Should I buy this 17?

[fabricator]

I found a local 1974 17' CCP with a 115 Evinrude of newer but unknown vintage. The hull itself seems to be in good shape, and has been bottom painted. The transom appears to be solid, I cannot see any movement when the engine is shaken up and down, and there are no stress cracks of any consequence on it. The console is in rough shape, the fuel tank looks like it may be original but I don't smell any fumes when the gauge inspection plate is opened, the steering is free, and I am told the engine runs well. Most of the floor area behind the helm seat is SOFT, not unexpected since the holes from the seat were not sealed properly. I'm not looking at it for a restoration project (yet), just a solid ol' beater to fish the mangroves in. Should I be concerned about the stringers? Foam saturation? Is the power appropriate? I'm thinking of screwing a large piece of 3/4 plywood (epoxy saturated) over the soft are until I really decide whether or not to keep it long term and THEN replace the floor properly. The asking price with a trailer in ok shape is $1900, I'm not sure what a fair price is. Opinons welcomed, fellows. Thanks!

[RickK]

The 170 was never made in a CCP model, just an Osprey and I think there is also a cuddy model.
The boat sounds like it is in usual shape for that year - needing a new sole.  You can bet that some of the stringer foam is saturated - how much, you'll never know until you pull the sole out.  Put her in the water and see how it sits - if it sits real low in the water, then you've probably got some saturated foam - it's gonna be hard to tell though because the motor is maxing the weight out in the aft already.
Can you take it for a test run?  The 115 is about max for that size Osprey and will push it to about 40 (that's what I saw on mine yesterday).  Sounds like a decent price for the package.

[fabricator]

Thanks for the reply, Rick. I only assumed it was a CCP - my bad...... thanks for the correction. I'm told the engine just had a grand worth of work done on it, but I don't see enough wrench marks to bear that out. Nonetheless, the engine is pretty clean and rust/corrosion free for a Florida boat. The stains on the hull tell me that it sits with the scuppers about 1/2 submerged, it that helps. Will saturated stringer foam compromise the overall hull strength? If it only sits a little low and runs a little slower I'm really not concerned. The seller says no problem with a sea trial, but with a boat this small if it runs on a muff, it should be fine on the water, I'll assume. 40 mph is a reasonable top end, what is your normal cruise speed? I'm thinking of offering $1200 since it's been sitting there for several months without selling. Anyone else with thoughts please chime in! BTW, Happy New Year to all!

[RickK]

Sitting with the scuppers 1/2 under is because of the motor weight - these boats were designed for 70s, not 115s.  You get about 10 mph for that trade-off. If you have some saturated foam it won't hurt anything - a little heavier is all.
I usually cruise around 30 in good water and 25 if there is a chop.
I would take it out on the test run - check steering, trim and tilt under load, etc - just a good practice.  On my 230, I took it out on a test run and after about 15 minutes the engine idled down because the oil reservoir in the engine was not being replenished from the oil tank - ended up being a bad brain box in the motor.  If I'd only run it on the muffs, I'd have bought it and ate that cost myself.
If the sole is not too soft, fish it as it is until you absolutely have to replace it.