20ft Robalo 1979 w/ 2000 Yamaha Saltwater Series II 150hp. Good Buy?

[coop0506]

I have that boat in a 1978 verison it is one great boat really takes the water well not a wet boat at all . Like all have said before it is a boat it will require work but seem like a good price to me

[Hardhed]

Could be a great buy, or could wind up costing a lot in motor repairs down the road. If you don't have a lot of extra cash handy when those repairs are needed, you basically have no boat at all at that point, and have thrown away $$$ until such time as you can throw away a little more $$ to get it back to the point when you actually have a boat again.

If I had any concerns about having substantial spare cash down the road, I'd give a lot of thought to some simpler rigs, maybe a nice 16ft open boat with a 25hp four stroke tiller model. Not as glamorous, but she'll always be there ready to head out, a lot easier to trailer if needed with a lot less vehicle, and a LOT easier on gas too. Just my 2 cents though. A man's gotta make his own decision on these matters.

[johnnyo]

Since you are a youngin i will be a little easier on you:), you can't buy a boat that will handle the bay for $3,200 even for one trip. So for $ you just gotta hope for the best. I have a 92 Robalo I bought for $12,000 and decided to repower after 4 seasons after a major engine issue but i could afford it. If you love fishing and test ride the boat and it rides good I say get it, I don't see how you can find anything close in price to handle the bay. By the way my boat handles like a 23"er and is a little wet going across waves but not into them. Best of luck!!

[hackeyfly]

Since you are a youngin i will be a little easier on you:), you can't buy a boat that will handle the bay for $3,200 even for one trip. So for $ you just gotta hope for the best. I have a 92 Robalo I bought for $12,000 and decided to repower after 4 seasons after a major engine issue but i could afford it. If you love fishing and test ride the boat and it rides good I say get it, I don't see how you can find anything close in price to handle the bay. By the way my boat handles like a 23"er and is a little wet going across waves but not into them. Best of luck!!

Damn, WTF have I been fishing out of for the last 15 years???? Thanks for setting everybody straight(including me). Gotta run, gotta junk my boat and buy one that will handle the bay.
Pat in Joppa

[gw204]

If that motor runs and has good compression, it's worth the $3200 all by itself. Buy it and get a hull and trailer for free.

Do a little research on how to test cored areas of the hull (decks/stringers/transom) for rot. You'll probably find some compromised areas in a '79, but that's not the end of the world. Fuel tank could be a problem as well, but there are cheap solutions for that.

Personally, I wouldn't spend the money to survey that boat (engine...maybe). Evaluate it yourself (or bring along a friend who can). If it turns out to need more time or money or work than you care to invest, part it out and I can pretty much guarantee you'll get every penny back.


Pat...you still rockin' the same Starcraft?

[johnnyo]

Damn, WTF have I been fishing out of for the last 15 years???? Thanks for setting everybody straight(including me). Gotta run, gotta junk my boat and buy one that will handle the bay.
Pat in Joppa

Exactly my point! at worst he could fish a few times and it would be worth it but he might LIKE YOU be able to go 15 years. Wasn't tring to make any hard feelings for sure and sorry you took it that way! Just sayin you can spend hundreds of thousands on a boat for the bay and many do. Just didn't want to come out right and say $3,200 is a drop in the bucket because for the young man it may not be.'

[hackeyfly]

Exactly my point! at worst he could fish a few times and it would be worth it but he might LIKE YOU be able to go 15 years. Wasn't tring to make any hard feelings for sure and sorry you took it that way! Just sayin you can spend hundreds of thousands on a boat for the bay and many do. Just didn't want to come out right and say $3,200 is a drop in the bucket because for the young man it may not be.'

I gotcha- it's all good. I'm just cranky 'cause I gotta pull up my deck and do some major engineering/fabrication at the transom-it would be really cool to just write a check to someone and say "fix it" or write a check to a dealer and say "Sold"- but then I wouldn't be able to maintain my great sense of self satisfaction over being such a cheap bastard.

Brian- yeah, man-see above. If I could buy a brand new naked bare hull of that boat I would do it in a heartbeat and swap over my deck setup and power. I've got some cracking at the transom brace I need to deal with, but I gotta say, that boat/engine owes me nothing. Might be time to start taking it offshore.
Pat in Joppa

[flycatcher]

I have that boat in a 1978 verison it is one great boat really takes the water well not a wet boat at all . Like all have said before it is a boat it will require work but seem like a good price to me

I don't want to argue with coop0506, but you did not mention if this was a CC or a cuddy. The Robalo CCs of that vintage had a relatively flat gunnel and low bow. I fished offshore with a buddy who had a 25 foot CC; the deck was flat all the way to the bow and there was virtually no flare in the bow which was relatively low to the water. It had floatation like a Whaler, but waves came over the bow and ran down the deck and out the transom. We'd just sit on the leaning post and lift our feet. I suppose if you never wound up in a 3 foot sea you might stay dry. Look around on the hull truth you will see that water intrusion and retention in the hull was an issue for some. Take a seasoned, impartial boating veteran with you if at all possible for the sea trial.
Sailfish 27 gave all good advice. If you don't have the boat surveyed, I would strongly recommend that, at the very least, you take it for a test ride on a really snotty day that you would normally not want to fish/boat. I can guarantee that once you buy a boat you will some day find yourself out there wishing that you were on land - you need to have confidence that your ride will get you back home safely when that day comes. Pay attention to how well the boat performs, look at HP rating relative to max recommended HP for this rig (lower range HP engines may be adequate with one or two aboard in calm water, but prove to be a big disappointment with a load and/or a chop, and often use more fuel than a moderately more powerful engine due to the fact that they are working harder). Does everything on the boat work? Very importantly, how does the boat lie in the water at the dock (dead calm)? Is she level? Does the waterline ride where it should? If the flotation is waterlogged, she may ride low or tilted - depending on how severe the problem is. Another check would be to get a good weight estimate for the rig based on manufacturer supplied data for boat, motor, and trailer and weigh the rig at a truck stop - if she's heavy, assume there's water somewhere. Good luck.
Whoops! Missed the 150 Yammy in your header - that should be more than adequate HP for that rig. The age of the rig is not as important as the condition - $3200 is very reasonable for a 19 foot rig that's ready to go and in good condition; but if the rig needs a lot of work, $3200 could just be the initiation fee. Depreciation is not a factor - figure you're buying it for life as buyers for 33 year old boats are few and far between - a lesson the current owner is realizing. If you're on a tight budget, it's good that you ask for advice before you jump in - but you still have to do some homework, and evaluate the advice you receive.

[BoatDad]

My question for you is this. If you are worried about spending 3,200 on a boat and asking if it's a good deal. Does this mean you are alittle tight on funds. I kinda gather that from your post that you mention you are 20 years old and have some playing around funds but not alot. If you have to ask this question then you might not want to be a boat owner just yet. If i had the xtra 3,200 laying around I would buy that boat in a heart beat. It can take the bay just fine. If you buy it good luck and make friends with a boat mechanic it always helps. i also agree with paying to get checked out first.

[night nurse]

Just buy it! $3,200 is not that much and you'll get at least a year or 2 out of her.

TED