Found a Futura

[_monkey]

I've found a 2nd hand Futura I like (pics below) - I'm going to view it at the end of the month. The boat/engine are from 2013 - engine has 93 hours use, so should be in good condition.

I've emailed Mercury in Belgium with the engine serial number to see what info they hold.

I will be checking the PVC for damage. I am no mechanic, so what checks should I make on the engine?

[office888]

It does not look like the trailer is set up properly for the boat. There should be 4 bunks. 2 on the outside of the tube and 2 on the inside of the tube. The 2 inside the tube need to support the transom as well. A transom saver should be utilized to ensure the stresses of trailing are not absorbed to the transom.

For the boat, inspect the transom for ungluing or rot. I would also bring a spray bottle of soapy water to check the tubes. Be sure to inspect the back of the speed tubes as well. People run them underinflated, and it tends to blow out the rear welded seam on them.

They're ridiculously fun boats... underappreciated in my eyes.

[_monkey]

Thanks for your advice Richard.

I've been looking for a suitable Futura for a while now; there seems to be lots around the 2000 / 2004 age, but very little that is newer. I am not sure if it is because people stopped buying them or the glue in the 2000/2004 boats is starting to fail and people are getting out of them?

[stevo]

a 50hp four stroke on a sib no thanks, rather have a 25hp 2stroke.

[office888]

Originally Posted by _monkey

Thanks for your advice Richard.

I've been looking for a suitable Futura for a while now; there seems to be lots around the 2000 / 2004 age, but very little that is newer. I am not sure if it is because people stopped buying them or the glue in the 2000/2004 boats is starting to fail and people are getting out of them?

With the financial recession around the mid 2000s, people stopped buying as many boats, so you will not see as many around ~2007 or so.

If you can get a fairly fresh one, you'll get many years of service out of it.

Originally Posted by stevo

a 50hp four stroke on a sib no thanks, rather have a 25hp 2stroke.

It's a lot of fun on flat water with a light load! Propped with a high pitch or cleaver prop, you'd be looking at a 40+ mph boat. Not bad for a 15 ft SIB.

Great for divers too, thanks to the extra torque... prop it down, and it'll cruise at ~25 mph comfortably with a heavy load.

[lightning]

What to check on the engine? Firstly that it (and the boat) are not stolen!
If it's only two years old the seller would have almost certainly bought it new, and they should therefore have some documentation and be able to tell you where they bought it from.

[_monkey]

I now have copies of the invoices for boat/engine/trailer all seems to stack up.

I am buying the boat from Amsterdam and the seller has arranged for both of us to visit to Post office to get the boat registered in my name.

I will also arrange for it to have a service before I collect at a Merc dealer.

Anything else I need to validate?

[Max...]

Originally Posted by office888

It's a lot of fun on flat water with a light load! Propped with a high pitch or cleaver prop, you'd be looking at a 40+ mph boat. Not bad for a 15 ft SIB.

Problem is (without any huge lakes this side of the pond down south at least) most of us use boats on the sea - and that is rarely flat in the UK! I for one would not want to be doing 40 in a flat bottom SIB.

Genuinely out of interest Monkey - why are you not going down the RIB route?

[_monkey]

The reason I went for the Futura is we visit Holland at least three times a year - we are going at the end of May for a week - and then camp near the Lakes around Bordeaux for 3 weeks in August - so the Futura should be OK for that.

The part I need to figure out is where to use it in the UK, we visit the New Forest / Dorset pretty regularly over the spring/summer so Christchurch / Poole / Hamble are options and maybe occasional blasts in inshore waters when the conditions are favourable.

I have children of 5 and 7 so I don't plan to be going out in any poor sea conditions. When they get older, I am hoping they will enjoy boating and we can get something more exciting!

[office888]

Originally Posted by Max...

Problem is (without any huge lakes this side of the pond down south at least) most of us use boats on the sea - and that is rarely flat in the UK! I for one would not want to be doing 40 in a flat bottom SIB.

They do fine in rough water too! Great for divers.

The speed tubes add additional shock absorption when you come crashing off the crest of a wave.

Remember, the Futura hulls evolved in to the standard boat for the US Military's "Combat Rubber Raiding Craft" which can be deployed in a variety of rough water conditions.

[Max...]

Ahhh - sounds fun Richard! Good luck with the boat Monkey.