Anyone care to share? A good buddy is looking at an older Mako they are selling…I would like to know about the company.
Reputable?
Stay away?
Any information is appreciated!
I can tell you some areas to pay close attention to if you tell me what year and model Mako. Sorry; don’t know anything about the business. Behind Chic-fil-A, right?
http://www.sustainablefishing.org/
www.joinrfa.com
Luke 8:22-25
Not sure, Phin. My friend is going to look at the boat this morning. Here’s a link to the ad:
http://www.thehulltruth.com/boats-sale-wanted/622904-mako-221-w-yamaha-200-outboard-venture-aluminum-tandem-trailer.html
Looks like a good deal. Any information on what to pay close attention to would be appreciated!
“Never argue with an idiot…he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.”
Take a screwdriver and tap on the running surface from the transom forward about a foot all the way from chine to chine and listen for differences in one side vs the opposite side. You can tell what shape the laminate is in at the stringer to hull joints as well as the stringer joints to the transom. Do the same thing on the transom, listening for differences in one side vs the same location on the opposite side. Being one that has sat in the water, maybe, it could have moisture in that section of the running surface that’s been trapped and causes delam. This boat looks like it’d be more prone to water intrusion because I don’t see any epoxy barrier coat under the ablative. The boat may not have been left in the water for long periods of time, but you know PE isn’t water proof and an older rig may have quite a few days in the water or left out in the weather. What happened in some of the old Mako’s is they laid up the roving pretty thick back there to tab up onto the transom and over the stringers, and there’s air trapped in between because of not enough chopped mat being put in between. It is not as common in the late 80’s models based on the tear downs I have seen on classicmako. It was definitely the case in my '78 model though. It was a mess. Mine had been extremely abused though… I don’t expect that with this boat- just saying would could be hiding there if you don’t know to look for it.
The transom is a concern on any of them that were wood-cored and had hardware/engine bolts installed and not properly sealed- especially if below the waterline and kept in the water.
The areas of the deck most prone to rotten core will be in the fuel tank coffin lid where the console is screwed down thru it. The front is prone to pond up water there in the centerline of the deck ahead of the teak console base trim sometimes, and the water will have gotten into the core at the screw locations. The other area will be around the hatch in the center of the cockpit. I am not sure what is going on there. Should have been a
Right on the money advice there ^^
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
One more thing peculiar to a Mako-
The gunnel rod holders- check them for leakage. Newer boats had drains plumbed to the bilge. The older ones simply had closed bottoms on the rod holders. The ones on this boat are made of aluminum- unanodized aluminum- and if the bottoms are not corroded, then great. If corroded thru, they’re allowing water intrusion into the foam in the gunnels, and there’s nowhere for the water to escape after it accumulates. The foam will slowly absorb water or hold it in any voids and ultimately create problems for the surrounding fiberglass.
You can remove the rod holders and replace them with new closed stainless rod holders to prevent this potential problem.
http://www.sustainablefishing.org/
www.joinrfa.com
Luke 8:22-25
Thanks, Phin!
I told my friend he should get it surveyed before he buys…and I have forwarded all of what you wrote to him so he makes sure those points are addressed should he decide to move forward.
Edited to add:
He’s decided to pass on the Mako. The same guy has a 2001 Contender 21 that caught his eye. Thanks again for the info!
“Never argue with an idiot…he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.”
That one was for sale on CL for a long time. Saw it the side of the road in Summerville.