mountbkr Posted September 25, 2005 Posted September 25, 2005 Hey guys give me the good and bad points about Stratos boats. I have found a '89 285 Pro with 150 VRO ( disabled oil pump ) Johnson on it. Needs a little TLC but looks and feels mech. sound. Asking price is 4200.00 for it. Has Soddy Daisy sticker on the jack plate with a SS prop. The Soddy Daisy sticker is from a prop shop locally. Thanks in advance. BTW great forum. Tim Quote
Ben Posted September 25, 2005 Posted September 25, 2005 That's way too much money for that boat with that motor. Go to Nadaguides.com and check out what they price it out at. www.nadaguides.com/Values/ValueManufacturer.asp?UserID=6448dfcd-cc12-41cf-b76d-f5d4b8a3edbe&DID=38620&wSec=4&wPg=1027&zipcode=31044 I have a 89 285 Pro. It had a GT 150 on it when I bought it, an absolute dog (lead slead) with that motor. I paid $3,100 for mine five years ago. You should be able to find a one of the 285 Pro XL's in an early 90 model for that amount. The 89 hull weighs 1,400 lbs, rides good but slow. The later XL hull is 200 lbs less and several mph faster. If the boat has be sitting out, there's a very good chance the floation foam is holding lots of water (uses open cell foam). My boat was almost 300 pounds heavier than it was suppose to be because of wet foam. To remove it would cost you about what you paid for the boat. Shoot, I would sell you mine for that price, with a freshly rebuilt GT 150. Boat's was completely restored two years ago, all seats recovered, new plush 20 oz carpet, fresh closed cell floation foam and new gel clear coat and blue printed hull. Very nice looking boat. If you want it very fast, I would sell you the motor I have on it but for a couple $K more. Approx 300 hp and pushes it a little over 80 mph. Quote
Madhouse27 Posted September 25, 2005 Posted September 25, 2005 Ben, if possible could you elaborate a little more on the open cell/closed cell types of foam floatation. I'm assuming the closed cell is the more desirable. Are the newer Stratos boats still using the open cell or has that changed. I've had a boat with "waterlogged" foam and it definately adds alot of weight. I certainly want to take any and all steps to avoid this as I shop for my next boat. Thanks Quote
Ben Posted September 25, 2005 Posted September 25, 2005 Open cell flotation foam is like a sponge, it can become completely filled with water and is almost impossible to dry it out. Very much like the green Oasis the flower shops use to arrange flowers in. Closed cell foam forms individual little mini air pockets and will not assorb water. Approx 3% by volume is all it can assorb, where open cell can assorb almost 100%. A lot of boats used open cell when they first started putting foam in them but many had it a way they kept it somewhat dry. The old Stratos 285 Pro's floor drain, drains into the hull right on top of the foam and then out a hole under the seats. If the boat was level or bow down, several inches of water could build up on top of the foam and just sit there, soaking in. I don't think anyone uses open cell foam anymore and don't have a clue who did and didn't, or when they stopped. To remove it from my boat, I had to take the cap off, remove the floor and dig it out with a shovel. I took approx 22 cubic feet and weighed just a little over 300 pounds. Should have only weighed 40 pounds. To do this job you had better know what you're doing, be good with fiber glass and insane. Quote
Madhouse27 Posted September 26, 2005 Posted September 26, 2005 Ben thanks for the information. Would it be safe to assume that most bass boat manufacturers from the early nineties on have been using the closed cell style foam. This is one of my major phobias as I am looking at used boats. Thanks Quote
Ben Posted September 26, 2005 Posted September 26, 2005 I'm affraid anything I told you might be wrong as to who or when the different foams were used. I don't deal in or work with boats, just my own stuff, so what little I know is from personal experience. It's just I've owned and messed with outboard powered boats and motors since 1966, and I have had a bunch of them since then. (used my canoe and jon til then) The only time you would really need to be concerned is when a boat is stored outside uncovered. I have more of a phobia about the transome being rotten than the foam being wet. I've seen boats not four years old with rotted transome where they didn't seal the engine mounting bolts properly. To properly repair a rotten transome will cost $3,000 - $4,000 dollars. Basically making a good boat junk but people will buy them as junk and then sell them to some unkowning sole for big bucks. Quote
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