Looking for some info

[FishingFreak13]

I'm looking at purchasing a new (used) boat. I have found a potential boat and might be taking a look at it this weekend. It is a 1999 Procraft 20 ft with a 1999 Mercury 200 EFI not Opti or DFI. I know that before buying it is good to do a water test, compression test, leakdown etc. just wanted to know if anybody has any past experience with this type of boat and motor any info would be great.

Brian

[lape0019]

I know a few members here have had or still have one. From what I can tell, they are very solid and reliable boats.

[TheMaverick]

Brian,

Beachburger I believe had/still has one, will let him know you're looking at gathering info.

[beachburger]

As mentioned earlier, ProCrafts are a solid and reliable fishing platform. But you're still looking at a 17 year old boat and motor....

- ProCrafts haven't been manufactured for quite some time now (actually one ProCraft per year is built for trademark reasons but it's a Nitro Z7 with ProCraft stickers) but stuff such as pumps, gauges, electronics, etc can be replaced/upgraded off the shelf. ProCrafts have always been a pretty basic boat without a lot of bells and whistles and when a boat is 15+ years old, that's generally a good thing because there aren't really any specialized parts that are hard to find if they need to be replaced.

- Do the usual engine checks on the motor but that motor is a beast and you may get many more years out of her. She's a thirsty girl, especially when the throttle gets heavy. At WOT, you'll get around 1 mile/liter of gas. You'll start your day in a cloud of blue smoke and at idle you'll have to shout to talk to the person in the passenger seat. I, for one, kind of miss those days and I don't think I'm alone. Keeps the mosquitoes down.....

- Trim the motor half way up, grab the area around the prop and move the engine up and down to see if there is movement in the transom. There shouldn't be any and unless you are interested in getting a transom repair done (ie: $$$$$), thank them for their time and go look at other boats. I believe model year you are looking at around the time frame ProCraft went from wood transoms to composite transoms so there is less chance of the transom being mushy or cracked.

- Use your fingers to push on the carpet to see if it's coming loose. It's no big deal to replace/repair carpet but it's getting near the end of it's useful life.

- Boat and motor is one thing but the trailer is just as important. Ask how old the tires are and when the brakes and/or hubs were last replaced. Last fall I sent my ProCraft trailer to Stittsville Trailer and had new brakes, hubs, brake lines and acuator installed. Total cost was about $1000. Trailer tires are not the same a car tires and rarely wear out from use. They dry out and crack from sitting in the sun for long periods of time.

- Whenever I'm asked about a used boat, I ask the person what their plan is for when, not if, the motor blows. Every high HP boat motor has a fuse.....some are just longer than others.

- What will you be using for a tow vehicle? A fully loaded boat will be pushing 3000 lbs.

- What model are you looking at? My ProCraft is a 1995 V-200DC and when it had a 200 EFI it would scoot along at 64-66 MPH with a 25p Tempest Plus prop. Best cruising speed was about 45 MPH.

Hope this helps and feel free to ask more.....
Doug

[TheMaverick]

^^^ Attaboy!!

[River Monster]

Wow that's some great info.

[CNs]

Whenever I'm asked about a used boat, I ask the person what their plan is for when, not if, the motor blows. Every high HP boat motor has a fuse.....some are just longer than others.

Best line about used motors ever!