Considering a used Ski Centurion. Your thoughts?

[billy bee 9]

Greetings:

We currently own a sweet old Ski Centurion--a 1982 TruTrac. It lacks seating for the friends and family that we like to get out onto the water. We are very happy with our older boat and would like to stay in the Centurion family. So, we are considering an upgrade to a 1993 Ski Centurion bowrider. 

Here are some of the details of the boat we are considering:

• 1993 Ski Centurion with bow seating
• 480 hours
• new upholstery
• new carpet
• new batteries (two battery system)
• cover (the boat has been covered and stored indoors, according to the seller)
• second owner (according to the seller)
• asking price is out of line @ $14k, but they said they would take $10k, which seems reasonable to me
• bimini top also reupholstered
• surge brakes on trailer need work--apparently the master cylinder is seized

Here are my questions:

• What is a reasonable price? NADA sometimes misses the mark due to high or low demand. 
• Reliability of the systems on this generation of Centurion boats?
• Build quality of this generation of Centurion boats?
• What should I look for when inspecting the boat?
• What's your experience with early 90's Centurions? 

Thanks in advance,

Bill

 

 

Edited February 15, 2018 by billy bee

[Jake707 171]

Not sure where you are located for current market comparisons or what your primary use is for the boat but seeing that you are looking at another direct drive I would say skiing and tubing at most for primary uses. for reference here is a 93 Falcon DD Bro'd out for 7K but closed bow so an open bow version would prolly be a couple grand more which means that 10K, I would think was in line but on the high end depending on options etc. I also don't see what your budget is but if you were to up it a mere 50% (haha sorry) to 15K you could get into 2000+ DD boats with fuel injection etc. I personally would want V drive for the most open space area as well as versatility for multiple sports on the water however you would really be looking at 18K and up

 

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/boa/d/centurion-falcon-xp/6496924957.html

[Dan gib 8]

I could be wrong but even 10 seems high but if it is minty and what you want go for it. I feel like i see similar boats in same age range for 6k. check this out thought it seemed decent not sure the hours though.

 

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/boa/d/1995-malibu-echelon/6494380466.html

[Jake707 171]

yes, but you are going to pay more for an open bow. Just the way it is.  That echelon is very clean but closed bow and they still want 8K for it so 10K for a nice clean open bow is in the ballpark, at the higher end like I originally said but not out of question.

[billy bee 9]

Hi guys:

Thanks for the feedback and links. We definitely want an open bow boat and realize they are more expensive. We also use it only for skiing and tubing...so far. We have some friends who want to wake surf. We could do that behind our 1982 Tru-Trac by seating people in the stern and going slow. There are also some attachments that make that possible, but wake surfing is not our focus.

Our current boat has a single axle trailer. I like the idea of a tandem trailer. I have had a tire blow on the single and it was a wild ride. Less so with a tandem. 

Keep your insights coming. Really like reading what you guys have to say. 

Meanwhile, here are some more pictures of the boat that the owners sent me. Looks pretty nice to me...

bb

 

 

 

 

[Nick213 583]

Nice looks like it's in great condition! I say try and get them down a bit, I think there's some 2000 and up T5's out there going for not much more.

[Nick213 583]

Here's a 06 with only 58 hours on it!

It's double your budget but an idea as to where there on price and what's available. I'm sure there's more and comparable price to what your price range is, but that was just a real quick search I just did.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2006-centurion-t5-103215889/?refSource=standard listing

[billy bee 9]

6 hours ago, Jake707 said:

Not sure where you are located for current market comparisons or what your primary use is for the boat

That would have been good info to include. We live in Arroyo Grande, CA, near Pismo Beach, and spend most of our time on the water at the Sac River Delta. So, we are close to you, Jake, much of the summer. We use our boat for skiing, primarily. We do have a tube and have some friends who want to try wake surfing. But we want a ski boat.  

