Was just given 1988 Sea Ray Seville

R

richiemoe

Member
Nov 1, 2021
30
West Michigan
Boat Info
1988 Sea Ray Seville
Engines
115 Mercury Saltwater
I am visiting Florida, from Michigan, and my grandparents mentioned that they were planning on selling their boat soon. I happened to ask how much and they thought about it, and said that I can have it, since it needs some work. It has sat for about a year, and during that time, the cover ripped. I don't see any standing water in it, but the dash panel looks BAD, and there is a soft spot on the floor, behind the captain's chair. It has an OB 115 Mercury SaltWater with hydraulic steering. The steering wheel turns freely, while off, is this normal with the hydraulic pump off? The battery is dead, so I can't test it. The seats look fine, just dirty. The carpet is original 1988.... So i'm thinking that i'll pull it all up, and put down some 3/4" plywood down over the old boards, then re-carpet it.

I can drop a Jeep transmission and replace a hybrid vehicle battery pack, so I think/hope that I can restore this, during the winter, in my garage. HOPEFULLY!!! I've never worked on a boat before.... I currently have a 14' (non deep V) fishing boat with an Evinrude Deluxe 4hp. Nothing fancy. So this is a big step up. I also live 0.25 miles from a pretty large lake, boat ramp.

Is there anything that I should know about this boat make/model/year? It will be cold in Michigan when I get home, is there anything that I need to prep the OB motor for winter? My garage is insulated, but can I keep the motor on the boat outside? The trailer is a Continental single axle and looks like it is in great condition! (Luckily i just replaced my brake rotors and pads, and fully synthetic oil; the mountains on the drive home will be interesting) Worst case scenario, I figure that I can make the trailer into a pontoon trailer, then put the boat motor onto a pontoon. Or find a boat without a motor.... A lot of this revolves around the OB staying good for a while...... haha I don't know if it is a 2 or 4 stroke, i forgot to ask..... I'll look at the id tag next time I go over.
 
You should remove and inspect those wheel bearing first. That’s a long ride home and you don’t want to be stranded in the side of the highway with a seized hub or broken axle.

Before sinking any money into it, have a knowledgeable person (surveyor if needed) check for rot. It’s very possible that the soft spot on the floor is just the tip of the iceberg.
 
Espos4 said:
You should remove and inspect those wheel bearing first. That’s a long ride home and you don’t want to be stranded in the side of the highway with a seized hub or broken axle.

Before sinking any money into it, have a knowledgeable person (surveyor if needed) check for rot. It’s very possible that the soft spot on the floor is just the tip of the iceberg.
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I thought about that as well. I know his last trailer, the axle broke, so he bought this nice one to make sure he didn't have issues again. But he didn't travel far.... My 14' fishing boat, the farmer that I bought it from had just repacked the bearings, and the wheel came off with a crown nut. This Continental has 5 lug nuts, so that surprised me a bit. Again, I have a LOT to learn!!! I'm only 34, my wife says that I act 12....

Agreed, I figure that it is like rust. Once you see a bubble on your vehicle, it is already bad!!! But some videos that I watched this morning, said that placing a 3/4" plywood board over it, should buy me some time. I really only plan to get a few years out of it. If a little effort can fix something bad, i'd do it, but I don't want to replace the whole sub-floor.... i know that my grandpa did keep a cover over it, and takes very good care of his stuff. Which, is the only reason i'm even planning on restoring it.
 
scoflaw said:
How does that saying go? "A free boat will be the most expensive boat you'll ever owned"
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Yeah, I agree. And i'm learning that my time is worth a bit too now. I like fun projects and i'm ok putting a bit into this. But I definitely need to manage my expectations early on. My son is 1.5 and my daughter is 3.5yrs old. I think this will be a fun starter boat for us. And reinforce why I need a pole barn, to my wife. I might have ulterior motives..... haha
 
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techmitch said:
I recommend you have at least the hull surveyed before you even tow it home. Can't cost that much for a small boat and I'm sure there are plenty of surveyors around if you are in Florida.
It will be money well spent!
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I think i'll tow it home still. I live by a LOT of lakes, and i'm sure my buddy can take a look at it. Worst case scenario, i'll fab up the trailer to make it fit a pontoon, and put the motor on another boat....

