A couple questions about a 228 Seafarer...

[Mustang65fbk]

Good afternoon... I've posted once or twice before and am currently looking for a used 228 Seafarer with a few more questions. First, I've found a decent looking 228 Seafarer but the problem is that it only has a 200hp outboard on it. It seems like the majority of the 228 Seafarers all have a 225-250hp outboard, most of which seem to be Yamaha's and was wondering if a 200hp outboard would be too underpowered to be worth it? The price is quite enticing though as it's in the low $20k's and looks to be a pretty clean boat but has basic electronics. Second, do they make different models of the 228 Seafarer hardtop? I know they make the hardtop version and the soft or bimini top but I've seen some with the bow pulpit and railing extending all the way out to it and yet others don't have the bow pulpit and it's just a wrap around bow railing. Was the bow pulpit optional in the late 90's or early 2000's or did the bow pulpit only come on the hardtop versions? Seems like it would be a standard piece of equipment to me and not just an option. Last question would be bottom paint. My last boat was a 21' Arima and I told myself I'd never get another boat with bottom paint because of the maintenance you have to do and thousands of dollars you have to spend re-doing it every 4-5 years, or however long it lasts. Is there a reason why people love bottom paint so much? I know it's supposed to be nice for boats moored year round to keep the junk off it but I had bottom paint on my Arima and it was on a buoy for only a couple months during the summer and it still collected seaweed, kelp, barnacles and everything else imaginable. That and I'd have to imagine that bottom paint would add a couple hundred pounds to a boat that already seems underpowered? Thanks again everyone for the replies!

 

[SeanC]

Is the motor 2 stroke or 4 stroke? I’m thinking 2 stroke and if well maintained should be fine.
Bow pulpit was an option and as far as I know was not only offered with the hardtop.
My 2006 228 has a hardtop but no bow pulpit.
People don’t “love” bottom paint. It’s a necessary evil if you moor you’re boat for extended periods.
.If your last boat was badly fouling in a couple of months then the bottom paint wasn’t doing it’s job.
If you aren’t mooring your boat then re-doing the bottom paint is largely cosmetic.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Is the motor 2 stroke or 4 stroke? I’m thinking 2 stroke and if well maintained should be fine.
Bow pulpit was an option and as far as I know was not only offered with the hardtop.
My 2006 228 has a hardtop but no bow pulpit.
People don’t “love” bottom paint. It’s a necessary evil if you moor you’re boat for extended periods.
.If your last boat was badly fouling in a couple of months then the bottom paint wasn’t doing it’s job.
If you aren’t mooring your boat then re-doing the bottom paint is largely cosmetic.

Thanks for the reply. It's a 4 stroke motor... which most of the 228's I've seen typically have a 225hp outboard and above, which is why I was a bit skeptical that it would have enough power. Interesting that the bow pulpit was an option back then but is standard equipment now. I suppose a bow pulpit could always be added later on down the line as well as the bow railing modified. Yeah, I bought the boat with the bottom paint on it and am not sure how long it had been on there for. Probably should've been re-painted at some point but I sold it and didn't want to lose that money towards my profits. I do moor the boat on a buoy in front of my parents beach cabin on Whidbey Island during the summer for a couple months out of the year. I'll have to do some thinking on this one if people on here think the motor has enough power for that size of boat.

 

[Ky Grady]

200 four-stroke will be marginal to underpowered on a 228 as far as I'm concerned. I have a 225 on my '04 and it gets me by but will struggle with a full crew and full fuel tanks. I have a new F250 on order, which I consider the ideal package. Some folks will say the 200 is fine, I just don't think so with my experience with my 225. If it's a clean, solid boat and has the options you want and the price is good, you could always buy it, run it a season or two then repower down the road.

