New to Parkers, 20 years recreational boating

[southofblock]

Greetings from Rhode Island,

2007 Parker 2501 DV, with 07 150 hp Yamaha 4s (700 hours). Checks all the boxes, except worries... Been looking for past 3 months, up in Northeast. Market remains a CHALLENGE. Sold Glacier Bay Island Runner in middle of winter, in three weeks. Now I am on the other side.

Searching and reading posts on THT and here, have remaining concerns.

Not an inexpensive purchase, listed at over $70,000.

1) Fuel tank replacement on a 16 year old boat, heard plus and minus on need to. Does anyone have the cut-out pattern? Removing the console would be an expensive and time consuming hassle.

2) All cores, composite or wood, can get water intrusion and damage. How much of a concern on a 2501? Can a survey really detect?

3) Pounding and wet; it's a big boat, 9.5' beam and, with bracket, good 27'. Heard need to use trim, learning curve. Below 20 knots, fine, above pounds. Parker's 21 degree DV not same as other DVs, still plenty of pounding. (I am not expecting the GB ride, and will be taking out on low seas days).

Owner comments greatly appreciated, really like the boat.

Thanks in advance

 

[dcunniff]

Welcome and good luck. Will hear from owners, I have a 2530. Any short, wide boat where you ride near the front have ways of driving it depending on point of entry of waves, wind. There are easy searches here too, to look up the boat and comments.

 

[capt.nick]

I owned two 2520 Parker Pilothouses over a period of 20 years and once I learned how to trim it for the conditions and slow it down a bit when necessary I was very satisfied with the ride. I've been uncomfortable in very rough seas but the boats were safe and solid. They're never going to cut through a steep chop like a Regulator but they don't rock you to death when drift fishing like one either. I drift fished on a friends Reg a couple times and it was too tender for me. Ride's a very subjective thing so if you can sea trial the boat on a choppy day it would be the best way to decide. I sea trialed both my PHs at Boats Inc in Niantic, CT. A dealer may be able to arrange a sea trial if he thinks he might get a sale.

 

[southofblock]

I owned two 2520 Parker Pilothouses over a period of 20 years and once I learned how to trim it for the conditions and slow it down a bit when necessary I was very satisfied with the ride. I've been uncomfortable in very rough seas but the boats were safe and solid. They're never going to cut through a steep chop like a Regulator but they don't rock you to death when drift fishing like one either. I drift fished on a friends Reg a couple times and it was too tender for me. Ride's a very subjective thing so if you can sea trial the boat on a choppy day it would be the best way to decide. I sea trialed both my PHs at Boats Inc in Niantic, CT. A dealer may be able to arrange a sea trial if he thinks he might get a sale.

 

[southofblock]

Copy all, thank you. This Parker 2501 is just right, I can get the handling, and would be out on nice days too. Seems perfect for trolling, bottom fishing and fly fishing for Albies and Bonito. Find always end up dropping lines to jig; fluke or sea bass. I have a couple of beam bags for longer runs - I can tell the boat will work for me.

Biggest show stopper is the fuel tank - reviewed detailed post here on 2501 removal. Entire helm stripped and lifted off, a lot of deck cut out. I don't know if Parker still foams in, that's been an issue. Water traps in the foam, aluminum stays constantly wet, that leads to corrosion. Aluminum wants to dry out quickly, needs air circulation. That's what fabricators tell me. Still on the fence, though do plan to make 4 hour drive to check out. I offered to pay cost to pressure test, though Broker said no, could do after sale. Slowly, the market does appear to reaching a better balance between sellers and buyers.

 

[dcunniff]

Southofblock, you can look at some of the tank through access points.

Otherwise you can wish a problem? There are plenty of boats still on their first tank. Or pass on it.

