First post: what to do with old boat...IT'S GONE GONE GONE!!!

[pduquette]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

....Maybe I missed it , but take some cellphone pictures to give a visual for us .Usualy the first or second suggestion given on this forum . will aid in ID of what you got and how good / bad it looks ....Watch out for the wolves !!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

spend the $150 or so to have a professional assesment- you may get lucky! ex could have been a dunce.
if no charity wants it put a FREE ad out for a FREE boat and a FREE BOAT sign on it- it will go away.. good luck

Just don't ever sell or give away a vehicle of ANY kind without proper transference of ownership or it can really come back to bite you. A fellow forum member gave away a boat only to receive a call from the authorities that it was stripped and dumped off somewhere. Guess who's responsibility it was to go get it? And that's probably the least bad thing that can happen. If you have title issues, I would think a notarized bill of "sale" or something like that would be a sufficient CYA.

 

[jmarty10]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

As for donating, if it's junk, please don't burden the charities. you are not doing a good deed that way. and the tax write-off dodge has been fixed: your write-off is not the value you assign, or even the "blue book" but the actual amount the charity gets from the sale--in your case, that might be $150.

Poke around craigslist and other classifieds in major Florida cities and get an idea of how many 25 year old beat up I/O bowriders are free or almost for the taking.

You don't want a project. There are a lot of basic boats you can have fun with, used and for sale. Your best bet would be to buy from someone reliable who is either moving up, or retiring from boating (but the latter could be neglected).

Home cookin, I respectfully disagree. I donated my first boat and they sold it at auction for $1500. Upon the sale of the boat, the charity gave me a tax form that included the sale amount, so there was no need to guess as to the value of the boat. The charity received $1500 bucks and I got a nice tax deduction without the headache of selling an old boat. The deduction saved me about $400 in FIT. The key to the charitable donation is making sure it is titled in your name.

 

[18WCmerc]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

selling it w/o knowing what you have on your hands is a bad idea. you very well could have a well running powerplant and a sending unit replacment hole in the deck. the way i see it you have a free boat! see what you got first.

reminds me of the classic grandma selling her husbands "old" car in the barn for 300 dollars and turns out it is a vette stingray with aluminum block....

 

[Jenn by the Sea]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Sorry for the delay in my post. I went to one of the marina's here and explained my problem. I haven't done much towing so he said he would be glad to come to the house take a quick look at it and if necessary tow it to the marina. Anyway he did come out Monday and said that the hole that was cut in the floor must have been to look for water under it. He said that the "foam" is wet and had probably been that way for a long time. He says to replace the foam is more than it is worth. The batteries were dead so he hooked up a charge and was able to turn the motor but it wouldn't start. He did check the "compression" and that was ok but he could not tell me much more about the motor without bringing it to the shop. Overall he said I could end up putting a lot of money in it. He said a boat is a hole in the water that you throw money into. Well this boat isn't even in the water and it looks like if I want it fixed I'll be throwing money into it. He said it might have some value for parts. I'm considering just letting them have the boat. I have asked if they could give me anything for it but he said that he will check with the owner, I have not heard back from him yet.

As far as me not getting the Sea Ray, well I got the house so I guess that's not too bad!

 

[Robbabob]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Sorry for the delay in my post. I went to one of the marina's here and explained my problem. I haven't done much towing so he said he would be glad to come to the house take a quick look at it and if necessary tow it to the marina. Anyway he did come out Monday and said that the hole that was cut in the floor must have been to look for water under it. He said that the "foam" is wet and had probably been that way for a long time. He says to replace the foam is more than it is worth. The batteries were dead so he hooked up a charge and was able to turn the motor but it wouldn't start. He did check the "compression" and that was ok but he could not tell me much more about the motor without bringing it to the shop. Overall he said I could end up putting a lot of money in it. He said a boat is a hole in the water that you throw money into. Well this boat isn't even in the water and it looks like if I want it fixed I'll be throwing money into it. He said it might have some value for parts. I'm considering just letting them have the boat. I have asked if they could give me anything for it but he said that he will check with the owner, I have not heard back from him yet.

As far as me not getting the Sea Ray, well I got the house so I guess that's not too bad!

Good for you!

Got all the answer you really need.. except if it will run. His saying "it's not worth the money," is comfort enough for you, I'm sure. AND, the point about the hole in the water and throwing money into it... yup, that's true too. However, well worth the fun and relaxation. It's like having a vacation EVERY weekend!

Keep us posted on what you do and when you get your newer boat

BTW, list your boat for $500.... maybe you'll get $200 and it'll be gone Lisint things for free can be a big warning that some prospects stay away from.

Good luck!

 

[Jenn by the Sea]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Rob,

Thanks for your reply. One thing I wanted to make sure I have no problem if I sell is that I won't need my ex to sign off or anything. It's titled in both our names. Besides our settlement stipulated that any belongings left on the property after a certain time period, I think 90 days, becomes my property and we are way past that. I'm not sure how this affects items that have titles.

Also can someone explain about wet "foam" and why it is so expensive to replace?

Thanks again.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

In a nutshell, the foam is under the deck(floor) and it serves as floatation, and sometimes a bit of structural rigidity. Once wet it will NEVER dry out thus the water sits against wood and rots it to nothing but mush. So deck must be completly removed, stringers removed & replaced, and usually transom(back wall) needs to be removed and replaced. Very labor intensive and costly to have done by a good shop. Problem is you don't know how extensive the rot/damage is until the whole deck is removed..