 

[UCPA111]

Greetings! I hope you find what you need here. Lots of Seafarer fans. Mine is a 1984. It has a hard top and no bow pulpit. I did fabricate an anchor pulpit for it out of Aluminum. I do have a YouTube channel to show it. I repowered with a 300 Verado in 2018. I am of the opinion that when stuff gets nasty, I want all the power I can have. My boat is heavy....with a lot of weight added when I restored it. With that, I cruise comfortably with 5 guys, 5/8 fuel and all our gear between 28 and 32 mph getting 2.75ish mpg. My top end with the same folks is 48 mph on the GPS. Light (3 guys and 1/3 fuel), I can hit 50 (gps speed) in calm water.

IMO, the 300 is not a necessity. I went for it given the minor cost difference in the grand scheme of things. Ky Grady is hitting the sweet spot with 250.

I wish you luck. Keep us informed!

 

[Don Davis]

I have a 2012 Suzuki 250 4 stroke on my 1999 228 Seafarer with a hardtop and it’s tons of power with lots to spare. I’ve had 6 adults out fishing with no shortage of power. The price of the boat you are looking at sounds reasonable you could always upgrade in a few years and sell your 200 to help pay for the newer 250. It’s hard to find the perfect boat and power combination unless you are willing to pay a premium from my experience.

 

[mmiela]

My 03 226 had a bow pulpit and hardtop, it had a 225 and I always wondered what a 250 would do. I never saw much more than 37-38 WOT. 200 might not be enough for that hull.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm kind of hesitant about the 200hp outboard on there as well. It's a newer motor that's less than 10 years old with not very many hours on it and I'm not too worried about the top end. My previous boat was a 21' Arima with a Honda 130hp outboard on it and it did about 35mph WOT on flat seas, which I'm more than content with and I don't need to go any faster really than that. That being said, when it's nasty out and the ability to stay on a plane as well as just getting up and going for the hole shot from a stop sounds like it could be a bit of a concern. Thanks again, I have some thinking to do on the matter.

 

[DennisG01]

A lot of it comes down to how YOU will be using the boat and your expectations, wants and needs. I have a 250HP on my 24' Offshore and I am VERY happy with the performance. Top end isn't supper high - can hit 40 - but I don't much care about that. Hole shot is fantastic as well as slow speed planing. Even with 6 adults onboard, it jumps up onto plane easily. Crusing is upper 20mph range at around 10-12 gph.

That said, can it hurt to have a bigger engine... aboslutely not! But it all depends on your wants/needs.

How does it run? Are YOU happy with it?

Bottom paint... yeah, if you're getting that kind of growth, you did something wrong with the paint. A couple hundred pounds for bottom paint! With that comment, I assume you have never bottom painted a boat (or maybe anything) yourself? Meaning, if you did, you'd know what a gallon of paint weighs and would know it certainly ain't anywhere near a couple hundred pounds!

Suggestion... don't do too much internet research. Go sea trial it and find out for yourself.

 

[wrxhoon]

On my second 228 the first vista top and bow pulpit, 250 Merc optimax , enough power for the type of offshore fishing I do.
Current boat 2013 228 with hardtop and bow pulpit, 4.2 lt 250 Yamaha, again sufficient power. Would I like more power? Definitely, actually this boat is rated for 300 and if I ever repower that is what I will go for.
200 hp Is underpowered for my liking especially one with hardtop but could well be sufficient for some people, depending on usage. Hardtop and bow pulpit were options back then, I don't know about current models.
Go for a run to find out if it is suitable for you.
That model is rated for 250 hp max, newer 228's ( the ones with aluminum swim platform) are rated for 300 Hp and minimum 250hp.

 

[glacierbaze]

I wouldn't worry about not having a bow pulpit, I wish mine did not. I am required to dock bow in at my marina, and being one of the first slips next to the access ramp, I am forced to chose between leaving my anchor sticking halfway across the walkway for people to avoid, or leaving my engine 3 or 4 feet further out in the water. My slip is really too short for my boat, but at $350 a YEAR, I don't complain too much.
It also prevents me from opening the back on my Surburban, as the anchor hits right in the middle of the glass window.
The pulpit, and the extended bow rail look sharp, but I would rather have the bow roller on my Tournament for pure functionality

 

[Ryhlick]

I have a 1999 228 with a hardtop and a pulpit, and my boat has a ox66 225hp and it is plenty of power. I usually fish offshore with 3 guys and we have put over 30 albacore on the boat with around 300 lbs of ice and all the gear and 145 gallons of fuel and the boat has no problem getting on plane. I do run a 4 blade prop for better low end and I'm able to stay on step at around 16-17 mph. That being said, when my time comes to re power I will be putting a 250 on it. Good Luck and I would sea trial it if possible and make your own decision.

