Lewis asked me what I would own...

[seabob4]

Talking with Lewis (our exalted Social Director) last night, he asked me what boat I would own, seeing as the myriad different makes I work on, as well as the various ones I've built at different manufacturers.  My answer?  A late 90s Aquasport 250 Osprey, twin 200 Etecs or Optis, upper station with electronic controls, full canvas....

Ive built a lot of boats, worked on a lot of boats.  That should say something for Aquasport!     Plus, I kinda know them...  

[pete]

Bob,how many of those boats are out there?

[gran398]

Pete, wanted to make sure you saw this honey-pie:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7637

[pete]

that is a nice rig,what would that cost in a new boat,say a wellcraft or hyrosport,$100-150000? $25000 is a steal for that much boat!  

edit,heres one I found,$98000   http://www.maximomarine.com/inventory/s ... ear%20DESC

[saltfly]

Bob theirs one in green just down the road from me. Sitting on a dealers lot. When should we except you? bwahahaha

[Circle Hooked]

http://wellcraft.com/index.php/COASTAL I see alot of AS in some of these boats.

Bob do you know where they build welcrafts these days.

[flounderpounder225]

Talking with Lewis (our exalted Social Director) last night, he asked me what boat I would own, seeing as the myriad different makes I work on, as well as the various ones I've built at different manufacturers.  My answer?  A late 90s Aquasport 250 Osprey, twin 200 Etecs or Optis, upper station with electronic controls, full canvas....

Ive built a lot of boats, worked on a lot of boats.  That should say something for Aquasport!     Plus, I kinda know them...  

Bob
Is there any build difference between the 97 245 and a 2000 250 Osprey?  I know the console controls and guages are different (like Pete's)
Marc

[seabob4]

pete:
Bob,how many of those boats are out there?

Pete, not saying they are all equipped the way I would do mine, and not including the ones who have gone to the great boatyard in the sky, I would safely guess that there were between 1500 and 2000 225 and 245/250 Ospreys built between '94 and when AS was discontinued in '05.  I know in my time I was putting out 3.5 per week...

That 252 Coastal is nice, but WC kinda changed some things during the later years that I didn't like, i.e. aluminum gunnel caps with rubber inserts (cheap looking, couldn't install rod holders in them), REALLY crappy bilge access (you think you guys have it bad!), helm layouts with the switch panels down where you couldn't see the functions, just much more of a cookie cutter look to them...

Scott (gran), I did check out maddie's Explorer, that boat is rigged A1!!  Love that he has a windlass AND shorepower!  Easy to do on an Explorer, should have been a factory option...

Scott (circle hooked), Wellcrafts are being built at the 4 Winns plant in Cadillac, MI.  I've spoken a few times to the guy there that was heavily involved in the move from Sarasota, really good guy.  He said, unfortunately, since AS had been mothballed, they really didn't bring much up there.  I would bet that if one was given free reign to go through "the White House", WC/ASs old main office building at the corner of Whitfield and 15th St. (for those who have been by it, you know where it got it's name...), there is still a lot of AS info inside that place...

Marc, there is actually very little difference between your boat and a '00, or an '05 for that matter.  The console changed, I believe, in '98.  If you have the split fishbox lid, that was about the only other "major" change.  There really was no reason to change the Osprey (or Explorer).  The console, BTW, was originnaly shared with the WC 218/220 CCF and the Scarab 302 Sport.  The 220/240 CCF was replaced with the 230 CCF (hated that boat!) that used a totally different console, but the Osprey console continued to be shared with the 302, and the 230 Tournament Cat when that came out.  Quite a few times I had to go across the street to wire a 302 console (we built a TON of them as well), it was almost like wiring an Osprey, EXCEPT...it had a 10 gallon water tank mounted to the aft wall of the console...PITA!

As far as what it would cost to buy an Osprey like I described, if she were still being built?  All options, twin 200s, full fold-down upper station, either I-Command with I-Con controls (Etecs) or SmartCraft w/DTS (Optis), full canvas,...between $125 and $130K, not including trailer.  I've read that Merc discontinued DTS Optis, so I guess it's 200 Etecs.  Those are the H.O. Etecs...

And, yes Walt, it will either be in the Forest Green, OR the navy hull color.

Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?  

[saltfly]

theirs a guy around here some were. I keep seeing him off shore. His 250 is set up like you said. Twin etec's in a navy blue but no top station. The dealer on RT. 50 just out side of OC. has the green one and I think their is a blue one sitting on his lot, once and a while. I don't know if its for sale or not. I think its in the back most of the time and he moves it up front now and then. Now you have me interested. I just may have to stop by and look at it. Just to see what the boats builder liked about that model.

[pete]

Saltfly.please!bring a camera!we would love some pics!

[seabob4]

Saltfly.please!bring a camera!we would love some pics!

ABSOLUTELY!!!  I would love to see them!!

[Menner]

yeah Saltfly I seen the green one but I will look for the blue one next time I go by there
are you going to be fishing overfall shoals this fall?

[saltfly]

I’ll differently take a camera.

Menner If the weather lets me. I’m still running out to db buoy and on out to the light ship right now.  Still a lot of fish out that way. I’ll also be fishing the back bay as the water cools. Their will be plenty of stripers and blue fish back their, for this old fly fisherman to try and catch.

[seabob4]

I’ll differently take a camera.

Menner If the weather lets me. I’m still running out to db buoy and on out to the light ship right now.  Still a lot of fish out that way. I’ll also be fishing the back bay as the water cools. Their will be plenty of stripers and blue fish back their, for this old fly fisherman to try and catch.

Water...cooling?  What's that?

[Double Trouble]

I’ll differently take a camera.

Menner If the weather lets me. I’m still running out to db buoy and on out to the light ship right now.  Still a lot of fish out that way. I’ll also be fishing the back bay as the water cools. Their will be plenty of stripers and blue fish back their, for this old fly fisherman to try and catch.

Water...cooling?  What's that?

Water is down to 72 here bring it on stripers blackfish codfish and winter flounder.