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I'm looking at purchasing a used 21' outrage (banana hull model) believed to be a 1980. Just spoke with the seller and the boat appears to be in good working order for a boat of this age. One thing that raised a red flag was that the owner said that the bilge would run a few times a day without much over wash.
Question is, for those of you who own and operate these older whalers - 1973 through 1980...(roughly) is it typical to have the bilge run when not much water is coming into the boat from over the rail? I'm concerned that there may be water intrusion into the bilge from the hull in some way if the bilge running a few times a day is not normal. I can't get a gauge on whether it could just be from running the boat normally with water coming over the rail/stern or whether the hull is compromised in some way.
The internal gas tank is still in use if that makes a difference.
Just looking for your expertise on this. Boat is on a trailer and not sure I will be able to sea trial it before purchase. Is there a way to get a handle on the hull weight without taking the boat into a weigh station? Has a 150 Johnson on it.
Actually, that problem is fairly common on these 21's, both the "Ribside" 71 and 72, and the 73-80 "Smoothsides".
The hulls can leak slightly at the joint, especially in the stern near the water level, where the topside mono casting is glued to the hulls foamed slab casting that actually forms the hull. This joint is covered by the rubrail on the outside.
It is easy to fix a seepage problem like this. Using a product like "Lifeseal" simply caulk the joint on the inside up to about midships. That will fix the problem.
What level of "disassembly" is required to access the joint from the "inside"? Is this a major ordeal or is the internal portion of the joint easily accessible?
What other issues should I expect to find in light of this potential seepage? Will the foam be saturated? What route does the seepage take to get to the bilge (sorry, not familiar with where the bilge sits on these - I have a Montauk which is a bit different set up)?
I'm not looking to tear this thing apart to get it functional. Sounds like you have some extensive experience restoring these models, what may be easy to you could be a nightmare for some. I'm ok with some restoration work (restored an old chris craft) but don't want to get involved in an entire tear down.
In your opinion, what other things would you be looking to check before such a purchase?
Thanks so much for the info, just trying to make sure I'm not getting in over my head.
First of all I should indicate that my actual experience is with the earlier "Ribside" 21` model. On the interior of the boat, the seam between the bottom hull and the top shell is very evident, and easy to access - at least on the Ribside models, where only the bottom side trim boards have to be removed to see the joint. I assume this to be the case on the Smoothside boats also, but because of the stern well cross bench, access back to the transom at floor level could be more complicated? Perhaps a Smoothside owner can comment on this.
On any hull leaking at this seam, the water simply flows over the floor and into the stern sump. It does not contaminate the foam.
Other things to look at on one of these old classics is the structural integrity of the transom, and that the encapsulated plywood is dry.
The integrity of the fuel tank should also be considered (no water in fuel or in the fuel filter), as a boat this old can have fuel leaks into the encapsulating foam. Replacement of the 42 gallon fuel tank is a big, costly job.
Another important detail is condition of the non-skid boat floor. This tells you a lot about how the boat was used and maintained. I would not buy a boat with a beatup, badly worn floor, often with many poorly done repairs. Also watch out for a boat with a ground down floor, and painted with non-skid paint.
Finally, original gelcoat is an important value consideration. For best value retention and resale value, stay away from a painted boat, either interior, exterior or both. It tells you the boat was in bad shape at some time in it's life, bought cheap by someone and needed a full cosmetic repair. That is not my kind of boat.
That's about all I can think of at the moment. You can see my 21 in the Personal Website link.
River birch: I am guessing that your Ribside has smooth sides unlike Finnegan's. Mine is a 1974 smoothside and because cross structure in the stern just forward of the splashwell, access to the bilge and the structural joints of the hull are near impossible. It is difficult just keeping those areas clean. And, by the way, advise from Finnegan is as good as it gets. Good luck.
