This boat isn't much of a 'restoration' per say, but it's my project.
I bought the boat for $2250.00 and the engine does not run. The boat didn't come with a trailer so I think I paid a fair price. These are fairly sought after here in Southern California and I took awhile to find this one.
The original owner, Ed, loved this boat and took very good care of it. He however was an older guy and hurt his shoulder and couldn't do much with the boat for about 18 months. He sold the boat for $500 to another guy at the marina, we'll call him "The Kid" who owned a Skipjack. He was excited to try to make a pretty penny off of this one. He listed it on CL for $5100, which is about 1/2 of what the others I've been looking at were listed at.
He started it right up, made a youtube video of it running and it sounded great, but he ran it on the gas that was in the tank (after being told not to explicitly by Ed). When I arranged to come take a look at it he was fiddling around trying to get it to start. No go. I told him I'd buy if it the carb was just gummed up, but I needed to check the compression first. He gave me the green light and I got started checking the cylinders for compression. No good on the first 3 cylinders. I thought my gauge was bad so I checked my truck in the parking lot and it was working properly.
I packed up my tools and told him basically it was no bueno, he said "make me an offer". I offered him $1500, he accepted and before I could put the money in his hands (had to run to the bank around the corner) the guy from two slips down comes over and starts shootin' the breeze. He starts talking about how the seats are worth $400 a piece and the new canvas cover was $600...blah blah blah. The Kid decides he wants to hold out and see if he can sell it for $3000.00. We settled on $2250 and the boat is mine. That guy cost me $750.00!
This all went down in March and I just finally hauled the boat home. I had to buy a trailer and it took me awhile to get it all setup. The trailer was more work than I thought it would be. New disc brakes, all that rust removal, sanding, and painting was a bear. I setup all new bunks and it's all good to go with the boat finally sitting in my driveway.
The Good:
The boat is pretty clean inside and out. The stringers are sound and the boat has been well kept.
The Bad:
The engine doesn't run - Needs a rebuild
The fuel tank is corroded and rusted, I smell gas, so leaking.
No Electronics on the boat. Ed used charts....
The outdrive is basically still a big "?". The plan is to remove it, clean it all up, sand it, paint it, and pressure test it. I'll have it fully serviced and I'll likely sell it and buy a brand new one. I have no reason to believe anything is wrong with this one, but my plan is to replace all of the mechanical parts on this boat. I plan to use this offshore and don't want to get stuck because I cut a corner while it was hauled out. Everything else is just so "fresh" and I feel like a decade and half old outdrive that has been stored in the marina for that entire period will be the obvious weakness in this boat. I may use it for a season or two while I get familiar with the local areas here and being out in the saltwater. But when it comes time for channel crossings and longer trips a little further out I'll want something I can really believe in.
I bought the boat for $2250.00 and the engine does not run. The boat didn't come with a trailer so I think I paid a fair price. These are fairly sought after here in Southern California and I took awhile to find this one.
The original owner, Ed, loved this boat and took very good care of it. He however was an older guy and hurt his shoulder and couldn't do much with the boat for about 18 months. He sold the boat for $500 to another guy at the marina, we'll call him "The Kid" who owned a Skipjack. He was excited to try to make a pretty penny off of this one. He listed it on CL for $5100, which is about 1/2 of what the others I've been looking at were listed at.
He started it right up, made a youtube video of it running and it sounded great, but he ran it on the gas that was in the tank (after being told not to explicitly by Ed). When I arranged to come take a look at it he was fiddling around trying to get it to start. No go. I told him I'd buy if it the carb was just gummed up, but I needed to check the compression first. He gave me the green light and I got started checking the cylinders for compression. No good on the first 3 cylinders. I thought my gauge was bad so I checked my truck in the parking lot and it was working properly.
I packed up my tools and told him basically it was no bueno, he said "make me an offer". I offered him $1500, he accepted and before I could put the money in his hands (had to run to the bank around the corner) the guy from two slips down comes over and starts shootin' the breeze. He starts talking about how the seats are worth $400 a piece and the new canvas cover was $600...blah blah blah. The Kid decides he wants to hold out and see if he can sell it for $3000.00. We settled on $2250 and the boat is mine. That guy cost me $750.00!
This all went down in March and I just finally hauled the boat home. I had to buy a trailer and it took me awhile to get it all setup. The trailer was more work than I thought it would be. New disc brakes, all that rust removal, sanding, and painting was a bear. I setup all new bunks and it's all good to go with the boat finally sitting in my driveway.
The Good:
The boat is pretty clean inside and out. The stringers are sound and the boat has been well kept.
The Bad:
The engine doesn't run - Needs a rebuild
The fuel tank is corroded and rusted, I smell gas, so leaking.
No Electronics on the boat. Ed used charts....
The outdrive is basically still a big "?". The plan is to remove it, clean it all up, sand it, paint it, and pressure test it. I'll have it fully serviced and I'll likely sell it and buy a brand new one. I have no reason to believe anything is wrong with this one, but my plan is to replace all of the mechanical parts on this boat. I plan to use this offshore and don't want to get stuck because I cut a corner while it was hauled out. Everything else is just so "fresh" and I feel like a decade and half old outdrive that has been stored in the marina for that entire period will be the obvious weakness in this boat. I may use it for a season or two while I get familiar with the local areas here and being out in the saltwater. But when it comes time for channel crossings and longer trips a little further out I'll want something I can really believe in.
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