Sell it or fix it?

[vandy21]

So despite what i had heard i bought a 1986 bayliner boat. And today i received word that the floor was soft (what a surprise for an old bayliner). Also i was told that the engine would need a lot of work done to it (again what a surprise for a force engine). So i now need advice to fix my stupid mistake. Do i;

A. sell the whole combo, cut my loses and buy a better boat.
B. Get rid of the force and repair the stringers. or
C. repair the both of them and spend a bunch of money on a crappy boat?

So i guess i can now say first hand that the rumors are true; Bayliners were built cheap and have floor issues and well everyone just knows that forces are junk.

 

[vegas_storms]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

Dump it, take the loss. Lesson Learned.

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

I vote for "A", too...

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

I have to honestly say, if you can come close to getting your initial investment back, do it and start over.

Otherwise, you are looking at a summer filled with boat repairs vs. a summer on the water. If the floor is soft, 99% sure the stringers are gone; this can be a daunting task if you are not experienced in boat repair. However, a Bayliner would be a good one to learn on. I've seen a few of them that guys have gutted and redone. Made a nice boat when all was said and done.

By the time you fix everything though, you could have certainly bought a boat in better condition.

Good Luck and keep us posted.​

 

[tmh]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

Don't blame Bayliner....hate to say it, but his one's on YOU. Being that most 20+ yr. old boats have soft spots you should have checked this up and down. Also, did the engine run when you took a test drive....you DID drive it before buying, didn't you? And yes, those Force engines DO have a bad reputation, but sounds like you knew that already.

I guess sell it or part it out. Not sure what an old, rotted out boat with a crappy engine is worth though, about $0 I'd say.

Good luck on your next one if that's the route you take. Find one well cared for, regardless of make and you'll be a happier boater.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

I know Tashasdaddy has had good luck parting out the force motors on eBay.​

 

[vandy21]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

yeah i agree and i realize im the idiot who bought the boat. but thanks for all the advice. also, if i were to replace the stringers does anyone have any idea how much it would cost, how much time it would take, and how labor intensive it is?

 

[vegas_storms]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

Expensive no, very to the other questions.

 

[vandy21]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

thats what i figured...i would rather boat this summer then deal with all the work it would take to replace the floor.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

thats what i figured...i would rather boat this summer then deal with all the work it would take to replace the floor.

There ya go...

Buy the beater at the end of the season; that gives you some "boating" during the winter. Then you take your recently completed project out in the spring to test your new ride out.

Get rid of your problem ride; part it out or whatever. Find a decent boat you can use for the summer, then locate a cheap project boat to work on through next winter. Then you can learn all about glassing in stringers​

 

[vandy21]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

thats not a half bad idea. thanks for the suggestion

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

when i get a force, they usually don't run, they just come with the hull i bought. i test compression, and strip it down, throw it on ebay, and collect a little starting money for the hull.

 

[vandy21]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

yeah thats what i was thinking of doing, i know that i bought a few parts for the motor off ebay. its just about the only place you can find them anymore. How much do you usually sell them for, or is that all dependent on age and condition. I have no idea how much i would sell any of the parts for.

 

[Rob454]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

How much are we talking about for the initial purchase price? if you got it cheap enough it may be worth fixing. besides this way youll learn A LOT about your boat. If you come across anyone who knows boats they may walk away. otherwise youll sell it to some other poor guy who liek you knows nothing about boats. I learned a lot about boats in general by fixing my bayliner and a buddys Wellcraft. I liek my 'liner. Sure its not new but it still has the lines of newer boats and also has a ton of floor space which new boats dont really have anymore. Replacing stringers and floors isnt that hard.
its a pain in the butt its messy and frusterating but as long as the hull is in good shape you shoudl be fine. What is actually wrong with the motor.
Usually if a boat doesnt run and it has floor problems most educated buyers will walk away. if they arent educated they usually bring along someone who is. if you paid next to nothing for it you may be better off parting it out then go buy another boat. Selling it to some unsuspecting guy.......... well what goes around comes around is my feeling
Rob

 

[vandy21]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

yeah i agree because there are many unsuspecting people out there (like myself) and i purchase it cheap. I did buy it originally as a project boat, but i was hoping i'd be able to get a lot of use out of it this summer. Do you remember how long it took you to replace the stringers? and theres alot missing from the engine so i have decided that i am going to either sell the whole unit as a project engine or part it all out. But i agree with you about bayliner, they do have nice lines, and a lot of floor space, almost all the other boats ive seen for the same price as mine are a lot uglier and in worse condition.

 

[Rob454]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

if youre missing engine parts deoending on what is actually missing it may be a write off. if its bolts and simple stuff then thats cheap. if its missing bracketry parts of the motor Exhaust alternator blabla bla it may not be worth fixing up.
it took me two weekends and a couple of hours during the week to get my buddys stringers redone and fiberglassed in. i ended up using some honeycomb carbon fiber sheets I got from my dads work. he builds carbon fiber crap and mold injection.
All and all it turned out pretty nice except in a couple of spots where I didnt sand it well it has a couple of rough spots you can see. i told my buddy to sand them down beofre painting but he painted without sanding the spots
Rob

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Sell it or fix it?

Dump it and buy better !!! or you will regret it every nice boating day that you are hot and sweaty working on it with the sun beating down on you.