FLYBOY

Thanks for all the advice guys, this was exactly what I was looking for. I am still heading down to look at the boat (and several others)as I will be down there anyway ( heading down to catch a plane to the bahamas for the MBT dive trip) This boat does meet MY families needs as we mostly dive, we very rarely bottom bump anymore when you can just go down and shoot the ones you want and when we do fish is mostly trolling from the edge to the nipple and a little farther. I have been in contact with the owner several times and in the last year he has replaced almost everything on the boat and he has sent me a ton of pictures. I have enough in the bank to purchase the boat AND put brand new GAS motors in immediatly or hopefully the motors will give me a couple of more years use out of them and by then I should have enough put back to put some diesels in her if that is whatwe want. I am trying to go down there without rose colored glasses and this thread has helped a ton with that. I should look at the boat Oct 13thish and will certainly update ya'll on what I find. Again Thanks everyone, we have a great little fishing community:usaflag

TWINKIE6816

It does kinda make you wonder why he has replace everything on boat within the last year! Did it all go out at various times or something else?

Telum Pisces

It's all good when you replace everything. Becauseyou know how the work was done. I am always leary of aboat when the owner tells me that a lot of stuff is new. On the surface, things may look new and great. But who knows how any work was done.

If it checks out and it's what you want for the right price, go for it. Are you getting a survey done or are you going to check it out yourself? Are you going down with the proper tools to check things out? Compression tests etc...

nb&twil

Matt, if you're not completely stuck on a flybridge model, I would take a look at some older topaz express models. They are built well and don't carry the price tags that some similar express boats do. I have fished and done lots of research on them. I'm in love with them, and once I pay down the debt to that old man down your street, I might start looking into one in the low 30's size.

Either way, whatever you get, I'll make a trip home just to help you look for the brown girls next spring! Hope all is well with you and the family.

I'll actually be home Oct 16-19 to bowhunt opening weekend. So come by dad's house and let's drink a beer when I'm home.

FLYBOY

IF I decide this boat is worth it, I most definetly will have a survey done to include a compression check and oil anylsis. Wil, good to hear from you man, I sent you a post in the hurricane section right before IKE, I was hoping you made it through all right!!! I too am in love with the Topaz express models the late 80's models in the 32 ft range are the the ones I love, but I have to keep mom and the kids happy...I am still trying to convince them though. When you get back home walk down and drink a cold one with me and let me know how Texas is working out for ya...your old man is ALWAYS working in the garage, does he ever sleep?

nb&twil

Actually, I don't know when he sleeps. I used to come home late when I still lived there at like 3 or 4 am and he would already be up for the day sitting in that chair, thinking about his day ahead of him.

Thanks for the concern with the storm. It was far enough north of us that it didn't bother us. From what Mom and Dad described, you guys actually got worse weather than we did here in Corpus.

As for the Express boats, I sure hope you can convince the family to go with a smaller cabin.Really, when you're on the boat, would you rather sit inside and stare out at the water through salt covered glass? Or have the marvelous breeze blowing your hair as you soak in the beautiful cobalt blue water as it meets the breathtaking sky with cotton looking clouds. If you word it just like that, it might help I fished a 32 a few years back and it was actually very comfortable inside. Has plenty of space when you want to get out of the heat, but still gives you way more fishability than a flybridge of a similar size.

Either way, I'm sure you're pumped to be moving up and getting a bigger boat.

Pinksnappertrapper

Check out that boat forsale on here. its a 90 model tirra or something. Boat looks really nice and clean. Just a thought.

wld1985

alright matt.. whatever happened with this?? get a boat or what.. its killin me..