1973 Aquasport 170

[rwoody]

Hi - this is my first post on your site so any feedback is greatly appreciated.

I am looking to buy a 1973 Aquasport 170 that is for sale in my area.  I am trying to find out anything I can about the boat; quality of the hull, how it performs in rough water, problems to look for (weak deck, etc.), what hp. the boat is rated for, etc.  Most concerning is the back transom which looks to have what appears to be surface cracks on each side.  I need to go look at the boat and stand on the motor to see if the transom is still solid.  The 65hp Johnson motor is said to run pretty well…again, I would need to water test to make sure.  I’m read some blogs on the internet which talk about folks running 115hp motors on this boat yet the owner says the manufacturer plate shows top motor rating of 65hp???

Again, any and all feedback on this boat is appreciated.  The boat looks to be in great shape and the asking price is reasonable. 

Thanks and Happy New Year! 

Richard

[Capt. Bob]

Start here.

http://classicaquasport.com/smf/index.php?topic=10634.0

http://www.classicaquasport.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=539

http://www.classicaquasport.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=551

http://www.classicaquasport.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=552

Some of this may be redundant and not the exact model year but it does bracket the model you're looking at.

You can get a good feel for the original construction techniques by browsing through the rebuild section for the 170s. We have quite a few.

http://classicaquasport.com/smf/index.php?board=28.0

Good luck.

[RickK]

 Welcome aboard Richard 
I own a 170 and have for about 28 years and am currently trying to finish up a total rebuild of her so I can keep it another bunch of years and hand it down to my kids.

The 170 is a great inshore boat big enough for 2 - 3 people max before you start getting in each others way.  The boat can get into some very skinny water, floating in 7 or so inches (motor up).
You mentioned cracks on the transom - if they are horizontal around an inch down from the top, those seem to be normal and are where the liner comes over the transom. This can be sealed back up if you find that the transom is solid.  If you look on my rebuild thread on the early pages you will see pics of where I cut that portion out of mine and you can see what is under that area.   

[rwoody]

Thanks for the replies.  Based on the brochures from 1971 Aquasport 170 it looks like the hp rating is 85hp and not 65hp as I noted.  The capacity plate is a little worn so I probably read it incorrectly.  I will continue to research the boat.  It sounds like floor rotting is of concern as well so my next step is to check out the floor as well as the transom area.  I tried to attach a pic of the transom to show the surface cracks along the top on both sides of the motor.

Thanks again for all the good feedback!

Richard

[RickK]

Yes, the cracks in the pic are where the liner is coming over the top of the transom.  You can use that to your advantage in the negotiation and if it has been neglected for a long time may have allowed water to get to the transom.  More than likely, it has let water get to the transom, so plan on having to replace the transom coring sometime in the near future.
Here is what mine looked like - notice the crack is not as severe as yours.


And what is underneath it


The rest of the wood in the boat is in the floor (end-grain balsa) and as backing for the top of the casting deck. I think there is a little used as backing in the console also.

[rwoody]

RickK -


Thanks for the feedback Rick.  I am trying to figure out what causes the cracks at the top of the transom where the lining folds over on both sides of the motor?   The transom is solid; I stood on the motor (I weigh around 175#) and there was no flexing in the transom whatsoever.  I wouldn't think there would be water issues that high up on the transom.  The rest of the hull and floor is solid on this boat.  Perhaps this was caused by using the boat in choppy water for long periods of time?   Thanks again for the insight and pics. 

 

[RickK]

I think they just "set" the liner into bonding putty everywhere to include the top of the transom and over time it cracks there on virtually all of them - could it be from "using the boat"?  possibly could be fair wear and tear since the engine sits on top of that liner piece.

Oh, glad to here that the boat is in good shape otherwise.