I'm going to check out a 1989 16' Lowe 1600V with from what I can tell is a 1984 Mariner 60. Everything but the motor is in great condition. Side console, 40lb troller, fish finder, etc. Because of that, I've talked her down to $3000 without even seeing the boat in person.

Here's the issue: The owner is not the operator, and she's not real familiar with watercraft. Not that I am either. She just wants to get rid of it. It was a gift for her fiancé and things didn't work out.

Her main complaint is that the motor recently started slipping only when under load. Not on the trailer with the ears on.

Everything I can find says that's most likely the prop slipping, which is an easy fix. When I see her later today, I can get more info about gears grinding, does the shifter move when it happens, etc. A test ride is probably out of the question.

I talked to a guy she knows that worked on it, and he replaced some linkages, which did not fix the problem. He suggested replacing a bushing, and I think maybe he means the clutch plate. But he's a car guy, not a marine mechanic.


My questions: Should I walk away now? If not, what questions should I ask? If I go through with it and it's not a slipping prop, what kind of mess am I getting myself into?

I know I am violating several tenets of the boat buying thread, but this seems like a great opportunity. Thanks for the help.

Could be cavitation from the motor being to high.

You want the anti-cavitation plate almost level with the bottom of the boat.



Or the rubber hub on the prop is slipping.

Mark the rubber and the hub to see if they move.



Always test ride a boat.



 

All too true. And that's what's killing me.

It's hard to walk away though when it's otherwise exactly what I need. And the possibility it's a real cheap fix.

I'll ask her about a test run. We can't even hook it up to a hose since it's in a lot. I also feel I have to hurry before my wife changes her mind.

ETA: I got a chance to talk to someone with experience with that boat and all signs point to spun prop. No grinding, shifts fine, just can't get out of the hole. She agreed to let me put a new prop on and water test it. If that fixes it
I'll be posting pics of my new to me boat soon. Very excited.

Remove prop and look for rubber "peeling" out of the hub where it meets the prop body. Every spun rubber hub I have seen does this. Look closely at the wiring. That era Merc/Mariners used a rubber coating that gets brittle and flakes off. This allows corrosion to form on the wires and leads to trouble.

I'm pulling the prop off Friday, I'll look for that. After I plug the new one in I get to go water test it. I'll pull the cover then too and see what's what. Electrical is beyond my ability to deal with, so if it's all jacked up I have to walk.

That's a good tip though, and something I didn't think of. Thank you. Assuming everything is good to go and I do buy this boat, is there a way to prevent future issues with that particular wiring  problem, short of having it all redone?

Nothing I know of that can be done about the wiring. It's just 30 year old rubber. Replacement parts are available, but can add up quickly in cost. You may find the wiring ok, out here in the desert it's usually rotted.

3000$ seems like a lot of money for that rig I would think 1000-1500 max!

I didn't figure there was.




You think so? I've got a buddy that said the same thing. I know $3800 was ridiculous, but compared to the other stuff out there $3000 seems ok, if a little on the high side. The problem for me is prices for things like this are artificially inflated around military installations; real estate, cars, boats, etc.

It was the prop, but I don't think I'm going to start my brown water navy with this boat.

Test run went ok until we were back at the dock and I shut the motor down. It wouldn't start back up. That was after stalling a few times before we got away from the dock.

Also, the steering was really difficult. May need grease, but who knows. It was manageable at speed, but slow speed maneuverability was piss poor. That coupled with a trailer that will need repair/replacing in a couple years at most makes it not worth it.

I really don't want a money pit I have to mess with. I want something ready to go. I like the size and having a console, but maybe a Jon with stick steer would be better.

Oh well. Thanks for the advice.

what's the hull worth?  tell her you're not interested in the engine package...she may just want that thing gone....

(I bought a 40' container for 1,500 a few weeks ago..)

I couldn't even tell you for sure. A little cleaning up and carpet glue in a small spot and it would be good as new though. Pretty decent setup. Bilge works, live well works. I'd replace the instrument panel and check all the wiring, but all in all I thought it was ok.

I don't think she'd part it out though. She borrowed money to buy it and is stuck with a personal loan. No lien on the boat. She was silly to do it, and just wants to be rid of the whole thing. Even after the trouble today she won't budge from $3000. Maybe she'll come down on the price if it sits for a while.  

I would love a project to work on and learn, but not yet.

Stalling, carbs/synchronazition. Stiff steering, cable and or steering tube or pivot tube corroded. It probably needs $1000 in work just to be somewhat dependable.

Damn, that's a pretty big amount relative to what she wants for the boat.

She was pretty butt hurt about the whole thing so I don't think I'm in the running anymore anyways even if she does come to her senses and drop the price. I think she's in for a long wait if she expects that much. Someone like me may not pick up on all the issues but anyone who knows boats will.

Wait, so she's butt hurt that you bought a new prop for her boat only to find out there were more problems that made her overpriced boat a worse deal? Yeah, I would have passed too, and wouldn't be interested in the future for half price.

yep, there's a metric shit ton of vessels in your AO to choose from.... seek and destroy!

Pretty much. It would have been comical if I hadn't been too excited about it. That style was the perfect match of backwater ability for fishing and hunting for me and my buddies and taking the family to the closer sand bars. And yeah, she can go kick rocks. I'm just glad y'all were here to keep,me informed.




Hell yeah there is. I'm driving my wife nuts shopping for boats. We weren't actively looking before, just kinda stumbled on that one. But now she's fully on board (sorry couldn't help it) and we'll probably end up with a larger boat to go offshore. Smaller boat for hunting will have to wait.