270 Fiesta Vee

padec21

I have a land survey and sea trial tomorrow for this. it’s an ‘03.
2013 repower Merc 383 stroker and bravo 3
Epoxy coated bottom
genset elec. toilet
everything is in working order it has been replaced. $30k in receipts. comes with trailer that needs some TLC to be road worthy. Is there anything I should look for or be concerned with?
Thanks. looking forward to reading a lot here 
Is there 

skennelly

Is that a condom dispenser in the bathroom?  LOL

270 is a great boat.  Some of us have experienced water leaking into the cabin...particularly to the left of the kitchen sink by the storage cabinet.  Check for any signs of water on the carpet in the area.

Can't really think of anything else a good surveyor would catch.  383 is a great motor to have.

rasbury

I'm going to steal that idea on the soaps- especially in the head with shampoo etc. as that gets to be a mess...wonder why I never thought of that one!

rasbury

PS- I have a 270 and is perfect for us and have never read anything bad about it. I have the 350 MPI motor which some will say is under powered but everyone has a different need for speed. Layout is great....if you look at Bayliners and other, the upper deck seating area has no where near the seating room and flow that the 270 does. 

Good Luck!

rinker270nb

I have a 99 and repowered w 383.  I would check to see if the vessel view is in place on the engine, download the app, check it for faults, hrs, etc.  If the bellows have been replaced, etc.  See if the swim platform drags in the water, that was a problem for a stock platform in the 270.  Good luck!

GMSLITHO

from 02 on they raised the platform you can check for soft spots on the cabin top along the windshield I have a 02 and love it 

padec21

Would the vessel view be standard on the new engine or something that was extra?

Dream_Inn

Welcome to the forum!  Lots of 270 boat owners here and plenty to learn from them.

GMSLITHO

vessel view is a add on but from 02 on the motor is pre wired for it

J3ff

The one thing I'm super annoyed about is that mine has a leak on the port side that I can't find.

And that's after having the motor implode the first weekend I owned it.

The one thing I'm doing the moment I get settled in Florida (and having it behind my condo) is going to attack that problem full on. 

ron1ma

I also have an 03 270V and so far I love it.  Rides well in the water and has so much space up top for hanging out.  Couple of small issues I found with mine was a bad water heater, cracked AC pump and a bad shower sump float.  Nothing life threatening or unfixable.  That one your looking at looks like it is in great condition and I do love the shampoo setup so gonna steal that one too.  Good Luck!!!!

padec21

Had survey today. Told surveyor to stop after 2 hours. major damage to deck. entire right side from windless beyond window to dash. soft. 
moisture readings maxed out.
All 4 windows and hatch needed to be pulled and reset. hatch needed to be replaced. 
corner near bath below window behind vinyl siding was soaked. windless pullpit  was very loose. Had to walk away. Major leak somewhere 

rasbury

There will be another one...

J3ff

Wow, and all I have is a leak on the port side. Can't imagine how they hid that !

trip_n

@padec21 says he had to walk away = i be running

reneechris14

That terrible that it cohld go that far. How can we make sure this is not happening to our boats. ?? Moisture meter?? Just inspect all over??

skennelly

It sounds to me like that boat was neglected honestly.  Sad.

Willhound

It's too bad but you did the right thing by walking away. Lots of 270's out there, you'll find a good one.

rasbury

@reneechris14 I guess the answer would be when you find a leak you have to fix it. Mine sure had one that's been going on probably since it was new but only leaked uncovered I believe. Hopefully I have it resolved but water was coming through the ceiling of the mid ship bearth or the floor of the main deck. It all seems to be solid but I am concerned about it.

skennelly

@rasbury - I've been dealing with that carpet being wet issue since I've owned the boat going on 4 years...I think I finally have it licked.

reneechris14

This boat had a leak from the dash to the windless with no noticeable damage other tgen a soft deck. I would think windshield screws. Must of been some kind of sign? He repowered this boat at the tune of 35k not knowing a soft deck. Good news it can be fixed but that is a crap job. I guess we all have to be very diligent about leaks and water intrusion.

rasbury

I had mine uncovered after a short run, just had a pretty hard rain and no leak!

andyd

It sounds like you dodged a bullet on that one. If I was looking at boats that old (16 years) with a single aluminum fuel tank below the midberth, I'd be worried about the integrity of the tank. Don't ask me why I thought of this.

