Boat Reviews (3)
Boat Review for Savage Bluefin (older, late 1960's to early 1970's model)
I consider our family's Savage Bluefin to be a bullet-proof little boat. Built in the late 1960's or early 1970's (and up until about 1980), this popular fibreglass monohull boat is reliable and was built to withstand the test of time. She's somewhere 35-40 years old surely, but the hull is still sound and provides a comfortable ride in varying sea conditions. When she's waxed and polished there's still some shine in the gelcoat and her styling (although dated) still makes her a beautiful boat that attracts looks.
We have had our Savage Bluefin for 22 years now. In that time we have replaced the twin Chrysler 85 horse power outboard engines with a new Mercury Saltwater Series 140 horsepower outboard engine. The transom has been replaced in recent years, but it had a very long life. Same with the aft decks which started to go a bit soft. And these are probably the two big-ticket items to look out for in the older Savage models.
The Savage Bluefin is a practical boat. At 21 feet long it is not too big to trailer about and not too small to handle the chop out on the bays. Our boat has the cabin, but no hardtop as seen on some models - particularly the boats that have the inboard engine and stern drive configuration. These older Savage boats at least have reasonable sidedecks - unlike many newer boats which have dispensed with them. The gunwhales are about waist-height on me (I'm 5 feet 11 inches tall) and this is great for fishing and climbing into and out of the boat.
The hull has a nice shape considering its vintage. It has moderate deadrise for a relatively shallow draught and rocks and rolls a little, but the chines certainly temper the rolling motion to a more comfortable sway. We've been in some choppy seas with this boat, both at anchor whilst fishing and underway at various speeds. Amazingly, I find it to be a dry boat that is very seaworthy and balanced very well. The hull rides well and the slight bow flair helps deflect spray outward and away from the cabin windows.
The cabin a a good size, suits the appearance of the boat and still allows for plenty of space out back for the helm and fishing room. There is a vee-berth up forward under the boat's foredeck, which can be accessed by lying on your back and opening the forward hatch. You can sleep two people snugly in there. I like the Savage logo on the cushions - a nice finishing touch. The hull here is insulated by a decent layer of carpet which on many Savage Bluefin boats will probably show its age. Removing the centre cushion reveals a manual flush toilet and macerator pump.
Entering the cabin and to port there is a plumbed plastic sink with fawcet fed from a stainless steel fresh water tank also on the port side underneath the cabinetry. There's plenty of storage space with cupboards underneath. To starboard there's a handy plastic bench top ideal for spreading maps and charts or leaving personal effects. Underneath this is more storage space for lifejackets, tool boxes, tackle boxes and flares etc. All very simple, but effective and practical with little that can go wrong.
The cabin bulkhead provides wall-mounted interior cabin lighting to port and starboard, along with cup-holder storage. The cabinetry is a well-made varnished timber finished off with a darkened glaze which really suits the boat. Whilst you don't have head-height room in the cabin, there is room to move and plenty of room available to modernise the boat with conveniences such as a small refrigerator, a small television and DVD player for overnight stays. It's fine for overnight trips, which are always fun. Sliding side windows in the cabin and a screw-top vent in the foward hatch allow ventilation.
The helm station to starboard looks out over the boat's cabin roof, which has hand-crafted timber handles assisting anyone moving forward along the sidedecks and a centrally-mounted mast anchor light. The dash-mounted gauges are the original analogue ones that came with the boat and are angled so that you can read them easily whilst standing or sitting. The helm seating is provided by single leather-bound pedestal seats on either side of the cabin doors (which are those really nice old-fashioned varnished timber-slat doors!). Everything is within easy reach and access for servicing. The flat dash has room for as much fishing and technology gadgets as you want to splash out on, but too much will impair your sight forward.
When the throttle is opened, you might find it easier to get the best view forward by standing up as the bow pulls up. The Savage Bluefin hull has a smooth comfortable ride. The Saltwater Series Mercruiser motor cruises along at about 3,000 rpm. Fuel economy would vary little from newer boats of a similar size. The original stainless steel tank which was mounted centrally below the deck on our boat has been replaced with two smaller (removable) deck-mounted plastic tanks and we haven't measured fuel consumption with the newer Mercruiser engine. The Savage Bluefin is very solidly glassed and the weight might affect the figures, but I doubt she's heavy enough to drain much more fuel than the average modern boat.
