1986 Silver Nautique- Advice

[Kmayotte]

Would post on CCFan but can’t figure out my dang login info. Haven’t used that site in many years.

Anyways very close to purchasing a 1986 Silver Nautique. I’ve looked at it twice and everything checks out.
400ish hours. Started up very nicely and purrs like a kitten. Interior in great shape, all accessories work etc etc.
For a 34 year old boat it’s in amazing shape and the silver flake and black hull just pop.
I removed the floor behind the engine compartment and the stringers from what I could see, looked and sounded very solid. Motor mount bolts came out as clean as a new SS lag from the hardware store and had very strong bite going back in. Insane documentation on maintenance dating back to original purchase. Well maintained.

My ONLY hang up and reservation is the floor where your feet would land when sitting on the observers seat is soft. About 12-18” are clearly separated from the hull side. It’s the only flaw I could find that gives me reservation.

I would love to pull the floor, replace and sea deck. Pipe dream? Lots of posts showing can of worms once you have a soft floor spot...stringers et al.

Let the opinions fly.

[NautiqueJeff]

I love Silver Nautiques. That's probably the one 2001 I would buy if I had the chance.

If the stringers are good, I wouldn't let a soft spot in the floor stop me. The floor can be replaced easily enough.

I guess it all comes down to the price. I would try to negotiate the cost of floor replacement into the deal if possible.

Oh, and if you don't end up buying it, I might!!!

[dhmcfadin]

Incredible boat! I can't imagine what people thought when they saw this in '86. Congratulations on the find!

[gun-driver]

That section of the floor is wood The rest of the floor is glass over foam. If that area is soft you can almost guarantee the front part of the stringers aren’t far behind especially since you say the floor and wall are already separated. That area up front under the seats is where most of the rot ends up because its not able to air dry very well.
Once floor separates from the wall that’s when you can start to develop stress cracks in the gel, I would look that section over real well.
I went through that with my ‘85 ended up doing a complete stringer job.
Also for some reason the silvers seemed to be susceptible to blisters in the gel on the bottom something else to look out for.

[Kmayotte]

gun-driver

whats the best way to inspect that area?

[gun-driver]

That’s the problem you really can’t, it’s all enclosed.

[Kmayotte]

gun-driver hm yikes. Thanks for the info. Would you walk away? The stringer project looks not so much fun.

[Kmayotte]

Pic if it helps.

[hal2814]

The reason you don’t see write-ups on just the floor is because it’s unusual for the floor to rot and the stringers be fine. I’ve always heard boats rot from the inside out and my experience shows that to be true. That is one of the first areas to show rot (other than the piece of wood in front of the ski pylon) so you may get lucky but don’t pay for a 34 year old boat showing signs of rot and expect to just need to do the floor. I’d also consider getting your ccfan info sorted or set up a new account if you plan to tackle this.

[gun-driver]

Walking away to me would depend on the price and the condition of the gel and interior knowing at the least pulling up the carpet to address the floor/side de-lamination will be needed.
Now with that said...
While you’re in there address the rotted floor plank (could be easy, could be that can of worms) see where this is going... So only you can decide if it’s worth the money/time involved.

[Kmayotte]

gun-driver hal2814

8K was the price that got me to go look at it.

Interior is close to mint (one seam on rear seat has split about an inch). No fading, no dry cracking.

Gel looks quite good. Some wear spots from bumpers on the drivers side. Really the only issue that could be addressed is the vinyl striping. Water line is a bit faded but could easily be compounded out. The metal flake pops.

Thinking buy it and have fun for the summer. Insect any unknown rot issues further and if can of worms, sell.

So the question is your thoughts on 8k?

[functionoverfashion]

Man, I love these. I have a friend with one, they live in Moultonborough. And I wonder if he's selling it - he's not a close friend. A parent of my daughter's preschool friend... so yeah.

Price is everything here, can you share that with us? With all the other documentation and good signs, I'd buy it regardless of the floor issue, unless it's a crazy amount.

Edit: just saw your post with the price. I'd buy it for $8k. Maybe you can get it for 6 or 7.

[gun-driver]

I don’t like getting into price, it’s worth what your willing to pay for it.
Just realize that you may take a pretty good loss on a boat that needs stringers when it’s time to sell.

[Kmayotte]

functionoverfashion not in moultonboro but ironically that’s where I’d keep the boat. Super interesting to know there is one in town.

[functionoverfashion]

The one I know of, I'm not sure it's in as good condition as the one you're looking at, now that I think about it. Regardless it's definitely not the same one.

I think part of my egging you on to buy it, is that a 2001 is the first Nautique I spent a lot of time in, and I swear when my kids get older and want the SAN all the time, I'd love to buy a Silver Nautique for myself. Ideally, an original Paragon, actually. But ... those are a bit harder to find than a nice 2001, or a Silver for that matter.

So on that note, maybe don't listen to me. But it sounds like a pretty nice example of a special version of a great boat...