Is it worthy to buy a 1990 Zodiac Hurricane 640?

[jjgori]

Hi,


I am new to RIBs and RIBnet. I came to the site because it offers much knowledge and experience from members for me to learn quickly. Long story short I am looking for a RIB to accompany my son's practice in dingy race sailing. Local coaching is under desired now and the best ROI for him is to spend more time on the water (can be heavy sometimes) by himself.



Lately I found a 1990 Hurricane 640. It has new WIND tubes installed professionally in 2021. A recent video from the seller shows that the boat rides smoothly and stably. The boat has an Evinrude 135 HO outboard, 440 hours, but no trailer. Asking USD $15K in the west coast. My major concern is whether the boat is structurally sound after 30+ years. My understanding is that an old RIB is about the hull and tubes and I saw many refurbishing projects on old Zodiac RIBs. Since I am new (to almost everything RIB), I would like to ask whether it is worthy to go on to test and negotiate?


Thanks!

[brveagle]

The zodiac hurricane's were top of the line by zodiac, especially at that time. Most likely it's ex government agency of some sort as the average joe wasn't buying zodiac hurricane's new.

i have a 540 hurricane that i put new tubes on a few years back and it's a very solid boat.

Looking specifically at the ad, boat looks solid. I'd want that him to throw in that kicker as well. Price seems fair. Go take it for a cruise!

[SoCal Hurricane]

It looks like a steal… but make sure you get the hull checked out. No reason to be selling a boat like this for $15k so make sure it passes the “smell test”. Those sponsons cost $15k new, the engine is worth at least $5-6k today, the kicker is another $1k. See where I’m going here?

Few points:
•The engine attaches to the transom and doesn’t sit on a bracket - not a big deal, just making an observation.
• The sponsons look clean. They are bare bones wing tubes (meaning no lifelines, handles, etc.) which also is not a big deal - you can add where you like, if you like.
• Ask for a picture of the sponsons ERX# data plate. It will confirm the year and model that they were designed for. They appear a little long to me which is why I would be curious to know (I may text him as well to see what he says).
• Inquire if he has any old parts that may have come with the boat. Original lean post, tower/canopy, front Samson post (you can see the mounting holes for it), etc…
• You can add a Stryker T-Top on this with ease for some shade. They are very economical. Not my favorite, but they do the trick at the right price.
• Check the fuel tank(s) and make sure that you have no issues with them. New tanks can run around $3k+ (little less for a single tank).
• Check inside the hull/bilge for mold, and the smell of mold and any standing water/visible leak point.

Circle back and let us know. It could be a great deal!

[jjgori]

@brveagle, thanks for the re-assuring reply, I will try to get the kicker.


@SoCal Hurricane, the details are very impressive and demonstrate your expertise in this domain. I am using your list now.



I will update the post as I get more. Thank you!

[Peter_C]

I 'wish' my boat had newer WING tubes. They are the "local" tube manufacturer. https://www.inflatablesolutions.com/sponsons.php

The Evinrude is a nice motor. Do note they are no longer made, and although mostly reliable, parts are going to become scarce at some point, but many parts are interchangeable with other models. The hours on the motor wouldn't scare me at all.

The kicker is a must have for many of us. Trying to paddle a boat is not feasible. A smaller outboard may take a long time, but it will get you home.

I am sure there is a "boat surveyor" nearby that could look the boat over and give you a professional opinion of "that boat". A few hundred dollars spent getting a list written could help you negotiate, or cause you to walk away with a pocket full of cash for a better boat.

[jjgori]

I were out of town and the whole thing took a while.


I got the data plate ERX# for the 640: ERX7566RG020



What does the # tell? Thank you in advance.

