2002 Crestliner 1850

[Jbevs]

Boat I bought for a low price that needed a motor. After sourcing and buying a used motor, the shop installing it told me a few things. First the transom is rotten and in need of repair before putting on a new motor. Second, the boat was setup to use a 20" motor, not a 25" motor like I had been told. Yes, shame on me for not verifying before buying a "new" outboard. That is the summary.

Long version is my dad bought this boat from a friend when it was 1 year old. Original owner is still a good friend, and my dad had this boat for the last 20 years. It had a 1998 yamaha vmax ox66 150 outboard that would push it to 56 at the fastest I ever got it. Doubtful it will see 55 mph again, 150 is the max outboard size. Boat has been used for skiing/tubing and fishing. Outboard was blown up last year, threw a rod, so pop ordered the lund he always wanted and sold me this project. We didn't know the transom was bad, just that a new outboard was needed. The age and condition of the boat didn't really warrant a new motor, so a search for a lightly used 4 stroke was on.

A few months of searching within 12 hours drive for a used yamaha or mercury 115 or 150 until I found a decent 2018 mercury 150 advertised with 200 hours up by Milwaukee. Came off of a tritoon after he upgraded to a 300. I picked it up and took it to the shop I am having do the work. It is an XL/25" motor, which is what I was told the boat needed, being a deep V rather than a bass boat. Shame on me for not verifying, but it made sense that a bass boat used a 20" and this deep V used a 25".

Because everyone likes pics.

 

[CarterKraft]

You are off to a great start lol.
Going to repair the transom?

5" sounds like a lot of difference, probably can't make that up with jack plate etc.

 

[Jbevs]

After the shop got the boat, put in new controls to change from yamaha to mercury, new cables, they removed the blown up yamaha. Then they saw 2 corrosion holes clear through the transom. Holes are less than 1/4" but indicate significant corrosion inside the transom. This is a well known issue with this style boat of that vintage. The transom is skinned with aluminum but the interior is treated plywood. In the late 90s, the EPA mandated a change to the chemicals used for treated wood. As we have found out in recent years, those chemicals react with aluminum causing corrosion. Also, my plywood was rotten.

Given the wrong size leg on the outboard and rotten transom, I was going to scrap the project. Until I was telling my FIL the story. Turns out his brother fixes these to pass the time in his retirement. I don't have the space for a project like this. So I took my wife's uncle the boat, told him he can have the blown up yamaha along with whatever he wants to charge me, and he is well underway on getting it fixed up. Shop I was using for my repower was estimating 5-6k to rebuild the transom. They would probably use new aluminum skins from Crestliner, and I know they would use coosa board instead of plywood. My repair won't have coosa or new skins, but I'm sure it will last another 20 years.

I'm really hopeful my new to me mercury works out. Shop computer says it is actually a 2017 and was last serviced in 2021 at 120 hours. They are supposed to be very reliable, make good power, and sip gas. If it has a blown power head or something, I'm not going to be happy. Shop can't really look at it until it is mounted on my boat, to my disappointment.

 

[Jbevs]

So uncle is repairing the transom and building it up to make up the 5". Turns out this boat could come with either style transom, for a 20" or 25" motor back then. There is a cutout that makes it accept the 20" motor. That will be bridged for my 25". A jackplate would work, but no need since the transom needs rebuilt anyway.

 

[Jbevs]

More updates today.