Where are all the 246/250 XF's

[lynnstrick01]

I dont know whether to feel honored or lonely, :(   I look at all the pics and read all the forums and I have never seen another boat just like mine... Rick's 230 explorer  is the closest I see on the site.

 ( I know the T-TOP gives her a different look ) but when I do a google search for 1986 XF, nothing ever comes up for the 246 or 250 (still not sure which mine is) and I dont see any in here that look like her.  

I have even googled the 246/250 xf  without putting in a model year, still dont find a whole lot.

I see lots of other AS models that are same age and even older that are all over the place..

It kinda makes me wonder.. Was there something wrong with this particular model and year that I should be aware of which makes them scarce?? ( have they all fallen apart or sunk??)

Or was the production just low on this particular boat??

I would love to think that I just have a rare jewel, maybe even one of a kind (with the T-TOP) but that is not my usual luck.   If I have something unusual, it is normally because no one else WANTED it.  :alien:

Any ideas or Input???

BTW we are still bouncing around Ideas for the name, but there are several that you guys have suggested that we absolutely LOVE, now it is just a matter of deciding which one we love the MOST.. I know we will have her named and the lettering in place in the next month or so..

[RickK]

You have an "Express Fisherman", commonly referred to as the XF - try a google on that. There are also "Family Fisherman", known as FF.
Look at your HIN stamped on the starboard back side of the transom.  That should give you an idea of what size it is. Here's mine off the 230 and you can see the bottom line is the size.

[lynnstrick01]

Thanks for the info Rickk,

I need to look at my hull id again, I am pretty sure it is 24' 8".  If I am not mistaken a 246 is 24' 6" and a 250 is 25'... So I am square in the middle, i guess that would make mine a 250.

What I had been googling most recently was just "aquasport boats" then looking at everything that came up under that broad search for express fishermen,  Compared to all the other Aquasport models there just weren't that  many XF's listed, and I had not seen any '86's

( I wasnt googling "XF" I just used that abbreviation here)  But after your suggestion I refined the search to  "aquasport express fisherman" I found a few with the more refined search,  But as I said earlier, there just dont seem to be as many in the XF line as some of the other models. Some of the ones I did find  were in the '86 to "88 model years They seem to be holding thier own pretty well, and the value seems to be about the same as when I bought mine.  That is one of the reasons I was looking for them, Just to see how much they were going for, I paid $9, 000 for mine 4 years ago and of the ones I did find most of them still seem to be going for around $10,000 now. So either I got a FANTASTIC deal back then or they have really held thier value over the past several years.

But the question still remains, (and maybe no one knows)  Why are there so few of the older XF's around compared to some of the other AS models?  Even in this site, we see tons of other models but I dont think I have seen anyone other than myself with the older XF model.  I thought maybe my headline "where are all the 246/250 xf's" might get the attention of someone on the site that does have one that I just had not seen or noticed before.  It is just a curiosity..

[RickK]

There are probably plenty out there but I'll tell ya most people don't have a clue what they're boating in, it's just a boat to them.  At our gatherings we see tons of Aquasports going by and only rarely do the 5 - 9 Aquasports grouped together on the beach or tied up in a raft even get a 2nd look from the people piloting their Aquasports by, let alone a wave.  I went around my neighborhood trying to drum up participation in our gatherings and left flyers on all the front doors where I saw Aquasports (and there were quite a few) - never saw one of them.  Maybe it's me.....

[lynnstrick01]

NAW Rickk, couldn't be you...

I know what you mean though,  I see other aqua's out there on the water..  and I just want to yell and scream  "Hey aqua head!! We both have the same make of boat woooo hooo"  but they dont seem to be interested in coversation.. oh well, I guess that is why we have this site... we all have each other.... Hey when I refined my search I found a few Express fisherman out there that were kind of low priced.. DBryan says he is thinking about looking for a cuddy cabin so I sent him the links,, maybe I will have another XF buddy on the site after all..

