New to the Forum, addvices need! buying a FC470 for $6000

psle1000 · 19 October 2014, 09:15

i wanted to know if this is a deal, let me know what you guys think.

this is what im buying:

2009 ZODIAC FC-470- BOAT USED AS DEMO FOR TRAINING CLASSES/STATIC DISPLAYS.

INCLUDES: HARD DECK ALUMINUM FLOOR, PADDLE BAG W/4 PADDLES, BOW BAGS W/2 FOOT PUMPS, OWNER/OPERATOR MANUAL.

MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY 5 YEARS ON FABRIC,TRANSOM AND HARDWARE. MCO/TITLE INCLUDED WITH SALE.

SPECS: WEIGHS 325LBS, LENGTH 15.5', CAN ACCOMODATE UP TO 65HP OUTBOARD WITH HARD DECK, 20" TRANSOM.TRANSOM MODIFICATION KIT AVAILABLE AT

(SS TRANSOM PLATE,EYE BOLTS,ENGINE LOCKING PINS, 7' SOLID ALUMINUM STRINGERS). GIVES THE BOAT MORE RIGIDITY RUNNING HEAVIER OUTBOARD.

the engine i plan on using is the Evenrude inline 60hp. i have look on this forum and haven't seen anyone using this set up.

what i want to know is am i getting a deal? this FC470 is in NC and will be ship to Sol CA for $6k OTD for just the boat. am i paying to much? i have a friend that is going to look at the boat and take more photos of it for me. what should i ask about the boat? what should i tell him to look at and take photos of?

what i will be using this boat for is in the open ocean most of the time. i will be going to Catalina island a few times and just have fun in the waters of Sol CA. i love speed is 60hp to much? will it be controllable?

thanks for all the help and hope to hear from you all soon.

here is a few photos that i got form the seller.

psle1000 · 19 October 2014, 09:17

i will buy the outboard latter. in no rush tell i know what im getting.

jyasaki · 19 October 2014, 18:42

I thought Zodiac had gone to a 10 year fabric warranty?

Price doesn't sound too out of line, but I'm not really up on 470's. The $6K includes shipping?

jky

Peter_C · 19 October 2014, 19:49

The boat is only rated to a 40hp motor.

Catalina in a SIB? I only know one person who does that! He chooses his days wisely.

Since it is going to need to be on a trailer anyhow, why not get a RIB, motor, trailer combo for a good price. They are far superior for making ocean crossings and allowing a place to mount GPS, radios, etc. Winter is the time to buy boats.

ncp · 19 October 2014, 20:32

That's on the high end for a used FC470. Watch eBay and Craigslist...

psle1000 · 20 October 2014, 01:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

I thought Zodiac had gone to a 10 year fabric warranty?

Price doesn't sound too out of line, but I'm not really up on 470's. The $6K includes shipping?

jky

the $6k is with shipping.

psle1000 · 20 October 2014, 01:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

The boat is only rated to a 40hp motor.

Catalina in a SIB? I only know one person who does that! He chooses his days wisely.

Since it is going to need to be on a trailer anyhow, why not get a RIB, motor, trailer combo for a good price. They are far superior for making ocean crossings and allowing a place to mount GPS, radios, etc. Winter is the time to buy boats.

with the aluminum flooring the boat can handle 65 horsepower

psle1000 · 20 October 2014, 01:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncp

That's on the high end for a used FC470. Watch eBay and Craigslist...

found it on ebay

psle1000 · 20 October 2014, 01:05

any one using a 60 hp on the FC470?

what should.bbi be asking the guy about the boat?

prairie tuber · 20 October 2014, 01:28

If the boat has in fact only been used for display and the occasional demo, the price seems fair, just not an exceptional bargain.

I'd ask a bit about the frequency and duration of the demos, were they in salt or fresh water, how was the outboard fastened for the demos, how was the boat cleaned following the demos etc...

psle1000 · 20 October 2014, 02:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

If the boat has in fact only been used for display and the occasional demo, the price seems fair, just not an exceptional bargain.

I'd ask a bit about the frequency and duration of the demos, were they in salt or fresh water, how was the outboard fastened for the demos, how was the boat cleaned following the demos etc...

thanks for the advice, that what i wanted to hear. anyone have any other good questions?

how about this 60hp eng. what input do you guys have on that?

prairie tuber · 20 October 2014, 04:10

If you are looking at outboards 5years old or less consider that:

Tohatsu TLDI (direct injection 2 stroke) 40 & 50 hp outboards are 205 lbs

Suzuki 40 hp, 50 hp & 60 hp outboards are all the same weight at 229 lbs.

Honda 40 & 50 hps are about 214 lbs, their 60 hp is about 242 llbs

ETEC 40hp, 50hp & 60 hp are also about 240 lbs

Yamaha 50hp, 60 hp & 70 hp are about 251 lbs

Above weights don't include the tiller arms (which you'd want for this type of boat)

To me it would make sense to go with the most powerful engine you can at a given weight. The US navy use specialized 55 hp ETECs on F-470s with the Durajet drives which brings their weight to 262 lbs. So you should be fine with any of the above 60 hp outboards with regard to weight and power.

I'm familiar with these numbers because I've been researching for my own 4.7 meter inflatable. I currently have a ~1995 Yamaha 40 hp 2 stroke (about 180 lbs) which has been bombproof but is fuel thirsty. This fuel thirst does limit my range between re-fueling (I often take 5 x 5 gallon jerry cans of gas on trips, and don't want to have to haul any more than that). Personally, I'm finding the Suzuki DF60 to be the most appealing of the bunch.

psle1000 · 20 October 2014, 07:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

If you are looking at outboards 5years old or less consider that:

Tohatsu TLDI (direct injection 2 stroke) 40 & 50 hp outboards are 205 lbs

Suzuki 40 hp, 50 hp & 60 hp outboards are all the same weight at 229 lbs.

