In Hindsight Advice (seeking not giving)

Hundreds of lake boats out on the ocean, and it also depends where you are referring to.
Agreed, on a good day you will see all kinds of non suited boats on the ocean.
Those pristeen days are few and far between on the salt.
It depends on the type of usage the owner is looking for.
 
I've come to a situation where a boat is in winter dry storage making a sea trial challenging. Would doing a compression test of muffa suffice? Or is that a red flag and if they were serious I should insist on a sea trial.
 
Ya I was doing some more digging on the boat and the transom height is only 20". Couldn't figure out how high the motor well is.
20" transom with a splashwell is pretty normal. Others may correct, but I don't think a 25" XL outboard would be common on a 16ft boat (lake or ocean).

You just want to avoid a 15" short shaft transom
 
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I've come to a situation where a boat is in winter dry storage making a sea trial challenging. Would doing a compression test of muffa suffice? Or is that a red flag and if they were serious I should insist on a sea trial.
It is what it is. Run it on muffs (run it the entire time you are inspecting - like 10-15min to see if it will overheat), crack open the gear oil bleed screw to make sure the oil isn't milky. The two things you really want to avoid are an engine that has been seriously overheated (head damage), or a toasted lower unit (milky gear oil is bad, glittery gear oil is worse).

Personally, any vehicle I buy - I check it over myself when I'm buying to confirm nothing is terminal. After that, I take it home and 'baseline' the maintenance. I don't care what the previous owner tells me, unless it's actually backed up with an invoice proving it happened. On an outboard, at minimum - new engine oil/filter, fresh gear oil (new o-ring on the drain screw), fresh fuel filter (and install external fuel filter/water separator if not already in place). Possibly new impeller, thermostat and battery after assessing (t-stat takes 5 minutes on the 3 cyl Suzuki - its right on top).
 
There is no perfect boat, just the one that is best suited to what you want to do. I started out solo fishing as a young teen fishing off the Oak Bay flats/Discovery/Trial with my buddies in my dads 21 foot sailboat. It took us forever to get out there battling currents and whatnot but we had a blast and caught fish, and only had to be rescued once... those old Ferryman diesel one-bangers tended to shake things apart! Since then I have run an east coast lobster style boat, 14 foot aluminum Lifetimer tiller steering, welded aluminum and fiberglass center consoles, 25' power cat and now a 24 foot aluminum sport fisher.

To be honest, I still think an 18-20 foot west coast CC with a T-Top is my favorite type of boat, especially for calmer/inside waters. Easy to tow with a Taco, seaworthy, easy to maneuver, gives some weather protection (especially if you get side curtains) and the walk-around is so nice for fishing. I also like my new boat with the head and galley and berth, but it is expensive all around (capitol costs, maintenance, insurance etc), has more systems to maintain and isn't as 'fun' as a smaller center consoles. Fuel burn is also 2X what a CC would cost in the 18 foot range. BUT before I built, my wife said it has to have a cabin with heat and a head, so following the "happy wife, happy life" doctrine I built accordingly.

The TomMac Everglide 18' CC welded aluminum has been my favorite boat so far and I took that thing 20 miles offshore to the banks without blinking an eye. Cheap to run, super dry with huge chines, stable with the hollow hull and bombproof construction. The closest to that boat is now the Bridgeview Marine CC series that took over that division of TomMac Shipyards. Nice boats but very pricey to buy new.

To my way of thinking, especially in a smaller boat, the hull design is everything. You wouldn't typically take a lake hull design and shift it over to the ocean directly. Yes, lots of people run lake boats on the ocean, but if you want a versatile boat that can get you through all sorts of conditions, pay attention to the hull design. Deep entry, big chines. Here you go, these are hard to find! A little elbow grease and it would look awesome. https://bridgeviewmarine.com/product/everglide-aluminum-center-console/
 
I have a 17' 1969 Starcraft Aluminum with a 1980 Evinrude 2-stroke that I paid peanuts for 20 years ago, and I have dragged that thing all over BC. I put in a new floor, new dashboard, new wiring/electrical/lighting/depth-finder, new steering, new fuel tank, new rod-holders and a few other upgrades myself. My biggest investment so far has been the custom canvas I had made for it. I had one major self-inflicted engine issue that derailed a Winter Harbour fishing trip last year so I am re-powering in the next year or two. There have been a couple WCVI trips where I wish I had something 2' longer and 1' wider, but at the end of the day it has been the perfect boat for me and my family. To each their own, as long as you get outside and play!
I vote for a StarCraft, especially on with the offshore hull design. Keep away from the rounded corner in the transom, those are the lake design ones. We rebuilt ours from the 60’s twice. Easy to work with and nice and light. 16 footer was ours, caught a ton of fish until a tree fell on it, now it’s a river boat as the repair took some of the freeboard away.
 
Hoping to look at a 17' this evening. Anyone experienced in the Victoria area interested in coming with me? Hoping to bring someone along that knows what to look for. I've been doing research but nothing beats practical experience.

Would happily pay you for your services or throw a flat of your favourite beverage your way.

Thank you for your consideration.
 
Bought an old logging truck for my first one and learnt a great lesson spent what a new one would cost over five years and still had an old truck after several new ones I get nostalgia once in awhile
But bottom line is find the right boat take the time even if it’s just to learn what you want vs what you need
 
Hoping to look at a 17' this evening. Anyone experienced in the Victoria area interested in coming with me? Hoping to bring someone along that knows what to look for. I've been doing research but nothing beats practical experience.

Would happily pay you for your services or throw a flat of your favourite beverage your way.

Thank you for your consideration.

Good luck tonight. Hopefully you can find another pair of eyes to accompany you
 
Turn everything on, push every button, stick your fingers into dark corners.
Bring a large sledgehammer, pull it out of your trunk and see what happens to the vendor's facial expression.
Lots of psychology in buying a boat!
 
Hoping to look at a 17' this evening. Anyone experienced in the Victoria area interested in coming with me? Hoping to bring someone along that knows what to look for. I've been doing research but nothing beats practical experience.

Would happily pay you for your services or throw a flat of your favourite beverage your way.

Thank you for your consideration.
Good luck. If it's aluminum poke around in the bilges and make sure there are no stray bits of dissimilar metal eating a hole in it. Examine the welds to make sure it is holding together. Look around closely for corrosion on the hull and the electrical system. Take a good flashlight for the nooks and crannies!
 
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