looking for advice

[JP]

Hi all...just to let ya know i dont not have a boat as of now and was looking to maybe get back into it........i found a 1991 251 Dolphin.....it can be viewed at......shelteredcovemarina.com......they are asking 19,900....any advice...pros vs cons would greatly help......thanks in advance.......John

a little more info....im in the south NJ area and the Marina is in Tuckerton....i see there quite a few from around here and didnt know if anyone had any dealings with this place before

 

[oasis04]

I have looked at that exact boat online a zillion times. almost flew up there on several occasions just to scope it out. The add says it has a trailer, yet it is sitting on blocks.

I am waiting impatiently (LOL) for your replies.

Oasis04
Hoping to be a Grady owner this yr.

 

[JP]

the e-mail i got back from the guy at the marina also said that the trailer comes with it......just seems low to me and wondering if there is some major work ahead

 

[oasis04]

I assume transom and fuel tanks at minimum. If its solid it seem to be a good deal if the add is on the up & up. trailer is supposed to be solid as well. I will need a solid trailer as that is where my grady will live. Not only between trips, but also to my residence 2.5 hrs from topsail beach. for winter winter maintenace, and hurrican escapes.

Oasis04

 

[JP]

they say the tanks where cleaned and flushed.......i have read some of the posts about the transom....looking at the pics of it i can not tell where they are talking about the water getting in..unless im missing something.I,m waiting to hear back from the guy to see if i can take a look at it this weekend.....if it looks somewhat solid i might go as far as getting it surveyed....i will keep ya posted

 

[oasis04]

please do keep me posted. I am baffled by the whole survey process. Will this individual tell you what is wrong or right with the craft, or tell you what they think it might be worth? I am going to be seriuosly depressed if it is solid and I lose out on a good deal simply cuz the Admiral hasn't warmed up to the idea of being boat owners again.

Oasis04

 

[JP]

I also take it the survey is just that........the pros and cons of the boat.....not a problem with the admiral here..we had a boat before...but before going and getting another we would have to sell our motorcycles first......ya cant have both when ya only have so many weekends

 

[BobP]

The Dolphin is a variant of the Sailfish- same hull, this version is engines on transom. The Sailfish came in three versions, most popular is engines on bracket. The SeaV2 hull design started in 1992 for the Sailfish.

Since I would expect you would want to find out what is wrong if anything with the boat, you hire a surveyor who has experience with Gradys, and ask him to evaluate the stringer grid, transom, and coring, in specific terms, no wishie-washie. Hand him this post if you want to.
This is in addition to what he typically inspects.

Just like home surveys, much of their many page impressive mass reports are boiler-plate, what you want is negative findings with estimated repair costs, in as many as 2 sheets of paper it takes.

You want to know if any wood is rotted or wet. There is more wood in Gradys than you can imagine, if it is shot, it will cost more to restore than you paid for the boat, a lot more.

You can post a thread seeking surveyors in the area you can interview, i.e. for experience with Gradys, ask him (or her) to site examples of defects found with his (old) Grady surveys.

You also hire a Yamaha mechanic for a pre-purchase evaluation of the engines. You will get a report.

When it comes to brokers stating what is wrong, everything they know and I mean everything, ignornace is more than bliss, it is very usefull.
Hence, "Buyer Beware".

 

[jimmy's marine service]

a survey is a report of the value of the boat,as well as the condition of the boat...in order for most insurance companies to allow coverage on an older boat,the boat must first be surveyed,not sure what the cut off point is,i believe it to be 5yrs or more.you hire the surveyor,he checks out the boat,gives his details and he tells you what it's worth...easy stuff huh ??? an older rig like that,well...if you're not sure what youi're looking at,you better hire someone that does know what he's looking at...the g/w's are well known for rotting issues...

 

[oasis04]

thanks guy for guiding us newbs.
Jimmy you have posted many many times as to the shortcomings of the motors mounted on the transom in this fashion. the aluminum strip covering the xansom i believe is the culprit.

