Anyone have a 25' flybridge?

[MikeKilo]

I feel like I have so many questions. I have been shopping around seeing most of whats available between sd to la both gas and diesel trims. Taking BigMikes whole hearted recommendation to get a diesel over gas, I put in an offer on a circa 1987 FB diesel sitting on water in wilmington.

1. Under the recommendation of the broker im in the process of finding someone to get oil samples from the engine and outdrive through catepillar. Anyone have referrals and know how much it costs? The broker gave me two referrals a guy named Dennis x5942 and a guy named James x9939. Is it smart to use one of their recommendation because of the chance of colluding?

2. The 4 25' FB Ive seen all had the toilet plumbed in so I assumed that this was standard but the one I put an offer for has a porta potta. When I lifted it up, no signs of plumbing at all, just a solid piece of fiberglass. Were toilets optional? Also on this boat in place of where the sewage hold is, there is some kind of battery management/charger in its place. Then where were/are the battery management for other 25' skipjacks since the sewage box is im that space?

3. 3 out of 4 skipjacks showed signs of termite in the bathrom area, including the one I put in am offer for. normal? can i just smoke bomb it and move on or should I be more worried?

4. multiple boats showed signs of surface cracks especially in corner/bends of the boat. easy fix? something more serious? why does it crack?

5. I tapped around stringers with my finger in the engine compartment areas. couldnt tell anything was off. Why do wood stringers go bad? is it not waterproof? does the fiberglass crack somewhere to let water in?

6. I heard the engine smokes a good amount on cold startups. Anyone have pro/con stories of the tamd41a? I noticed two rod like pieces have heavier rust in the engine bay. what are they, need to be replaced?

7. every single bathroom door knob seemed to not work perfectly. are they that faulty? cant be fixed? replaceable with something that works better?

8. There was water residue under the bow cushions. I suspect the front hatch is leaking when it rained. huge issue?

 

[Albiebac]

I'll answer what applies to mine, I have a 90' gasser, I've had it for 20 years.

1. Mine had porta potty, I put in a toilet.
2. Yes on termites, annoying.
3. Windows leak, I always place cushions on table when not in use. I leave hatch slightly open to air out moisture, otherwise expect mold if air left tight.
4. Bathroom handle is fine.

 

[Arima-bob]

I’ll throw in a few thoughts and opinion.

To question number 4: cracks in the gelcoat? Yes, it’s normal. The fiberglass underneath will flex some, but as the gelcoat ages and gets sun baked, it gets brittle and cracks. It’s not really an issue except it’s ugly. Every fiberglass boat will face this.

5: stringers and rot. I would use something stronger than a finger. I usually use the handle of a hard screwdriver, or a small hammer, and listen for a sound variance. The true way to check is to drill a few spots to check for moisture or bad wood.
I don’t know for certain how moisture gets to the stringers, although having water constantly in the bilge will soak into the fiberglass and then into the wood. Good bilge paint might keep this from happening. Another weak spot for stringers on a skipjack is where the motor mount bolts go through the stringer. I could see that being a good access point for water.

6: it’s an old school Diesel engine, that runs on compression with no glow plugs. Until it gets warm, it’s not going to get a complete fuel combustion hence the smoke. It’s fairly normal, but could also indicate a lot of hours and or worn rings.
I don’t care for oil sample tests, as I can’t see them giving you a good picture of what’s really going on. Changed oil, added oil, or any kind of contaminants could show strange findings.

I am not a professional, and therefore just my opinions. A little experience mixed in to help.

 

[Big Mike on Boats]

Let me know if I can help. Most of that stuff expected after years of use. If the stringer has rot or if the tank has not been change out consider it a project boat. One in which will take considerable time and money. Sitting in Wilmington I know electrolysis can be a problem. The termite problem is normally an easy fix but if really bad you need to do some woodwork.
It's funny but people with skills used in boat making pretty much agree you never look at the whole boat but always focus on one fix at a time.
I prefer diesel, but a nice gas is better then a beat diesel
Most of the repairs are one day jobs. That is to say Don't work on the toilet until
you address the woodwork. Don't fix the electric until you finish the toilet.
Engine and outdrive are another story. They can look good one day and need to be replaced the next. Have someone experienced look at it.
One good thing about owning a boat is you get to learn about fixing them. New, old or just been fixed 30 miles out to sea, tag your it.
If you need me to check it out let me know.

 

[Reel hip]

Stringer rot could be from a screw that wasn't replaced or not sealed proper.
I have a porta potty.
Gas motor , but would prefer a diesel . But I've owned this Skipjack for 14 years and settled on it staying this way.
Check that fuel tank. It looks original and they were foamed in. Over years with water would become more of a sponge and rot the tank. Not too hard to replace but I have a backhoe that I used to pull the old one out.
Alot of people are sold on an oil test because it can show old rings and other issues.