Honda 40 & 50 hps are about 214 lbs, their 60 hp is about 242 llbs

ETEC 40hp, 50hp & 60 hp are also about 240 lbs

Yamaha 50hp, 60 hp & 70 hp are about 251 lbs

Above weights don't include the tiller arms (which you'd want for this type of boat)

To me it would make sense to go with the most powerful engine you can at a given weight. The US navy use specialized 55 hp ETECs on F-470s with the Durajet drives which brings their weight to 262 lbs. So you should be fine with any of the above 60 hp outboards with regard to weight and power.

I'm familiar with these numbers because I've been researching for my own 4.7 meter inflatable. I currently have a ~1995 Yamaha 40 hp 2 stroke (about 180 lbs) which has been bombproof but is fuel thirsty. This fuel thirst does limit my range between re-fueling (I often take 5 x 5 gallon jerry cans of gas on trips, and don't want to have to haul any more than that). Personally, I'm finding the Suzuki DF60 to be the most appealing of the bunch.

super info, thanks for the advices. the more the better guys, keep it coming.

right now im about 85% buying a 60hp. is there anything bad about having a 60hp? what the con's beside the gas.

prairie tuber · 20 October 2014, 14:50

If you are comparing fuel consumption of a 60hp outboard to that of a 40 hp outboard of the same make (eg Suzuki DF60a vs DF40a or an ETEC 60hp vs ETEC 40 hp), you should see pretty much the same rate of fuel consumption at outputs of 40 hp and under. The main difference will be in the tuning and that the upper rev limit will be higher on the 60 hp.

In other words, if operating a 60 hp engine at the same rpm as the upper rpm limit of it's 40 hp counterpart (or lower) you shouldn't see a difference in fuel consumpiton. Same engine displacement at the same rpms should result in the same fuel consumption.

Now if you spend the vast majority of your cruising time with the throttle pinned (as I like to do

), then yes, you will burn through more fuel with a 60, and have a whole lot more fun doing it!

psle1000 · 20 October 2014, 16:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

If you are comparing fuel consumption of a 60hp outboard to that of a 40 hp outboard of the same make (eg Suzuki DF60a vs DF40a or an ETEC 60hp vs ETEC 40 hp), you should see pretty much the same rate of fuel consumption at outputs of 40 hp and under. The main difference will be in the tuning and that the upper rev limit will be higher on the 60 hp.

In other words, if operating a 60 hp engine at the same rpm as the upper rpm limit of it's 40 hp counterpart (or lower) you shouldn't see a difference in fuel consumpiton. Same engine displacement at the same rpms should result in the same fuel consumption.

Now if you spend the vast majority of your cruising time with the throttle pinned (as I like to do

), then yes, you will burn through more fuel with a 60, and have a whole lot more fun doing it!

ok good info, im at 90% now towards a 60hp. I havent told the seller what outboard I'm running yet. he said that if im running the 60hp he will drell holes into the transit board so I can mount the 60hp with nuts and bolts so it will be better reinforce.

I also just got a 18 gallon zodiec bladder for $250 from the seller. is that a good deal?

psle1000 · 20 October 2014, 16:27

anyone that you guys hard of that is running a 60hp on there FC470?

jwatson · 20 October 2014, 17:17

As Peter said. That boat will only accommodate 40hp. As far as I am aware you can't just put an Ali floor in any sib. They are either inflatable floor, or rigid. Meaning that sib is designed to accommodate up to a 40hp motor with the Ali floor it comes with. A 65 is way way overboard. It will weigh too much, possibly break the transom and invalidate your insurance. If I were you I'd be getting a rib all day long.

psle1000 · 20 October 2014, 17:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwatson

As Peter said. That boat will only accommodate 40hp. As far as I am aware you can't just put an Ali floor in any sib. They are either inflatable floor, or rigid. Meaning that sib is designed to accommodate up to a 40hp motor with the Ali floor it comes with. A 65 is way way overboard. It will weigh too much, possibly break the transom and invalidate your insurance. If I were you I'd be getting a rib all day long.

I dont get it, when I was in the marines in 2004 I was traind on a Jonson 55hp and I was using it with the FC 470. I know for a fact that Johnson 55 was way heavier than the evenrude. whats the difference now with the FC 470?

jwatson · 20 October 2014, 18:12

I could be wrong but that's my understanding of that transom plate. And it may appear the 60hp is no heavier than a 40. That's still a lot of power on an inflatable boat!

Peter_C · 20 October 2014, 18:12

Assuming the boat is capable of handling the 60hp the only problem then is the ID plate. It is illegal to go over passenger amount, load weight, or horse power. That is a Coast Guard plate and what both the insurance company and Coast Guard will go by. Unfortunately it can not be changed either as it has the boats ID number. Removal of it is also illegal for a few reasons which I am sure you can figure out.

The only reason I am familiar with all this is that I know people who owned 6 passenger boats but always put more people in. The sheriff or Coast Guard on the Sacramento Delta and surrounding lakes would use the plate to determine if they were within the boat specs or not. So yes under the right circumstances the ID plate might be examined.

Again for what you want to do I would HIGHLY recommend a RIB. I have driven right next to my friends 16' Zodiac RIB and while I was getting beat up he was riding smooth in the rough water. Should I even mention how a slightly larger RIB does in rough water? I would bet buying a complete used package will cost you about the same. Tworotorturbo is trying to sell/trade his Zodiac.
http://www.rib.net/forum/f47/califor...0-a-64991.html