Sheesh after refering to jimmy's posts I almost could survey one of these bad boys. of course I jest.

Is the seav2 hull that much better as to make these pre seav2 hulls totally undesireable.

 

[jimmy's marine service]

i just looked that rig up on line...look at the pics,the pic of the engines,look above the swim step,there's what appears to be a crack at the top of the transom ??? the aluminum trim is gone ???
the other pics show the rig has the old nylon thru hulls on it,asking for trouble there...
electronics are older than dirt,old school raytheon loran...too cool !!!

"tanks flushed and cleaned",i would read that as there's been a problem with the new fuel in this rig,hence the need to have the carbs rebuilt...i would question the fuel tanks on this rig,just based upon the age of the boat,1991...i would question the hosing for the fuel system as well...
the yamaha engines are the best engines,in my opinion,these will,if treated right,basically run forever !!!

again,these rigs are famous for rotting,i would definatley have this checked out and checked out well...

surveyors...well...there's alot of good and bad surveyors out there...you want references,go to a local yard and ask who comes out to inspect damaged boats for the insurance company,these are the guys you wanna hire...i've ran into quite a few problems with surveyors,and i've really seen some guys who know even less that "bobp",if you can believe that...one guy to avoid is gary friend,this guy is a mess...we'll leave it at that...i hope all of this helps you...
if you like,you can drop me a line and i'll send you a few names of surveyors....

 

[JP]

Hey Jimmy.......glad ya chimed in.....i have read your post about the issues with the rot.....since ya have done these in the past before on average what would the transom repair run(ballpark)..same as the tank and lines?

 

[jimmy's marine service]

thanks guy for guiding us newbs.
Jimmy you have posted many many times as to the shortcomings of the motors mounted on the transom in this fashion. the aluminum strip covering the xansom i believe is the culprit.

Sheesh after refering to jimmy's posts I almost could survey one of these bad boys. of course I jest.

Is the seav2 hull that much better as to make these pre seav2 hulls totally undesireable.

actually,i prefer this notched transom design to that of a full transom bracket boat...the problem is the core isn't sealed properly.the screws that hold the moulding down,these allow water to enter the core of the transom,also,there's a small gap under that moulding,where the "cap" and the hull meet...all this spells trouble...another problem in these rigs is the fact the wood in the bilge area,under neath of what you see,the wood is unprotected...the bulkheads where the fuel tanks are,these are unprotected,the stringers are unprotected in a few spots,etc...

sea v2 hull...the ride is a little better with the sea v2 hull,the boat's still no deep v,it's gonna pound and pound pretty hard too,when you're running in a close head sea,back down the throttles and drop the tabs...

another thing on these rigs,check the welds on the hard tops,i've yet to see one of these that didn't have cracked or broken welds on the hard tops...

 

[jimmy's marine service]

Hey Jimmy.......glad ya chimed in.....i have read your post about the issues with the rot.....since ya have done these in the past before on average what would the transom repair run(ballpark)..same as the tank and lines?

transom repair runs in the ball park of $5,000,that's new core,repaired inside the splashwell area and gel coated to match the existing...scuppers are replaced at the same time,along with the hoses...the drain tubes are done the way i've showed them and i make up "big boat style" scupper covers...

 

[gw204]

Looking closely at that transom shot, it appears to me like there's already been transom work done. The AL strip is gone and the joint appears to have been glassed over.

That being said, I still see the crack...

Also, see if the engines have had the updated stainless steel shift shafts installed. If not and the existing steel one let got, it's an expensive repair.

 

[Grog]

Looking closely at that transom shot, it appears to me like there's already been transom work done. The AL strip is gone and the joint appears to have been glassed over.

That being said, I still see the crack...

Also, see if the engines have had the updated stainless steel shift shafts installed. If not and the existing steel one let got, it's an expensive repair.

If it goes, get a new (used or new) engine. Besides the labor, at least 1 bolt that goes up into the block will snap.