 

[Cman60]

70 k is too much for an 07 2501 with 16 year old 150’s which are too small for this boat. Keep looking you will find much newer boats with twin 200 or 250 power for another 15 k. A 2014 with twin 250s sold on Hull Truth last spring for 70 k and the Mkt is not as good this year as last year. Good luck

 

[pelagic2530]

70 k is too much for an 07 2501 with 16 year old 150’s which are too small for this boat. Keep looking you will find much newer boats with twin 200 or 250 power for another 15 k. A 2014 with twin 250s sold on Hull Truth last spring for 70 k and the Mkt is not as good this year as last year. Good luck

For where he’s at, the 150s will be fine unless he’s going to be running really heavily loaded all the time, which it doesn’t sound like is his plan.

But I agree with you, 70K seems steep.

 

[Cman60]

For where he’s at, the 150s will be fine unless he’s going to be running really heavily loaded all the time, which it doesn’t sound like is his plan.

But I agree with you, 70K seems steep.

With 150’s he’s got about a 40-42 wot fully loaded. So on a nice flat day if he wants to run 38-40 mph he’s going to be turning 5300 rpms and getting pretty lousy gas mileage I would think. That just doesn’t sound ideal to me if I was buying a boat. Now if it was a great deal like offered at 35 k then different story but that is not the case here.

 

[southofblock]

Hear all, why these forums work and why I posted, and thanks.
Have a lead on 2018, $10k more, though little worries compared to 07.
Taking tangent, two dealers, both good size and both said new market softening. Interest rates and much tougher loan qualification requirements. That said, both were filled with previously sold and delivered $140,000 to $300000 plus rigs. Dealer said cracks are showing though, that repo markets are lively elsewhere. Just looking for balance, not a bust, not a boom. Due to these prices, used market appreciation occurs on decades old boats that typically depreciate, pretty quickly in saltwater and blazing sun.

 

[pelagic2530]

With 150’s he’s got about a 40-42 wot fully loaded. So on a nice flat day if he wants to run 38-40 mph he’s going to be turning 5300 rpms and getting pretty lousy gas mileage I would think. That just doesn’t sound ideal to me if I was buying a boat. Now if it was a great deal like offered at 35 k then different story but that is not the case here.

I’m not sure where you’re boating that you get 38-40kt conditions with a 21-degree deadrise hull, but I envy you. Where I run out of DE, much above the mid-20s is going to beat the hell out of you in pretty typical conditions. He’s north of me on the same coast so he’ll likely see a similar operating picture.

I’ve run twin 150s on a 2530 for over a decade, and I’ve never felt as though I needed any more power. Most of the other Parkers in my area have very similar power.

These hulls aren’t designed to be speed demons.

 

[Mpellet]

I’m not sure where you’re boating that you get 38-40kt conditions with a 21-degree deadrise hull, but I envy you. Where I run out of DE, much above the mid-20s is going to beat the hell out of you in pretty typical conditions. He’s north of me on the same coast so he’ll likely see a similar operating picture.

I’ve run twin 150s on a 2530 for over a decade, and I’ve never felt as though I needed any more power. Most of the other Parkers in my area have very similar power.

These hulls aren’t designed to be speed demons.

I agree that 2x150s in Southern New England is enough power but what would cause me concern is the $70K price on a boat with 2007 model year engines. The hours are low but 15 years is a long life for an outboard, particularly so one that’s lived in the salt…..

 

[Cman60]

I’m on the Cape and routinely run those speeds around the Cape. Offshore we run 25-30 unless in stacked 3 plus waves. With cc’s running 80 plus nowadays a 40 mph cruise is really not a speed demon type of speed IMO, but I understand your point. I’m glad I boat in an area where I’m not running 20 mph 24/7.

 

[Kadman]

We run a pair of Yamaha 150's on a 2008 Parker 2520 XLD. Engines have 1,150 hours on them and were at 630 hours in 2016 when I bought the boat. We cruise here in So Cal running to the local Channel Islands at 25 to 28 MPH when conditions permit. This is with a heavy boat loaded with divers, tanks, ice, 100 gallons of gas, etc. The power is fine and the ride is good with the Permatrims on each outboard. Cheers, Kadman