'79 AS family fisherman 19'6 questions

[Anonymous]

Hi everybody, I'm a newb.  I have had a 19'6 AS family fisherman (dual console) sitting in my backyard for about 7 years now.  I'm ready to do something with it.  I have a lot of questions, so if anybody could help, I would greatly appreciate it.  First is the biggest.  I have a '97 17' Bayliner Capri that looks pretty good except for the vinyl and a few soft spots in the floor.  It has a 3.0 mercruiser I/O that I was thinking about lifting out.  My aquasport was sold to me with a 2.5 liter merc.  What would I have to do to swap the old engine for the newer 3.0 and drive?  Also, am I crazy for parting out that Bayliner to get this AS running?  

Second, the boat feels pretty heavy, I'm kind of worried about wet foam or ply, yet the floor and transom feel stiff and solid.  I would check the transom while pulling out the old drivetrain.  The floor though, is there plywood under it?  How about foam?  I tried to get an idea from the pics in the gallery but couldn't tell if there was floatation under the entire floor or just in the stringers.  

Last, what kind of performance would I expect with a 135 I/O?  Does this modified vee take water well?  Would I be better off selling both boats and looking into a newer center console instead of the old dual?  I love the lines of the boat.

[Anonymous]

Actually, I just found my old registration and I found out it is a '77.  But I still need an idea of how it handles in brackish/saltwater.  I never had the chance to run it when I bought it due to a cracked piston.  Thanks.

[Mr. Osprey]

Absolutely part out the bayliner and get that ol' aquasport up and running.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Mr. Osprey.  But I need a more convincing arguement of why to tear apart a 10 year old boat to rebuild a 30 yr old....lol.  I know Bayliners supposedly suck, but it's been a good and good looking boat.  I installed a wakeboard tower on it a few years ago.  I have been in some pretty rough water with it too.  I am, however, done with wakeboarding and ready to get back full fledge fishing.  I am getting antsy.  I was hoping more people would respond tonight as I have a few days off to start working on it, starting tomorrow.  Btw, I have also toyed with the idea of selling the Gayliner and using the funds to buy an outboard for the AS.

[jdupree]

I would take a 30 year old Aquasport over a 10 year old Bayliner any time :!:   The older Aquasports are built like tanks and will hold up longer than a Bayliner in my opinion.  I have a 1981 Aquasport and she is very solid.  If you could post some pictures of the boat, you might get some more opinions.

[sturgeon]

I would go with selling the Bayliner and getting a new or rebuilt engine for the 196.  I am one of the few here that has a FF and I love it.  It is a great riding hull and I think having the 4 cylinder IO would be great.  Plenty of power, 35+ mph, and great gas mileage, 5-6 mpg.  Of course the only problem would be if you want to go shallow water fishing, but that can be accomodated as well with knowledge of the area you are fishing.

The only thing wooden in the boat is the transom and the floor.  I would definitely redo the transom in someway and possibly the floor.  The big question is whether you want a high end boat the way most of the guys on this site do or just a presentable solid boat that the wife is not embarrased by.  That will make the most difference in the type of redo work you end up doing.  For example I had a few soft spots and just put fiberglass cloth over the whole floor and it is more than firm enough.  A whole lot easier than pulling everything out for a boat that gets used several dozen times a year.

My two cents.  Good luck