anyone know about boats??

[da SLUG man]

my mate's selling his boat (a 19ft Phantom)

he only wants £2k for it so i might buy it... any idea what i need to look for when checking it's any good?

he bought a new one and this had just been sitting in the garden for about a year...
i helped him fit a new axle on the trailer about 2 years ago and it had a full steering overhaul and engine service a year ago.

it's got (i think) a 145hp outboard (evinrude i think)



i don't know anything about boats apart from having a go in his and tinkering with the engine.

he's selling for £2grand cos that happens to be the exact price of a gearbox rebuild on his newer one!

[Apache]

Been a long time since I had a boat, but I had a Dateline with a Volvo Penta inboard. Pretty fast too.

Phantom have a reputation for building very fast sports boats. A 19ft should be good for ~70mph when properly engined / propped. That is VERY fast on water for someone new to the game. I could get about 50mph from mine with a following wind, and that felt more like 100mph when your head is only 2ft above the water!

If its an oldish boat, then look for fibreglass delamination, and osmosis (recognisable by bubbles in the 'glass which may or may not weep when pressed), both can be expensive to repair.

As for the engine, just look for the usual things you'd look for on an engine. Its potentially a very fast boat for £2k though.

[da SLUG man]

yeah, it does about 70mph...

he had a driver 440 before, which did around 40-50mph, which wasn't a problem... apparently this is a bit of a monster!!

i really wanted something with a cuddy, but i guess i'll have to buy a new tent instead!!

[Albannach]

The most important thing to check with a boat is that it floats.

[plumb bob]

Yes, if you can't get it to water to test it, then get him to fill it full of water and see if it leaks.

[da SLUG man]

i know it floats, been in it in the sea...


can i clean the GRP with t-cut or anything?... it's red and that's crap for fading!!

[Antshiel]

Phantom are renowned for their dodgy gel coats so check thoroughly. They tend to "star" very quickly and this leads to the layers breaking down over the years. With a well serviced and winterised 145 outboard on the back you should get about 45-55. If you want 70 you'll be looking at a 175 - 220 dependant on the transom. 50 is more than fast enough for any boat. I went on a scarab last year and it frightened the living sh1t out of me and that was doing 60 at 3/4 throttle. That had a 7.4l v8. If you do get it you will have a hell of a lot of fun as we're out in the summer most weekends and spend 2 weeks in cornwall, wakeboarding and skiing. Good luck with it.

[Apache]

I had a 15cc engined RC Scarab with a proper little cleaver surface piercer on it for a while. Even the model could top 50mph!

[TonyN]

50 is more than fast enough for any boat. I went on a scarab last year and it frightened the living sh1t out of me and that was doing 60 at 3/4 throttle.

LOL true, even small waves get you lots of air at any speeds in a boat. Fun but bottom clenching at times.

[Apache]

I broke my steering coming down from some big air going over the breakers on the Barmouth 'bar' flat out. I had planing fins fitted to the outdrive (VERY effective) but the vertical pressure on them as the outdrive went back into the water punched the steering knuckle through the bearing in the transom. Kind of buttock clenching at 45mph+!!!

[mark g8awo]

If its been sitting on a trailer for a while just check to se if the GRP is giving way from the weight of the boat on the supports...A good sign of it standing for a long time out of the water

[Phantom]

I just sold my Phantom for 2K 3 days ago my advise is if its your first boat then don't buy it.

[da SLUG man]

I just sold my Phantom for 2K 3 days ago my advise is if its your first boat then don't buy it.

why's that??

i did have a canoe once!

been in his old driver and the new one he's got plenty... just didn't get a go in the phantom cos he got married for 2 years... she was wierd...

[Phantom]

why's that??

i did have a canoe once!

been in his old driver and the new one he's got plenty... just didn't get a go in the phantom cos he got married for 2 years... she was wierd...

Coz when they were first built they were built as formula 1 racing hulls. You would'nt buy an F1 car when you just passed your test would you?

[Apache]

You would'nt buy an F1 car when you just passed your test would you?

Erm, yeah

I know what you mean though, a very fast boat can get lairy and out of control in the blink of an eye - BUT they are awesome fun too!

I always thought Phantom's smaller boats were pretty much on par with Ring's and Marshan's of the same size. All pointy and deep and knicker snapping