Our boat does not have power steering, which certainly would be a nice addition. The old hydraulic steering is tight by today's standards and makes for a little bit more of a challenge when manouvering in tight spots - like boat ramps and marinas! We find trailering and launching the boat easy, although any decent trailer setup allows this these days. There's adequate brightworks - a good bowrail forward and side-mount rails at the stern for climbing onto the sidedecks or holding yourself steady when fishing. There's a cleat either side aft and fairleads forward with a stainless bollard central on the fordeck. The stainless steel was obviosuly a very good grade and 40 years on there's no sign of corrosion stains.
The 1970's Savage Bluefin was and still is a popular boat with a good reputation for being a sturdy little day fishing boat. Depending on condition they sell anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000 with a trailer. Many would need attention to some apsect, but they are worth paying the money for if well maintained. The boats with hardtops are a good buy if you can get one. I'm not sure about the performance of the inboard models, but I'd always prefer a simple outboard setup on a boat this size anyway. They are a classic Australian boat and worth paying that little bit extra for if you can pick one up.
Arvor 250 shows plenty of grit for a little work boat.
I've just had the pleasure of spending half a day aboard a little Arvor 250, or the Arvor 25 as I like to call it. This one is a 2008 model and purchased as a replacement for the owner's previous work boat, an Arvor 20. It's purpose is as a work boat in a marina and occasionally as a day-tripper on Victoria's pristine Gippsland Lakes. Our 4-hour trip commenced at around 9.10 am from Blairgowrie Yacht Club and took us to the jetty and boat ramp at Rhyll, on Phillip Island.
This Arvor 25 has the red gel coat, which really suits the boat. I'm not absolutely certain about longevity in the the red or navy that you sometimes see. But with a good wax and polish, it will certainly hold up for a number of years. Aesthetically, they're good-looking for a fishing boat or work boat and Arvor are definitely working harder to provide their customers with more interior fittings and a more polished look.
The first feature you notice with these boats is the high gunwale. A big bonus that helps keep the boat and you that bit dryer and more secure on those days when the waves are a bit more peaky. And it's a decent width too, so that you have a secure footing if climbing up and over during docking. This boat has the polished teak tops with inlaid rod holders on port and starboard with canvas covers. In fact the entire boat looks well built - secure in all facets of its design, which ultimately results in a very practical boat. Little wonder the Arvor boat range is creeping into marinas everywhere around Australia.
Out back there's a lot to like. The moulded swim platform - I'll call it a Marlin board here, as the Arvors are a popular choice for avid fisherman, is a decent size and thickness and sturdy under foot. There's a fold-out swim/mounting ladder and a polished teak auxiliary engine mount. The transom is set up for fishing with bait/cutting boards and rod holders ready to go. On the inside of the transom is a plumbed live bait well and a neat little compartment that has removable draws for fishing tackle. A rope locker on the port side doubles as a seat. There's adequate cleats for docking that are within an arm's length where ever you go on the boat.
What I loved was the spiral-hose transom spray gun. It is great for washing the fish blood and guts off the cleaning boards and cleaning the bait wells. But it extends long enough to walk to the front of the cabin and wash salt build-up off the windows and anchor windlass. And the pump actually has pressure! It's got enough guts to clean off some seriously nasty-smelling stuff off your boat!
There's heaps of deck space to move about for a day's fishing, where ever you go. There's room for at least four people to set up and have lunch and a beer afterwards in comfort. But fishing is where this boat will excel. Under the decks is enough locker space to go to sleep in and then some. Great for fenders, ropes, life jackets and fishing gear - whatever you like. The engine room layout is simple and uncluttered - hooray! The isolator switches are within easy reach and the engine itself looks serviceable with everything accessible. The best feature here is the high channel gutters that prevent water flooding the engine bay and bilge. I didn't measure them, but they looked a couple of inches high. The above-decks drainage is also good. Simple practical stuff that makes a great boat.
The cabin itself is also practical. Big enough for the essentials but not of a size to impede the serious job of pulling in the big ones. That's why you'd buy this boat. The moulded hard top really suits the appearance of the boat. The cabin is up forward out of the way and the big front windshield permits a great uninterrupted view over the ocean's expanse as you cruise towards your next favorite fishing spot. The Arvor 250 has plenty of interior cabin features and it is obvious that with each step up in the series, you get much more for your money.
