Boat Worth Fixing?

[jbcurt00]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Yep, I stick by my original UNBURDEN yourself of this boat...... And again that is NOT my normal recommendation...

 

[ijabit]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Yep, I stick by my original UNBURDEN yourself of this boat...... And again that is NOT my normal recommendation...

Well you guys are the experts. If you say sell I'll sell. I just got a quote for $3K to replace the engine which is way out of my ballpark anyways.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Get what you can from it, I hate saying this but its a hole you are going to throw money into and never see again, Damn....

I'm so sorry this happened to you, I hope it doesn't sway you from boating, boating is so much fun, I wished we had a way to help you more, what a shame.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Unless you'd rather be re-building a boat than boating, move on.

Part out as much as you can, see if you can dump the hull and sell the trailer. You may just be able to recover another portion of your money. Ultimately for the amount you're being quoted I could buy a lake ready boat here in TN.

Sorry.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Well I have to speak up.

First I would establish exactly who owns the boat.

If it is your boat (legally) then I would start the attack. Shop vac, some soap and water and maybe a pressure hose. Let it dry and we will instruct you on a proper evaluation. Thumping it with a tool will do nothing but exercise your wrist.

What kind of rust is in the motor? Is there water in the oil? I bet if you sprayed oil into the cylinders and gave it a good bath that any mechanic might get it running. What I see is allot of surface corrosion so far and all repairable. You might not have to replace it.

I have seen much worse come back to life with little money spent. You might be sitting on a good little boat.

Here is a good challenge for you regardless of who owns the boat. Take some rubbing compound and pick a spot about 1 foot x 1 foot and rub the heck out of it and then wax that spot. That will establish if the gelcoat is any good. Pick a cushion and use some Fantastic and a magic eraser and do one cushion.

You bought a nice little boat from a seller who was a liar. You can overcome this. Have some confidence!

I think other people are acting with too much haste and throwing big scares around.

 

[ijabit]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Well I have to speak up.

First I would establish exactly who owns the boat.

If it is your boat (legally) then I would start the attack. Shop vac, some soap and water and maybe a pressure hose. Let it dry and we will instruct you on a proper evaluation. Thumping it with a tool will do nothing but exercise your wrist.

What kind of rust is in the motor? Is there water in the oil? I bet if you sprayed oil into the cylinders and gave it a good bath that any mechanic might get it running. What I see is allot of surface corrosion so far and all repairable. You might not have to replace it.

I have seen much worse come back to life with little money spent. You might be sitting on a good little boat.

Here is a good challenge for you regardless of who owns the boat. Take some rubbing compound and pick a spot about 1 foot x 1 foot and rub the heck out of it and then wax that spot. That will establish if the gelcoat is any good. Pick a cushion and use some Fantastic and a magic eraser and do one cushion.

You bought a nice little boat from a seller who was a liar. You can overcome this. Have some confidence!

I think other people are acting with too much haste and throwing big scares around.

Thanks Bob. That's actually what I did all day today, scrubbed everything inside and out. It looks a lot better but honestly I don't care how it looks, it's just gotta get me out on the ocean for snorkeling and island hopping. I had a mechanic check out the engine and he said the engine is seized and has water in the oil. During cleaning I found sand in the back and in the front under the seats so I think the whole thing was sunk in shallow water.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Those 4.3 blocks are available at most junk yards and it would not take much to get a good running marine type motor out of one. I just would establish ownership and go from there.

Sand hmmmmm I can tell you that many boats have been sunk and revived. The sad part is the motor. It was not properly serviced following the sinking and that is what killed it. It is like a heart attack......immediate action is needed to save the patient

 

[Watermann]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Lesson learned, and I suggest you don't bother and cut your losses.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

you have a trailer with a scrap boat on it. you won judgement - I suggest you cut your losses.

if you have the boat free and clear. you may be able to put it on craigslist fully disclosing everythign and find someone who does restore boats to take it for the price of the trailer.

however since the boat was sunk, the foam is now water logged. that means the boat needs to be un-capped and restored. the engire wiring harness needs to be replaced. the motor is junk, and the outdrive probably is not to far behind.

unless you love this boat more than money and logic, and it has a sentimental value. cut your losses

now if you want the boat, love the boat and are willing to ask questions. we can help you restore it.

I myself love restoring the really odd things, and I love a challenge. However I would sell it in a heart beat for the $500 you can get for the trailer

However if you decide to keep it, you are looking at the following if you are a savy shopper and can do the work yourself:
Replace motor and outdrive ~$2k
redo interior ~$1500
redo wiring ~$500
redo gauges ~$200
restore stringer, transom, deck and foam ~$2000

so you have a boat worth $3500 with $6200 worth of your hard cash in it, not to mention the approximate 500 hours you will put into it.

+1^^^^ Put about as well as it can be put.

 

[Silly Seville]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

I routinely send boats like yours to the dump. I've been buying/selling salvage boats for years, and I can tell you unequivocally, that boat should be sent to its final resting place. If it were for sale here, you would be hard pressed to get a $100 offer on it. Good luck.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Ah yup ^^^^ what Seville said.

Gosh what a heart breaker. I sure do luv BobVT, awesome guy, but I am with the rest of the fellas here. Don't put another dime into that boat, it's worthless.

That trailer would bring $300 in my area, maybe as much as $500 on a really good day. But the boat, yah man, that's a big pile. If you are willing to take the time to part it out you could get a few bux for the rails, fittings, windshield and such.

