Boat people

Loganwayne

Loganwayne

#BTL
Joined
Feb 15, 2013
Location
Clyde, North Carolina
Think I’ve found a boat I’m interested in it’s a 1996 stratos 21ft cc I believe it’s a 2180 model? It’s a bay boat. It has a 96 Johnson 175 v6 fast strike 2 stroke. Has anyone had any experience with stratos cc boats or the johnson engines. From what I can find stratos and 2-3 other manufacturers used the same hull at this time. And there is a possibility that the boat is a full composite construction.
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You need to know if thats a carb motor or a FICHT motor. Could be either.
If its a FICHT run. The FICHT technology was problematic and OMC never fully integrated the German technology. Then abandoned it. Parts are almost non existent.

If its the last of the carbs (96 and 97 were split years with both carb and FICHT options) its a damn good motor.

A carbed 175 of that era, properly tuned and running will flat out spank a modern 200 or even 225. Those motors were hosses.
They used an oil injection system known as an VRO (Variable Rate Oiler) that was so far ahead of its time its crazy. It precisely blended and mixed oil based on rpms. Working properly they are amazing. However much like early TBIs lots of "mechanics" didnt understand the technology and ripped it off or bypassed it and just dumped oil in the fuel tank like an old school two stroke. Know the status. If the VRO is still hooked up USE IT.

Its a 6 cylinder engine that uses 6 individual carbs and progressively brings them in. Search for "link and sync" watch a youtube video and make sure you feel comfortable completing the procedure annually. Its necessary. The motors require a little bit of maintenance...but a carbed fast Strike 95-97...damn fine motor. Plan on replacing the water pump every other year. Should cost $150 including labor. They use a plastic impeller and if they fail at speed, the motor will melt down before you have a chance to shut it down. Cheap insurance to replace every other year, imo.

I had a Ranger Bass Boat my dad bought new when he fished professionally, fished it two seasons, sold it, then I bought it from that owner. Its was a 95 model, when I got rid of it in 2014 it had over 2,000 hours on the motor and would still tote the mail. Guy who bought it from me is still running it today. Original VRO still rocking.e

One down side...they gulp gas.


No input on the hull.
 
Those boats seem decent but I think they went out of business.

I’d be really careful of motors made after the rise in ethanol fuel as ethanol can cause habit on older boat motors and components. Ethanol fuel mistakenly put in my boat has cost me nearly $3,000 and I still don’t have this final bill yet.
 
Ron said:
You need to know if thats a carb motor or a FICHT motor. Could be either.
If its a FICHT run. The FICHT technology was problematic and OMC never fully integrated the German technology. Then abandoned it. Parts are almost non existent.

If its the last of the carbs (96 and 97 were split years with both carb and FICHT options) its a damn good motor.

A carbed 175 of that era, properly tuned and running will flat out spank a modern 200 or even 225. Those motors were hosses.
They used an oil injection system known as an VRO (Variable Rate Oiler) that was so far ahead of its time its crazy. It precisely blended and mixed oil based on rpms. Working properly they are amazing. However much like early TBIs lots of "mechanics" didnt understand the technology and ripped it off or bypassed it and just dumped oil in the fuel tank like an old school two stroke. Know the status. If the VRO is still hooked up USE IT.

Its a 6 cylinder engine that uses 6 individual carbs and progressively brings them in. Search for "link and sync" watch a youtube video and make sure you feel comfortable completing the procedure annually. Its necessary. The motors require a little bit of maintenance...but a carbed fast Strike 95-97...damn fine motor. Plan on replacing the water pump every other year. Should cost $150 including labor. They use a plastic impeller and if they fail at speed, the motor will melt down before you have a chance to shut it down. Cheap insurance to replace every other year, imo.

I had a Ranger Bass Boat my dad bought new when he fished professionally, fished it two seasons, sold it, then I bought it from that owner. Its was a 95 model, when I got rid of it in 2014 it had over 2,000 hours on the motor and would still tote the mail. Guy who bought it from me is still running it today. Original VRO still rocking.e

One down side...they gulp gas.


No input on the hull.
Click to expand...

I do believe it’s a carb motor, I was planning on doing a full tune up with new impeller so that’s not to big of a deal. I’ve watched the video on the carbs and not 100% sure I’m confident enough to do it on my own but I got a friend that said it was pretty easy and willing to show me


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mommucked said:
Did you see this....

Stratos - The Hull Truth - Boating and Fishing Forum

and this?

96 Stratos 2100 sp-t - The Hull Truth - Boating and Fishing Forum
Click to expand...
i saw one of those and several others about the stratos boats, everyone seems to think they are the same as hydra sports and from the research ive done on them everyone loves them and thinks they are solid boats built like a tank. not being a full composite boat isnt a deal killer as long as the fiberglass isnt crack on the decks and all the hatches dont have rot around them.
 
Loganwayne said:
i saw one of those and several others about the stratos boats, everyone seems to think they are the same as hydra sports and from the research ive done on them everyone loves them and thinks they are solid boats built like a tank. not being a full composite boat isnt a deal killer as long as the fiberglass isnt crack on the decks and all the hatches dont have rot around them.
Click to expand...

Get on the boat and stomp around the deck looking for soft spots. Some "spider cracks" are just in the jell coat and do not indicate the boat is falling apart. Also tilt the motor up and down and grab/shake and jump on the motor like your'e trying to rip it off the transom. If the transom bends or there are already cracks anywhere near the transom and the motor mounts, it could be trouble. If the transom is solid it is a boat that will probably last longer than you. I think the "built like a tank" comments are true for that year.
 
