Posted: July 07 2009 at 11:24 | IP Logged

Hi everyone.  I thought I would make a post regarding the boat I am looking at buying.  I am not that farmiliar with Chris Craft boats, but it is a 1994 21' bowrider with a 5.0 engine.  Looks in good shape and I am trying to get it checked out by a mechanic.  Any advice or things I may want to look for checking this boat out?  Anyone own a similar model?

thanks.

Posted: July 07 2009 at 12:51 | IP Logged

Good to have the mechanics looked at, but do not forget the hull itself!  Call a suveyor and have the boat surveyed!  www.marinesurvey.org  will put you in touch with the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors.  Follow their site map to find one in your area.

A good engine won't do you much good if the transom and/or stringers are rotten!

Posted: July 07 2009 at 21:41 | IP Logged

All stern drive boats have fiberglass skin over wood transoms.  Most wood is plywood (called core) encapsulated by the fiberglass skin.  However, many production boat builders do not do a very good job of sealing the cut-out for the drive and over the years water can (and will) migrate into the plywood core. 

As for the stringers.....same thing.  Most are glass over wood core, but not all.  Your 1994 Chris most likely has wood core.  It gets a little more complicated than this, but you get the gist of it.

At 21', I am not sure if your decks are cored or solid fiberglass.  But another reason for hiring a qualified surveyor is that voids or delmaniation can also be discovered in the fiberglass bottom or deck.

Just because a boat is fiberglass does not mean there cannot be problems with the lay-up of the glass.

I am surprised that your lender and/or insurance company is not requiring a survey.

Posted: July 08 2009 at 10:56 | IP Logged

I was looking fro comments form someone who may be familiar with this boat.

Posted: July 08 2009 at 11:31 | IP Logged

pykboat - sorry if you took my well-intentioned advice as "drumming up" business.  I live in the USA in the Old Dominion State of Virginia and certainly have no intention of surveying boats in your beautiful country.

I do not advertise on this forum, but I do try to offer up some common sense advice from time-to-time to help out my fellow boaters.

By all means, forget my advice and by the boat.

Have a safe and happy boating season!

Posted: July 08 2009 at 13:27 | IP Logged

Pyke,

I think your response was a bit out of line.  Banjoman was giving you very good advice...regardless of what particular boat you are buying!! 

You will find the vast majority of people here are willing and anxious to help because they are advocates for the boating lifestyle, not because they are trying to drum up business.

Best of luck to you!

Posted: July 08 2009 at 13:32 | IP Logged

OK thanks for the "Input" on my topic, very helpful.