Andy

rasbury

because your smart @andyd and I lay awake worrying about my fuel tank...recall reading my thread I started on putting a bladder tank in there and not removing it?? Freaks me out.

PickleRick

Can you access the bottom of the tank?  I have a 14 dollar 6 ft semi rigid bore scope camera that i can view via wifi on a tablet, lap top or cell phone.  Look for corrosion inside and out. Bottom and sides of tank, usually focus on where any straps or supports touch the tank.  If it looks good then use a cheap bike pump with gauge to pressurized the tank to about 4-5 psi as well(tank lines need blocking off).  I always give a half dozen really good puffs by mouth first as bike pumps dont do volume and my engine leak down tester gauge wont go down to 4 or 5 psi.  The less fuel in the tank the more air Youll need to build pressure. I dont know the coastguard regulation but if i pump a tank and in the time it takes me to wash my hands and drink a beer its still holding pressure (10 to 15 min) I call it good.

The bike pump also works well to pressure test the foot.  

The bike pump plus a deflated basketball also works well to remove dents from inside fenders and door skins so i guess im saying everyone needs a bike pump!


If it looks good and passes the leak down dont give it a second thought. Just check each season.  

If your fuel tank is over 7 or 8 yrs old chances are your fuel sending unit gauge seal is deteriorating anyway and needs a better viton or other rubber sealing gasket upgrade.  I wouldn't be shocked at all if half or even more than half  of of our high dollar non ethanol fuels test positive for low levels of ethanol and rubber materials from pre George Jr/Obama were not built to stand up to ethanol.   Keep in mind most rubber is listed as ethanol resistant.  Dony forget a good fuel resistant thread doping sealer on the sending unit bolts!!!!  I can vouch that grey marine tex is pretty good at that, coating threads with wax before appying will ensure easy removal in the future. You just need a dab on each scew.

Most small leaks are around hoses/cuttings on the tank.  A solution of dish soap and water in a squirt bottle or even kids squirt gun can help you find this.

rasbury

And there is always the gas smell!

PickleRick

I agree, diesel smells better

rasbury

No, I mean if you smell gas, you have a leak. There is no acceptable gas smell.

PickleRick

Not all fuel odor is dangerous.  If you have an older boat and dont have the new epa compliant LOW PERMEATING fuel hoses or are an unfortunate owner of a boat with a plastic fuel tank then a gasoline odor is going to be a typical bilge smell for you.

It shouldn't be over whelming but if your boat has been covered/tarped or it's a 90 degree day with a full tank of gas it will be noticeable but not dangerous.  

Only an inspection/leak down test of tank and lines can determine if you have a leak or its just boat smell.  For 40 bucks you can buy a sniffer on ebay.

In newer boats there should be no smell.

GMSLITHO

If you have any smell of gas fumes don’t turn that key 

PickleRick

On plastic fuel tanks and the non low permeating hoses you're not going to get fuel(diesel or gas) smell out of the hull without replacement.  Even then it won't take long for a new HDPE tank to once again become saturated but i assure you that while you can smell it, it will not be enough vapor to be explosive.  Yearly inspections are a must for any fuel system to determine if any actual leaks are present.  HDPE tanks are going to last generations longer than the aluminum tanks found in most of our rinkers but the odor is it's biggest downfall.  

Many boats that came with a plastic tank or had a plastic tank installed as additional fuel capacity or replacement of a leaky tank are stored with open hatches to lessen the odor. 


If you have an aluminum or steel tank, all new lines, you're 100% sure all hose fittings are tight and still smell fuel, then you have an issue that needs immediate attention.