[billy bee 9]

28 minutes ago, Nick213 said:

Here's a 06 with only 58 hours on it! It's double your budget but an idea as to where there on price and what's available.

That's a good find, Nick. Seems like a good deal on a like-new boat. 

I need to broaden my search a little. I have ben looking on CL for boats within a few hours of me.

bb

[Jake707 171]

I camp at Pismo at least once a year, love it over there.

I do love a direct drive in the water, the sure look sexy low and sleek but surfing one seems sketch haha

That is a very clean boat and if it suits your needs it seems like a nice but, just make sure its what youre going to want in the future too. I would imagine DD buyers are becoming fewer and fewer due to surfing becoming so popular as well as all these crossover boats being able to do all three main sports pretty dam well. A boat should never be looked at as an investment but limiting your exposure is always smart business. All that said, if you are still a DD man slap 9K cash in his hand take that new old stock hot rod boat home and enjoy life.

[billy bee 9]

5 hours ago, Jake707 said:

I camp at Pismo at least once a year, love it over there.

I do love a direct drive in the water, the sure look sexy low and sleek but surfing one seems sketch haha

I would imagine DD buyers are becoming fewer and fewer...

Hey Jake:

We love it here, too! Funny that we try to get to the Delta during the summer while your trying to get to Pismo...

Does DD=direct drive? Is surfing behind a direct-drive boat dangerous? Or is there just not enough of a wake?

bb

[Nick213 583]

1 hour ago, billy bee said:

Hey Jake:

We love it here, too! Funny that we try to get to the Delta during the summer while your trying to get to Pismo...

Does DD=direct drive? Is surfing behind a direct-drive boat dangerous? Or is there just not enough of a wake?

bb

They have a low freeboard and such a flat hull at the transom that everything is against putting out a decent size wake. 

 

I had a bowrider elite DD (yes DD=direct drive) that I could surf but it's a lot of work to stay in the tiny pocket and the boat gets swamped by wakes when there loaded up like that.

[jago bay baby 15]

I have the same exact boat same color and all i bought it three years ago in Modesto ca. for 7000 in about the same condition as far as i can tell from the pictures. The boat we bought had a tower and awesome stereo (wetsounds) . iam guessing it has a windsor 351 motor.  I think 10000 is a little high 

[jago bay baby 15]

like nick said  real low free board not a surf boat we use ours for wake boarding knee boarding and tube pulling. I have taken a couple swampers over the bow in clear lake while picking up riders ( my own wake)

[Jake707 171]

You have to look at the DD (direct drive) hull's design, its main purpose is to go fast with little drag and create a flat to no wake so skiers can ride on glass at 30+. Everything about that is fighting against wake surfing where you go slow and create a huge wake.

[billy bee 9]

On 2/16/2018 at 4:02 PM, jago bay baby said:

I have taken a couple swampers over the bow in clear lake while picking up riders ( my own wake)

I've done that, too.

My wife likes to ski. I am just the driver, although occasionally I'll get in the water on a tube or on a ski. Mostly I drive and swim and drive some more. 

We love our boat. Love it. But it does not hold enough people when we are skiing. Hence, the bowrider option.  So, I think we want to stay with a ski boat. Hey, skiing will make a comeback...eventually. 

bb

[billy bee 9]

We are going to look at the boat on Friday. Bottom line so far is this--the boat we are considering is overpriced. Probably worth $7 - 8k. I have looked at values on line. How they are valued and what they sell for are different things. The on-line valuators have it in the $9k - $9500range. 

I'll let you all know what we think.

bb

[Nick213 583]

bb I'll throw a ski on any day it just has to be behind the correct boat.... there's no way I'm attempting to ski behind mine that's for sure. Good luck with your search if I come across something I'll post it up.

[Timr71 30]

So? How'd it look?  Did you buy it?  I have this exact same boat, same color and everything.  If it's super clean and there's no issues hiding below the floor, I'd say $9K tops.