 

[Stringer]

Love my 25FB. that being said, I easily spend 5K a year keeping it up. I'll go down your list as good as I can, with what information is pertinent.

1. Whether you're going to see anything in the oil depends largely on how long ago it was changed. Any issue that might have been found in oil near the end of it's run, will likely not be seen in fresh oil. However, you could learn something by draining the gear oil in the outdrive, check the magnetic plug for metal, a little is common, a lot and I'd be concerned. The biggest thing to check for here is water in the outdrive oil. It will be an indicator of bad seals, prop shaft, driveshaft and shift seals primarily. Water in your lower unit can cause rust and pitting on your gearsets and bearing races.

2. I have a vacuflush system on mine, that I just finished servicing. Adjusted the vacuum switch to 10.5"Hg. and replaced all the soft goods. I don't have a battery system like that in mine, I do have Pro Mariner 2 battery charger under the seat in the galley.

3. I guess I am lucky, and I'm the 1 out of 4 that doesn't have any termites in the head. A bug bomb would probably do the trick though, a lot easier to tent a boat than a house I'd guess.

4. I do have spider cracks in my gelcoat in corners and transitions in a few places. Nothing I'd consider structurally concerning, I feel like it's held up well for an almost 35 year old boat.

5. Sometimes you'll hear a noticeable difference tapping around looking for dead spots as suggested by others. The biggest cause usually ends up being operator error. Cutting or screwing into the stringers by the boat owner and not sealing properly afterwards.

6. Sorry, my boat is gas, I can't offer any specific knowledge of the Tamd41a's. As stated earlier, diesels without glow plugs smoke on start up.

7. I think my doorknob was already replaced before I bought the boat. You can get a closet type knob that just screws to the door and does not turn, then put in a ball and spring type catch where it shuts. The spring tension is adjustable, but at the end of the day, I'd also ad a screw in hook and eye, because boats will flex when underway and that will keep the door from swinging.

8. Just like all cars with sunroof, all hatches will also eventually leak. There are reseal kits readily available for them.

 

[MikeKilo]

Love my 25FB. that being said, I easily spend 5K a year keeping it up. I'll go down your list as good as I can, with what information is pertinent.

1. Whether you're going to see anything in the oil depends largely on how long ago it was changed. Any issue that might have been found in oil near the end of it's run, will likely not be seen in fresh oil. However, you could learn something by draining the gear oil in the outdrive, check the magnetic plug for metal, a little is common, a lot and I'd be concerned. The biggest thing to check for here is water in the outdrive oil. It will be an indicator of bad seals, prop shaft, driveshaft and shift seals primarily. Water in your lower unit can cause rust and pitting on your gearsets and bearing races.

2. I have a vacuflush system on mine, that I just finished servicing. Adjusted the vacuum switch to 10.5"Hg. and replaced all the soft goods. I don't have a battery system like that in mine, I do have Pro Mariner 2 battery charger under the seat in the galley.

3. I guess I am lucky, and I'm the 1 out of 4 that doesn't have any termites in the head. A bug bomb would probably do the trick though, a lot easier to tent a boat than a house I'd guess.

4. I do have spider cracks in my gelcoat in corners and transitions in a few places. Nothing I'd consider structurally concerning, I feel like it's held up well for an almost 35 year old boat.

5. Sometimes you'll hear a noticeable difference tapping around looking for dead spots as suggested by others. The biggest cause usually ends up being operator error. Cutting or screwing into the stringers by the boat owner and not sealing properly afterwards.

6. Sorry, my boat is gas, I can't offer any specific knowledge of the Tamd41a's. As stated earlier, diesels without glow plugs smoke on start up.

7. I think my doorknob was already replaced before I bought the boat. You can get a closet type knob that just screws to the door and does not turn, then put in a ball and spring type catch where it shuts. The spring tension is adjustable, but at the end of the day, I'd also ad a screw in hook and eye, because boats will flex when underway and that will keep the door from swinging.

8. Just like all cars with sunroof, all hatches will also eventually leak. There are reseal kits readily available for them.

$5k a year doing what? lol seesh...How many hours are you putting on it a year?