The 25 has a separate head compartment down below the helm station. The vee-berth forward is quite large and spacious, due to the rounded, flared shape of the bow. There's plenty of storage here, too. The head compartment on this boat had a porta-potti chemical toilet, but its new owner intends on fitting a really good refrigeration system in there instead! Gotta keep the beers crisp! On the port side there's a sink and faucet and the boat came with a portable gas cooker ideal for warming up the Cup-a-Soups on the cooler days. All simple but practical stuff. The helm has fold-out seating, which gives you heaps of room to stand up - or you can lean back against the back rest whilst standing.
The forward dash is big enough to mount some decent sized electronics and yet keep them out of the way of the helmsman - handy. This Arvor 25 had a color chart plotter with CMAP charts on the port side away from the helm. It just allows you to retain the forward view and not have the impediment or distraction. There's an average-sized well in the dash for maps and personal belongings, although it's not deep enough and items tend to fly out of there easily with any decent swell.
The helm is practical. Everything within reach and easy view. There's a port and starboard windshield wiper, which came in handy regularly on this day in Bass Straight! There's tinted inlaid side windows that open for natural ventilation and a mix of digital and analogue controls. You can read the engine's fuel consumption rates, running temperatures and distances travelled on a single trip computer. The only thing I didn't like was the switches which are mounted lower on the vertical console front. You have to bend down to see what you're activating, which is only a small blip really!
This boat was fitted with a single Cummins Mercruiser inboard diesel (230 horse power, I think it was), shaft-drive with the propeller and shaft in a semi-tunnel format. The propeller and stainless steel rudder are protected by a skeg, but the protective support adjoining the rudder is not thick enough and looks like it would bend easily even in a light collision. Easily replaced with something more substantial, I think. The prop and shaft was a good size and the set-up underneath all solid looking.
Performance-wise this little boat is great. Once out of Port Phillip Bay and into Bass Straight, we were restricted to not much more than 13.5 knots for most of the sea journey. When we departed Blairgowrie, I noticed the fuel gauge reading half way between three-quarters and a full tank. By journey's end, it was just above the three-quarters-full mark. The tank I'm told, is holds 300 litres in diesel capacity. So that was a cheap 4 hour trip! The engine bay is insulated, but the engine is directly behind the cabin door. So if you end up taking phone calls (as the owner did several times), you'll need to close the cabin door! Overall the engine noise level was not excessive, even when we pushed her out to 21 knots closer to Phillip Island.
The Arvor 250 is very well balanced and has a nice ride. At 7.49 metres long and 2.93 metres beam, or 9 feet 6 inches, it has a beam to length ratio of 2.55:1. So she's a sturdy little unit. I wouldn't say she's high freeboard, but it's funny how the high gunwales give you that extra sense of security. The hull slides through the water and like the 20, the 25 turns in a tight circle and holds its balance remarkably well. Bass Straight was its usually bumpy self but not overly unpleasant - perfect to get the boat wet and test it's stability. We had some decent swell waves and the hull was never challenged in any aspect.
Draught is typically just under 1 metre but the boat displaces nearly 3 tonne, so she sits in the water well and doesn't rock uncontrollably. We only ran the trim tabs a couple of times when the wind picked up, but that was just to test that they worked! We hit some solid waves, crashed through some bigger ones and the hull sounds and feels solid underneath. A decent 'thud' with no bad vibration or shallow feel to the fibreglass work. The fully-enclosed cabins are fantastic - keep you dry and warm and out of the elements when the weather deteriorates.
This Arvor was fitted with a small bow thruster, which helped tackle the slight prop walk and wind when reversing in and out of the marina berth. There's also a neat little push-button feature that allows you to drop the boat from 5 knots down to 3 knots for trolling. This boat had a Lewmar electric windlass up forward and cabin controls for easy stress-free anchoring. Interestingly, the cabin positioning is staggered to port to allow a wide side deck access up forward. So you cannot walk up the port side. The bigger 28 foot model has a similar layout but you can walk up the port side. Front-on, it looks funny and you could definitely trick a mate (who knows none the wiser!) into thinking the boat builders did it by accident! I liked the little Arvor 20, because the cabin was centrally-mounted and I've never had trouble moving forward on that boat. The 28 has a sliding helm side-access door - brilliant for docking and trolling.