[SoCal Hurricane]

The tubes are for a 7m hull and were manufactured in 2020. “Professionally” installed in 2021 is subjective. They look to have been installed properly for the most part, but the straps in the back that are mounted to the poles sticking out on the transom actually belong further forward and should be fastened to the transom. If they were on a 7m, that where the transom would be…

All of this is merely a technicality though … it listed at $14,900 now… for that price you really can’t go wrong unless it’s got a major flaw/mechanical issue. The tubes shouldn’t be any issue…

For what you need it for, go get it.

[jjgori]

@SoCal Hurricane, your explanation made sense and it is easily understood by me I am working on it now. Thank you, and will update later.

[SoCal Hurricane]

FYI… I spoke to the seller this morning. Nice guy, and has other boats for sale as well.

Long story short is that he rebuilds boats and flips them. Nothing wrong with that!

He was very transparent about this one and how he came about it. It was originally a diesel inboard and the engine was frozen.

He came across a couple of the Evinrude outboards so he used one here on this boat. I’ve seen video of it running and it seems fine in the 10 second clip he shared.

The transom was intentionally cut down to fit the outboard. I would have liked to see them glass over the cut out, but they just put on some rubber strips. It should be glassed over to protect the transom from rotting over time. Just make a note to add this to the project list.

The tank is internal and aluminum (35gal I believe). Your range will be limited, but it doesn’t seem like you need much to chase your son, but just be aware. You can always upgrade later especially if the hull had a diesel in it. The engine compartment should have plenty of room for an 85 gallon tank and I know where to source some OEM used ones.

The tubes are 7m tubes. My assumption is that he knows this, but I wasn’t trying to call it out. I can see the track line on the bottom of the tubes extend way past the transom.

He says he has a trailer that just needs lights added that can go with the boat for the asking price.

As I stated earlier; for $15k, you can’t go wrong unless there is a serious underlying issue. Just be aware that this boat has undergone some significant work to get it on the water. I’m just shocked that it’s for sale for so little… it also seems that his other boats are all priced in the same range. Just makes me wonder how he makes money doing this… it could still be a good boat though!

I shot you my contact info in a PM. Feel free to reach out to chat further. You can also FaceTime me if you go see the boat and I’ll have a look on the live video feed.

[cgoing]

Originally Posted by jjgori

Hi,


I am new to RIBs and RIBnet. I came to the site because it offers much knowledge and experience from members for me to learn quickly. Long story short I am looking for a RIB to accompany my son's practice in dingy race sailing. Local coaching is under desired now and the best ROI for him is to spend more time on the water (can be heavy sometimes) by himself.



Lately I found a 1990 Hurricane 640. It has new WIND tubes installed professionally in 2021. A recent video from the seller shows that the boat rides smoothly and stably. The boat has an Evinrude 135 HO outboard, 440 hours, but no trailer. Asking USD $15K in the west coast. My major concern is whether the boat is structurally sound after 30+ years. My understanding is that an old RIB is about the hull and tubes and I saw many refurbishing projects on old Zodiac RIBs. Since I am new (to almost everything RIB), I would like to ask whether it is worthy to go on to test and negotiate?


Thanks!

The 640 is a beast of a rib. Super heavy duty hull but also heavy, mine weighed in at over 3000 lbs for the stripped bare hull. I have an 1989 that i gutted and completely rebuilt. The factory tank was 42 gallons. When i rebuilt it, i had a custom 53 gallon tank made.
Performance wise, I was getting about 37 mph with a Yamaha 150hp. Currently repowering with a new Suzuki 200hp. It will go anywhere in any weather.

[SoCal Hurricane]

Here are some pics of the boat that he was looking at…I’ll post some others and video as well.

It’s a prior I/O…

Tubes are 7m Wing Poly.

Here is a link to the posting on Craigslist.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/boa...660379315.html

Take a look at the transom cutout…

My personal option is that it’s a Frankenstein boat that runs well… at least it appears to in the video (next post).

[SoCal Hurricane]

Here are the videos… hopefully an iCloud link works!

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0dfv...5DNhSu2ou65wAA

[jjgori]

Thanks @SoCal Hurricane. It is a very good learning experience for me.