Any thoughts or opinions appreciated? Especially to comparing against repowering a 1996 Sunbird 17’ bowrider with a 90 Honda 4-stroke.
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2007-TROPHY-1703-cc-97077553
$12,995
2007 TROPHY 1703 cc, Extra clean 07’ Trophy 1703 CC. Engine upgraded to Mercury 115 EFi 4-stroke. Custom galv. trailer. Yellow hull, bimini,cushion package, swim plat.,flush rod holders, rod storage in gunnel. Engine was just serviced and has extended warranty until Feb. 2013
well first do you want a bowrider or a CC? Next, there are a lot of nay-sayers for Trophy but I have a buddy that used to have one. Although it was a 25’ W/A it was a great ride, felt well built for the money. Get what you want
doesn’t seem like a bad price for the trophy, when you consider a repower on your boat is going to be close to 10k, and you’ll still have a 14+ year old boat.
i would angle for an aluminum trailer though… they say galvanized holds up to saltwater, but i beg to differ.
I hear where you all are coming from. I do love my Sunbird. It is really quite well built and has stood up to a lot of abuse. It’s the motor that is starting to worry me.
I know Trophy is still owned by Brunswick (and thus has the Bayliner stigma), but from what I have seen through on-line research, it looks like they improved a lot of the build techniques. I was hoping for some ■■■■■■■■ here on more recent Trophys and/or the motor.
The CC would be great (my preference), a newer boat, good motor (?), and based on my typical use, it should hold up just fine.
As for getting a good brand older boat, I don’t mind that, I have been looking, but prefer a newer 4-stroke engine, which jacks up the cost (good/older hull + newer 4 stroke == $$).
Thanks for the input so far,
John
1996 Sunbird Spirit 170 - 112 Johnson
15’ Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro
Here is what i don’t understand. Everyone says the newer (04+) Trophies are a lot better than the older ones. Didn’t Brunswick buy them around that time? I have also read that Brunswick buys companies and run them into the ground. So which is it? Brunswick helps the boats, or kills?
I say buy the Trophy! I would much rather have a newer boat than say a 20 yr old “high end” boat.
Brunswick is one of those huge corporations that use their size to their advantage by gobbling up the smaller competitors to gain market-share. When they bought SeaPro the main idea was to eliminate or consolidate some of the competition in the Mid-teir boat market.
The CC you are looking at would be a nice well rounded family boat that you could fish off of, but it is limited a lot by it’s size if you want to go offshore very much. Also, the bimi just gets in the way on a 17’ while you are fishing (IMHO). I have fished on a 20’ with a bimi and it is very crowded with the bimi up and very hot with the bimi down.
X-Man, If you are looking for a CC with a newer motor and aluminum trailer, I’ll part with my 97model 21’ seapro. The wife and I are considering a larger Walkaround. I can get right with the price of my boat…just saying.
When you buy a Trophy now you are getting a Sea Pro. When they shut down the Sea Pro plant in Newberry they loaded all the molds and shipped them to the Trophy plant. A lot of people bash Brunswick for their practices but the Sea Pro boats built under Brunswick ownership were a hell of a lot better built than the older ones. I used to work for a marine dealership and Sea Pro was one of our lines.
Even though you missed it, I thought I would put my 2 cents in since I own a 2005, 1703. It is a very good boat. It has everything I wanted where I wanted it. Most important to me is that all the compartments drain overboard. The only water I get in the bilge is when the shrimp get caught in the overflow of the bait well and the water goes into the small compartment that is also under the seat and drains into the bilge. I hardly ever take the plug out. Sometimes if I use the anchor the wet rope will mildew and I flush the compartment with clorox.
It is a good boat for 2 friends or maybe 4 in a family. A 1903 would be more roomy, but then I often float in less than 2 feet of water. Very dry ride although it does pound in 3-4 foot seas. Handles well in a following sea. Mine is equipped with a merc 90. I typically get six trips (Remley to Nowell Creek or Holbroke Creek) on 25 gallons. Of course I use the 30 pd minlota when I am actually fishing in the creeks. With the 90 at 4000 - 4500 rpms I will cruise at 33-36 mph. The boats has a very narrow trim window. I assume it is because they have tweeked the boat to the nth degree. It has never caused a problem.
I always wash the boat after each trip. It is garage kept. Everything is holding up well. Replaced the tach, gas gauge, amp meter the first year, no other repairs. I have had it serviced after 4 years, and changed the water pump. I usually have the bimmini on during summer, but don’t use it a lot. It’s not really a problem until you expand it.
Curly,not sure when Bruswick took sea Pro over but,I had a 2006 SeaBoss which was nothing but a SeaPro hull.With cheaper guages ,seats ect.Nothing but problems with stringers.Had hull filled with foam everywhere possible.Last febuary took boat out got back and found a crack in bottom chime.After investigating hull there were places hull was’nt a 1\4 inch thick.The good Lord was looking after us that day.Maybe boat built on a Monday or a Friday who knows.Hope the Trophys are built better.My boat was a 235wa and Brunswick bought the boat back from me.They said they were going to destroy the boat.Probally did’nt take much to bust that egg shell up.
“Catchin’ Hell II”
Grady White Sailfish 27
Twin 225 Yamahas
Im not sure when they bought them either. When we first took on the Sea Pro line we went to the plant and took the nickle tour. They tried to get us to take Sea Boss and Palmetto as well but we declined. The Sea Boss was a no frills budget version of Sea Pro and being in the midlands we didn’t feel like we had the knowledge or market for Palmetto Customs offshore boats. Got to run a 33 custom with twin 275 Verados one evening…took 3 days to get the grin off of my face. My biggest complaint about Sea Pro was that any boat that was a second or blemish was not destroyed, they would try to repair it then bootleg it out the back door through a guy in Chapin. We had a heck of a time selling new boats when the factory was selling them out the back door cheaper than we paid for them!
Curly,I found out you get what you pay for so I bought a Grady.Should have bought it the first go around.Did catch a lot of fish out the old SeaBoss though!!!
“Catchin’ Hell II”
Grady White Sailfish 27
Twin 225 Yamahas
X-man, I am selling my 2010 Sea Hunt Triton 177cc. It has a 2007 Evinrude E-tec 90hp and Wesco aluminum trailer with breakaway tongue. The boat has everything but a bimini. I will let it go for $16,000 if you are interested. The book value is a little over $18,000. PM me if you are interested. Here is the link where I have it posted on craigslist. This is the 9th boat I have owned and I have to say it is the nicest riding and I have had 2 Scouts and an Aquasport.