ChristianMariner
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2013
- Messages
- 131
I bought an inflatable boat and told myself that if I used it often enough, I would buy a "real" boat in the near future. Well, I customized and used the heck outta that inflatable, made it to the lake every weekend, all summer long.
I started looking on craigslist for a small boat, and I traded my car for a truck to pull a small boat. I had a 1998 Mustang convertible v6 and traded it for a 1992 GMC 1500 2wd 4.3L 5spd. It was a fair trade, both vehicles are old and beat up, but I just needed a truck to pull a boat, not as a daily driver. I found my "dream" boat. I knew it would be gone before I had the money for it. It was a 1968 newman with a 115 HP engine. I kept watching craigslist and eventually it was gone.
I was going to save up about $1500 and find something in that price range, the whole time hoping for something as pretty as that 1968 Newman. Well, the boat and trailer resurfaced for $500 without the engine. I guess someone made a good offer on the engine alone and left the boat and trailer. I called the ad and offered all the money I had at the time ( $300 ) for the boat and trailer. I knew it was very low, and I didn't like lowballing them, but its what I had. They said that was too low and that they had already turned down an offer of $375. Well, I talked to them for a little bit, explained that I had been watching that boat on craigslist all summer and would have just kicked myself if I didn't at least make an offer. They said... how about $325? I had the $300 on me and a starbucks gift cert for $25 and the took it. Wow, I was happy.
I towed it home, my truck pulled it just fine. I took it to the water just to make sure it floated... it didn't it started to fill up with water right away! I knew it wasn't the drain plug, I had put that in already. Turned out there were holes in the transom for the o/b. A friend who was with me whitled down a stick and wrapped it with plastic, and jammed it in the hole. Problem solved ( for now ). The boat did fine on the water, no leaks.
So, here is the list of things I plan to do to this baby ( should be real easy to make her good! )
#0. Get it registered and into my name. Get hammered trailer license place replaced.
#1.Use a chemical on the gelcoat to revive the paint. It is oxidized but not too bad.
#2. Buy a motor ( obviously ). I also need the throttle and trim controller.
#3. Tires for the trailer.
#4. Touch up paint the boat.
#5. Touch up paint the trailer.
#6. Rewire the trailer and the truck ( the towing lights ).
#7. New lights for the trailer
#8. replace the cloth for the bimini top
#9. polish the windshield
#10. polish the chrome and aluminum on the boat, windshield, etc.
#11. replace various missing nuts and bolts I have found ( on the cleats, and instrument gauges, trim pieces, etc ).
#12. rename it from "pregnant virgin" to "Mary", paint that on the stern, rather then the weird little sticky pieces that are on the bow now.
I think that's it. I will follow this checklist over the winter and hopefully have a nice boat for the coming summer!
I started looking on craigslist for a small boat, and I traded my car for a truck to pull a small boat. I had a 1998 Mustang convertible v6 and traded it for a 1992 GMC 1500 2wd 4.3L 5spd. It was a fair trade, both vehicles are old and beat up, but I just needed a truck to pull a boat, not as a daily driver. I found my "dream" boat. I knew it would be gone before I had the money for it. It was a 1968 newman with a 115 HP engine. I kept watching craigslist and eventually it was gone.
I was going to save up about $1500 and find something in that price range, the whole time hoping for something as pretty as that 1968 Newman. Well, the boat and trailer resurfaced for $500 without the engine. I guess someone made a good offer on the engine alone and left the boat and trailer. I called the ad and offered all the money I had at the time ( $300 ) for the boat and trailer. I knew it was very low, and I didn't like lowballing them, but its what I had. They said that was too low and that they had already turned down an offer of $375. Well, I talked to them for a little bit, explained that I had been watching that boat on craigslist all summer and would have just kicked myself if I didn't at least make an offer. They said... how about $325? I had the $300 on me and a starbucks gift cert for $25 and the took it. Wow, I was happy.
I towed it home, my truck pulled it just fine. I took it to the water just to make sure it floated... it didn't it started to fill up with water right away! I knew it wasn't the drain plug, I had put that in already. Turned out there were holes in the transom for the o/b. A friend who was with me whitled down a stick and wrapped it with plastic, and jammed it in the hole. Problem solved ( for now ). The boat did fine on the water, no leaks.
So, here is the list of things I plan to do to this baby ( should be real easy to make her good! )
#0. Get it registered and into my name. Get hammered trailer license place replaced.
#1.Use a chemical on the gelcoat to revive the paint. It is oxidized but not too bad.
#2. Buy a motor ( obviously ). I also need the throttle and trim controller.
#3. Tires for the trailer.
#4. Touch up paint the boat.
#5. Touch up paint the trailer.
#6. Rewire the trailer and the truck ( the towing lights ).
#7. New lights for the trailer
#8. replace the cloth for the bimini top
#9. polish the windshield
#10. polish the chrome and aluminum on the boat, windshield, etc.
#11. replace various missing nuts and bolts I have found ( on the cleats, and instrument gauges, trim pieces, etc ).
#12. rename it from "pregnant virgin" to "Mary", paint that on the stern, rather then the weird little sticky pieces that are on the bow now.
I think that's it. I will follow this checklist over the winter and hopefully have a nice boat for the coming summer!
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