1973 Trident - Help Needed

triv

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May 21, 2017
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All, I am new to boating and I came across a 1973 Century Trident I/O with . The boat itself appears to be in good shape. Tomorrow I am going to meet the seller and check the floor for soft spots and any damage to the fiberglass itself. My question is that the seller says its needs to the motor re-sealed, a new Gimbal Bearing, and a new throttle cabling. Can anyone give me an estimate on what this is going to run me at a shop??? Is it something I can do myself? Keep in mind I am new to boating. I chose this boat for the simple fact that it fit my budget and will hopefully be a good starter boat for my family and I. I have a 5 and 3 year old, so I figured the wife and I could fit in the boat and fish just fine. Any information anyone can tell me about this about would be incredibly helpful!!! Thank you in advance!
 

Bayou Dave

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Dec 13, 2012
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Welcome to iboats! Sounds like the motor does not run, the lower unit needs work and the throttle cable is shot. And probably more items need attention than he has told you. Being a 1973 there is a very good chance that there is a lot of rot in the transom and stringers. No matter how much the price is, in my humble opinion, I would keep looking.
 

triv

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May 21, 2017
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I checked it out and the floor and hull seem solid... but I have obvious reservation. We need the boat for a youth program later this summer and i am getting the boat free of charge. I am putting a link for some pics... if you have time could you give your opinion based on what you see in the photos? Thank you so much for the info!

[FONT=&quot]https://www.dropbox.com/sh/95vg4en698xfr32/AAAvSAdmWRRsKOqoZN0C6G12a[/FONT]
 

Bayou Dave

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I must admit that it is a great looking boat, especially for being 44 years old! If you can have someone knowledgable about boats look at with you it could turn out to be something worth while. If you the hull has no rot you can always put a new/rebuilt motor and outdrive on it and have a boat that will last a long time. I am sure others will be along to give their opinions.
 

gm280

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Jun 26, 2011
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First of all...:welcome: to iboats triv. Nice to have you aboard...

I have to say for a free boat, it does look amazingly nice. However, so many times looks are deceiving. The real parts you need to be checking out are the transom, the floor and the stringer system for any rot. And how you usually accomplish that is via core sample holes. Most folks use a drill with at least a 1/4" drill bit and drill a few inspection holes as low to the hull as they can get on the transom to see if any rot shows up. Boats rot from the bottom up and if there are any rot areas, you will find it at the lower parts of the boat.

Drill, from the inside, low on the transom. Don't drill through the transom, but only about 1/2" to 3/4" into the transom. If clean, dry wood shavings comes out, you have no rot. However if wet, dark or mushy shavings come out, that transom is rotted and needs replacing. Do the same for the stringers and flooring. And part of the flooring points to stringer rot as well. If you find any soft spot on the floor,you can almost bet the stringer are rotted as well. You can't look or pound on anything to determine is it is good or rotted. It doesn't work. The shin of fiberglass can conceal rot so easily.

But are any of those issues jobs you can do yourself? That depends on how willing you are to tackle such projects. There are tons of people on these forums that are doing that themselves. But it isn't for everyone. So get back to us once you have the boat checked out and let us know what you find. We can help and offer advice which ever way you decide to go. JMHO
 

Bayou Dave

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Should have asked earlier. Does the motor run? Does the present owner know which seals are bad? The gimble bearing and shift cable are fairly inexpensive to have done.
 

triv

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May 21, 2017
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5
Not sure of the motor runs. The original owner has passed away. It has been stored indoors at a harbor and they are donating it our program as i mentioned. I dont think a seal in the motor is bad, but rather the actual seal between the boat and motor itself. Thanks so much for all your info!!!
 

triv

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May 21, 2017
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I just wanted to say thank you to DRS4164 and gm280!!! You two have been a world of help. Do either of you have idea what a guy would use to trailer a tri-hull? I know its a dumb question but given its unique profile, are there special boat trailers?
 

Bayou Dave

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I just wanted to say thank you to DRS4164 and gm280!!! You two have been a world of help. Do either of you have idea what a guy would use to trailer a tri-hull? I know its a dumb question but given its unique profile, are there special boat trailers?

I am not a trailer expert to say the least. I did find this thread from 8 years ago and it appears a normal boat trailer is all you need. Look at post #2.

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/gene...s/trailers-and-towing/303323-tri-hull-trailer
 

Bayou Dave

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Did you happen to ask a local marina what they would charge for the necessary work and if they have any trailers available?
 

Bayou Dave

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One more important question. Do the ones donating the boat have the legal right to transfer the boat to you so you can register it?
 

triv

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May 21, 2017
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One more important question. Do the ones donating the boat have the legal right to transfer the boat to you so you can register it?

Yes. The boat was inherited. Ive seen legal proof of such. They will fill out a bill of sale.
 
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