optimax 75

[tubber]

I'm looking at an old boat with a 2006 75hp Optimax. The motor has one summer as a camp/lease return then 3 more seasons of weekend use for a total of about 650 hours. The boat, newish trailer and some add-ons are worth $3500-4500.
Is $9000 too much for this supposed turn key fishing boat?
Private sale. Boat is in the Lower Mainland and I am in the Okanagan.
Any thoughts? Especially about the motor.

Would I trailer the boat to a mechanic for inspection/compression check, or have him meet me at the guy's yard, or have him meet me at the ramp during a test drive? Or just tow it away and hope for the best?

The Merc dealer/mechanic is the only game in my town, so that is one plus I suppose.

 

[tubber]

Thanks C.S., I've been reading some old threads and hoped you might jump in on this one. Do you know what year the 75hp was introduced or when the Optimaxes switched from V6 to the various sized inline versions.
I guess if I was at a lodge in someone else's boat I would run full bore too. This owner used it to troll as well, but I would likely add a kicker.
Can the mechanic's computer verify the total hours plus the hours at various rpm? I seem to remember a post about that by Wolf maybe.
Early Montauk hull.

 

[wolf]

Hi Tubber yes the comp will tell you everything quite cool to see it will tell you how many hours from 0 to 1000 then 1000 to 2000 and so on and the exact amout of mins or hours at these speeds even told us mine overreved for 6 seconds past the 6000 rpm mark this happened when I spun a hub in the prop.
It will have any fault codes as well so I would reccommend getting it"checked" before you buy.

good luck Wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com

 

[Highliner]

Where can you find these ex-lodge boats for sale? I've seen the odd welded aluminum CC for sale, but those have been around $20 grand. Just curious, I'm not looking at the moment.

Highliner

www.salmonboats.ca

 

[tubber]

This one is just a lease return lodge motor on a guy's old repowered boat. I have seen camp motors for sale often but boat/motor packages very rarely. Those aluminum lodge boats will last indefinitely, so they would probably only be available when a lodge goes belly up.

 

[Highliner]

Ahh, that makes more sense tubber. Good luck.

Highliner

www.salmonboats.ca