1991 Sport Nautique Advice

[ard185]

I'm new to the world of Nautiques and was wondering how the price was on a boat I am looking at. It is a 1991 Sport Nautique with a PCM 351. It also includes a custom canvas cover, a stereo, and a trailer. They are asking $10,690. Is this in the right ballpark? Also, is this boat suitable to just hang out or cruise in, or should I really only consider these boats if I'm a hardcore skier or boarder. Finally, are the Nautiques worth the extra money? I can get a 6 or 7 year old Larson/SeaRay/Bayliner for less than the price of this boat which is nearly 20 years old. I would really appreciate any advice you experienced boaters could provide. Thanks.

[slob02]

RE: 1991 Sport Nautique Advice

I will give you my $.02. I have skied/boarded behind couple just like that many times. On the positive, it is a Nautique......Pure Quality. I personally would trust it more than a newer boat of another brand. Turn the key and go. Many like the passenger seat in that boat because it can be spun around so the passenger can see forward. Most boats, the passenger has to look behind. The ONLY problem I had with this boat was with the platform. It was fiberglass and molded into the hull. It sat a little higher off the water and if you have a lot of weight in the back seat and slow down fast, I have seen water come up on the platform and ramp up the transom and into the back seat. Not much, but not always what you want. Good wake on the course and when slowed down it puts up a solid wake for boarding.

[AuMDLST]

RE: 1991 Sport Nautique Advice

How many hours does it have? Is that a new interior? If new interior, was any wood replaced or checked for rot? Are you talking about lake cruising? If you do your homework you will be the envy of all those in their I/O's. You get what you pay for when it comes to the bayliner/larson etc.

[Teleman]

RE: 1991 Sport Nautique Advice

One thought, this is a better sport boat than go out on the lake and putter. They do it just fine in most cases, but they shine in the play world. Think of it as buying a lamborghini, this might not be the best car for the situation. When it comes to boarding, skiing, and sport, it is the best on the market. Slow speed turning is sacrificed as an inboard. High speed control is fine tuned in these boats. If you plan on going out for a long day on the "Big" lake and it gets rough, you migh be challenged with the waves. This does take a knack to handle the water. Like a sports car, it likes smooth water and good conditions. Some of the other boats you mentioned are more like buying a "Standard pick-up truck", good for what they are but not like the lamborghini.

[Teleman]

RE: 1991 Sport Nautique Advice

FYI the other web site (Correct Craft Fan) looks like $11,800 is the average selling price for this boat.

[Chexi]

RE: 1991 Sport Nautique Advice

How many people do you think you will normally have? A direct drive is not the optimum arrangement for a cruising/party boat due to the motorbox location and the resultant seating arrangement. It does not bother me, I have 2 direct drive boats, but I use them for watersports, not for cruising.

Also, that boat has wood stringers. I would not buy it without performing (or having someone perform) a thorough check of the condition of the wood stringers. If the stringers are in good shape, the boat should be a good one. If that is a new interior, it either came from Christines or someone who faked it well. If the interior came from Christine's, then at least the previous owner probably took pretty good care of it. There is a reasonable chance that they also might have replaced and glassed the stringers (a good thing). I would ask more about the history of the boat.

BTW, how many hours on the boat?

[jwchapman]

RE: 1991 Sport Nautique Advice

I bought a 91 Sport last spring and used it all summer - it is a great boat! I skied competitively in college (a long, long time ago) and it has a good slalom wake over 30. The kids (and the rest of us) ski, wakeboard, tube, and just like to go out and it was very good for everything - an affordable open-bow inboard boat.

That is a pretty good price though you may be able to negotiate some considering the economy. I paid about that last year before the economy tanked. On the other hand, it's not a bad price and there is a bit of demand for affordable open-bow ski boats. Let me know if you have any specific questions. My opinion would be to buy it, load it up with friends and family (I'm on the platform helping my daughter, my buddy Mike is our wakeboarding ballast) and have a great summer. - John

[steelerguy]

I have 90 and its been the best purchase to date.
One owner, 460 hours when bought 3 yrs ago.
I added the tower.
Skins were and still are in graeat shape.

The only concern is that when you do stop suddenly with people in the back water can come up over the transome. You learn how to keep this from happening.

Other then that that great boat. 10,500 is decent price depending our the hours.
It does have wood stringers but properly stored and covered and there shouldnt be a problem.

