SOLD: 15ft Zodiac MKIII Grand Raid - Suzuki DT65 - $2,000 - California/SF Bay

[A Good Ribbing]

I am in San Leandro, California. This is located south of Oakland, in the SF Bay Area.



(Pic is a few months old, see below for newer ones.)

I purchased this Zodiac about 6 months back from a guy in Napa, CA, used it 5 times max., and am forced to sell for a few reasons. Since I moved, I no longer have yard space to store the boat, so it is sitting curbside under a heavy-duty tarp. I also am no longer able to drive my truck regularly due to a knee injury, which makes it a rare day that I can allow myself a trip just for amusement. The boat has been great, but it's simply not the right time for me to own one.

I am selling it for a haggle-free $2000, which is a huge loss and barely covers the $1700+ in reconditioning and accessories spent after purchase (I paid a LOT more than $300 for the boat itself). She's not a looker of a boat, so I am not asking a premium, but it is a solid machine that's worth far more than $2000. And I want it gone! (Fast!)

Go to the very bottom of my post for some videos I took today (4/23), to give people an idea of how it starts, sounds, and runs.

When I got the boat, it needed some work, such as new thrust board in the bow, and a new air keel, but it didn't leak air, and had no patches! I put $1500 into it to get things done right by the local Zodiac experts (Tim's Zodiac Marine), which took care of the major issues, as well as any more minor issues they felt needed to be addressed (e.g., they re-did the fabric around the transom, which is good since it's got a 2-stroke 65HP motor on the back). Here is the original invoice, listing all the work. The boat still holds air great (no patches anywhere!), with no leaking seams, so it will be as rigid at the end of the day as it was in the beginning. Over the course of a few weeks it will soften due to air seeping past the air valves/caps, but this is normal for an inflatable boat with some years on it. In addition to a well-maintained boat, I am selling a number of major accessories.

To list it all out:

* A genuine 15' 1986 Zodiac Mark III Grand Raid...



* A 1986 Suzuki DT65 2-stroke outboard w/ power tilt, throttle, and center steering (yes, the control cables are ratty) with a recently refinished Solas prop (visible aluminum is just peeling paint)...



* An unused spare Michigan prop. Here is the receipt for the Solas refinish and spare prop.



* Accessories include a quality two-chamber footpump, a Garmin Fishfinder 140 (unused), and any other boat crap I can dig up for you.



* I will also include the trailer if you need it. I don't want it by any means, but it will need new tires if you want to use it to haul the boat on it more than ~50-100 miles. Supply the tires, or tack on the cost and I'll order/install them for you. Or just try your luck, knowing that the current tires are quite weather-cracked.

[A Good Ribbing]

Below is a picture of the whole boat, in its current condition. You will see one major difference from the glamour shot above. The plastic windshield has a crack in it, since some moron stepped on it while getting into the boat. The gorilla tape works great to keep it together, but naturally I would remove it entirely or replace with home depot lexan as soon as a new registration sticker comes in the mail. The only reason I haven't removed it is because my 07 sticker is affixed to it!



The only other noteworthy issue is the badly weathered control cable sheaths. The plastic is cracking off, and the outer cable sheath is rusty. The cables themselves are stainless steel and run fine, but the whole setup looks nasty and needs to be replaced. Battery is new with 1 use on it, but I mangled the terminal clamps so you'll need new ones to be perfect. Works as is though.

And how well does that fat lump of a motor run? For a 1986, I must say it runs super. I verified that the previous owner kept up on basic maintenance (lower unit oil, etc), and while I am not a boat mechanic, I am paranoid about my machines and I don't detect any suspicious noises or behaviors. It cranks for ~10 seconds when very cold before it catches, but on a normal 60-70F day it will start up faster than that. It has never died out on the water, and starts up instantly when warm. Basically, it's a solid old 2-stroke motor.

Videos

Here are some videos I took today (4/23) of the boat in action, to help you get a feel for what it runs and sounds like. Top speed with 2 people and gear is ~35mph. I suspect trim tabs (or whatever they're called) would help a LOT, since it churns a lot of water past its comfortable cruising speed of 25-30mph.

Floating at the dock.

Cold starting the old 2-stroke. (Turn up volume to hear cranking.)

Motor running at low speed. (See, the impeller works!)

Cruising. (Wind noise, then sound of motor at cruising speed.)

Turning at speed. (Guess I should have warned the cameraman before crossing my wake?)

Going at low speed.

Warm start. (Fires up instantly.)

CONTACT INFO

Mike
PM: See my profile.
Email: esforum@sbcglobal.net (takes me a while to reply since my comp. access is limited--calling is best)
Phone: (510) TOO SIX FIFE-4844 (read it out loud)

Title and keys are ready!

[A Good Ribbing]

no Longer For Sale. I Am Parting It Out, Look For The Motor On Craigslist Tomorrow...