 

[Big Mike on Boats]

5k actually sounds about right. If you don't, something will start becoming undependable. Repairs become replacements and warning lights become a tow to the yard.
The more you do yourself the more you save. The last boat I had the diver was telling me for a year he took care of my zincs. It had a saildrive unit on it and it's more difficult to change them. By the time I did a haulout there was 20k in damage including the rudder shaft bearing and the rudder shaft. Booth custom made in Germany.
I'm going back to diving on my own boats.
Touching up bottom paint, repairing scratches, fixing old wire, chasings leaks and the recommended services add up.
I replaced a broken faucet on my boat. To get a new marine set was about 260.00 plus installation. I bought a nicer faucet set from Ikea and put it in myself for less then 35.00 and I like the quality better. Use common sense and don't fall for marine mark ups if you don't have to.

 

[oneshoemark]

I feel like I have so many questions. I have been shopping around seeing most of whats available between sd to la both gas and diesel trims. Taking BigMikes whole hearted recommendation to get a diesel over gas, I put in an offer on a circa 1987 FB diesel sitting on water in wilmington.

1. Under the recommendation of the broker im in the process of finding someone to get oil samples from the engine and outdrive through catepillar. Anyone have referrals and know how much it costs? The broker gave me two referrals a guy named Dennis x5942 and a guy named James x9939. Is it smart to use one of their recommendation because of the chance of colluding?

2. The 4 25' FB Ive seen all had the toilet plumbed in so I assumed that this was standard but the one I put an offer for has a porta potta. When I lifted it up, no signs of plumbing at all, just a solid piece of fiberglass. Were toilets optional? Also on this boat in place of where the sewage hold is, there is some kind of battery management/charger in its place. Then where were/are the battery management for other 25' skipjacks since the sewage box is im that space?

3. 3 out of 4 skipjacks showed signs of termite in the bathrom area, including the one I put in am offer for. normal? can i just smoke bomb it and move on or should I be more worried?

4. multiple boats showed signs of surface cracks especially in corner/bends of the boat. easy fix? something more serious? why does it crack?

5. I tapped around stringers with my finger in the engine compartment areas. couldnt tell anything was off. Why do wood stringers go bad? is it not waterproof? does the fiberglass crack somewhere to let water in?

6. I heard the engine smokes a good amount on cold startups. Anyone have pro/con stories of the tamd41a? I noticed two rod like pieces have heavier rust in the engine bay. what are they, need to be replaced?

7. every single bathroom door knob seemed to not work perfectly. are they that faulty? cant be fixed? replaceable with something that works better?

8. There was water residue under the bow cushions. I suspect the front hatch is leaking when it rained. huge issue?

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[oneshoemark]

I also have termite damage in the rear bathroom wall of my 25 ft skipjack flybridge. I was able to access the rear wall plywood by removing the door casing to the main cabin entrance. I could clearly see the cross section of the plywood and the termite burrows (caught the termites actually coming out of their crawl tubes). I have since treated with termite spray and would like to hear any recommendations on repair of the plywood and/or use of filler to plug any cavities. The rear of the main cabin appears to be fiberglass with a plywood panel attached. Not sure if the plywood is structural and more cosmetic??

 

[MYNomad]

Ask how many hours on the oil (ideally, they have a maintenance log / invoice, which shows hours when changed), but get an analysis, even if only 10 hours. Also, get a survey. I am not sure where the cut off is, but you may need a survey just to get insurance.

 

[oneshoemark]

In addition to the termite Q:

1. My 25 FB is gas. Never took oil samples as I was aware the engine needed a rebuild. Have had the Skipjack for some 11 yrs, rebuilt about 5 years ago.
2. When I purchased the boat was already plumbed with a flush toilet. However the port-a-potty mounts are still attached to the floor, so I guess the original version came with a port-a-potty ??
3. Yes I have termites. I store my boat on my house RV pad and see termites swarming in the fall. See my earlier post seeking termite repair recommendations.
4. Yes, have gelcoat cracks and agree with other boat owners that over 30+ years in a salt water environment and likely under direct sunlight most of the time you will get spider cracks in corners, etc.
5. My boat appears in good condition and I have not checked the stringers. Guess I should ??
6. Gas engine, so no experience with your engine. The two rods are the upper steering arms attached to your power steering actuator ram above your outdrive. They are pretty sturdy pieces, but I would be more concerned with the power steering actuator mounted directly below those steering arms. This actuator has been discontinued and was some $2500+ when it was available. Mine is leaking and replacement parts are hard to find.
7. My knob sticks a little. Just jiggle it a little, seems to make most knobs work better.
8. I store my Skipjack on my house side yard. I plug in 2 dehumidifiers, 1 in the cabin and 1 in the engine compartment. They remove the moisture and keep everything dry. Purchased the dehumidifiers on Amazon, the small personal office units ($35+ ea). No more musty smelling cabin. The dehumidifiers will not stop the water leaks but are the best small purchase I have ever made to help remove moisture from the cabin and engine compartment, period !! I also remove the cushions during the rainy period and store in the house.