Buying 1995 272 Sailfish - Any Advice? & Wish Me Luck

[MikeMadBch]

I've been looking for 'just the right boat' for some time now (budget being an issue) and have found what appears to be a good deal on a 272 Sailfish, 1995, with 200hp Yamaha OX66's (also 1995). I have a contract on the boat, with sea trial next week, after some repairs are completed. Had a mechanical inspection of the motors and found slight moisture in lower units, so, seller said he would authorize any/all repairs in an effort to have a 'clean' sale. Seemed like a pretty nice gesture to me (kinda makes me feel bad about betting him up on the price). Boat has been stored inside most of its life, gel coat in excellent condition for age, all cushions are perfect and eisenglass is clear and scratch-free.

Never having owned a Grady White before, is there anything I should be aware of that is specific to Grady's? I've been a boater for many years, currently own 18' Mako Flats w/135 ox66, so, pretty familiar with the Yamahas. Have owned from skiffs to 44' Motoryachts and all in between. Now it's time for the multi-purpose (fish/day cruise) vessel, since the big-boat option is off the table due to budget constraints.

Any insight is appreciated, this forum is awesome! Thanks in advance for your responses. If you're in the area, stop by, there's room at the dock. (St. Petersburg, FL area)

 

[Marty grady 272]

I had a 25 Grady Sail Fish with the old pre. SeeV2 hull design. I went up to a 95 272 with the newer hull design. Love it!!!. I upgraded the motors to twin 200 hp HPDI's. Speed and economy went up substantially. I feel that the 272 step hull is better than the 282 because of the running bottom is shorter with less drag and you still get the same comfort and space.The 272 is a very dry and forgiving boat that like any other boat takes some getting use to. It has brought me back from the canyon every time. Good luck with it Marty

 

[g0tagrip]

I had one for 8 years before moving up to the Marlin. The only issue I had with my Sailfish was the oil reservoir pump brackets caused the reservoir motors to fail from electrollis (sp). I would highly recommend you have those checked, to get at them you have to take out the livewell tank. Talk about a project. I think it was a bad design to start with, and I replaced the metal brackets with nylon straps.

 

[BobrUSMC]

Gad, another thing to check. Just bought my 1997 Sailfish and am checking everything Waiting for my mechanic to fix all the things he found and then get it bottom painted, some new electronics and hopefully get it in the water so it can resume it's intended purpose in life. My main concern was fuel tank corrosion (none) and every thru hull fitting. Mine were all good except that I had to double up some clamps. The fairing on the transducer was somewhat loose and that will be cleaned (it was botton painted) and glassed next week. I am replacing all of the flappers on the scuppers. The rear deck panel had been dropped and the corner crushed which allowed water to enter the panel. Dried it for a week and glassed that. Used Life Seal to caulk the panels, it's supposed to be formulated for fiberglass. Also I am going to put a lock on the stern access hatch since the boat will be in a slip and I don't want the new batteries to wander about. Mike, I hope you and I are as happy with our Sailfishes as the rest of the guys. Can't wait to get to get to the Gulf Stream! Oh one last thing, never depend on luck when skill and cunning will see you through.
Semper Fi,
Bob R

 

[MikeMadBch]

Thank you for the great posts and advice. All advice has been noted and will be put into practice.

Here's an update on the progress of the transaction: Seller has authorized any/all repairs necessary to get the motors in good order. The compression test revealed no issues - even compression across all cylinders. I was able to review a recent hull survey that showed no major problems, in fact, not even any minor problems. I know Grady's can have moisture issues due to all of the wood used in the construction, so, thankfully, this one appears very dry.

I'm looking forward to a great sea trial later this week, or on the weekend. Will update as things progress, and will submit photos when we do the deal.

Thanks again everyone.

Mike

 

[Tucker]

Couple things Mike,
1) I didn't think Yamaha made the OX66 in 1995. Apparently I'm wrong if you had the motors surveyed.
2) Check the motor well scupper drain pipes. If they are the bronze flared Moller type chances are they are bad. They look fine from the motor well side; but if you remove the white plastic flange and flapper on the transom and check the bronze flange I think you may find they're cracked. Not a big deal to replace, need the tool and the parts, about $50. That's a direct entry for water in the transom.

Hope the sea trial goes well!!

 

[naphco]

check out the bow eye under anchor locker. If thers is a wood block between the hull and metal backing plate make sure it is not rotted over the years from anchor rope !
surrvay may reveal moisture from anchor rope.

