buying advise

surfpilot · 10-09-2004, 11:27 AM

Hi chaps, first post ...please be gentle with me!

I have a holding deposit on a '93 17ft fletcher arrowhawk with 3.0 mercruiser, this will be my 1st inboard powered boat, any tips as to what i should be checking and looking for as regards the condition of the engine & outdrive?

The boat is offered for sale by a broker, i've asked to see the engine running on muffs before i purchase but is it unreasonable to ask for a full test drive, I'm thinking that this would show up any problems with the drive under load or any overheating problems.

Any advise would be appreciated, also where,s the best place to purchase service items for mercruiser... plugs, belts, filters etc preferably in the s.e essex area.

thanks in advance

paul

Captain Chaos · 10-09-2004, 11:39 AM

My advise is to not buy it coz 3.oL is plop!!!.

......and then buy my 1992 arrowstreak (prob identical) with a 1995 200hp Mercury and with the change buty some new underpants to soil!

Captain Chaos · 10-09-2004, 11:42 AM

The boat is offered for sale by a broker,

which broker?

Any advise would be appreciated, also where,s the best place to purchase service items for mercruiser... plugs, belts, filters etc preferably in the s.e essex area.

I use boating mania in upminster, Mike Watkins is a slightly unhappy, but very genuine & often very helpfull fella. They are reasonably priced and dont "bump-up" stuff for thier own personal gain!

thanks in advance

No problem

Louise · 10-09-2004, 11:46 AM

Hi Paul and welcome.

I can't give you any advice about that particular package (I'm a rubber ring girl myself

) but I would say that you should definitely insist on a test drive. You wouldn't buy a car without one, would you?

Hope you find a good boat.

surfpilot · 10-09-2004, 11:50 AM

"which broker?"

essex boatyard

I have a couple of mates with 3.0 powered boats so i know what sort of performance to expect & i want a boat i can afford to use as much as possible, not much point if its sitting in the garden cos i cant afford the fuel bill !!

bert · 10-09-2004, 12:08 PM

if you are not sure you could get engine survey i paid about £100 from my local outboard fixer told me parts that needed changing compression test serial no etc just gives you extra piece of mind also would not by a boat from broker without test drive

Captain Chaos · 10-09-2004, 12:42 PM

James & Guy Barke that own essex boat yards are good people, I have bought/ sold things through them in the past...pre them hitting it big time!

Just had a look on their site........Thats a nice boat (if a wee bit pricey)...mines the model they have advertised as a 1996! (which is incorrect). I can personally recommend the hull......good handeling and a lot of space per size of boat.

You MUST haggle with them!!!!!! and ask for a guarentee or some sort of comeback.

For your info..........Mines very economical.....I challenge you to that. when you get it, I'll whizz pass you all day (with a boat load) and we'll tot-up fuel bills at the end of day!!!!

17 Fletch + 3.0 merc.....must get High 5 prop for skiing!!! cost £400

surfpilot · 10-09-2004, 01:00 PM

I've haggled the price down to £6350, they now offer a 3 month warranty on stock boats but this was a brokerage one so I was told that didnt apply, I was told however that the engine would be checked and anything needed would be done at the present owners expense before i collect it.

I looked at that other fletcher, its a bit cleaner but decided to go with the newer model, mind you they didnt have it priced at the time so i wasnt aware of the price difference!!

Captain Chaos · 10-09-2004, 01:15 PM

New model slightly nicer due to the curved corners of screen. Otherwise its just trim differences.

If they say thats the case, i'd take them by thier word. I would ask them if they were happy to have an independent inspection....that way "what needs doing" can be defined between EBY, said inspecter and yourself.

James has many friends collegues round essex, so it'll be difficult to find a surveyor who doesnt know them............

wish i could help more

Atlantic Xpat · 10-09-2004, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Captain Chaos
]I use boating mania in upminster, Mike Watkins is a slightly unhappy, but very genuine & often very helpfull fella. [COLOR]

thanks in advance

No problem

Thats a very accurate description! I used to get my large Johnson serviced there & they did a reasonable job. Reasonably priced on bits and bobs too.

There was a 17ftish Fletcher with inboard fannying around at Bradwell last weekend as we came back into the marina. He was drifting rather aimlessly around with the engine hatch open so we gave him a tow back to the pontoon being the alround top blokes that we are.

EN

surfpilot · 10-09-2004, 03:01 PM

essex navee,
my mates are thinking of taking a drive to bradwell week after next, whats the launching facilities like there, any do's & dont's?
They were there (& @ stone I think) last weekend without the boats & said they saw a few fletchers cruising about.

Atlantic Xpat · 10-09-2004, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by surfpilot
essex navee,
my mates are thinking of taking a drive to bradwell week after next, whats the launching facilities like there, any do's & dont's?

Bradwell slip is OK - quite long and narrow & useable all bar an hour or so either side of LW. Cost is £12 I think. It can get very busy during summer weekends so...

Do - make sure that you are ready to rock and roll before you back it down the slip, i.e. bung in, kill cord in, driver in and ready to go. Don't - faff around at the bottom of the slip cranking the engine over without it starting or even more amusingly cast the boat off into the briny and then realise the engine wont start!

Also don't queue jump cos people get really pissed at that!

EN

surfpilot · 10-09-2004, 03:47 PM

ta very much i'l pass that info on

Paul

Captain Chaos · 10-09-2004, 05:05 PM

ere essex.......what tub you got.......... i was one of those geezers feckin about on fletchers last week!

Atlantic Xpat · 10-09-2004, 07:03 PM

I was keepin half an eye out for a bloke in a cape but didn't notice you.

As an ex-ribnobber I was doing my charity outreach work to some "sportsnobbing" friends in their Cobalt 227. We went for a blast up to Harwich and back. Nice day out.

Captain Chaos · 10-09-2004, 07:13 PM

I'd have been up river around osea usually. I used to launch from Bradwell as the slips pretty good..........but got tired off bunging the cars (Rover 200 @ the time) up to its doors in water!!

Use stone skiclub now!

You're not one of the mob that bugger off all over the gaff with the Cohens in thier little floatilla are you? they've got some 25/30ft (Mariah??) with a whackin great checquered flag down it)

Atlantic Xpat · 10-09-2004, 07:20 PM

Nah mate, dunno any of them.

My sportsnobber mates used to have a boat apiece - one with a Fletcher 21GTS 5.7L and the other with a Glastron 19GTS 5.0L (& before that a 19ft Fletcher proto, 16 Phantom etc etc). They decided that as they spent half their times getting a crew together to take out both boats that they ought to combine their dosh and get one between em. So the Cobalt which is good looking boat, very well made and goes very nicely with what I think is a 5.7EFI and Duoprop.

They normally ski on the crouch from Hullbridge and sometimes on the Blackwater. Last Sat we went for the run up the coast first thinking it might get a bit calmer in the late afternoon. It didn't so we had a zoom around osea to see whether it was a bit calmer there before returning back to Bradwell. Were you in the Fletcher or one of the chaps trying to pull it ashore?

EN