This listing is for a 1987 Chaparral 178 XL with trailer. It also comes with a Bimini top in excellent condition, as well as a custom summer cover which buttons on, in very good condition, and a winter cover used 1 season. I am selling because I bought a larger boat because after my inaugural outing this year, I realized after sitting my 6'3" frame in the drivers seat, that I can barely fit my knees in front of me. You will see this if you come to see the boat in person. In hindsight, I should have vetted this before I actually bought the boat, but hey, that's life. The highs: 1)Boat was well cared for. It was and is well maintained. With the exception of the carburetor issue detailed below, the engine runs 100% perfectly. It has plenty of power-130HP. Everything else works, like the horn, blower, bilge pump, lights, tachometer, battery gauge, and more. 2)The trailer is in very good condition, and has a high weight capacity. It has huge wheels, and comes with a full size spare and carrier. 3)Comes with all the accoutrements you could want, which in aggregate, would cost a lot of money to replace: a.Bimini top- like new b.*custom* summer cover which buttons on- has some discoloration, however is otherwise in functionally excellent condition c.New winter cover used 1 season. d.Fish finder with depth gauge e.Great new-ish CD radio with new speakers and aux in for your iPod. f.Comes with extra propeller, of slightly different configuration than the propeller currently on the boat, so you can switch them for top speed or pull out power. Comes with brand new propeller wrench and locking nut with related hardware. g.Oil changing pump. 4)Recently replaced parts: a.Brand new, Napa dual purpose battery -- cost $100 b.Last year, the exhaust and other bellows in the outdrive were replaced, which means they are not due for about 8 years. These are a pain to replace, if you are familiar. Previous owner also replaced the rotor, cap, fuel filter, spark plugs and spark plug wires. c.Brand new starter, and starter switch. d.Outdrive trim solenoids. 5)The CT registration is valid for both the trailer and the boat. 6)The outdrive is in very good condition. The lows: 1)The engine starts fine, and *seems* to run fine, but when I last had it in the water, I could not engage the propeller without it stalling. I am not familiar with the carburetor tuning enough to do it myself, and I needed to get a new larger boat anyway, so I am selling as is. It could be as simple as adjusting the choke, and perhaps the idle speed screw, since it seems to be idling a bit slowly, but I am not prepared to try to adjust it myself, lest I misadjust it.
You can see a high def video of the engine running on 7/13/14. This was from a cold start:
http://youtu.be/mqdVy0A1bzY
2)The previous owner bought the boat with the bottom partially stripper down to the primer, but neither he nor I felt compelled to repaint the boat, since a) you cannot see the bottom when the boat is in the water. b) the boat is both trailered and only used in fresh water, so one does not need to even paint the boat bottom at all. 3)The interior has the padded trim removed. You can retrim it if so inclined, since I have the parts, however it would be a time consuming endeavor.
4) The winter cover has slight damage on the edge- I can explain the details via phone. This boat is available to view in Newtown CT. You are welcome to view it at a mutually agreed upon time.
Please see the photos for details about the aesthetic condition. I am happy to talk with you at length about anything you would like- just email me your phone and I will call you back. This listing accurately describes the boat, and I am not aware of any issue beyond what is listed explicitly in this auction. Check out my 100% perfect feedback and bid with confidence.
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