1996 chaparral signature 240 24ft cabin cruiser project no trailer

Description

For sale is a 1996 Chaparral Signature 240 cabin cruiser-style motor boat. It is a project boat. The hull, upholstery, interior and paint are all in very good condition. The engine doesnotrun, however. The boat has been in my family since 1998, and was always well maintained until, mostlikely,an improper winterizing of the engine led to freezing when I recently moved the boat from FL to Rhode Island. We used to use this boat for water skiing, wake boarding, and tubing. And it is comfortable for camping. It has a deep-V hull design that is smooth and comfortable in choppy water, while still very fast.

BASICS ABOUT THE BOAT:

- Just under 25ft length overall

- Clean Rhode Island title

- No Trailer

- Large forward cabin with booth-style dining seating that converts into the master bed, kitchen with alcohol-burning stoveand sink, cooler, and head (bathroom) with removable toilet and hand-held shower.

- Smaller aft cuddy cabin combines with main cabin to sleep up to 2 adults and 2 kids.

- Exterior seating includes 1 swivel captains chair, a large L-shaped seat/couch, and a fold-out bench back by the transom.

- Engine is the extremely popular 5.7L Mercruiser with inboard/outboard drive.

THE GOOD:

- Hull in excellent condition. No soft spots anywhere. One small gash in gel coat recently professionally repaired.

- Bottom just painted blue below the waterline.

- No rust on the I/O drive.

- Two new batteries.

- All canvas present and in good shape. Some zippers are stiff, but they work.

- the boat is in very good overall cosmetic condition

THE FAULTS:

- Engine doesnotrun.

- Blue accent stripe is moderately oxidized. Typical sun fading. It should buff out.

- Some paint is chipping off from the metal frame of the wind shield, but not too bad.

- One small rip in vinyl upholstery (approx. 1 inch wide) on the backside of main seating couch.

- Last time the engine ran (May 2016), the mechanic noted difficulty shifting into reverse. But the engine was not running for long before it hydro-locked, so I don't know much about this issue, or if it even is an issue.

WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE ENGINE:

This was my family's boat since 1998. The engine was always flushed with freshwater after every use. However, the engine hydro-locked this May, shortly after my marina changed the oil to commission it for the summer season. They removed all the spark plugs and saw seawater in one cylinder. The water was removed, penetrating oil squirted into the cylinder, and plugs replaced just to keep the cylinders closed off. We removed the exhaust risers, hoping they might be the source of the problem, but they showed no sign of a leak (no rust at all, and they passed a pressure test). At this point I do not have the money to continue to diagnose the engine. IT DOES NOT RUN, and BOAT IS SOLD IN AS-IS CONDITION. The boat was always in Florida until I moved it to Rhode Island in March 2016. Most likely, the engine was not properly winterized and some freezing damage is the cause of the leak. However, THE FULL EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE IS UNKNOWN. A complete engine replacement may be necessary. The only good news is that this boat has a very large access into the engine compartment, so swapping the engine should be relatively easy for someone with a shop and tools.