 

[grady33]

If this boat checks out, you will love it. Make sure the fuel tanks and thru hulls are checked out. As for the ox66 motors, I have the saltwater series and the are excel engines. Start up every time. They just need TLC. Did the previous owner use ethanol fuel?

 

[MikeMadBch]

UPDATE -

Motors are back together, boat's in the water. Sea trial tomorrow.

Tucker - you were correct - not OX66's. My mistake. :doh

I'm hoping all is well and we'll be bringing her home before the week's over. Ready to go fishing and cruising.

Thanks to all for the input and advice. I will be checking, and double-checking the specific items noted. This boat seems to be in very good condition, so, I can't wait to tweak her to bring her to bristol shape.

 

[Tucker]

We're real excited for you Mike! Hope things go well! Bit more advise. That boat's definately had non-ethanol fuel in it. You'll be running ethanol fuel and it will act as a detergent and clean the tanks. There's a common misconception that carbed motors are not as sensitive to fuel quality as injected motors. Wrong! The pilot circuit in those carbs is extremely small and the smallest dirt will definately clog it (been there). Installing 2-micron racor fuel water seperators would be the first thing I would do. Also, the onboard oil tanks have a small pencil size filter that clogs over time. Might want to ask the PO if it has been changed. Probably not. Big design deficiency with the Sailfish. I believe you have to remove the live well to get to the oil tanks. Or, remove the batteries and pour a 90 lb skinny boy in there. If that filter clogs, the alarm will go off (hopefully) and you'll have to fill the motor side oil tanks to get home. Always carry oil on the boat. Don't forget to order the shop manual for the motors. I have one for the S200's. If it covers your motors I'll sell it for a token.

 

[MikeMadBch]

We're real excited for you Mike! Hope things go well! Bit more advise. That boat's definately had non-ethanol fuel in it. You'll be running ethanol fuel and it will act as a detergent and clean the tanks. There's a common misconception that carbed motors are not as sensitive to fuel quality as injected motors. Wrong! The pilot circuit in those carbs is extremely small and the smallest dirt will definately clog it (been there). Installing 2-micron racor fuel water seperators would be the first thing I would do. Also, the onboard oil tanks have a small pencil size filter that clogs over time. Might want to ask the PO if it has been changed. Probably not. Big design deficiency with the Sailfish. I believe you have to remove the live well to get to the oil tanks. Or, remove the batteries and pour a 90 lb skinny boy in there. If that filter clogs, the alarm will go off (hopefully) and you'll have to fill the motor side oil tanks to get home. Always carry oil on the boat. Don't forget to order the shop manual for the motors. I have one for the S200's. If it covers your motors I'll sell it for a token.

Tucker, thanks for the continued guidance. Great tip on the 2 micron seps. Will also definitely check the oil tank filters. I'm sure the PO did not do that, doesn't seem like the hands on mechanical type. I'm definitely no mechanic either, but I can follow directions and not afraid to get my hands dirty. Sounds like anything to do with the pil tanks is a project, for sure. Definitely not fitting my big ass down the battery hatch. May have to take you up on the shop manual. I'll let you know.

So, the sea trial went well and we've accepted the boat. Should have her at my dock Friday or Saturday.

Noted a few minor things on sea trial. Live well not functioning, head not pulling in water (manual), macerator pump not responsive, and most troubling was some feedback/roughness in the steering. I think the steering issue is air in the hydraulic line, so, that's where we will start. If that doesn't work, I'll replace the helm and move downline from there. Since i got the boat for under $20k I can't complain about some small repairs being needed. Other than needing a good cleaning, all else looks good. Will probably spend the weekend crawling all over and inspecting/fixing. Will post photos when I get a chance.

I'm sure I will have some questions, and believe me, I really appreciate the time and expertise everyone has been willing to share thus far. I hope to become a ''productive" member very soon.

 

[Tucker]

Hmm the PO not mechanically inclined eh? With that said and 17-year old motors; I think you need to get proactive if you're going off shore. The low pressure pumps are probably bad and the PRV (poppet valve) should be changed with the updated style. That's stuff an engine survey will never pick up but can ruin your day anytime. A good decarb and you should be good to go. Assuming water pumps and stats have been routinely changed, correct? Yea, the engines are gas hogs run the way most people like to run them. But, keep your foot out of the carburators and run below 3800 RPM and they're not too bad. Price out a pair of f225's and you like them even more.

 

[MikeMadBch]

UPDATE.

