Pretty sweet deal if you can get him that low. Smaller hp four stroke Mercurys(115 and below) are made by Tohatsu(Nissan) and painted black.
I've got a 1999 model 19 hp Tohatsu that I would very much like to get rid of, if it would be of any use. It was a kicker on a friend's 22' boat, and he gave it to me when he sold the boat a few years ago. Definately needs a coat of paint, but it ran well (in the driveway) the last time I tinkered with it.
pics?? what shaft length?
My mistake, it's an 18hp. It measures 23" from the anti-cavitation plate to the top of the transom. Does that make it a 20" shaft? Serial number is 83550.
Mariner - I don't want to derail this any more than I already have, so I sent you pics in a PM.
greek. how do those small cats handle in a chop?
i think they handle really good. I havent been on a 14ft but i have been on a 17ft and it rode really well.
Dan...
http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/boa/1438111557.html
3500 for a 14' w a trailor and center console...looks pretty nice
Take a look at the Aquasport. My friend Fafa use to have a 17' and it handled very nice in rough seas.
Like this one:
Waterlogged foam. Rotten wood in the stringers, deck, or transom. Or it could be as good as new. Just like an old car, it all comes down to how it was treated.
Wood Guy had a 17' Aquasport with a 115 hp when I was a kid. It was a great all around boat that we fished, shrimped, and skied with. I would consider 90 hp to be borderline for anything but basic transportation. If you think that you will ever water ski or anything, then you will probably want more than 90 hp.
What could be wrong with the hull of such an old boat (24yrs)?
Take your pick...rotten transom,water logged foam,soft spots in the floor,corroded gas tank,corroded wiring. Best bet is to check it thoroughly.
I'd get it just for the BBQ:thumbsup2:
That boat is the one in the video of the shark I posted some time ago. Great with 4 divers, handles great in rough seas and plenty of space for its size.
Here:
Here another video I just uploaded with the boat:
If i ever had to buy a boat of that size, I for sure consider an Aquasport as one of my first choices.
It is very fuel efficient though.
A 90 HP is ok for 4 people, but as said, not enough for water skiing if you have to haul a 200# person.
The one in the Craiglist looks nice by the pictures. It´s just a matter to see it personally. I would take a look at it if were you.
Fafa boat was also that old and was really a good boat for that price. Very solid and also easy to clean, which is very important too.
Pics:
How would I check the integrity of the hull?
Marco, in the first vid the boat doesn't look very stable, the weight of the shark and two people on one side looked like it almost flipped it. What boat did your friend get after the Aquasport?
A 20' Aquasport. 
The vid with the shark was a whole mess because of everybody trying to do something different... But of course, a 200# shark plus two 200 plus# mitherfuckers would make look unstable ANY boat, except a RIB :rolleyes1:.
You should be able to test drive the boat before buying it, don't you?
Dan,
About the RIB's; how long does the air blatter last?
Is it something that needs to be replaced every few years?
Do you always have to have a cover to protect the rubber from the sun?
Can you put a patch if you do get a hole in the rubber, and how strong are patches?
Maybe a better question and what I'm tryig to get at, is how much is miantence? (which is a very important question when it comes to boats)
Just a few things that have been coming to mind as a long term dive platform.
.Larry O M. . .
I don't know how long they last but I assume it all has to do with how you take care of them. I read that Hypalon is more durable than PVC. I'm sure using a cover will make it last longer. Of course both PVC and Hypalon can be patched, there wouldn't be much point to an inflatable if this wasn't the case. Tubes can be replaced if it's worth it.
The big question is how the PVC tube material of the Chinese RIBs compares to the established brands like Zodiac, AB etc. Here's a diagram of the tube material from the Caribe inflatables website. I don't know what it means in terms of how it compares to the norm or standard of tube construction.
A neoprene hypalon RIB will last forever without any special care. Repairing it is easy and permanent.
I have a 1989 that still performs well.
The only downside I see is that RIB's are way more expensive than Fiberglass boats.
this is the only thing I could find from the Zodiac site,
http://www.zodiacmarineusa.com/brand/Zodiac+boats+technology
also found this, (not sure if its the same company or something new)
I think the boats look great. I believe fiberglass is fiberglass so the only doubt is the construction of the tubes. These boats are cheap and I think it's a reasonable gamble. There is no impartial information on the net about Chinese RIBs, but this also means there's no bad feedback. It just may be something relatively new and maybe even some people want to keep it a secret.
It just may be something relatively new and maybe even some people want to keep it a secret.
I agree on the "secret" thing. It does seem like thats the case with these Chinese ribs.
About the "fiberglass is fiberglass" I don't know Dan theres ways of messing anything up. From using the crappiest bonding agents (or whatever they are called) to not using enough fiberglass and ending up with very thin section that can break easily.
I just find it odd that I cant find reviews on these boats. Everything always seems to have a review on the net somewhere.
.Larry O M. . .
You need to be a member to leave a comment.
