[622623]

HEY GUYS COULD YOU BE AS KIND AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT A 24.5 FOOT MARK TWAIN NEW MANIFOLDS AND RISERS COAST GUARD PACKAGE VHF RADIO PORTAPOTI SLEEPS TWO, LIVE WELL AND BAIT WELL,1989 I/O.HAS ANYBODY OWN ONE BEFORE NEED SOME INPUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH,OH YEAH PRICE 8,900

 

[leakyrivot]

Was your last or current boat actually named "Reel Time" ? There's one w/ that name I used to see all the time out of Newburyport MA. I have no idea about Mark Twain's in specific. I'm wondering what type of hull it is and what type of engine setup it is (twin or single and make).

In general though, you should keep in mind that is a 13 year old fiberglass boat. It might be in perfect shape, but at that age it's also possible to have rot problems - take a close look at the floor, transom, and anywhere that water collects.

I'm not a big fan of I/O's - to me they seem like the worst of both worlds (OB and Inboard), but others will tell you different. It says something that they had the manifolds/risers replaced, but that is normal maintainence w/ an inboard engine. Has the engine ever been replaced and how many hours are on it? 13 years is a bit of time for a salt h20 engine of that type, I'd be sure for 9k that all is well with it. Also, ask about what maintainence has been done to the outdrive, another possible headache down the road.

As for the "Coast Guard Package" and other extra's. I wouldn't credit them for much; a standard name brand 25 watt VHF will run you not much over $200, with an antenna; Porta-Poti's are between $50 - $150.; I think a Coast Guard Package isn't much more than hand flares ($10), 4 type II PFD's ($5-$10 a pop at WalMart), a cheap horn of some nature, and a bare minimum anchor w/ line setup. Bait wells are a plus, but check the price on them, a drop in the bucket compared to 9K as well. Sleeping two is good if you'll use it, you will be hard pressed though to find a 25 ft boat that doesn't sleep 2.

As far as whether it's a good buy or not, it totally hinges on what you are willing to pay (how much you like it) and what type of condition this rig is in. In the 13 year old 10K range, there's quite a bit you will find in that size ball park. I'm not sure if Mark Twain's are one of the big $$ brands (ie Boston Whaler, Parker).. price definitly depends on that too. As far as I/O's go, in that size range, you usually can find ones that have been recently repowered with good trailers & electronics too.

Jon