HOORAY!! After much waiting and significant frustration, I brought the boat home tonight. Yes, tonight, in the dark - one day before leaving on a 70 mile (one way) trip for the holiday weekend. We started the purchase on May 3rd, and due to a very thorough, although forgetful, mechanic we had many, many items repaired. So here's how it went: went through hull survey and found no issues. Commissioned mechanic for mechanical inspection and his first look was into the lower units - found some water so recommended rebuild. Owner said "do it" and off he went. Turned into a major issue since it appears the lowers may not have been touched in a long time. Parts had to be ordered and the waiting begins. The lowers were put back together and a compression check revealed even compression across all cylinders. Then, the mechanic got a couple of "emergency" repairs and "forgot" to do the rest of my inspection - which I did not know about. The broker called to say the boat was ready for sea trial, which went well. I found a few little items that were not functioning properly, but, nothing that would keep me from going through with the purchase. I did see one item that raised a question (turned out to be a disconnected autopilot motor), but, it made me call the mechanic with a question. When I phoned him it reminded him that he never completed the whole mechanical inspection - OOPS!! Meanwhile, thinking all was well (as told to me by the broker), I signed an acceptance of the vessel to finish up the sale and handed over the $$$.

Now for the 2nd part - the mechanic says "I'm going to get on the boat and finish up the inspection for you". Great idea! Now he finds several items that he "should have" found if he were to have done my inspection as originally planned. So, now he feels bad and tells me that he will do all of the labor to fix the deficiencies at no charge - all I need to do is pay for parts. Things that were wrong - all new thermostats needed, fuel auto-primers not functioning so disconnected and added manual primer bulbs to fuel lines, replaced fuel lines and all clamps, replaced aft bilge pump, rewire battery switches (corroded wiring replaced), new fuel water separators (10 micron, including "heads"). My portion for all of the work was less than a grand. The only labor I paid for was for the thermostat job.

So, while totally frustrated with the wait, and missing out on the chance to do a shake-down run before my trip, I'm taking comfort in the fact that the mechanic seemed to go "above and beyond" to make it right. Also, he did not charge me anything for the mechanical inspection.

Thanks for all of the advice - I'm going to get on board and check all of the items the Great-Grady folks were kind enough to recommend.

So, I'm hoping we have a smooth run for our weekend getaway. Wish me luck.

Mike

 

[BobrUSMC]

Mike,
Congratulations on finally completing the sale. I went through a similar situation with my mechanic, took him two weeks to get through the engine surveys. One thing he found that escaped the other surveyor was very stiff hydraulic steering. We took everything apart at the engines looking for binding but all of the pistons and swivel points worked fine. We then disassembled the hydraulic system behind the wheel and cleaned that. Blead the whole system and that loosened the steering somewhat. We were both at a loss as to what the problem is since we worked both ends. A guess would be a kinked line somewhere, but talking to the former owner he said he had never had a problem. Unfortunately the boat had been sitting on a trailer for over a year. The mechanic and I decided we would leave it at 'good enough' until the pull for winter and then disassemble and purge the whole system. I decided to replace some of the old Raytheon electronics. Took out the forward looking sonar transducer, put in a DSM300G sonar module, a new transducer, a SeaTalk coupler and a RayMarine C95 display. Kept the old radar and C80 display as a backup since the C95 can only be used as a chart plotter until upgrade parts are available. Also swapped out the VHF with a Standard Horizon GX1150 with DSC and integrated that with the GPS. This allows the VHF to transmit my GPS coordinates in case of an emergency. The thing I like about it is that it has a single panic button that my wife can use in case something happens to me. The only difficulty after that was launching, the boat seemed stuck to the trailer (new bottom paint). Took it as deep as I dared, tied it to the dock fore and aft and then drove away. That worked. Putting it in the slip was very difficult due to a strong wind, everytime I got the stern lined up on the slip the bow would swing in the wind, also the steering being a little stiff makes it difficult. Now I know why they call it a 'SAILfish'. First time I have had a multi-engine boat and working both engines at different speeds, etc. is going to take some ojt. Has anyone else experienced stiffness problems with their hydraulic steering? I was unable to find anything related in a forum search.
Keep Smiling,
Bob R

 

[Tucker]

