fireboat

Aerospace 303 is a spray protectant, seems to work well. http://www.303products.com/

Quality control of that vintage Seacraft certainly varied. But I would think in some ways it is better to buy one like you are looking at as the original owner undoubdtly went through all of the warranty repairs and hopefully got all of the issues resolved. I have seen things where a hose wasn't connected, some wiring wasn't crimped well and pulled apart on early 2000 Seacrafts, but I am not aware of any major structural issues though I am sure there are probably some out there. Anyway, it is a good design and should be a good boat plus you have a fairly new outboard. Doesn't like sound like a bad deal overall.

Congrats on your boat! There is nothing wrong with an Angler and internally your motor is almost brand new. So I would say you did alright, especially if you keep the boat and use it a lot. It should be a pretty fuel efficient rig which is nice. I'm sure you got cosmetics to take of if it has been sitting outside unattended. Check your fuel to make sure there is no water in the tank, change your fuel filters, change the oil and filter, change the lower unit oil and replace the water impeller, repack the trailer bearings and you should be good to go.

Thanks rrwel and cracker. They both sound like they will be okay. I ordered a color chart for Sterling from boat builder central, I already have one for Interlux. I'll see which one comes the closest to matching the present color of my boat (the Interlux is slightly off from what I can tell). The Kiwi Grip certainly looks interesting but Intrepid originally did the boat with a sand type non-skid and since I am only doing the gunwales, I'll stick with that finish to match the deck which is in great shape. BTW Cracker- I had to laugh, I have a golden retriever also that keeps me company while I am sitting on my 5-gal bucket drinking a beer too!

I did some fiberglass work on the gunwales of my 26 Intrepid and now I want it to look as perfect as I can get it so I will paint with a 2-part polyurethane. I have sanded the non-skid off and will paint the gunwales and the forepeak. I plan to roll on 2-4 coats of paint, then tape off areas for the non-skid and roll those areas in the same color with the non-skid additive. I have restored several cars and painted them myself so I have a collection of spray guns, tyvek suits and a forced fresh air system. Even so, I have made up my mind to roll and tip the gunwales, not only because of having to tape and cover everything, but it is going to be a pain to keep the air hose off the gunwales and trying to paint the inside and outside of the gunwales (I'll have to get in and out of the boat). I have researched Interlux Perfection, Awlgrip and Sterling paints. I still have some questions though. I have read that Perfection is not a true linear polyurethane and is not quite as hard or glossy as Awlgrip. Is there much of a difference? Are any of them repairable? I have seen roll and tip jobs with Perfection and they are very good, will Awlgrip and Sterling flow out as well? I'm looking for the most durable and smoothest finish from rolling and tipping. If I were doing the hull, I wouldn't hesitate to spray it, but I think for the gunwales, rolling it is the way to go. Thanks

It does seem like it got quieter here in the past month, I guess it is the slow time of the year. Me, I'm more of a lurker so if I don't see much new I move on to other sites. That said, I do like RB and will keep coming here. I just bought another boat and have a whole list of things I want to do. I certainly plan to do more posting in the future. Please keep it going Wiley. Your annual boat show pics will most likely generate some traffic in the short term.

Wow, sorry for your the loss of your Bert also, it sucks but as always the most important thing is that no one got hurt. I have been to I think 4 yacht fires over the years, saved three (I'm sure there was still lots of damage in terms of $$) but lost one to the waterline. The fire spreads fast and is tough to put out sometimes. An early call, fast response and an aggressive onboard attack is the only way to save one. But if the boat is away from the dock, it is almost surely a goner. Hopefully your insurance takes care of you quickly.

I did the same exact thing with my Yamaha about 4-5 years ago. I went to the auto paint jobber and got some PPG DBC. It has held up great. I even painted mine outside.

Oh yeah, I worked with Wally. I worked at the river store back around 68 to 72 when Sonny and Bob were there. Wally was a character to say the least. Does he still race tunnel hulls and play outfield? I knew Gene but not that well, I knew Robbie better. Anyway, say hi to all. Its good to see that boats still runs in the blood of some of us old timers. Thanks. Marshall Brodie

Son of Fibercraft, Hey its a small world, I used to work for Bob Hewes back in the late 60s and early 70s when your uncle Roland made the boats for Bob. Roland was a great guy, I would go by factory sometimes or talk to Roland when he dropped off a new boat at the dealership, he always had a smile. Everyone used to say that Roland and your dad built some tough boats.

It's cool seeing pictures of quality craftsmanship and restoration projects. There are different ways of doing projects so I think most of us can learn some tips. So definitely keep the pics coming!

Basically, it comes down to peace of mind. If you want a new motor that will run smoother and quieter, but most importantly you won't have to worry about it leaving you stranded, then by all means go for it. Especially if you are planning to keep it for a number of years. However, there is no way to justify it financially. Like seavee1 said, you won't save enough in fuel by a long shot and your boat just won't be worth that much more.