Or is there something that I'm missing, that is going over my head? Again, I still have a lot to learn!
 
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Pirate Lady said:
Drive it like you stole it, the hell with a surveyor, you can prolly repair everything for his cost. Have fun. Like Joe and Jimmy say many times a day “It’s FREEE!!”
Its not an investment. Its a little free boat from grandad.
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True!! Now I'm just nervous about the drive home. The trailer does not have a spare, although I do have plugs with me. It has decent size tires, larger than some smaller ones i often see on tires! I might stop and buy some grease before driving home. I'll check tire pressure each time I stop. Florida to North Carolina on 95 isn't bad, but NC to Michigan is going to be nerve racking....
 
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Hey, too lazy to look. But i agree with mitch, the boat may be free, but you NEED to trust that trailer to get home safe. Been there, stranded on I95 in Virginia middle of night was not fun. Fortunately we were young enough to crack another beer and start start hoofing it down the road to civilization.
PS - that was an adventure for another thread. do not open old lincoln suicide doors at 70mph, tends to to amazing things to a quarter panel.
 
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Pirate Lady said:
View attachment 114809 Hey, too lazy to look. But i agree with mitch, the boat may be free, but you NEED to trust that trailer to get home safe. Been there, stranded on I95 in Virginia middle of night was not fun. Fortunately we were young enough to crack another beer and start start hoofing it down the road to civilization.
PS - that was an adventure for another thread. do not open old lincoln suicide doors at 70mph, tends to to amazing things to a quarter panel.
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old school Lincoln, nice!!! life seemed more adventurous before my wife and i had kids.......... I have AAA with 300 miles, but idk if they do trailers....
 
richiemoe said:
Worst case scenario, i'll fab up the trailer to make it fit a pontoon, and put the motor on another boat....
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Agreed. If nothing else, the engine and trailer are definitely worth a pretty penny. On the steering, I believe they're hydrostatic, so the wheel will free-wheel until hydraulic pressure is delivered from the engine. Someone else may know differently and will chime in to correct me.
 
I started with a seville many many years ago. Bot it at auction for 1500. It was a nice boat, but certainly had it's issues -- soft deck, etc. Sound the transom with a hammer and make sure it's not going to drop the engine off. Inside, you'll probably have a little rot -- so repair as best that you can. Then get out and have some fun. Oh, and stay in Florida -- don't bother going back to Michigan. :)
 
Hey Richie,

Heres the thing, your deck, stringers and transom are wood cored, and they usually rot from the bottom up, so if the deck is soft, most likely u will have issues with the stringers and transom. The best way to check is take a drill, mark the drill bit about 1/2 inches from the end with a piece of tape and drill into the stringers in several places, not all the way thru, just enough to touch the core. Do the same from the inside for the transom. If the shavings come out black and moist, you have structural issues. If they are blond, you got lucky, just fill the holes with 3m 5200 and enjoy. You can also stand on the outboard lower unit and see if the transom flexes.

I do these repairs all the time and trust me, its alot of work, but in the end, you will have a safe boat that will last you as long as the motor runs.
 
My son and I just fixed the stringers and deck in his boat. We drilled holes in the stringers every four or five inches and mixed the wood like it was in a blender. We vacuumed it out and then filled the fiberglass void with Arjay 6011. It wasn't that bad! Then we replaced the deck and carpet. It was kind of a fun project and the cost was ridiculous for the two sheets of marine plywood at over $100 a piece! Those were the big expenses. Carpet took FOREVER to get here, so order that early! Now, there is no wood in it and it won't rot again.
 
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