driftboat price question

[kokomas]

hey all, i am looking at a 2000 Hyde low pro in good condition with trailer and all the goodies. drift boats don't come up for sale that often in the east. any idea what the going rate is for a cash transaction? Anything i should look out for? someone warned me to test the trailer bearings although i'm not sure how to do that...

[neckdeep]

Back in the day, there were two ways my old man tested the bearings on our boat trailers. The careful way was to put a grease gun on the nips and see if contaminated grease/water came out the other side. The quicker method was to drive it at highway speed for a while and then put your hand on the hub to see if it was too hot, which indicated excessive friction inside the hub.

Go to the Hyde website. They take trade-ins and have a used boat market that will give you the pricing info you want. Using just the model year for price is tricky because some guys store their boats in the garage and lovingly clean them and service the trailer. Other boats get rode hard and put up wet and sit out in the driveway sun rotting without a cover. Ask how many days a year it was used. I've seen old guys get a boat and then barely use it because, SUPRISE!, rowing all day in the sun is hard work and doing it right requires strength and skills. Get under the trailer and look carefully at the underside of the boat and the chines for damage. Look around the oarlocks for any signs of cracking.

[kokomas]

thanks for the tips. the asking price is $150 below that on the hyde website for a comparable 2001 model. the pictures of the used boat i'm looking at if it helps. what am i looking at the oarlocks for...i assume they make it difficult to row when cracked?

[neckdeep]

You are looking for damage that indicates that the oar got hung up and transferred its leverage into the oarlock, creating microfractures. It's a rare thing to happen to a driftboat but there is something called "oar dig". If the boat is at a right angle to the current and the downstream oar snags up in a way that takes the blade of the oar under the boat then, if there is sufficient momentum, either the boat will roll or the oarlock will tear off. Its just something to look for.

[Lexi-Bell]

I've seen a two hydes of this vintage with issues under the dry storage area in the bow of the boat, fiberglass separating at the joints. Get in there with a flashlight if you can.

X2 on checking the bottom and particularly the chines, rebuilding the bottom of these boats is not cheap!

[kokomas]

What are chines?!?

any idea what a cover, spare oar, and rod tubes go for in the open market? i'm going back and forth with this guy and he seems to be besting me!

[kokomas]

i guess chines are the edges of the hull, stern and bow, is that right?

[angler99]

Chines are the where the bottom of the boat meet the sides. Hydes have hard chines, meaning they are more square. Clackas have round chines. There's a lot of debate on what is better. Hard chines tend to track better, meaning it's easier to keep your line on the river because water hits it at a consistent angle. They tend to be a bit more "grabby". Clackas are really easy to maneuver side to side, but don't track as well. Round chines = more maneuverability. Of course Clacka has a pretty amazing hull that makes up for some of the tracking issues.

Both are great boats. I would rather have a Clacka, but I am very happy with my Hyde. Both have lifetime guarantees on their hulls and offer a service where they will completely restore your boat in the future if needed, normally just the hull.

Also, the prices on the Hyde website are more than what you should spend from an individual. It's similar to buying a certified used car from a dealer than and individual seller.

[NMmatt]

Clacka warranty is specific to the original owner, I suspect Hyde is the same. Not saying don't pull the trigger, but I would think that drops the price!

[kokomas]

Chines are the where the bottom of the boat meet the sides. Hydes have hard chines, meaning they are more square. Clackas have round chines. There's a lot of debate on what is better. Hard chines tend to track better, meaning it's easier to keep your line on the river because water hits it at a consistent angle. They tend to be a bit more "grabby". Clackas are really easy to maneuver side to side, but don't track as well. Round chines = more maneuverability. Of course Clacka has a pretty amazing hull that makes up for some of the tracking issues.

Both are great boats. I would rather have a Clacka, but I am very happy with my Hyde. Both have lifetime guarantees on their hulls and offer a service where they will completely restore your boat in the future if needed, normally just the hull.

Also, the prices on the Hyde website are more than what you should spend from an individual. It's similar to buying a certified used car from a dealer than and individual seller.

I need someone to tell him that! His deal comes with a cover, rod tubes, extra oar, and maybe some anchor stay crap that the dealer one does not. Even still i bid 93% of the dealer price and by the sound of you guys that may have still been too high. He has been trying to beat my offer so i gave him a deadline of tomorrow. Tomorrow night i may be a drift boat owner

[kokomas]

thanks for the help all of you. I got the boat and all the stuff including cover spare tire/oar, landing net, motor plate, etc and knowledge from the dude on how to use it for $4550. not sure if i did well or not but i'm happy with it and what's best my dad and i will be out on the delaware for fathers day.

I looked at the oarlocks and saw no cracking. i looked in the bow drybox and saw no evidence of delaminating inside. The hull and chines are good except for one chip in the front right that the guy claims he bought the boat with in 2002 (its a 2000) and he has had no problems with it. He has bearing buddies full of grease and we took it out for a spin on the highway with no heat build up in the trailer hubs.

thanks for the guidance, fingers crossed i have a solid working driftboat for the next couple years. perhaps i can take a mag or two out to show you what i learn on the upper delaware river in ny/pa if any of you are out this way

[gretch6364]

CONGRATS!!

That is aweome. Someday, I will have a boat...I am jealous.

[kokomas]

Took the boat on a lake and now i want some kind of motor. Anyone know how much thrust I'm gonna want? Is 40 pounds like i see on the 200 dollar Walmart motor a waste of time for a 15 ft drift boat?

[schwerty]

Most guys in the Yellowstone region, myself included, run a 3.5-4hp. Anything more and you're getting into some serious wt. There are also regs on some lakes that limit you to 5hp and under.

A decent trolling motor is a good way to go too if you don't need to cover a lot of water.

Unfortunately, motors are expensive little beasts.

[kokomas]

yeah after looking into it this may be a next year or never thing