 

[SeanC]

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm kind of hesitant about the 200hp outboard on there as well. It's a newer motor that's less than 10 years old with not very many hours on it and I'm not too worried about the top end. My previous boat was a 21' Arima with a Honda 130hp outboard on it and it did about 35mph WOT on flat seas, which I'm more than content with and I don't need to go any faster really than that. That being said, when it's nasty out and the ability to stay on a plane as well as just getting up and going for the hole shot from a stop sounds like it could be a bit of a concern. Thanks again, I have some thinking to do on the matter.

You could try a 4 blade prop.
Extra bite should improve the hole shot, plane at a lower speed for the rough stuff and get back on the plane more easily.

 

[Seafarer228G]

I have a 250 Suzuki on my '97 228G which I believe is perfect for this boat. I recently came across this '97 226 for sale repowered with 150hp four-stroke. I believe this boat is definitely underpowered. They will have a hard time selling this one. https://fishersisland.net/for-sale-grady-white-seafarer/

 

[luckydude]

Thanks for the reply. It's a 4 stroke motor... which most of the 228's I've seen typically have a 225hp outboard and above, which is why I was a bit skeptical that it would have enough power. Interesting that the bow pulpit was an option back then but is standard equipment now. I suppose a bow pulpit could always be added later on down the line as well as the bow railing modified. Yeah, I bought the boat with the bottom paint on it and am not sure how long it had been on there for. Probably should've been re-painted at some point but I sold it and didn't want to lose that money towards my profits. I do moor the boat on a buoy in front of my parents beach cabin on Whidbey Island during the summer for a couple months out of the year. I'll have to do some thinking on this one if people on here think the motor has enough power for that size of boat.

I've got a 4 stroke 250hp on my 228. It's enough but there are conditions where it struggles a little to get on plane. If I did it all over again, I'd do 300, not for the top MPH, for the hole shot. I'm pretty sure I would be less than thrilled with a 200hp.

 

[luckydude]

You could try a 4 blade prop.
Extra bite should improve the hole shot, plane at a lower speed for the rough stuff and get back on the plane more easily.

I repropped with a 4 blade from Ken at propgods, didn't really help my hole shot. I'm new, have no idea what I'm doing, so maybe I got the wrong prop. I sort of wonder if Ken knows that hull because he asked me if the prop helped. My dealer wanted me to go smaller for some reason that I don't understand.

 

[Ryhlick]

I repropped with a 4 blade from Ken at propgods, didn't really help my hole shot. I'm new, have no idea what I'm doing, so maybe I got the wrong prop. I sort of wonder if Ken knows that hull because he asked me if the prop helped. My dealer wanted me to go smaller for some reason that I don't understand.

What one did you get? Thanks

 

[luckydude]

What one did you get? Thanks

16 pitch Powrtech OFS4.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Thanks again for all of the replies, one of the issues I have with the boat is that the boat is out of state and I can't go take it for a sea run at a moment's notice. But it's definitely still on my radar for being a contender.

 

[magicalbill]

As I mentioned in another column; "Underpowered" is a subjective term.

EX: The other thread I commented on involved 225's on Marlins. Several on there said they were satisfied with the performance. It would be a deal-breaker for me and I would run away screaming.

Several on here advised me to get 300's on my new 2018 Marlin. I opted for 350's and it was the best move I could've made. I appreciate my online friends here, but they are not me when it comes to the "Vision" I have in my head for boat operation & performance.

Like Dennis said, what makes YOU happy is the correct power match, whatever that is. In my view, a sea trial is essential.

Other Captains will tell you if a boat is underpowered from their point of view and their operating conditions. They might not be yours.