 

[ezmobee]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Also can someone explain about wet "foam" and why it is so expensive to replace?

Most boats under a certain size have foam between the floor and the hull. It's to help your boat to at least sorta float in event of it swamping. Better to have something to hold onto till help arrives than it sinking like a stone. Problem is the manufacturers used foam that left open to the elements would over time absorb water like a sponge. This makes the boat heavier, reduces the effectiveness of the foam, and rots out the stringers and floor of the boat. It's expensive to replace because you have to rip out everything to replace it and really that's only going to be the start of your problems. You've a typical rotted out fiberglass hull there that I would not spend another moment of my time on.

 

[Robbabob]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Rob,

Thanks for your reply. One thing I wanted to make sure I have no problem if I sell is that I won't need my ex to sign off or anything. It's titled in both our names. Besides our settlement stipulated that any belongings left on the property after a certain time period, I think 90 days, becomes my property and we are way past that. I'm not sure how this affects items that have titles.

Also can someone explain about wet "foam" and why it is so expensive to replace?

Thanks again.

In TN, the TWRA, they are very understandable about titles and bill of sales. I would move forward with getting rid of it knowing you have the right to do so; without his permission or signature.

Anyone buyers concerned about it can view your DL info and confirm who you are on the title.

We have titled two boats in TN, and both had a little something out of the ordinary. In fact, neither boat had a true "ownership title" to go with it... just used a bill of sale and the previous owners registration.

Hope this helps!

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Did I miss it or... I scanned thru these posts and still didnt sea [pun] what engine / outdrive you have. You may have several thousand dollars worth of parts sittn there, You didnt happen to get the actual compression readings did ya ?

 

[sasto]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

One thing I wanted to make sure I have no problem if I sell is that I won't need my ex to sign off or anything. It's titled in both our names. .

You will find in FL it is very easy to transfer a title to another owner. I have titled a boat where the owner was deceased (unable to sign). A sibling signed it. No ID required. Good luck.

 

[Jenn by the Sea]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Hi all,

Well first I have found there's no problem selling or getting rid of the boat. I called the ex to let him know I'm getting rid of it. First he says do what I want with it but then he sounds annoyed saying its a good boat. If it's such a good boat then why won't he take it? go figure. Also I heard from the marina's owner, he says he'll take it off my hands and tow it away for free...but won't offer me anything for it. I'm thinking I'll do that. I don't think I want to fool around with trying to sell it and have to be here waiting for folks etc plus trying to answer questions when I am pretty much ignorant about the mechanical part of boats. The little money I might get from it really isn't worth all the trouble. So thanks to all for your advice. If I buy a good boat then I'm sure I will be back in touch as I have much to learn!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

I think that is the best decision.

Please do check back if you get the bug again. We've saved many a person from buying a money pit!

 

[Jenn by the Sea]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

When I went to the marina I did notice that they had some for sale but I didn't look at any closely. When I do get ready to look seriously, then I'll come back for advice. I don't want to buy a lemon! Thanks again!

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Hi all,

Well first I have found there's no problem selling or getting rid of the boat. I called the ex to let him know I'm getting rid of it. First he says do what I want with it but then he sounds annoyed saying its a good boat. If it's such a good boat then why won't he take it? go figure. Also I heard from the marina's owner, he says he'll take it off my hands and tow it away for free...but won't offer me anything for it. I'm thinking I'll do that. I don't think I want to fool around with trying to sell it and have to be here waiting for folks etc plus trying to answer questions when I am pretty much ignorant about the mechanical part of boats. The little money I might get from it really isn't worth all the trouble. So thanks to all for your advice. If I buy a good boat then I'm sure I will be back in touch as I have much to learn!

I dont know..... How nice of that marina owner cough.. cough If you have a good power plant and drive he might put in someones boat and make 2-3 grand

I still havnt seen you post engine /outdrive.. If that engine has compression and the outdrive isnt mangled You might wanna sell it. I wish you had compression readings .. Post on e bay For example..Good parts boat so and so engine with 170 175 compression etc. So and so outdrive $1500.00 if that doesnrt work- THEN give it away.

 

[Jenn by the Sea]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Hello again. I thought I would pass this on. A friend knows a mechanic who he got to look at it. Anyway, he came by to look at the motor to see if he thinks it is work anything. He says the lower end (outdrive??) is made by OMC and when he pulled the plug it was full of water (he showed me). Also the motor is missing some parts and he used some kind of suction tool to check the oil and he said it is like gray paste. His opinion is that this motor has not run for years and gray means that water is in the oil which I'm sure is a bad thing. Unless someone has another opinion, I think I've had enough of this boat and will see if the marina will still take it off my hands. Thanks for listening!

 

[Cannondale]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Good choice. If those results are any indication of the rest of the boat's condition, it'd be a money pit supreme.

 

[Jenn by the Sea]

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Thanks Cannondale. Your opinion confirms my decision. I haven't heard back from the marina yet...

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Re: First post: what to do with old boat

Although it's a done deal, i agree woith your decision that trying to sell it for a nominal amount ($200) isn't worth the time and hassle, especially when you have someone to take it off your hands. Another things is, no matter how clear you make it that it's sold AS IS, some buyers will still come back to bother you, or worse, when they find out its bad condition. Life's too short.