Overall, I think Arvor is going to do very well here in Australia. Fishing is a huge target market to focus on for boat builders. Their boats are practical, well-built and offer a reliable and stable platform for fishing that has great performance and handling characteristics. You have to walk around and in and out of the boat a number of times to try to find something to pick on! And even then, it's only something small. If they're doing well here, they deserve it. I'll be interested to see whether they bring out an Arvor 30 series, perhaps with a slightly longer cabin and with even more onboard creature comforts and features. I'm a big fan of spending nights aboard a boat, so here's hoping they bring in a cruise-range Arvor 30 or 32!!!
Some boat specifications courtesy of Arvor Australia:
- Length overall (including platform): 8.30 m
- Length of Hull: 7.49 m
- Beam: 2.93 m
- Draft: 0.93 m
- Displacement approx: 2775 kg
- Fuel tank: 300 L
- Engine: CMD (230 hp)
- CE certified: B 6632.0087 A0.9 CE RCD
Boat Review - 1994 Maxum 2700 SCR Express Cruiser
Written by boatplaceBoat Review - 1994 Maxum 2700 SCR Express Cruiser
It's a great little boat, quick to get on the plane and with plenty of onboard space for weekends away. My Maxum 2700 SCR is equipped with twin 262 cubic inch Mercruiser 4.3 litre LX V-6 engines mated to Alpha One stern drives.
- Length overall is 28 feet 9 inches
- Beam 9 feet 8 inches
- Draught 0.99 metre with stern drives down
- Fuel tank capacity 386 litres
- Fresh water tank (on the port side) capacity 113 litres
- Holding tank (on the starboard side) capacity 61 litres
It's well appointed, considering its age. The boat has a vee berth forward, convertible dinette and the really spacious mid-cabin. The Maxum 2700 will sleep four in comfort, but you could accommodate six if the need be. The vee berth is really a single bed, but a couple can cuddle up on it, no worries. In summer, you can fold down the passenger-side helm seating (a nice feature), which doubles as a sun pad by day and a bed by night. You also have enough room over the engine bay doors to put one or two on a double blow-up mattress.
The cockpit area is roomy and practical. The seating is an off-white vinyl and lasts well if looked after and cleaned routinely. You can sit two passengers next to the helmsman. Another two passenders can sit right behind them on the reverse side. As I mentioned above, this seat folds outwards and down if you want to sunbake! There is room to sit 3-4 passengers along the transom seat. Then there is a removeable seat for an additional two passengers that fits snugly into the starboard bulwark. All up, I'd say you can seat eleven adults comfortably. A removeable table fits into the starboard-most engine bay door.
This boat was built in the era just prior to boat builders installing refrigerators, ice makers, sinks and fawcets, barbeques and every other known kitchen appliance in the cockpit! So don't expect anything flash out the back. There is a handy (and decent) size live bait well directly under the helm seat. This is plumbed and can also be used as storage space for fenders, fishing rods, life jackets, you name it. Directly behind the helmsman's seat is a small plumbed sink for ice and drinks, although the previous owner of my boat had obviously used it to clean and gut fish! Considering its size it is of limited use, unless you're by yourself.
The two engine compartment doors are large and offer completely open access to the engines and water heater that came with the boat. The engine compartment is well insulated and reduces engine noise very very well - try running the motors with the hatches open to hear the difference! The engine compartment is laid out pretty well for a twin engine configuration. I've seen boats including Bayliners and Sea Rays with less engine room space, although this one is still pretty cramped. You don't want to be in there too long!
You have to be very careful not to stand on wiring and pumps in the engine compartment and will find yourself constantly manouvering around to jockey into position to work on the engines or check oils and lubricant levels. On the plus side, the average boatie can do the basics with no fuss; check the engine oil levels, power steering fluids, and gear lubricants - the resevoirs are all within easy access and are color coded for visibility. The fresh water tank is on the port side and the waste holding tank on the starboard. This impacts greatly the room down the outer-most side of both engines.
The helm itself provides good visibility over the curved foredeck. You step up onto the helm and the sense of a high freeboard offers you a really feeling when she's on the plane. The Maxum 2700 SCR appears to have the same freeboard as a Mustang 3200, which is easily another 5 or 6 feet longer. There is actually room between the helm seat and the controls to stand, which is nice. Whe seated, a person of average height (I'm 5 feet 11 inches tall), can still reach the steering wheel and dash-mounted switches.
