Picked up an older well maintained skiff

D

Desertau

Steelhead
A friend and I have been looking for something inexpensive we won’t regret and found a 1997 Hydro Sport 17 Skiff for $6400 this should make a good platform to fly cast from as well as any other type of fishing. I bore scooped the hull where ever I could and the 70hp Oil injected Johnson compression tested at 150#’s on all 3 cylinders so it should be in good shape. For me it was a 13 hr round trip so I’m happy it checked out, time will let us know I’m sure if we missed anything.

Maybe someone is familiar with these or this type of boat, my last boat was an older Grady White Adventure I sold after switching to a Jeep TJ that couldn’t tow that much weight, this boat my Jeep will tow no problem.IMG_4435.png
 
Ha that was one of the boats I was looking at too! I have no firsthand experience with Hydra-Sports but they seem to have a good reputation. Congratulations and I hope it works out for you. :)
 
adamcu280 said:
Ha that was one of the boats I was looking at too! I have no firsthand experience with Hydra-Sports but they seem to have a good reputation. Congratulations and I hope it works out for you. :)
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Now I feel kinda bad about that, well just a little. The seller was a real nice guy he bought it from his friend a year ago, but it just wasn’t the right boat for him and his wife they got out in rough water a few times and were obviously safe it was as you’d expect a wet rough ride and his wife didn’t like it. By the time I got done checking it out we’d all become friends, made it harder in one way to lower the price but easier in another way we all felt the deal was fair so that’s a nice way to drive off.

I’ll post a couple others you were probably looking at too… this looked pretty nice, repowered low hour 2023 4 stroke set up to fish and easy to tow.IMG_5043.pngIMG_5042.png
 
Desertau said:
Now I feel kinda bad about that, well just a little. The seller was a real nice guy he bought it from his friend a year ago, but it just wasn’t the right boat for him and his wife they got out in rough water a few times and were obviously safe it was as you’d expect a wet rough ride and his wife didn’t like it. By the time I got done checking it out we’d all become friends, made it harder in one way to lower the price but easier in another way we all felt the deal was fair so that’s a nice way to drive off.

I’ll post a couple others you were probably looking at too… this looked pretty nice, repowered low hour 2023 4 stroke set up to fish and easy to tow.View attachment 163621View attachment 163622
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Don’t feel bad. You got there first fair and square. I wasn’t that serious on going outside of my personal search requirements unless the boat was a slam dunk and that one, with the 2s engine, was not it.
 
Congrats on a fine looking CC, looks clean and that hull entry should cleave the chop just fine.
Millions of hours have been logged on two strokes in the salt before four strokes became the thing, as were the first four boats I owned, and they always got us back to the ramp after a day in the salt.
 
SurfnFish said:
Congrats on a fine looking CC, looks clean and that hull entry should cleave the chop just fine.
Millions of hours have been logged on two strokes in the salt before four strokes became the thing, as were the first four boats I owned, and they always got us back to the ramp after a day in the salt.
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True, but I can't legally use a 2s on some of my local lakes. ;)
 
adamcu280 said:
True, but I can't legally use a 2s on some of my local lakes. ;)
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I left my gas tank at home and went to a non-gas power lake where I was using my MK as were other fly anglers on the water in boats. Got back to the ramp and received a warning from a passing warden for having been on the lake with the gas motor even being on my boat. Pointing out I had no gas tank on the boat made no difference...classic case of intent of the law vs letter of the law.
 
SurfnFish said:
I left my gas tank at home and went to a non-gas power lake where I was using my MK as were other fly anglers on the water in boats. Got back to the ramp and received a warning from a passing warden for having been on the lake with the gas motor even being on my boat. Pointing out I had no gas tank on the boat made no difference...classic case of intent of the law vs letter of the law.
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That's kind of like getting busted for illegally fishing when practicing spey casting using a hookless piece of yarn as a "fly".
 
I’m lucky the waters I’m in only ban pre mix on PWC and injected is good for everything. But if it was even under consideration of restrictions it would make a big difference.

My Grady was a 97 with a 180 Yamaha salt water series injected 2S great outboard never an issue, easy to service.

I bought an 18’ Seaswirl bow rider with a 350 OMC for $300. Ha… Wow, that was one expensive cheep boat.
 
