1975 222 inboard possible purchase

[ceejkay]

Tikidoc, i dont know where your at in texas but ill put in my 2 cents for south texas. In the laguna or baffin bay any 22-2 that is not a flatback will suck. a non flatback will draw to much to fish in a lot of places. A 22-2 with an inboard, forget about it. the jet would be interesting but grass would be a big problem.

[TikiDoc]

Ceejkay, I'm in Galveston and will fish almost entirely in the Galveston Bay system, which for the most part is fairly deep and occasionally rough.  There are some shallow areas, which is why eventually I would like an outboard on a bracket or alternative that doesn't have a fixed 24" deep keel.  But I can't stand the flats boats where you feel like you're on top of the boat, not in it, and I don't really plan to fish the flats.  My thought is to fish the inboard for a while, see if I like it, and if I do, but want it to run shallower, I could then put my Wellcraft back into service while the Aqua is under the knife.  I'm leaning toward bracket/outboard at that point, but I'd have a year or two to ponder other options, like jet, prop tunnel, etc.  The nice thing about this boat is it is water-ready now, albeit with some flaws.

[Aswaff400]

Ceejkay, I'm in Galveston and will fish almost entirely in the Galveston Bay system, which for the most part is fairly deep and occasionally rough.  There are some shallow areas, which is why eventually I would like an outboard on a bracket or alternative that doesn't have a fixed 24" deep keel.  But I can't stand the flats boats where you feel like you're on top of the boat, not in it, and I don't really plan to fish the flats.  My thought is to fish the inboard for a while, see if I like it, and if I do, but want it to run shallower, I could then put my Wellcraft back into service while the Aqua is under the knife.  I'm leaning toward bracket/outboard at that point, but I'd have a year or two to ponder other options, like jet, prop tunnel, etc.  The nice thing about this boat is it is water-ready now, albeit with some flaws.

that says it right there, use it! if you dont like it sell it. if you like it, then build it how you want it next winter

[divezonescuba]

Hello Everyone:

I am considering purchasing this same Aquasport 222 inboard and would like to see if I can obtain some additional information from the group.

My major concern is that the skeg which goes from the hull to the prop shaft p strut and then to the rudder is missing on this boat.  This means that the p strut and rudder are now free standing.  The broker's claim is that it was intentionally removed so that the boat could fit on the trailer.  The rudder shaft is also bent somewhat to port.

I believe that the boat was in a severe grounding resulting in the entire skeg being damaged along with the rudder being bent.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[TikiDoc]

Yeah, I saw the same thing.  What you may not have noticed is that the starboard motor mount is broken.  When the current owner first listed it, it was billed as new gelcoat, new rebuild on motor, etc., etc.  He's also got the inboard drain plugged port and starboard.  I worry that it probably sits low in the water.  Unfortunately, I look at this boat as a total project.  Given the previous statements on this thread that the inboard transom would have to be redone to support a bracket, the defects in the cosmetics, the two soft spots in the floor, broken seat base in the console, and so on, I think his asking price is off the chart high for a project hull and trailer.  It's too bad he sank the cash into rebuilding that powerplant.

[seabob4]

Rudders shafts don't bend to easy...that is, unless they hit something a bit more stout than they are...

That's also bullchit about removing the keel/prop guard so the boat could be trailered.  Look at Shamrocks, and they're trailered all over the place.  An I/B obviously takes a different type trailer than an O/B or I/O, but you don't go chopping up a boat to fit an existing trailer!

Rednecks...

[SaltH2OHokie]

Rudders shafts don't bend to easy...that is, unless they hit something a bit more stout than they are...


Rednecks...

1.) Speaks highly of the construction of the boat if the rudder pad was stout enough that a sharp impact (presumably) damaged the shaft and not the hull.

2.) Careful throwing that around like it implies a lack of workmanship and attention to detail     Might not be built like you woulda built it, but more than one way to skin a cat.  (Speaking in general.  Speaking to this specific situation: sounds like removing a "keel" to fit a trailer was just half-a$$, no matter what name you put to it.)