There is plenty of room across the dash for GPS, radar and depth sounders. My boat was fitted with one of each - all separate units as opposed to the more advanced multi-purpose units available today. It all looks great in the photos (us guys love our gadgets), but in reality it clutters up the space and impairs vision if you are sitting down. It's all pretty stock standard, although I do not like the location of the fuses. They lie directly under the helm and gauge cluster. You have to get down on all fours and then lie on your side or back to get to them. So it's slightly (or very) annoying to replace or test them.
The console window opens outward to allow access over the foredeck. Non-skid steps and stainless support bars provide a safe passage forward. Pretty standard in an express cruiser, but also useful on a hot day if there's a nice breeze on the bay or lake. You can open this up to allow the cool fresh air to flow throughout the cockpit. The cockpit also has moulded non-skid decking and snap-on carpets are standard items. My boat has the radar arch with built-in sound speakers and night lighting.
Below decks is a spacious interior with everything needed to make a comfortable passage to and overnight stay at your favorite boating and fishing locations. The galley is port side and comprises of a Norcold refrigerator, Origo single burner stove, stainless steel sink and fawcet and hot water service. There are 12-volt and 240 volt outlets nearby for any additional devices you might like to plug in. The stove is conveniently located close by the companionway door, assisting ventilation whilst cooking. And there is a rectangular porthole behind it also. The storage space is great, with three head-level cupboards above the bench, a 3-draw utensils cupboard and additional storage lockers.
One of the features I really like is the onboard lighting. The Maxum 2700 SCR really lights up at night for overnight stays and entertaining. The cockpit has downlights in the radar arch, courtesy lights at the helm and companionway steps and the helm itself lights up nicely. The interior is decked out with lighting in every compartment. The galley has overhead lighting in downlight format. There is lighting over the dinette and just outside the head compartment, which also lights the entrance to the mid-cabin. The mid cabin and vee-berth have overhead lighting, but also have separate reading lights which is a nice gesture. The dinette will confortably seat four adults for meals, cards or watching a DVD.
Another great feature is the storage space aboard the boat. It's everwhere you look and I found new storage spaces one and two months into ownership of the boat! It's a typical design advantage of express cruisers to utilise every square inch of boat, but the Maxum 2700 SCR excels at it. There is storage everywhere - in and around the galley, for instance. There is space under both sides of the dinette seating and underneath the whole dinette itself. The mid cabin - which is very large by the standards, has heaps of space for clothing and personal belongings with 3 separate lockers. Another hanging locker in front of the vee berth. There is storage under the vee-berth, although mine is occupied by the split-system heater and air conditioner.
The head compartent features a dual toilet and shower with privacy curtain, a stainless steel sink, fawcet and vanity unit. There is ample lighting, a rectangular porthole for ventilaton and plenty of storage space. But importantly, plenty of space in generally to move, turn around and sit down. Something not always prevalent in boats generally. The shower is plumbed into a sump pump below the deck and an access hatch allows servicing of this area of the bilge. The toilet is a PAR manual pump toilet, which is simple and has not provided any problems.
Performance-wise, I can't complain either. The Maxum 2700 with twin V-6 Mercruisers will provide a Wide Open Throttle (WOT) speed of 40.8 miles per hour or a little over 65km per hour. That's at 4,700 rpm and over 35 knots top speed - enough to get you out of troubled waters quickly and safely. I find the planing cruise speed to be around 2,900 rpm and providing 27 miles per hour, or 43 km/h. Fuel consumption figures are set out below and include full fuel and water, safety equipment and passengers, as per Ken Naff from Maxum USA.
Fuel consumption below is PER ENGINE
|
Revs (RPM) |
Fuel consumption Gallons |
Fuel Consumption Litres |
|
2500 |
4 - 7 gallons per hour |
18 – 31 litres per hour |
|
3000 |
7 – 9 gallons per hour |
31 – 41 litres per hour |
|
3500 |
9.5 – 12 gallons per hour |
43 - 54 litres per hour |
|
4000 |
13 – 15 gallons per hour |
59 - 68 litres per hour |
|
4700 (maximum) |
16 – 18 gallons per hour |
72 - 82 litres per hour |
So going up rivers at 5 knots won't send you broke. You can put around on one engine fine, although steering is a little out of whack! I don't find my boat to be less economical than some smaller boats with outboards. I can easily get out for a day's fishing and budget on $100 fuel - you don't have to guzzle the entire tank rampaging around like a lunatic! It depends on what you want to do. Based on the figures above, I calculate 26 litres per hour, per engine on 2,900 rpm for cruise speed of 43 km/h. This would give me a cruise range of between 280 and 300 kms - about 7 hours at cruise speed with the 386 litre tank. That doesn't allow for winds, current, or inclement weather.