Bob, did you bleed the system with ATF or Seastar fluid? Lot of guys use ATF, which will work, but is a lot more viscous than Seastar fluid and will cause the stiffness you're experiencing. I've found that a complete flush with fresh fluid gave a better feel of the wheel. I use aviation hydraulic fluid (recommended by Seastar) which is much cheaper. It seemed to take quite a bit, about 1/2 gal, to do a complete flush. I like the av fluid because it's red and a leak is easily detected. Fairly new Sailfish owner and have only launched it twice and retrieved it once. I back in until the truck tires are about a foot from the water. Have my son, in the boat, fire up the engines. The winch lets in go in about 2-feet then it stops. Then my son bumps the motors in reverse and she slides in. Yea, they are a little tricky to dock which surprises me. Believe it or not I find the boat a bit bow heavy. I have never used the trim tabs and find the bow doesn't come up as much as I like while on plane. I have the standard issue props and will probably experiment next season. My cavitation plates are slightly underwater and that's a bad thing; so I'm told and what I've read. Motors max out at 5500 RPM so I'm not too concerned; just would like to see if I can get more efficency.
Forgot to mention about recaulking the hatch seams. After reading that thread about the guy with the Escape replacing his fuel tank; I think that is a must. The caulk looks good but must break bond after years of exposure to the sun. My main fuel tank hatch had a soft spot. When I removed it for repair, I could see where the water was coming in. I pulled the aux hatch and recaulked that also. Also caulked the pie plates and replaced the o-rings. Pop them up and you be able to tell if they're leaking by the looks of your sending units. Welcome to the club guys! Swap out those 10-micron filters for 2-micron gents. You have old boats and that ethanol is in those tanks scrubbing away...

 

[BobrUSMC]

Tucker,
We used aviation hydraulic fluid. I was a aviation maint officer for 14 yrs, so I am very familiar with it. The previous owner had steering fluid, I found the bottle. It may be that the fluid was affected by sitting for so long. If things start getting worse I will purge the system myself. I wish the damn congress would get rid of the enthanol mandates. We'd all be better off. The only other thing I have to figure out is how to get the cushion covers off the foam. My wife definitely wants to get the covers cleaned. Thanks for the heads up on the filters. Thats next.
Keep Smiling,
Bob R

 

[BobrUSMC]

Tucker,
We used aviation hydraulic fluid. 14 yrs in aviation so I know it well. Too biggest problems were always hydraulics and UHF radio. If the problem gets any worse I will purge and refill the system myself. Good scoop on swapping the 10 micron for the two micron. Always something to do... Need to sandwich that around some fishing. I made sure my SeaTow subscription is current just in case.
Keep Smilng,
Bob R

 

[MikeMadBch]

Well, we did it. We decided to roll the dice and take the boat on our Memorial Day weekend trip as planned, even though we've only had the boat for about 30 hours prior to our departure. The good news is that the boat ran perfectly on the nearly-70 mile trip from my home to our vacation destination (Palm Island - west coast of Florida). We ran at 3600 rpm, 27-28mph, and Yamaha fuel monitor says I used 52 gallons. The Gulf was calm, with only a little bit of wind blown chop, 1-2 foot seas when we had to get offshore a few miles. Once we were able to run along the beach it was smooth cruising - and a very nice ride. Even in the chop, the boat ran nicely, but, I did get sprayed a couple of times at the helm when the wind was coming from the port quarter (this really surprised me since it wasn't very rough). Admittedly, the boat was a bit bow-heavy since we had the cabin packed with all of our stuff for a 5-day trip. We had to brings lots, too, as we are staying on an island with no stores, we have no car here, and the only way on off the island is by boat. So, the already-heavy front end was loaded with several hundred pounds of clothes, beer, food, beer, ice, beer, beach gear, beer, etc. We also had a full tank of fuel. So, she was pretty heavily loaded, which is why she handled like a pig. I was constantly trying to get us running level, but, I think the bow was digging in a bit due to the weight - definitely didn't need the trim tabs to get the bow down. The bow will be much lighter on the way home as I plan on drinking all of the beer - merely in an effort to get better fuel economy. :lol:

Anyway, after a sleepless night of trying to decide whether or not to take the trip by water, or just abandon the boat and drive, it has turned out great so far. Everyone, including the dog, loved the boat ride and we are looking forward to spending most of our time here on the water.

When I get home I'll post some photos of the boat and maybe even some from our trip. Thanks again to everyone for their continued advice and tips. Much appreciated.

Happy Memorial Day to all.

 

[bfrank]

NICE! Sounds like you brought some beer on your trip with you! Excited to see some pics.

 

[Grog]

Wow, I'd never think aviation anything is cheaper than marine.

If you're properly trimmed out and the plates are just under water I wouldn't bother lowering them. If they're buried sure raise them but a little low is better than too high (easier to vent in a tight turn or rough seas).

70 miles on her maiden voyage, not bad. Sounds like a fun time let's see some pics (unless they'll get you in trouble).

1.3 isn't that bad if you're running really heavy. Now you have a good argument for a 1/4 keg in a bucket of ice.