Buying Aquasport 200, have some questions

[tungstenhum]

Hey Folks,

Thanks for reading. I'm looking to buy an Aquasport 200 with a Yamaha F115, the motor was just completely overhauled, but they didn't replace anything besides filters. The boat needs paint, and has some transom cracking. The transom felt solid and the mechanic said it just needs some gel coat to prevent it spreading, but wondering if anyone has experienced any transom issues like this, or if this would be a "do not buy" type of scenario. No rot, and the foam is good, but the hatch under the center console felt worn out, it's a small piece of plastic/fiberglass that probably just is worn from people standing on t.

Here are some pics, and thanks!

[Capt. Bob]

Start here: https://classicaquasport.com/smf/index.php?topic=10634.0

Do the transom test as listed in the linked thread above and be looking for flexing. Yes, the gelcoat is cracked and appears (in the pic anyway) that water may have entered into the wood cored transom. Did you use a mallet and tap the transom to hear any hollow sounds? Try that also. That appears to be a mid 80s hull.

From your description I'm guessing water has entered the coffin cover and the balsa cored hatch is dry rotting. That's not a hard fix but may indicate water in the coffin itself. When was the fuel tank last replaced? If it's original, a new tank may be needed.

Good luck.

[tdcomposites]

The dark coloring and mold in the crack is not indicative of a boat that’s been kept dry. Maybe just the pic but looks like a clear delamination between the coring and the fiberglass+gelcoat on the outside of the transom. If it is that bad at the top, it’s almost always more rotten at the bottom. Water seeping to the lowest location. As mentioned you can do some knocking. You could also drill a small hole near the drain plug to see if water seeps out. Also probe inside the hole with an ice pick. There’s a high probability it’ll be soft and wet.