How many are for sale? The one picture looks like there are two.

[ard185]

Thanks a lot for all the replies. It sounds like the the Nautiques are great boats, I'm looking forward to possibly giving this one a test drive. I plan on calling the seller tomorrow, and will ask him all of the questions you have asked. He will also be sending me more pics of the actual boat so I will be posting some more soon. I'm not sure if the interior pic I have posted is of the boat I am interested in, or another they have. I'm pretty sure they only have one for sale, the pic with two boats may be from last summer. I plan on having anywhere from four to seven people in the boat, will that be tight? Are there any other questions you would recommend I ask the seller tomorrow?

[JohnE]

The boat looks real clean in those pics. If the stringers and floor are solid I'd say it's a great buy. (Providing it runs well) You could buy it and use it for 3-4 years and still get what you paid for it.

Can't even compare this boat to a Larson or Bayliner IO.

[Chexi]

7 is the max. 3 on the bench, 1 in the observers seat, the driver, and 2 up front. Wouldn't want more than 7, unless 1 is riding behind or unless you add a jump seat somewhere.

[Nbigger]

I have a 90 sport and it has been a great first boat. You can add a jump seat behind the driver and the 7 passangers would not be bad. I have had water come over the back but only with the fatsacs loaded up for wakeboarding. The worst thing for me about the platform is it will not fit into my garage. It you will be on ruff water alot then this is not a great boat but if you are on a calm lake it is a blast.

Steelerguy what kind of tower is that? It looks good on there.

[ard185]

UPDATE: 1991 Sport Nautique Advice

I was finally able to go check out the boat in person and was pleasantly surprised. It looks like it is in very good condition. The boat has 488 hours on it. The Original ProTec System has been removed, apparently because it was unreliable. The boat was originally bought at the same dealer I am working with, and was serviced and maintained by the same dealer throughout it's life. The stringers and all other wood parts seem to be in excellent condition. I was also able to scrounge up a few more pics of the boat. Again, they are asking 10,700 for the boat. Is this a reasonable price for a boat like this, and could I expect to get close to this if I sold it in a few years? If not, what would be a reasonable price? Also, do any of you have any experience with an Inboard/Outboard and could you maybe explain (or provide any personal experiences) the advantages and disadvantages of an inboard compared to these. Any more advice from the Nautique experts would be appreciated!

[SNobsessed]

RE: UPDATE: 1991 Sport Nautique Advice

ard - That looks like a nice boat & I would pay that price. The advantage of inboard is that they are easier to work on & have better handling characteristics. They plane out easier & have a better wake than I/O's. If you want to surf, you can only do that behind an inboard, due to the prop being under the boat. Last but not least they are cool.

I personally don't think about resale - buy it to use it. However, CC's have one of the best, if not the best, resale values in the market.

Good luck on your shopping, hope you get what you want.

PS - Check for rotten stringers, that would be a deal breaker, as that is a major repair.

[Chexi]

RE: UPDATE: 1991 Sport Nautique Advice

Check the seams on the vinyl and make sure the thread is still there. Vinyl can look good but be missing all of its thread (like mine). The cotton thread used on factory original vinyl does not hold up to UV rays if you do not protect it with 303 Aerospace protectant. If it was properly cared for, it should be fine. If not, then you could have a sizeable cosmetic repair coming up (should you choose to make the repair).

Inboard/Outboard (aka stern drive) is easier to steer at idle and a lot easier to back up. Other than that, all of the advantages go to inboards. Easier and cheaper to fix (you can do a lot of the work yourself with little to no mechanical skills), safer prop location, much better handling at operating speeds, will pull people up like butter, will pull multiple people like butter, a real slalom wake, a real wakeboard wake (with the right hull, and this one has the right hull), a real surf wake (with the right hull like this one and a good amount of ballast). Not every inboard can do all these things, but the CC Sport can do all of these things fairly well with the right amount of ballast.

If you have ever wakeboarded behind an inboard/outboard and wakeboarded behind an inboard, the two are so far apart in quality that it almost defies comparison. With an i/o you fight the wake and the ride is more like work than fun. Exactly the opposite on an inboard, especially a CC. Same is probably true for skiing, but I don't ski so I can't really say for sure. I'm sure I might offend someone out there somewhere when I say this, but the only thing an I/O is good for is for cruising around and pulling a tube.