Looking to buy a Bombard DB 600 or Zodiac Pro 15 man

[columbiachop]

hey, a little input on bombard pvc tubes for you. i just bought a Bombard Commando 5 a few weeks ago. it's a SIB made from PVC. it's a 1985 which i believe was stored outside for at least the last 5 years with no cover.

so...it has very little or no fading and it's black. all the seems on the exterior look great.

the problem is that the baffles or whatever you call them that seal the chambers from one another are all leaking or are completely blown.

the transom has been replaced as well.

i don't know if this is good or bad news, but that's how this 20 year old pvc bombard has aged. oh, and only 2 patches.

andy

[pathalla]

A few comments.... If you are going to be using this boat primarily in fresh water you can probably get away with mechanical steering, any extended use in saltwater you might want to make sure you have hydraulic as a mechanical system rusts and has a tendency to lock up in salt, Seastar seems to have a lock on the U.S. market although there are other makers Vetus, etc. As to power, due to market penetration Yamaha is probably the best bet ( parts availability, dealers ) I used to buy Mercury or Evinrude outboards, that all changed about 9 yrs ago. I have owned several Yamahas since, If you want a boat where you just hit the key and go, buy a Yamaha, I ran a 150 v-6 that I just sold recently that had in excess of 3500 hours on it, still running fine, no problems. Once in a great while you might replace a fuel pump, thats about it. I have never had any breakdowns with any of their motors, they are reliable as they come. Consider a two stroke, fours are more expensive, I am still running two- strokes now, Great out of the hole, and decent economy if you keep your foot out of it, and definitely take a look at Nautica International's boats, They have excellent build quality, I believe they still offer a ten year warranty on the hull and tubes, they also use a composite for stringers, bulkheads below deck, Makes their boats extremely strong,light and rot proof. If you can make to Make it to Miami (Pembroke Pines) You can get a tour of their facility and see them in the building process, from layup in the molds to final rigging, definitely the best U.S. builder, call down there, It's definitely worth a look, tell em Pat Hallaran said hello! (954)986-1600 is their number, take a look from time to time at their used boats as well.