I hear 4 strokes are nice but I’ve had a 2 stroke Yamaha since 1997 and it’s never gave me a lick of trouble.
 
Aluminum boat will be lighter/cheaper to drag up and down the mountains, never rot and perform better w less HP compared to a similar sized glass boat.........the windshield and enclosure will make it real nice for boating/fishing/hunting in cold weather, keeping the cold wind off your face etc. I use my G3 to hunt deer round here. I can access remote lands easily and If I bag one I only have to drag it to the shore/bank and then bring the boat to pick it up instead of dragging them to the boat. Most of the time Its a down hill drag around the lakes/rivers.
 
I couldn’t make up my mind on wanting a center console or an aluminum boat. This one is all aluminum floor and was the nicest boat I’ve looked at and it was also the cheapest. It also doesn’t need anything while all the others needed a little tlc here or there. The only down side is it’s a 16ft boat but I can deal with it


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Useless post is useless, but I've had a couple boats, and the only things I know about them are that the old B.O.A.T. acronym is true...and the best boat is someone else's.
 
UTfball68 said:
Useless post is useless, but I've had a couple boats, and the only things I know about them are that the old B.O.A.T. acronym is true...and the best boat is someone else's.
Click to expand...

I sold my ski boat so I can use someone else’s lol but a good fishing boat I can handle myself and never have to worry about rotting away that’s worth having


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Loganwayne said:
I sold my ski boat so I can use someone else’s lol but a good fishing boat I can handle myself and never have to worry about rotting away that’s worth having


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Click to expand...

Yeah for me, it was the taper off effect. Told myself the same thing everyone else does...'this will be totally awesome, I'll go all the time'...that justified the purchase, went about once a month for the first year. Dropped off sharply years 2 and 3. Convinced myself I'm just not that avid of a fisherman, so I must need deck boat (best of both worlds, boat/ski AND pontoon...amirite). Think I went out about 3 times in 2 years, loaned it out, more than I actually used it. Got sick of a boat taking up space and sold it. Now I just use my brother's stuff (fishes for Cheerwine, think him and Ron fished a couple tournaments). Some folks are boat people, I'm just not one of them.
 
I grew up on boats on these mountain lakes. A buddy has a boat house on a local lake that we go to fairly often. I had quite a few hobbies growing up that took a lot of time up in the fall winter and spring. Now I only 4 Wheel and don’t have a complete rig now. We had been about on the lake about a dozen times since April to mid June when I sold the old boat.


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We usually go at least once a week, usually a few times a week (mostly at night), pretty much year round. Boat is 9 years old and has 1600 hours on the engine.
 
@Ron nailed it so there isn't much to add.

We spend a couple weekends a year on the lake thanks to friends. Either Belews or Hickory. I do a lot of the maintenance and upkeep on one of the boats because the owners/family aren't very mechanically inclined. The other is a fairly new Mastercraft so it just goes to the dealer until the warranty runs up. We will milk the "somebody else's boat" thing as long as we can and are thankful for good friends. I grew up spending a lot of weekends on Lake Norman and then Lake Winnipesaukee in NH and learned at a young age that cheap boats aren't cheap. Whenever we finally take the plunge it will be a 22-24ft center console of some sort. Either a bay or hybrid hull. Small enough to still tow around to the lakes with our friends but not get beat to death running the sounds and intercoastal areas.

I have started kayak fishing a ton and cannot express how good the fishing is in some "no gas" lakes and reservoirs.
 
StretchASU said:
then Lake Winnipesaukee in NH
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That's not a lake that pops up very often in conversation, friend of mine comes from the 'nose so high in the air, they'd drown in a rain storm' side of town. They have a house up there, she's actually going up there Thursday, trying to get me and wife to go with them. Not sure how it was back in the day, but these days sounds pretty ritzy...laughing that 'Mitt Romney ONLY bought a $4mm vacation home' there.
 
UTfball68 said:
That's not a lake that pops up very often in conversation, friend of mine comes from the 'nose so high in the air, they'd drown in a rain storm' side of town. They have a house up there, she's actually going up there Thursday, trying to get me and wife to go with them. Not sure how it was back in the day, but these days sounds pretty ritzy...laughing that 'Mitt Romney ONLY bought a $4mm vacation home' there.
Click to expand...

Romney bought an "Estate" in the Wolfeboro area. And yeah, that area of the lake has always been a little more well-to-do. My aunt and uncle renovated a foreclosure over there starting in the late 90's and made out like bandits since they unloaded it just before the market crash. Its all inflated Boston vacationer pricing if you are on the water. Way worse now than it used to be though. My grandparents had an old A frame up on the mountain near the town ski area and all the kids helped keep it up. The lake is actually really clean and clear thanks to the granite rock everywhere and the surrounding area is loaded with stuff to do if you're the outdoorsy kind.
 
StretchASU said:
Romney bought an "Estate" in the Wolfeboro area. And yeah, that area of the lake has always been a little more well-to-do. My aunt and uncle renovated a foreclosure over there starting in the late 90's and made out like bandits since they unloaded it just before the market crash. Its all inflated Boston vacationer pricing if you are on the water. Way worse now than it used to be though. My grandparents had an old A frame up on the mountain near the town ski area and all the kids helped keep it up. The lake is actually really clean and clear thanks to the granite rock everywhere and the surrounding area is loaded with stuff to do if you're the outdoorsy kind.
Click to expand...

I did a lot of camping, hiking and mountain biking up there 25 years ago or so. It’s a beautiful part of the country and I had a blast. Damn I’m getting old.
 
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