Hey guys, Im looking at a 1996 ZX190 Skeeter with a Yamaha ProV 200hp.  The boat looks real clean and its a decent price........however we all know that you cant judge a book by its cover........and that goes for buying a used boat especially.

I want to know if anyone else knows if Skeeter made this model in 1996 with wood in the transom?  

If it does have wood im going to be sure to check for what condition it is in.  What is the best way to see if wood isnt dryrotted?

Also.....does anyone have any experience with Yamaha ProV engines?  Im a big fan of Yamaha......however I am not familiar with these models.  If anyone is familiar with these models are there any specific things i should watch out for or should ask the owner aobut?

Thanks guys,  I appreciate any help you can give.  Im a college student and try to do things right and dont want to be stuck with a lemon!

Well, I'm no Skeeter expert, but here's my advice:

Don't buy it unless you can get it to a trained marine mech. and get the compression checked on the motor, leaky seals, etc. Also the transom is wood I'm sure. I would get the motor off of the transom saver, so it's weight is on the transom, then grab part of the lower gearcase and see how far you can move it up and down while looking at the transom. You shouldn't see any flexing. It has to be very, very rigid. Walk around and make sure there are NO soft spots in the floor at all. Look closely at the bottom of the hull for any repair work that may have been done in the past. Be very up front with any questions. Don't be afraid to put the owner on the spot. Hopefully he'll be completlely honest with you, but don't count on it. If they won't let you take it to a shop, I'd at least take a qualified person with you who knows what to look for, and even if you can hear it run on the spot, you're still taking a chance on compression.  I'd highly recommend taking it out on the water also, but be careful there too! My last boat ran great after I bought it, until the third trip out, when I started fouling plugs and running bad. Yeah, my compression is half of what it should be. I almost stole the boat and I knew what I was taking a chance on, but I had three other people fighting to buy it, and knew I had to pounce. Make sure if you take a chance like that, you can afford a $3000.00 powerhead or something along those lines. You can never be too careful or thorough when looking at any boat.

Don't think just because it's all composite construction you are safe.  Composite hulls can get just as waterlogged as wood.  Waterlogged composite hulls can be just as weak as rotted wood if they delaminate.

Don't think just because it's all composite construction you are safe.  Composite hulls can get just as waterlogged as wood.  Waterlogged composite hulls can be just as weak as rotted wood if they delaminate.

Exactly right. Composites are the hot thing right now but can deteriorate as well.  Once water gets in, mold and bacteria can begin eating away at them just like wood.