[Marcq]

I would love to think that I just have a rare jewel,

You do, she's special, unique. I'm sure one day you'll come accross another one just like yours, and who knows!

Marc..

[HookdUp1]

hey everybody, i'm new to the forum also, i been reading the post on here for a while...
i too have one of the rare express fisherman 250's, i been trying to find as much info as i can... and this is about the only place in can find any.  i've had the boat for about year and a half still havent figured everything out on it also.  the boat is in great shape but the winter i'm gonna give it a face lift and restore it,   gonna redo the transom while i have it taken apart and repaint the boat .  lynnstrick where did u find a hatch cover in the cabin??? this winter when i restore it i was plan on adding a second bilge pump instead of just the one in back, i didnt know there was another already and have u figured out how to turn the sink yet, and i'm trying to figure how i can rig up a baitwell  on the boat somewhere... any suggestion would be greatly appreicated

[lynnstrick01]

Hookdup:

Welcome!!!    i am so glad to see someone else with same boat coming on board,  
I was lonely. Sorry I was out of touch yesterday I am on here most everyday, I am addicted to this site..

In answer to your question, I may have misspoke when I called it an "access" hatch,, i think the proper wording is "inspection plate"   I tried to take some pics but my camera is doing some strange stuff.

When you enter the cabin there is a little round pvc or maybe hard plastic, "cap" looking thing pretty much in the middle of the floor,  It is a pain in the neck to get open but with pliars and patience it wll open, one of the bilge pumps is in there, according to Rickk, this is the FORE pump. I think the one in the aft is under the same type inspection plate but in the back near the transom, I havn't gotten to that one yet.

For the sink:  You will notice it is not a normal, faucet type knob, it is more of a "lever"you have to pump it kind of like the old well pumps.  If you have water in your holding tank it should pump up.  

Baitwell,,, You should have one, Starboard side, back by the transom, mine uses the "washdown" button on the console to fill it and keep the water circulating, not sure if that is how they all are or if sombody before me just wired it that way.

I will keep working on pic's... send us some pics of your boat too,, it is pretty simple go to photobucket.com, register, download your pics, size them then post the link on here and your pics will appear.. wah lah.. for more detailed instructions see the "rebuild" forum post #2 "how to post pictures"

[HookdUp1]

when i get home i will look for the access panel in the cabin,   i know the aft pump is under the port hole in by the transom,  my boat doesnt have a baitwell on it , i have 2 fishboxes but the rear compartments u are talking about on my boat are more storage compartments, one has my batteries and washdown pump in one, and the other has the oil tank for my engine (2-stroke), and the pump for my trim tabs, but i will put some water in the holding tank try to pump it and see what happens,

[HookdUp1]

thanks for all the info i'm sure i will have alot of questions

[RickK]

Welcome aboard HookdUp1 :!:  :!:
Yup, Lynn is learning pretty fast  

[HookdUp1]

thanks Rick... i just looked all through my cabin i guess my boat doesnt  have a second bilge... i will definately be adding one just to make me feel a lil better at least

[RickK]

Typically it was in the floor of the cabin.  They put a round access panel in the floor - very visible.  What year is she? Hard to believe they didn't put a pump up front in a boat that big.  Learn something new every day.  Nothing on the dash that would make you think there is another pump somewhere?

[HookdUp1]

the boat is an 87 model,  yea i know u would think a boat the big would have 2 pumps, i only have 1 bilge switch on the console other than the lighting switches all i have is: bilge, bower, washdown, wiper, and acc switch that i have yet to figure what it works, i  will try to get some pics post later today or tomarrow sometime, of the boat

[RickK]

I think I have an ACC sw too and it went to the horn.  I turned it on the first time and a I heard some muffled noise and a bunch of rust fell out of the horn onto the walk-around - damn things are always a pain and never work.  I think they haven't figured out how to make a marinized horn yet.  Even the air horns fail on the water...