1980 F26

Kelly C · Post by **Kelly C** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:49 am

Looking at buying a F26 my first bigger boat Should I get it surveyed?
I here that a single screw takes a while to get use to. Is 1200 Hr on a 305 alot and is it under powered. Current owner could not tell me how fast it would be kept it docked alot I gathering. Any reply's would be helpful
Kelly C

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 12:29 pm

Welcome to the forum. Yes definately get a survey. Engine hours in my opinion is not as important in knowing as much as whether the previous owner looked after it or not. If they did proper maintenance and didn't beat the sh#$ out of it, the engine probably has a lot of life left. I would do an oil analisys. It can tell you a lot. Also a compression test. Single screw does take a little getting use to but you'll get it eventually.

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 12:35 pm

Welcome aboard Kelly C, In my neck of the woods just about everybody has boats and I don't know anybody that has had a survey done on anything smaller than 30ft and/or under $20,000. But they don't go in blind either and that depends on who you have helping you and how much you and they know. It is really up to money. There is nothing on a boat that can't be fixed with time and money, but if you are not knowledgable or don't know someone who is, then a survey will help you find any hidden major problems, such as bad stringers or engine/running gear defects that would affect your decision. A survey also will help with insurance which in some cases is mandatory.

foofer b · Post by **foofer b** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 8:35 pm

Welcome to the forum and Get a survey. Idid not but got lucky. Here are some pics of mine.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 9:25 pm

Welcome to the forum Kelly,

Absolutely get the boat surveyed. This will give you a good perspective on the condition of the boat which will help you negotiate a fair purchase price if you should choose to buy. 1200 hrs on the engine is not necessarily a bad thing depending on how it has been maintained. Unfortunately, most surveys do not include a thorough inspection of the engine however the present owner may agree to you or your mechanic doing an inspection. Again, it's good to know what you're buying.

The 228 hp 305 cid is not under powered for this boat when you consider that these boats are not meant to be fast boats. With the 305, a 1:1 gear ratio and a 14 x 9 propeller, all in good condition, this boat should cruise nicely at about 18-20 mph and have a WOT speed of about 27 mph. Other things that will affect the speed are if the bottom is clean, extra weight of a hard top or fly bridge, fresh or salt water operation and how much other extra weight is in the boat.

As far as handling the single screw is concerned, you'll definitely find it tricky in the beginning. Cruising into a head or quartering sea is no problem but handling in marinas and boat wells will require getting used to the effects of inertia and prop walk then using them to your advantage. Once you do this, you'll find that these boats handle fairly easily. Cruising in a following sea, this boat tends to get pushed around a little and can be tough to handle. To counter this, raise the tabs and give her plenty of throttle and ride will smooth right out.

Keep in mind that this is an older boat and will probably require having a few things repaired or replaced. Also keep in mind that these boats are generally built like a brick sh!t house and are solid as the day is long. There are several F-26 owners on this site who have taken their boats and customized and personalized them and basically turned them onto really nice boats.

Hope this helps.

larglo · Post by **larglo** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 12:23 am

Welcome aboard, your going to love this place and the boat. We have a 1980 F25 HT and enjoy it very much. Been working on it since the day we bought it, but that's part of the fun.
I never new what a survay was when we got our boat, but as with foofer, was lucky.
We love pictures here, so post some when you can.

Larry

foofer b · Post by **foofer b** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 5:55 am

Paul wrote:Welcome to the forum Kelly,

..... but handling in marinas and boat wells will require getting used to the effects of inertia and prop walk then using them to your advantage. Once you do this, you'll find that these boats handle fairly easily. .......

There are several F-26 owners on this site who have taken their boats and customized and personalized them and basically turned them onto really nice boats.

I have never heard it stated so well- about handling.

Yes there are some owners whose boats are even nicer than when they were new!! Paul's is one of them. He knows as much or probably more than any on the site and his boat is gorgeous. Here are some pics of his boat- hope you don't mind Paul.

PAUL'S BOAT

YOU COULD EAT OFF HIS BILGES!!!!

DINGHY LIFT DAVITS, WOW.

CUSTOM ELECTRONICS CONSOLE

RADAR ARCH AND I BELIEVE A CUSTOM HARD TOP

larglo · Post by **larglo** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:52 am

Kelly,

I hope you don't mind, but after seeing Paul's boat pic's, I just can't help myself.

Those pictures has really inspired me to get my boat as good looking as his. Although, I don't think I'll be quit able to do that.

I have been thinking about the overhead panel for some time. I won't have the gear he does, but would like to put the GPS/FISH FINDER and the VHF radio etc there.

That Dinghy looks really great. I also was wondering about carrying a smaller, say 9' inflatable craft, to use to get closer to shore for fishing. I can't afford to buy the holder arms he has, but perhaps I can make my own?
I love working on the boat, and it's as much fun as using her. I tell my wife,,,,I just about got it done, but now I know I never will.

Let us know soon as you can about the boat, OK, and thanks for letting me use your post.

Larry

PS,,, Great job Paul!

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:06 pm

Thanks for the complements gents.

Kelly, as you can see there are several of us here that have learned a fair amount about these boats over the years and are willing to try to answer questions and help each other out. If you need any additional info, don't be afraid to ask.

Foofer, the arch is custom but the hard top is factory original.

Larry, easy way to make the overhead console is to make it out of cardboard and masking tape first. This makes it easy to trim it and get the fit just right. Once you're happy with the model, cut it apart and use it as a template and transfer the shape to 1/4" ply wood. Now cut the pieces out of the ply, glue them together then cover it in vinyl.

The davits are home made as well. Aluminum tube welded together then powder coated. The mounts are 316 stainless and were formed on a brake press. I used a local fab shop for the forming and welding.

foofer b · Post by **foofer b** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 5:53 pm

Larglo, Weaver makes davits for hard shelled and inflatable dinghies. They are expenseve, but purpose built and work well. I found a set on Craigslist for a third of retail and then got some stand off brackets on CL for $30.

Here's their site http://www.weaverindustries.com/

This is the kind I got. http://www.weaverindustries.com/index.c ... hooks.html

randyp · Post by **randyp** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:46 pm

Welcome aboard! I'll ditto all the comments from the other F-26 owners, especially about getting a survey. Some things that can go bump in the night----- soft spots on the forward deck, near where the anchor mount is.....Trojan must have had a thing about not caulking....This is a common problem. The other would be soft or rotted stringers, but these can be common on a lot of boats that used wood stringers. The engine is sized well for this size of boat, and I agree that you can cruise all day at around 15 - 20 mph and top off at over 25mph. Best performance for long cruising and gas economy (since I just heard thanks to what's going on in Lybia it could be over $5/gallon this summer) is around 1600 - 1800 rpm. You'll have a short time getting used to the single prop. Mine likes to "walk" to the left when I put it in reverse (prop walk), so I usually try to dock on the port side....angle the bow in and then put it in reverse, give it some throttle and the stern swings right in! If you get boat practice handling by trying to "dock" near an imaginary dock (I know it's not legal, but I used to practice near a buoy on our lake). You can learn quickly how to spin it on a dime but turning the wheel in on direction in slow forward, then easing off the throttle and putting it in reverse, spinning the wheel in the opposite direction, and then easing on the throttle. Do this enough times and you can impress your buddies by spinning the boat around just before you come into a slip and then backing it in!!! Oh yeah, now we're talking.

Hope the F-26 proves to be the boat of your dreams. I know it is for me!