Buying first boat

[Ackers]

I am going to look at a 1997 1700sr tomorrow. I have a few questions. What is the weight capacity for this model? How fast should it be able to go? Can it pull a wakeboarder? And what are your opinions on this model. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And if you have advise for a newbie that would be great. Thanks!

[mmwjr]

Welcome aboard

What power? Outboard I/O, HP?

Should be able to pull a wakeboard.

Check condition of engine and drive, soft spots in the deck,...

[Ackers]

3.0L mercruiser 135hp

[biggerseagar]

Ackers welcome! Small engine ....how many in your family? How much weight will be in the boat? That little 4 banger will be stretched to the limit if you have a lot of people in the boat and try to ski might be disappointin to you. But if you and the wife with a couple of small kids go out tubing maybe a lot of fun. When you take this boat out for a trial run ....run the living pi$$ out to see her limits. There is no substitute for horsepower

Roger

[mmwjr]

For a 17 foot boat that 3.0 will be good for 4 passengers which is normal for a boat of this size. Take the boat out with as many folks as you plan to typically have on board to see how she feels.

[jrsick]

I have a 2001 1800 with 3.0 inboard. I've had the boat for 5 years and am very happy with the performance and reliability. My max loading is 750 lbs, and yours is probably similar. My max speed is 41 mph with 19P prop, 2 people and full tank of gas. You can most definitely pull a wakeboarder. I use a 17P prop for skiing and wakeboarding if I'm taking 4-5 people out, which I usually do.
Take the boat out for a test drive and run it at 4400 rpm for a few minutes and see how she feels. Make sure gauges like RPM, Oil pressure, fuel, temp, and trim all work. Don't worry about it if your speed indicator is acting funny, it's almost always a clogged port. Check that the stern drive trims normally. Also check that the seats are secure to the deck, and that the deck doesn't have soft spots. I don't think a survey is necessary for this size/price of boat, but others may disagree. Good luck.

[Ackers]

Thank you all for the info.