(((New User, First boat purchase, Please Help)))

Hello im new here and i was hoping to get some feed back, im thinking of buying a 88 glassstream 182 caravelle. The guy says it has a 01 3.0 merc and alpha 1 outdrive from a bayliner that he rescently put in. He was tryin to fix up. The floor im assuming was rotting and he layed over it with 1" ply some kinda wood not sure. Anyway this is gonna be my first boat so im curious to what im getting myself into. Are parts easy to come by, exspence, ins and outs of boat period. any help would be greatly appreciated. Please help a rookie boater-lol.. I am a automotive mechanic but no nothing about boats at all

Re: (((New User, First boat purchase, Please Help)))

Welcome Shane. I have been a do it yourselfer all my life with a mechanic and capentry background and never worried about things that needed to be fixed on any boat i bought. On one of the previous boats i bought which only had a small soft spot in the floor turned out to be a major stringer rebuild and i decided at that point that if any future boats i bought has any floor issues i would run away!!! And i have lived by that rule. Long story short you are probably taking on a major project! The new engine and outdrive would concern me some as well as everything must be sealed on the transom properly. Personally i would not touch it. Especially as this is your first boat project and i would hate to see you get in too deep.

Re: (((New User, First boat purchase, Please Help)))

the proper way to repair the floor is not to cover over it but to replace it . if the floor is rotted out im sure the rot goes further. run fast and as far as possible.

Re: (((New User, First boat purchase, Please Help)))

Since the floor is supported by the stringers and the floor is soft it usually follows that the stringers (the backbone of the boat) are rotted. This requires complete stripping of the interior engine, floor etc and a lot of fiberglass and work to replace.

Unless the boat is a freebie it is usually not worth it.

Re: (((New User, First boat purchase, Please Help)))

It also depends on how big the soft spot is, and how "soft" it is. I got lucky with my last boat, it was easily repairable and no stringer damage. Also if the boat never had a cover on it, or has been uncovered for a while, the soft spot will turn into a major repair guaranteed. If it has been covered and it isnt really that bad, you can use the boat for years with a soft spot. I did. Make sure to cover it WELL so as not to make it worse.

Being your first boat, i probably wouldnt take on the challenge, because the only way to know for SURE that it is only the floor and not the stringers is to deassemble and tear it down.