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I'm very new here and really enjoyed reading what all your great minds have to offer. I have been saving cash for the past year to buy a 26 to 30 center console boat, with fishing, and family fun in mind. I also want to be able to take my son off shore and not get beat to hell doing it. So I have noticed the 30' wellcraft scarab sport, they carry a heafty price but look like they can cut thru some serious chop with ease. I noticed a 1980 model on craigslist with twin 2004 motors for 15 grand, no bad compaired to the price of a new 18 Boston Whaler.
So my question is what year should I stay away from? I like all the 80's models, was there any changes to the hull quality entering the 90's? Thanks
I have a 1988 and love it! There is a nice one in the classifieds here for sale. I believe its a 97-99 not sure on the exact date but it was listed for around 25k i think.
__________________ 1988 Scarab Sport 225 Merc EFI's (slowRide)
I am only going to have 16 grand cash to spend, so I'm probably going to buy something in the late 80's to early 90's range. I was thinking that I should find a nicer hull with some older carb'ed motors and upgrade from there. There was a 1993 scarab sport for sale with twin 200 yam's in Orlando a month back for 17.5 grand with a nice triple axle trailer.
You can get a much better deal than that. I sold my 1990 Scarab Sport this spring for $16K and it had a custom built trailer with it. This summer there was a 1997 for sale near my marina and the guy wanted to get rid of it quickly so he put a sign on the boat and sold it for $18K. It had twin 250HP outboards w/ less than 300 hours.
One thing to be aware of is to check the transom. My 1990 had a rotted transom because Wellcraft never put any sealant in the holes they drilled for the engine bracket. A transom rebuild was $6K!! Be sure to check the transom carefully.
I have noticed that some of these boats have a extension bracket for the motors, and some dont. Is this a factory option? I do like the bracket and would the rot in the transom still be a issue with the bracket?
Also, what are some other popular problems that these older hulls are known for having? especially dealing with rot! that is an expensive fix.
Heres a pic of our 98 302 scarab sport. We love the boat, It is a great family boat for going to the beaches and just as well equipped to take us 50+ miles offshore fishing @ a cruise speed of 40 - 45 mph - and even with my carbed 225s I still average around 1.27 mpg on the fishing trips, and the cuddy makes it easy when nature calls for the kids and girls! It will cut through a 2-3 foot chop like nothing and I have been out in (not by choice) 8 footers and we made it back in one piece but took a beating ! I would try to get one that was kept on a lift or dry docked and had not been bottom painted = left in water for extended periods.
^^^^^ What a nice boat you have! So say away from bottom painted hulls, good point, because the one I have been trying to get more info on does not have a painted bottom.
Looks like the only thing that seems to change on the scarab sport from the late 80's is the center console. The console in your late 90's is way different than the 93' model console that I have been looking at.
I think the hulls stayed the same, but not 100 % sure, ScarabChris would know that- the consoles and basic layout changed quite a bit though through the years, and I would recommend getting one with the swim platform and engine bracket as it adds almost 2 feet to the boat to span waves better.
I would look for a 1996 or newer if your budget allows. The reason I saythis is because the console in the 1992-1995 (could be as early as 1990 also) sucked. It was mounted on these aluminum pedistals which allowed the console to rock back and forth. This rocking caused stress to the deck and soft spots.
Mine is a 1994 and I found the console problem well after I bought the boat. I have sinse put a 2000 Scarab console in and love it much better. Any Scarab from 1996 on has this new console.
If you must get a boat in the years I listed above just look closely at the deck around the console, there are sure to be soft spots. Grab the hand rail on the console or the steering wheel and try to rock it back and forth. If it rocks the damage is done.
Also the boats prios to I believe 1989 (could be earlier) have a cut r notched transom. Starting in the late 80s or early 90s they started using a full transom and engine bracket which is what you see on Spokewrenches boat above. Much better design.
But overall....just look for soft spots in the desk and/or soft transom. The soft deck is more common. If the boat you are looking at does have soft spots its not the end of the world. You can live with it for a while and repair it later.
Try to buy someone else's dream. Repowering is expensive, find a hull that someone else dropped a bunch of cash into. Carbed motors are not worth much if anything but; sellers often think they have value. Spend those $'s on a boat that else took the depreciation hit.
There is a 89' scarab super sport that has been for sale for ever in south Florida. Its blue in color and has fuel injected 250's, but no trailer. It has a bad stringer and does not say much else about the issue. Is this problem rare with these wellcraft's? How about the super sport? Its a 34' so how does the layout compaire to the smaller 30' wellcraft?
There is another super sport on craigslist around the Tampa area that looks like hell. It's 8 grand with a ok triple axle trailer, but the engines are old omc 300's I bet those things suck some serious fuel! It would be cool to get away with a good deal and put some newer 250's on the back, or would it be more work than its worth?
There is a 89' scarab super sport that has been for sale for ever in south Florida. Its blue in color and has fuel injected 250's, but no trailer. It has a bad stringer and does not say much else about the issue. Is this problem rare with these wellcraft's? How about the super sport? Its a 34' so how does the layout compaire to the smaller 30' wellcraft?
There is another super sport on craigslist around the Tampa area that looks like hell. It's 8 grand with a ok triple axle trailer, but the engines are old omc 300's I bet those things suck some serious fuel! It would be cool to get away with a good deal and put some newer 250's on the back, or would it be more work than its worth?
The 34 Super Sport and the 30 Sport (302) have the exact same layout. But the 34 is massive compared to the 30. In fact its big for a 34 footer even by todays standards. The 34 also rides incredible in sloppy seas, WAY better than the 30.
Any boat of that age will have some rot somewhere unless it was kept in an air conditioned warehouse its whole life. The Scarabs are built with some thick fiber glass to some rot in the stringers or deck don't condem the boat.
I have installed some thru hull fittings in my hull bottom. Its not cored, its solid glass 1/2" thick
I have a buddy that used to own a 34, he redid the boat to look very slick. But he didn't touch the stringers. I installed some bait wells in the boat and the stringers were completely rotted and hollow. You couldn't even tell as the boat crashed through 5 foot seas solid as a rock.
The Scarab looks to have undergone a major refit. The cabin was cut out and the inside walls were finished off, no rod racks, no storage compartments or anything. A little under powered with twin 175s too.
The Scarab looks to have undergone a major refit. The cabin was cut out and the inside walls were finished off, no rod racks, no storage compartments or anything. A little under powered with twin 175s too.
^^^^ So that hull was not sold like that? I was under the impression that this was the first year of this type of wellcraft, so less features.
The no rod holders in the sides is odd for any fishing boat of any year.
If you can get a decent Super Sport I would not even consider the 302. I owned my Scarab Sport 302 for 8 years and I truly loved the boat. Then I had an opportunity to ride in a 34' Super Sport...wow it seemed huge compared to my 302. Great running boat but seemed under powered w/ twin 225's.
My transom rotted out but my stringers were in perfect shape, no rot, no soft spots to be found. The guy that rebuilt my transom had never done a Scarab before. He said my Scarab was built like a "brick shithouse". He was very impressed by the boats construction.
What year Scarab sport should I buy? 
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