1986 Sportsman 250?

Dschaffer · #1 03-22-2023, 04:34 PM

Hey all.
Any experience with the 250’s? An 86 Sportsman has come up for sale not too far from me and I thought it might be an upgrade (more room, maybe handle bigger waves?) from the V20? It’s an IO, from the pics and conversation, it looks to be very well taken care of. I can’t find any information about the dimension of the fishing deck area but I am hopeful it is at least as big as the V20, plus has all the extra cabin space. Any experience/thoughts on these boats?

Thanks

steplift20 · #2 03-26-2023, 03:52 PM

Keep the v20
I'm sure the 25 sportsman is a good boat but I'm not a fan of I Os. If your boat is good than keep her if not than go for the 25. I would stay with the 20 myself

Dschaffer · #3 03-26-2023, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steplift20

Keep the v20
I'm sure the 25 sportsman is a good boat but I'm not a fan of I Os. If your boat is good than keep her if not than go for the 25. I would stay with the 20 myself

My V20 is an I/O, so I***8217;m used to it. The 250 looks to be in really good condition for the age, and always a fresh water boat. He***8217;s asking $7900 but it has nothing in regards to fishing equipment. I would essentially be moving around
$10,000 of stuff off my V20 to get the boat set up. I love the V20, but if the the fishing deck on the 250 is at least the same size of the V20 (hopefully bigger), it seems like to could be a good upgrade and would be great to spend a weekend on. It***8217;s tricky though, as my V20 without any fishing equipment would have very little value. Besides the lack of a cabin, it truly is a great boat.

Pipe_Dream · #4 03-28-2023, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dschaffer

My V20 is an I/O, so I***8217;m used to it. The 250 looks to be in really good condition for the age, and always a fresh water boat. He***8217;s asking $7900 but it has nothing in regards to fishing equipment. I would essentially be moving around
$10,000 of stuff off my V20 to get the boat set up. I love the V20, but if the the fishing deck on the 250 is at least the same size of the V20 (hopefully bigger), it seems like to could be a good upgrade and would be great to spend a weekend on. It***8217;s tricky though, as my V20 without any fishing equipment would have very little value. Besides the lack of a cabin, it truly is a great boat.

Trailer? Depending on how you currently move/store/keep your V20 that could be a major factor in your decision. I can relate to the pull of a larger boat, but thankfully my personal resources have kept me from making that move.

Destroyer · #5 03-29-2023, 11:01 PM

My personal experience is that unless you have a family a 20 is really all you need. The 25 is good for the missus and kids or if you go out with a lot of friends. Just my 2 cents

.

Dschaffer · #6 03-30-2023, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pipe_Dream

Trailer? Depending on how you currently move/store/keep your V20 that could be a major factor in your decision. I can relate to the pull of a larger boat, but thankfully my personal resources have kept me from making that move.

I would most likely continue to trailer the boat as I am just 10 minutes away from the launch. From what I***8217;ve gathered, it sounds like launching/loading the 250, solo, isn***8217;t too bad. What I don***8217;t like about the situation is that It is bare bones in regards to fishing equipment. I would either need to move $10,000+ of equipment off of my V20 (which would make it worth very little), or out fit the set up the 250 with new gear, and recoup some cost by selling the V20, fully loaded.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Destroyer

My personal experience is that unless you have a family a 20 is really all you need. The 25 is good for the missus and kids or if you go out with a lot of friends. Just my 2 cents

.

Yeah, this is one of the bigger reasons why I am considering it. Any more than 2-3 people on the V20 is tight. I do fish a lot by myself, or with a buddy and sometimes his son, but I know I would take more folks out if I had more space. It may be wishful thinking, as they are both prone to motion sickness, but I would hope that my wife and daughter would spend more time on out there in the 250. The cabin looks pretty comfortable for that size of boat. Definitely a tough decision.

Any thoughts on if it would be a wet ride without the flared bow of the V20?

phatdaddy · #7 03-30-2023, 06:58 PM

It s been my observation that the bigger the boat, the less u use it.

Destroyer · #8 03-30-2023, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

It s been my observation that the bigger the boat, the less u use it.

I had a 25 foot John Almand. Great boat, solid as they come. But one thing I did notice was that I spent a lot more on gas to push her through the water, even though she was an I/O. That definitely kept my time on the water less than I would have gone out otherwise.

.

Dschaffer · #9 03-31-2023, 03:56 PM

The seller sent me the dimensions of the fishing deck of the 250. It is actually a bit smaller than the V20. It has more width, but not length. Thats a deal killer for me. I like the idea of having a cabin but there is no way I’m getting a bigger boat with a smaller “dance” floor. Thanks for the input/insight.