Our first boat! (the journey begins)

4x4given

Recruit
Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Messages
2
Hey there! :)

Well, the wife and I got the itch to go boating thanks to a coworker, who has a very nice Bayliner 185 I/O. We started doing some research, went to a boat show and then yesterday, I stumbled across what appeared to be an interesting find on Facebook Market (of all places!)

So my brother and I drove over to Arlington, TX looked at it. Everything appeared to be in good functional condition. The seller was the second owner. He was asking $750, but after looking at it, and checking it out, I offered $500 and he agreed. The boat was made just a few miles from our home, by Delco Fiberglass Products Inc, in Joshua, TX. They made boats (fishing, ski, runabouts, deck boats and tri-hulls) in '78 '79 '83 and '84 then went out of business. There really aren't very many around and most are in Texas. Their designs were pretty much copies of other popular brands at the time, but they were considered to be pretty good boats. After quite a bit of searching the internet, I still can't find a single picture of our model. So, I guess we have a pretty rare boat. :)

Anyway, here's what we found...

The negatives were:
? Soft area in the deck flooring (not the hull) between middle seats (easy fix on this boat)
? Wood rot under two left seat bases (another easy fix)
? Weathered (dry, somewhat dirty, faded) upholstery (useable for now, but should be replaced)
? Weathered (faded) clear coat on top of deck (might buff out, if not, repaint will fix)
? Dead battery (but appeared to be new and cells were full)
? Light surface rust on trailer and wheels (clean and repaint)
? Registration and trailer tags expired (but have all paperwork, clear and signed, ready to transfer and renew)

The positives were:
? Good tires on trailer (Michelin)
? Good runners, guides and rollers on trailer
? Good winch / strap on trailer
? Good lighting / wiring on trailer
? Boat hull sound with no visible damage, scratches or cracks (including the transom)
? All controls working (steering a bit stiff, should be able to clean and lube cable though)
? Electric tilt/trim working
? Lights and horn working
? Engine is very clean, plugs perfect, fuel filter clean, carbs not leaking, started easily, sounded very good, excellent throttle response, smooth idle, no strange sounds, rattles or knocking. Starter was a bit slow (see dead battery, above) and the bendix was sticking (not engaging at times)

So what did $500.00 buy?

? 1984 Del-Magic Infinity 16 Combo (title says 1983, but it's really an '84)
? 1985 Roadrunner trailer (heavy duty)
? 1988 Mercury PowerTrim Oil Injected 100 HP outboard motor (in good working / running condition)
? Seloc Mercury Outboard Motor Service Manual
? Transom saver motor support
? 2 tie downs and 1 bungie cord
? Aluminum folding rear entry ladder
? Removable ski/boading pole
? New rope and slip ring boat anchor
? 2 new ski ropes
? New dock / beach rope
? Fire Extinguisher
? New (unopened) 201 piece First Aid kit
? New Bass Pro Shops x-large Fish n Ski vest (still has tag on it!)
? 2 new oars
? 2 Featherlite oars (nearly new)
? Motorguide Energy 39lb thrust trolling motor (like new)
? Eagle Cuda 168 illuminated fish / depth finder
? Duralast 24MDSL 875 CCA Marine battery (like new, charged and passes load test)
? Revolution knew board
? OTE Addicted knee board

1983 Del-Magic Infinity 16 Combo and accessories for 500 (Medium).jpg
 

Levinz11

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 1, 2012
Messages
726
Re: Our first boat! (the journey begins)

To be honest it sounds like once you get the deck up to replace it you will find more rot. When you put all your weight on the motor does the transom flex??

I bet that sucker hauls a**!!
 

spdracr39

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Aug 30, 2010
Messages
1,238
Re: Our first boat! (the journey begins)

At the very least you got a good deal on the motor. If the floor is soft the hull is probably beyond economical repair unless you just love the design and don't care about investing more than its going to be worth.
 

pokman

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Dec 6, 2009
Messages
192
Re: Our first boat! (the journey begins)

Agree with above, motor alone if in good shape is worth way more than $500.
 

4x4given

Recruit
Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Messages
2
Re: Our first boat! (the journey begins)

I removed the seats and pulled up some of the carpeting to get a look underneath. Found a thin layer of fiberglass that was cracked, just to the front left of the drivers seat. I was able to lift up the thin layer of fiberglass and underneath I found the plywood decking was rotted / soft. I also found areas of flotation foam. But the hull (the bottom) seemed solid and in good condition. Outside, underneath the boat, the same thing. The hull appears find, no damage, no heavy scratches / gouges and hard as a rock.

To my untrained eye and inexperienced mind, it looks like a simple case of gut the inside of the hull, replace the stringers, braces, decking, foam, 'glass it, gel coat it, install snap in carpeting (optional) and seats. I know that's an easy sentence to write, but it would seem I could do all this for about $1,000. I'm pretty good at fabricating and was a mechanic for a good number of years. I've done fiberglass repairs on boats / jet skis, rebuilt / tuned outboards and inboards for a couple of years and I've go plenty of tools.

Right now, we are figuring / targeting next spring for the "maiden voyage".

I really do kind of like the shape and style of the boat, a small open bow ski-n-fish and I doubt I will loose money if I decide to sell in the future to upgrade (We would really like a 20' - 22' deck boat). We just want to make sure that "boating is for us", as inexpensively as we can. We could only consider a new boat *AFTER* we find that we love to go boating all the time and know we would get a LOT of use out of it.
 

Maclin

Admiral
Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
6,761
Re: Our first boat! (the journey begins)

You have lots of $ room to spend and still be in good shape. I watched CraigsList this spring around here (DFW metro) and was saw some DelMagics, some good some bad. I was interested in one of them, it was neat looking boat in good condition. I had no idea they were kind of a local thing though. Good job so far!
 
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