We spent the day with the boat at my house adding safety equipment, a couple rod holders and Bimini top using rail mounts that should have been an easy fit but required modification to work, taking a little break it was hot out today in Vegas… then first water tonight at Willow Beach Striper fishing.IMG_4499.jpegIMG_4501.jpeg
 
Desertau said:
We spent the day with the boat at my house adding safety equipment, a couple rod holders and Bimini top using rail mounts that should have been an easy fit but required modification to work, taking a little break it was hot out today in Vegas… then first water tonight at Willow Beach Striper fishing.View attachment 164190View attachment 164189
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looks great...only thing, those trailer pole guides are placed well forward of typical placement behind the wheels so the boat noses in and is kept lined up over the bunks without being able to drift and contact the fenders.
 
They gave us issues launching and trailering in addition to being to far forward they want to get caught inside the rolled boat edge on one side or the other they need to be taller or shorter..
 
Desertau said:
They gave us issues launching and trailering in addition to being to far forward they want to get caught inside the rolled boat edge on one side or the other they need to be taller orthose high side shorter..
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those high sides, a great feature of the hull, will do that. Two options:
-cheap fix is to move them back back behind the wheels,remove the top caps and cut the risers below the rub rail, slip on the next size up of PVC cut to fit under the reinstalled top cap = roller guides.
-for $120 (site has a discount for new buyers) install galvanized side bunks which are a great help to guide the hull in.

Overton's Bunkboard Style Boat Guide Ons - 5' Long

Shop Overton's Bunkboard Style Boat Guides, 5' long pair, designed for easy boat loading and unloading. Enhance your boating experience today. Buy now.
www.overtons.com www.overtons.com
 
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SurfnFish said:
those high sides, a great feature of the hull, will do that. Two options:
-cheap fix is to move them back back behind the wheels,remove the top caps and cut the risers below the rub rail, slip on the next size up of PVC cut to fit under the reinstalled top cap = roller guides.
-for $120 (site has a discount for new buyers) install galvanized side bunks which are a great help to guide the hull in.

Overton's Bunkboard Style Boat Guide Ons - 5' Long

Shop Overton's Bunkboard Style Boat Guides, 5' long pair, designed for easy boat loading and unloading. Enhance your boating experience today. Buy now.
www.overtons.com www.overtons.com
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Thanks for the link, I’ll be doing the latter and the installing the side bunks.

We had the boat out Thursday and I think I know why he sold it is because the anti torque sacrificial anode under the lower unit was way out of adjustment and not only did you have to fight the wheel the whole time the boat was on plane but letting go of the wheel resulted in an instant right turn that required completely backing off the power to recover and the bolt to adjust the anode was really tight, it didn’t shear removing but I was relieved when it broke free. This wasn’t something he’d have lived with if he had any idea what was going on. It’s test adjusted now and I added a wing to the outboard lower unit so this all should be OK now, I’ll test it again over the weekend.
 
Well, the test run didn’t go exactly as planned some issue with the fuel shut things down before it started… after putting the boat in the water and puttering out of the no wake zone I continued for another 5 minutes until I was beyond the kayakers I’m careful to be respectful of everyone’s good time not wanting to be that guy creating the giant wake swamping smaller boats. When I was finally ready to power my way it wouldn’t power I had maybe 1200 rpms and that was it, removing the engine cover fuel was running down the carbs from the overflow? The only thing different was this time I’d activated the fuel solenoid and I wonder if it is somehow stuck open as I don’t hear it cycle?

I think and I don’t usually just send repairs to a shop but this time I’m not familiar enough and probably I’ll just create more issues trying to guess if it’s a stuck float, fuel pump problem, solenoid or and hopefully not junk in the fuel tank clogging things up?
 
I would at least check the fuel quick connect at the motor as well as the fuel filter. If there's gunk in them you may only need new filter, new quick connect and new fuel line.
Regardless, Is the fuel line one of those gray ones? If so, they're junk. Get a new black rubber one.
Good luck!
 
Desertau said:
I think and I don’t usually just send repairs to a shop but this time I’m not familiar enough and probably I’ll just create more issues trying to guess if it’s a stuck float, fuel pump problem, solenoid or and hopefully not junk in the fuel tank clogging things up?
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Youtube will guide you to success. Rebuild my own carb threads are excellent. You know you want to crack that thing open. Plenty of folks here will freely give advice.
 
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