Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Looking for alittle direction. Looked at a 86 Cuddy with a (closed system ) merc 170, alpha I outdrive. Boat ran well, had a sea run, and no significant problems noted, but got a few concerns that could be nothing but I need to check them out before I buy. The floor in the rear by the engine hatch was soft. I stuck my hand through a notch in the stringer and the underneith of the floor didn't seem to be pulpy or wet. Is this area a common soft spot? it didnt seem to have much support so I thought it might just be a design problem, but do you guys with I/Os have similar problem? Also any word on the merc 170, not familar with this engine?
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j4.../1574600_4.jpg
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j4.../1574600_3.jpg
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j4.../1574600_2.jpg

What do you guys think about 5K for this?

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Trailer? *Looks real nice. *Was the bilge clean? *Looks like it has been well taken care of. *Offer him less but buy it! *Billy Mac *;D

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Dog - that boat looks to be in nice shape. I dont have an I/O, so cant comment on the soft spot (though I doubt it to be a design flaw). $5k would seem to be a good price .. IF ... you are happy with the condition of the motor and you are getting a decent trailer with the boat. No trailer ... then just an ok price. But thats just me ... and I am a little cheap !

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

No trailer with boat, but i got one.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Is that 170 a 470 Mercruiser? I have NO first hand expierence with I/O's (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night :)) but I've read that the 470 can be troublesome. Do some research!!! I could be wrong....there's always a first :-/

Boat does look sweet though!

Good luck and hope it works out.

edit: just did a little research on the 470 and like everything else, mixed opinions, some love em and some hate em. It seems the earlier ones were the ones with trouble, not sure what years though. If I remember correctly it was the guys over at classicmako.com that were bashing them.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

As far as the outdrive Alpha 1 is the one you want.

Some of my research:

http://forums.iboats.com/bbBoard.cgi...4;gtid=1170766

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

i have the same boat, year and all... different motor so no comment on that. my deck is solid by the box but a tiny bit springy near the cuddy door. looks very clean for the year. i would offer less... paid considerably less for mine. theres always more.


nice though.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

I appreciate the replies. I am acutally going to check out another tomorrow that is the same engine setup, but three threes newer and used for family use only no hard fishing. Four months ago engine was fully serviced with new hoses, pump, tuneup, exchanger etc.. Less money as well. i'll update.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Looks good, I have a 74 cuddy and I had to reinforce the area right in front of the engin cover cause it has a over hang with nothing to suport it. Not a big deal at all.

Good Luck!

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Dog, Just something to keep in mind when looking at this '86 vs the '89 you mentioned. Wellcraft made a change to the floor in '88 I believe. They raised the floor up a good 2-2.5" in order to get a self-draining (overboard) cockpit. Might seem minor, but to me it is a big difference. I definitely prefer the deeper sides of the '86 - even if it means having the cockpit floor drain into the bilge. When your legs are leaning against the sides ... fishing in some rough water .... that extra 2-2.5" makes a difference - to me anyhow. However, I trailer. If you slip your boat, the overboard draining cockpit might be your preference.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

My 75 is even deeper then that! Its before they started the floation ;D

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Good Point BrianCT12, i was actually just checkingout which years were self bailing. I didn't know that the floor was lifted that substantially. Got to think about that one. I might think self bailing is more important in rough seas but i wouldn't want to fall overboard either.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

my 78 is self bailing

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

I don't care if you have the extra 2 -2.5 inches, if its that rough that your worried about falling overboard sit down or go into port. Mine is a 1990 out board version cockpit drains into splash well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...y/P1010023.jpg

Photo of my nephew who is 13yrs and about 5'6".

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Mac just hook hoses to the deck drains and run out the rear sides of the boat.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

If I'm not mistaken, everything after '77-'78 were self bailing decks.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Here's a photo of the drains. There are no holes in the corners. Water drains along a channel at the base to cut outs in the splash wells splash guard. Skools what is that board called? Billy Mac ;D




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...key/Doors2.jpg

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

My 78 is not self bailing, goes into the bilge. It's an I/O though.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

right CB all after 78 were self bailing, if someone hasn't removed the drain hoses should be deck drains in those two outside corners hum??? do it like this here a V20 with them plumbed out the sides

