IS WELL WORTH IS IN MY OPINION.. MY 2007 HAS A POWER WINCH ANCHOR , BOW THRUSTER, AUTO PILOT, HEAT AND AC AND GENERATOR... ALL THINGS I DIDN'T NEED OR WANT BUT NOW WOULD NEVER DO WITHOUT !!! MANY NIGHTS ON THE HOOK IN THE BAY WATCHING GREAT SUNSETS, CATCHING WEAKFISH AND STRIPER.. A LITTLE JOSE CUERVO OR CAPT MORGAN AND JUST RELAXING .. ENOUGH GALLEY TO MAKE BREAKFAST AND IF YOU WANT I NICE HOT SHOWER .

 

[ItalianAngler]

Thanks for the information on the fan to ventilate the cabin and the heads up on the cushions. Its nice to hear you've gotten the number of hours on your 225 Yamaha's , any secret to your longevity??

I think i've hammered out the deal on the boat, pending sea trial and a survey we are moving forward !!

Run them often, keep up with the maintenance, sitting idle is like cancer imo. They are happiest catching fish. Make sure you know where your gas is coming from and if it's a quality place, some marinas are sketchy, water in there is no bueno. I do run seafoam or the like through them once per season. Otherwise they seem to get a little congested during the hottest months at low RPM, once that's done though they purr just fine. My exhaust stacks were done by my local dealer before I bought the boat, they have been fine and no issues beyond the standard stuff everyone will have. People knock the F225's but they are a great match for this hull, they have given me next to no issues besides my own self-inflicted encounter with a submerged object, and are relatively easy to work on.

 

[igblack87]

did you end up closing the deal?