I will say my Fish Nautique had no prop pocket, no keel guard and nothing special about the trailer...just had bunks tall enough to keep it from interfering with any cross-members.  I went aground at 35+mph once in that boat, by the way.  Turns out a boat CAN stop on a dime.  Bent my prop to pieces and screwed up the strut, but the rudder was fine. Assume its because the prop was digging the hole and the rudder was just following behind.

[seabob4]

Ryan, there are rednecks everywhere, from Alabama to NYC...

And just to let the membership know what a beautiful boat the Fish Nautique was...




Look at that sheer...from a ski boat builder!  S Orange Ave, Orlando...  

[SaltH2OHokie]

Mine just before new owner came to get her:



Boat came from Florida...then a year later the tower and outriggers came from Florida.  I live in VA.  I put some miles on 2 different trucks thanks to that boat.

[seabob4]

Like I said Ryan, back in the 80s in Central FL, you'd see Fish Nautiques all over the place.  Primarily on the east coast, Canaveral, Cocoa, Sebastian, on up to Daytona and Smyrna...

Yours is/was a beaut!!

[SaltH2OHokie]

Like I said Ryan, back in the 80s in Central FL, you'd see Fish Nautiques all over the place.  Primarily on the east coast, Canaveral, Cocoa, Sebastian, on up to Daytona and Smyrna...

Yours is/was a beaut!!

Thanks.  Pretty sure mine came from St. Pete, but I've literally driven from VA to FL for boats and boat parts (either checking them out or purchasing them) over a dozen times in my short boat buying career...so they're all running together.

I do know the tower and 'riggers came from Miami because I drove 19hrs without stopping for anything more than coffee and piss breaks.  Hit Florida/Georgia line about half-way into the trip it felt like     Seller must have thought my buddy and I looked rough, because we got there at 9am and he talked to us for about 3 minutes and said "be right back..." and came back with 2 Corona's.  Told us we clearly needed them.    

Ride home with the tower and 19' Lee's single spreader outriggers on my truck was AWESOME.  We looked like a Roman chariot parade float riding up 95N.  Tower was stood up in the bed of the truck like someone should be up there waving to a crowd and the outriggers were strapped to the legs of the tower and ran the length of the truck using the mirrors on either side as a ledge to sit on.  We had to climb in and out of the windows on our various stops.

[seabob4]

You probably got 2 kinds of looks heading back up 95.  The first were from the clueless ones, saying to their lowlife selves, "What the F is that?"

The second, who knew what they were looking at, said, "Hmmm, let's see what he's got there..."

Crow's nest only, no controls?

[SaltH2OHokie]

You probably got 2 kinds of looks heading back up 95.  The first were from the clueless ones, saying to their lowlife selves, "What the F is that?"

The second, who knew what they were looking at, said, "Hmmm, let's see what he's got there..."

Crow's nest only, no controls?

Tower came with hydraulic hoses and a 704 yamaha binnacle.  I had a cable helm and an inboard.  My college student budget didn't allow for the changeover to hydraulic steering and whatever Morse contraption would have added an upper station.  Fella who bought the boat had it swapped to a hydraulic helm, upper station complete with second GPS, VHF, etc. before I could get back to his house a week later with some odds and ends I had in the garage that went with the boat.

[divezonescuba]

So, we put an offer on this boat.  It was rejected through the broker (Gulf Coast Boating Center) by the owner.  The owner countered and we accepted.

We put down a deposit on the boat and took it for a sea trial.

Today, just before the scheduled survey tomorrow morning, the owner decides he does not want to sell the boat for the agreed upon amount.

Is this appropriate?

Do I have any recourse?

[seabob4]

Well I'd say the seller got a better offer.  You'll get your deposit back, but rather then spend a lot of time (and perhaps $$) in the legalities of what he did, I'd start looking elsewhere.

In regards to the survey, which I imagine you paid for...get that back as well.  Even though the deal fell through before the survey was performed, I would imagine some money did/will change hands.