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46...s/V20drain.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46.../v20drain2.jpg

here's a 250 in the back that goes to those side type drains as well

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46...0deckdrain.jpg

That's how i'm hooking up my deck drains is out the sides

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

I have no problems with the way it is, Just that the scupper holes in the splash well are right at the water line and below when I go to the rear of the boat. Billy Mac ;D

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

hey Chum, when you say "self-draining" I assume you mean overboard ... and not into the bildge ? If thats true about everything after '78 ... then I guess I have been making some wrong assumptions. I do know the floor was raised in '88 - that I am sure of. I just assumed it was to get some height over the outside water level - so they could plumb the drains overboard. My '86 corner drains dump right into the bildge ... the '88 corner drains have hose attached going overboard. Now you have me starting to wonder - whether the drain set-ups were "options" from Wellcraft. Especially seeing that Mac's '90 does not have any corner drains - which was surprising to me.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Yes, I mean overboard. If you have corner drains they should have been plumbed into through hull like skools posted. I have a buddy (not a site member) with an '83 or '84 that has the corner drains and they are plumbed into through hulls for overboard drainage (that is what self bailing means. Not into the bilge) Mac Attacks boat is self bailing as well even though it drains through the motorwell. My center console had the rear corner drains plumbed into through hulls where Mac's are missing as well as the drain holes in the motorwell..
One thing I've seemed to pick up on with regards to these V20's from Wellcraft, is that consistancy was not always a factor. Just when you think you've got most of the model variances figured out, someone will prove you wrong on something in that theirs was built slightly different. Almost seemed as thought they weren't all built at the same facility (I'm quite sure they were though) or they had hulls that may have been left over from prior model/year runs and they may have "tweaked" them a bit to sell as current models. Not much surprises me in the way of inconsistancy on these boats.
They're still a great design and hard to compare the value of what you get for your money

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

After they became self bailing, the fisherman models (Center Concole) seem to drain thru the stern whereas the Cuddy's drain out the sides. I can tell you that on my 87' that with full fuel and three anglers that somebodys gonna get wet feet on my boat. I do have stoppers for the drains though. I'm thinking of installing much larger scuppers with the check balls in them.

Airslot

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

My 86 V drains out the side. The floor is not raised. I installed larger deck drains with a scupper ball. I also have as back up, inline scuppers to cut down on water coming in.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...r/DSC01724.jpg

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

I was thuinking about trying to make mine a self bailer, but I have 3 floor tanks that drain into the bildge also.

I guess I could plug them and then pull the plugs at the end of the day? But they get most of the water before it gets to the back of the boat I think??

O well not to worry I get so littkle water that its not worth it I guess.

But when it was a I/O it would havew been!! The salt water would get inthere and splash around,. Starter get wet and rot, oil pan rotted I hated a I/O in there.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Hey just got back from checking out the 1989. Boat is hands down in better shape than the 86. On this boat the self bailing drains are in the corners and drain out the sides. Will be taking a sea trial. Floors had no flex what so ever. Some small cosmetic problems but that doesn't worry me. Need to hear the engine and see her under power.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

I would look for one with an outboard or blown outboard so you could put what ever you wanted on it. I bought an 83 last year with a blown Johnson 175 for $1,200 that was in excellent condition.I'm not a big fan of I/O's as they will nickel and dime you to death and take up too much fishing room in a little 20 foot boat but thats just me....Frank

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

My 85 cuddy with full transom has the corner drain holes that drain into the hoses which connect to thru hulls on the side. All 16 V20's I checked out had this arrangement.
They did raise the floor level approx two inches at some point late 80's due to complaints of water coming in the thru hulls. It did not eliminate the problem but reduced it a lot.
A lot depends on the power arrangement you have. For example even though my motor is on a bracket sitting 30 inches off the transom(previous sea drive) the scupper drain holes outside sit approx two inches obove the water line. That is I believe because I have a 4 cylinder 115 Johnson. I test rode two V's that had a 225 and a 200 horse V6 and they were approx same year and they both had drain holes that sat below the water line. Both of them took water in and out constantly from just minor rocking and wave action.

Re: Looking at 86 Cuddy
 

Willy, Thats good info - thanks for sharing. For some reason - Wellcraft didnt hook up the corner drains on my '86 to thru-hulls, they just let em drain into the bilge. I will have to study the level my boat sits in the water - and see if I could hook the drains up to thru-hulls.