[cwenzel]

I'm looking to move up from my 26' Fourwinns to a bigger boat. One that I'm interested in is a 1991 34' Wellcraft St. Tropez with a 12' beam, and twin 7.1 Volvo's. Does anyone have a similar boat/engine combination, and approximately how much fuel (gallons per hour) should I expect to burn at cruising speed?

Also, I've had a couple people tell me the the older Wellcrafts had problems with gel coat blistering, and wet stringers. If I get serious about the boat, I'll have it surveyd, but has anyone had any good or bad experience with Wellcraft?

 

[cwenzel]

Thanks for the info. It's too bad, I like the boat. It has a lot of features not common in older Sea Rays: Fiberglass insert in the cabin with snap in carpet, walk through windshield with steps molded into the cabin door, ice maker up top, and there is no teak to maintain. I guess I'll keep looking.

 

[cwenzel]

I contacted BoatUS about this issue, and there response is posted below:

Craig,

Bob Adriance forwarded to me your question about the stringer problems with
Wellcrafts.

The company did indeed have stringer problems with three models, the 2800
Coastal, the 32' St. Tropez and the 34' Gran Sport, built from the mid-1980s
through the early 1990s. As I understand it, the problem wasn't with the
limber holes, but with the resin used to fasten the stringers to the hulls.
It wasn't adhering properly and stringers were separating, usually under the
engine compartment, allowing the hulls to flex and crack. An added problem
was that once the stringers separated, the wood cores were exposed to
whatever water was present and rotted out.

Repair estimates we saw 10 years ago were well over $12,000 per boat, so I
imagine costs would be even higher now. It's a huge, expensive undertaking!

So, a marine survey inspection is a MUST with any of these Wellcraft models
built during this time frame! Surveyor referrals are available at
http://www.boatus.com/insurance/survey.htm

Hope this helps a bit, but if you have other questions, please call or
e-mail.

Sincerely,

Caroline Ajootian, AVP
Director, BoatU.S. Consumer Protection Bureau
880 S. Pickett St.
Alexandria, VA 22304
703-461-2856 phone
703-461-4674 fax
[email protected]