_________________________________

Though, I'd suggest keeping the boat whole and not touching it again until you are absolutely certain you won't see another penny from this thief. I guess I'm thinking if you ever do catch up with him you can say "Look, I'll give you your boat back, I just need my cash." No doubt go through all the proper legal channels too.

Once you've exhausted all options, have a good friend of yours kick you right in the junk to help mask the pain, haul it to the dump, sell the trailer, and try to block this stupid boat out of your mind forever.

Maybe dround your sorrows in some good quality ice cream. Like Ben and Jerry's.


(Wash it down with Kool Aid too, more on that later...)

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

I'm kinda on the fence with this one but leaning toward BobVT ! What do you have to loose pull the O/D pull the plugs and soak those cylinders with some deep creep or something of that sort for a week or so and try freeing it up by hand and give it a shot. While thats soaking put som power to the assesories and see if you get any reaction then work your way through the wiring harness unwrapping it and cleaning as you go. What could it hurt.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

I'm kinda on the fence with this one but leaning toward BobVT ! What do you have to loose pull the O/D pull the plugs and soak those cylinders with some deep creep or something of that sort for a week or so and try freeing it up by hand and give it a shot. While thats soaking put som power to the assesories and see if you get any reaction then work your way through the wiring harness unwrapping it and cleaning as you go. What could it hurt.

I really hate to be this way but... Fats did you watch his pliers video?

 

[redneck joe]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

based on your video, part it out then junk the hull, sell the trailer. clubsearay.com might be a good palce to sell some of the parts particular to that model

 

[bajaunderground]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

ijabit,

Welcome to iboats...sorry your "adventure" in boating has brought you here under such a bad experience! At least you were able to get a judgement against the guy (collecting would be my first task...however necessary?).

As far as the boat goes...

Too me it simply comes down to money, time and abilities. If you have the money (which you state you have a limited budget, paraphrasing), have the time (it's a committed project should you keep it), and finally if you have the abilities (which with iboats input, you mostly do!) then get a game plan and make the best of where your at. If any of the above are to insurmountable, then scrapping the boat is the best option. Most of the guys that have posted have spent the money, spent the time and have (or gained) the abilities to get through their respective projects. The satisfaction of having a rebuilt boat is almost like a piece of mind...knowing where everything is, how it works and how to replace it. I know people with high-end boats and they don't really know much...more money than brains club, I guess?

As for me...

I'm not on the fence, I'd start by covering the boat with a cheap tarp, then park it and spend every free moment collecting my judgement. Once that's completed, I'd use that money for the restoration.

Send me a PM with the guy's full name and any info you have (last address, last place of employment, car type, family names, whatever?)

~Brett

 

[Fastatv]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Well I have to speak up.

First I would establish exactly who owns the boat.

If it is your boat (legally) then I would start the attack. Shop vac, some soap and water and maybe a pressure hose. Let it dry and we will instruct you on a proper evaluation. Thumping it with a tool will do nothing but exercise your wrist.

What kind of rust is in the motor? Is there water in the oil? I bet if you sprayed oil into the cylinders and gave it a good bath that any mechanic might get it running. What I see is allot of surface corrosion so far and all repairable. You might not have to replace it.

I have seen much worse come back to life with little money spent. You might be sitting on a good little boat.

Here is a good challenge for you regardless of who owns the boat. Take some rubbing compound and pick a spot about 1 foot x 1 foot and rub the heck out of it and then wax that spot. That will establish if the gelcoat is any good. Pick a cushion and use some Fantastic and a magic eraser and do one cushion.

You bought a nice little boat from a seller who was a liar. You can overcome this. Have some confidence!

I think other people are acting with too much haste and throwing big scares around.

I totally agree here. I might also mention that the book value ( NADA ) may be $3500 for the boat, however, that doesnt mean that really cleaned up and running well that the boat will bring $3500, could bring $4500, or even more to the correct buyer. Just my two cents

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

While it may be worth $3500 tor $4500, the $6500 to get it there still doesnt justify it. I would still verify ownership, if it is indeed the property of the OP, sell the trailer with a free boat for the $300-$500 he can get. then sink the $6500 into a better boat. (one that hasnt been sunk and only has one or two problematic systems)

 

[ijabit]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

While it may be worth $3500 tor $4500, the $6500 to get it there still doesnt justify it. I would still verify ownership, if it is indeed the property of the OP, sell the trailer with a free boat for the $300-$500 he can get. then sink the $6500 into a better boat. (one that hasnt been sunk and only has one or two problematic systems)

I really don't think I'd have to put 6500 into it. I've already got 2300 in it, sunk money, almost literally :lol:. I'm not getting that 2300 back, unless by some miracle I can collect my judgement.

I know it looked pretty bad in the video but I spent a day cleaning it up and it's much, much better. I don't care about repairing the interior and all the electrical stuff seems to be working. I'm hoping that the engine is the only issue. I'll post some updated pics.

If I could find an engine for ~$1500 and install it myself maybe it would be worth salvaging? Once I took my car to a high school to fix my rear struts and the labor was free, has anybody heard of marine schools doing something similar?

 

[alldodge]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Once I took my car to a high school to fix my rear struts and the labor was free, has anybody heard of marine schools doing something similar?

Don't need a marine school to overhaul the engine, auto school will work

 

[ijabit]

Re: Boat Worth Fixing?

Don't need a marine school to overhaul the engine, auto school will work

Great point, thanks!