Seeking opinions on this Robalo

[phatdaddy]

probably the biggest drawback for this era center console was the low freeboard in the stern. especially for divers(four guys, 2 tanks each is a lot of weight). i know of 2 or 3 up here that "turtled" in a rough sea. the combination of shorter anchor scope when diving and divers hanging on the transom is a deadly combo in choppy seas. this hull has been corrected with the closed transom and bracket.

go for it and keep the pictures coming

[THEFERMANATOR]

If your not "in the market", then I wouldn't rush to buy it. I would also be VERY judgemental of how it sits in the water at rest. Tabs will help when running, but not much can help when at anchor or on the drift. From what your talking about doing, I would hold out for something with an 8' 6" beam to it, and is meant for that kind of weight in the stern. From the pics, that one looks like an 8' beam hull, and is definately not meant for the added stern weight. Another thing of note I see from the pics is if that is indeed the waterline of the hull at rest, the bracket is going to be slapping when at anchor CONSTANTLY! You can see the water line is right up under the swim platform portion of the hull, and normally you want the swim platform to be out of the water a few inches. All you can do is check it out and see, but at this point in the season I wouldn't be rushing to buy anything. Unfortunately most of the good boats won't be on the market until spring when the sellers know buyers will be willing to spend the money to get out on the water.

[bgreene]

No one here trying to rain on your parade..... just watch out for over enthusiasm about a particular boat.

There are LOTS of good to excellent boats in your price range for sale. LOTS.

I've found the used boat market to be the most " buyer beware " of all used stuff !

From little things to more major.

I'd still recommend you check on the Yami corrosion issue - from Yami and other sources.

If the motors heavy for the hull think about when the fuel tank is full, and you have 3-4 people on board !!

Stay cool and judgemental.....as if you're looking at the boat for a 3rd party.
That said, good luck.

[ssiredfish]

Originally Posted by bgreene

No one here trying to rain on your parade..... just watch out for over enthusiasm about a particular boat.

There are LOTS of good to excellent boats in your price range for sale. LOTS.

I've found the used boat market to be the most " buyer beware " of all used stuff !

From little things to more major.

I'd still recommend you check on the Yami corrosion issue - from Yami and other sources.

If the motors heavy for the hull think about when the fuel tank is full, and you have 3-4 people on board !!

Stay cool and judgemental.....as if you're looking at the boat for a 3rd party.
That said, good luck.

Its got 100 hours and change on it I seriously doubt its got corrosion issues. Ive got close to 600 on my Yami and the only corrosion issue ive run into is the $15 trim sensor armiture. I will also mention outta the dozen of dozens of yammi's that are ran here in the heat and salt Ive not heard of one having corrosion issues, its not a suzuki.....

That engine is more than likely fine with the limited use and storage its seen. The 30+ year old hull for someone who spends the majority of his time offshore making the 70+mi round trips would be more of a concern for me.

My F20 dropped an inch in the back when I put my 4stroke and it actually greatly improved the stability and kept the hull from flying out of the wave. I can run 30+ in a following 3-4' sea w/o lurching out. Not saying the added weight will always help but it did in my case

[bradford]

Any boat you buy you'll end up spending money on, so if you're gonna pull the trigger I would offer your original $12,000 if you feel it's worth that, because you'll eventually end up spending the difference on her anyway plus it's still the off season.

The money spent on a survey would be very well spent on an older hull at that price.

Would a V20 bench seat and newer power fix your qualms with your V20? If so you might save some bucks and keep a hull that you know.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by ssiredfish

Its got 100 hours and change on it I seriously doubt its got corrosion issues. Ive got close to 600 on my Yami and the only corrosion issue ive run into is the $15 trim sensor armiture. I will also mention outta the dozen of dozens of yammi's that are ran here in the heat and salt Ive not heard of one having corrosion issues, its not a suzuki.....

That engine is more than likely fine with the limited use and storage its seen. The 30+ year old hull for someone who spends the majority of his time offshore making the 70+mi round trips would be more of a concern for me.

My F20 dropped an inch in the back when I put my 4stroke and it actually greatly improved the stability and kept the hull from flying out of the wave. I can run 30+ in a following 3-4' sea w/o lurching out. Not saying the added weight will always help but it did in my case

Low hour engines scare me more than high hour engines do. Corrosion tends to be the worst when a boat sits, not when in use. The engine is probably fine, but if the owner is truly that negligent in running a boat, he is probably that negligent in taking care of one(IE flushing an engine). ANY engine can be trashed in just a few years if it's not taken care of internally, and just because it looks good outside, doesn't mean it isn't rotten internally. I'm not saying thats the case here, but it is a possibility(and normally tends to be a greater possibility on low hour engines). I would be CERTAIN the mechanic that checks it out at least pulls the lower zincs in the heads. if it hasn't been flushed properly, it will show on the lower zincs the worst. You should see the ones that came out of my friends engine, and it has been RELIGOUSLY flushed after every use.

[awthacker]

Update: the engine checks out very well. It's actually an '08 that was registered in '10 and it is still under warranty for another year. The F225TLR was built as a 20" (for bass boats), but due to weight it did not sell well, so Yamaha created an extension for it to make it a 25" and move the inventory. It has 124 original hours, and has had no replacement parts. He says the variable cam timing is also a plus and give it better hole shot. NADA for it in its current condition is around $11,500.

The trailer and hull easily justify $15k, for me. It has a very nice console, t-top, and seat. The trailer is in very good condition. I will likely buy this boat after the wet test. The owner did show me a phone video of the boat on plane, taken from the helm, and it appears to ride very nice. Not high in the bow at all. I will check that it is also not high at rest.

[awthacker]

The transom was closed up and the bracket added by the previous owner, but he showed me a $5700 receipt from a local shop that pulled the console, floors, and gas tank to replace the stringers just a year ago. They used an unspecified composite product. overall, this thing checks out great with just a few cosmetic blemishes. The ride was good but it definitely listed as weight was transferred around the deck. I think tabs are one of my first purchases along with a new bottom machine / gps. Very happy with it and will be writing him a check tomorrow.

[RidgeRunner]

Originally Posted by ssiredfish

Its got 100 hours and change on it I seriously doubt its got corrosion issues. Ive got close to 600 on my Yami and the only corrosion issue ive run into is the $15 trim sensor armiture. I will also mention outta the dozen of dozens of yammi's that are ran here in the heat and salt Ive not heard of one having corrosion issues, its not a suzuki.....

That engine is more than likely fine with the limited use and storage its seen. The 30+ year old hull for someone who spends the majority of his time offshore making the 70+mi round trips would be more of a concern for me.

My F20 dropped an inch in the back when I put my 4stroke and it actually greatly improved the stability and kept the hull from flying out of the wave. I can run 30+ in a following 3-4' sea w/o lurching out. Not saying the added weight will always help but it did in my case

I have a personal friend that had corrosion issues with his 225 Yamaha four stroke. 500 hrs, Flushed EVERY TIME without exception. Boat sits on a lift. Corrosion around the thermostats clean thru the block to the outside in a couple spots where it was leaking water. Owner never did the thermostats nor the anodes. I was taken back. Owner also never had a problem out of the motor until he noticed water leaking out the cowl while flushing the motor.

[RidgeRunner]

I would have lost a bet that his motor would be near perfect/new.

But your gonna have nothing but the BEST OF LUCK with your new rig there AWTHACKER. Not trying to pee on the parade at all. I like it.. LOVE IT!