Handling is pretty good for a boat of its age. It's quick out of the hole for a boat nearly 30 feet long and has sharp response with the rack-and-pinion Teleflex power steering. Trim tabs assist balance the boat nicely if you've got a load or experience above-average winds. The hull planes nicely and its a great feeling standing at the helm - you feel high up and secure from any spray or wash on the rougher days. As with most express boats, she's fairly shallow draught and high freeboard - so she will rock a little, but no more so than any boat of this class. The light bow will make for a bit of a bounce on the bigger waves.
Berthing is made easier with the twin engine configuration. But the above facts stand on a windy day. You don't have much below the waterline and enough windage above it to challenge you on a windy day when entering the marina. The worst aspect of any planing hull express cruiser is that the bulk of the weight is down in the stern with the engines and related equipment. The bow essentially has no weight. So what can happen is that the wind will grab the bow and pull it around in whatever direction the wind is moving. A challenge to be had when docking!
Both my engines are tuned to idle at 500 rpm. Even at this speed, the boat glides through the water with relative ease. If you want to neatralise the engines to slow her, you need a good couple of boat lengths. When I approach my lane, I generally slip one engine into neautral to help reduce the boat's forward momentum. By the time I make my final inbound turn, she slows to a comfortable docking speed. On the windy days, I have to lift the revs on either or both engines if idle revs are not sufficient (ie. the wind is too strong on one side or another). As I said, this is only because these boats are very light in the bow. But with one engine in forward gear and the other in reverse, she'll turn on her own axis on a calm day.
Overall, the Maxum 2700 SCR has a lot more pluses than minuses on the scoreboard. Even though I spend most time aboard by myself, she's a great boat for families and for couples wanting to entertain. One of the biggest inconveniences - and again, not untypical of the production express cruiser, is that pulling things apart is not well catered for in the build. The production boat mentality, particularly in the USA, does not recognise the opinion or voice of the marine mechanic, marine electrician or DIY boater who must replace parts, service the boat and uphold maintenance.
What should have been a simple task to remove and replace the stereo system took two young men about 2 hours to do - the bloody thing was bolted in at the back of the unit where hands smaller than Yoda the Jedi Master would have struggled to reach. God forbid you have to replace the wiring to the sound speakers up forward in the vee berth. That will mean pulling the interior lining apart on both sides and who know where that ends trying to reassemble it. The motor to the starboard-side windscreen wiper is hidden up under the head compartment's storage locker. Again, a nuisance to pull apart.
The newer Maxum of the equivalent length is now the 2900 series. I was very disappointed when I stepped aboard. The mid cabin has shrunk on the newer models. I love boats and yachts and I love being aboard. The advantage of a cruiser is being able to go away for weekends, weeks or just overnight stays. So onboard accommodation is important to me. The newer models have a mid cabin that will challenge even your kids! The emphasis on the newer express boats is entertaining out back in the cockpit, where designers have increased volume size and the amenities I mentioned earlier. This means a sacrifice in interior space, which I personally don't favor. If you're after a big cockpit, save yourself some money and buy one of the larger bowriders!
Money-wise, the Maxum 2700 SCR is good value. An older one like mine is cheap if you elect the single V8 option, although even the twin V6 models have dropped in price. Express cruisers have flooded the markets in recent times and hence depreciate faster than their flybridge counterparts. Dollar for dollar, they're a good buy. They sit between Bayliner and Sea Ray, but the later only has a reputation for better quality interior furnishings and fittout. Mine was a US-import, so I bore the cost of changing the 110 volt shore power systems to 240 volts.
Obviously, you have double the cost to maintain two engines - two sets of manifolds and risers are the big ticket items. Not to forget two stern drives to service and double the number of sacrificial anodes required. Otherwise, a very good buy and definitely a boat I would recommend. Not sure I can say the same about the newer boats!