Free boat?

[wbc1957]

Re: Free boat?

8. An extra piece of space in the back (or front) yard that is calling to be filled!

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Free boat?

7. It belonged to a treasured relative

When I was shopping for my SS, I wanted 2 of the following: good hull (pretty much a given with aluminum SC's in my area), not missing any parts that would be difficult to source (like a windshield panel or something), a nice trailer, and/or a running motor you could get parts for.

I showed up with cash in hand to buy one that had a Chrysler 105 on it. After much mental anguish, I ended up walking away because (in addition to the obsolete motor) it was missing some parts and was also sitting on a solid but odd fabricated trailer.

I ended up buying a better one for $1000. This was the condition it was in when I brought it home: http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w200/ezmobee/New Boat/?action=view&current=hole_shot.mp4

Is that a lawn chair you are driving from?!? Love it!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Free boat?

The problem with boats that are in such bad condition from the curb is that you never really know if any of your "goods" are good. A mystery intermittent short, a unnoticed hook in the hull, etc. might set you back.

Around here where I live, there are so many cheap boats that don't require the whole under-the-floor resto that unless you like that sort of thing, or there is a rare quality, there is no reason to take on the project. And I don't understand how a lot of people put such little value on their time, especially when there is limited "boat time" and it is better spent using the boat than fixing it. But the take-away point for the new boater who thinks he's getting a bargain, is that it is seldom economically worth it to take on a full resto on a low-end old boat.

I'll confess my bad habit with my old boats and my old cars is that each time I patch something I say, well now that it's fixed there's nothing to worry about. Ha. But I would rather pay a mechanic than a bank!

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Free boat?

There is always going to be something that isn't 'right'. I am in the same situation with my old cars too. I would rather pay the parts man than the bank. My time is valuable, but if I spend it doing something I like to do, then I am already getting full value from it, so there is no monetary unit necessary to quantify it. I think we are discussing the INITIAL time while trying to decide whether to drag said boat home in the first place. If it won't even meet two of the requirements above, then you should not even drag it home. Further decisions can be made after you dig deeper, but at that time you already have "something" invested in it, be it time or money or both. I admit to being a sucker for the "barn find" bargain though. It may turn out to be a different kind of "barn find", but I have to look anyway.

 

[proshadetree]

Re: Free boat?

Unless the boat is free it is hardly ever worth fixing one. Junking them for people who are fixing them is where the profit is at. Like this fine specimen you see in this post. Tell me someone isnt looking for part of that bow rail. I am a cheap Bas%$#@ I would rather build my junk as buy your good boat. Look at all the good boats bought in the project forum. At least when I build it I will not worry about rot or snotty repairs unless I made them from being a cheap ba^&%$#. When I bought my power-stroke to pull my century I bought an older one Why? If I have to work on it why pay a premium because it is a late model? Year just isnt that important to me. Condition is.

 

[444]

Re: Free boat?

Also depends on your mechanical ability. I bought a project ob boat. The motor needs a full rebuild, the hull needs floor, possibly transom and stringers. But at least I'm fully capable of doing everything myself, only work I need to farm out is machining on the block and crank. If the guy buying a project boat isn't that mechancially inclined and well equiped with tools, then a free boat project could spiral out of control very, very quickly.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Free boat?

I can give you a first hand example of one of those good shape boats for a good deal... I just sold my 1980 Carver 2667 Santa Cruz.... 26' flybridge cruiser.. new carpet new canvas new cushions ans upholstery on dinette.... all pumps and thru hulls new.... EVERYTHING worked perfect... sleeps 4, fridge, stove, anchor, life vests and safety gear on a full roller ez loader trailer for $5500.....

That was my asking price because I found 8 of the same boat within 300 miles on craigslist for between $3500 and $8000

I find about 5 SMOKIN deals a year although i usually pass on em.

If you are gonna do a project boat for any reason other than "for some reason this boat is more important to me than any amount of money" then the boat should be worth AT LEAST 4 times what you have to put into it when it is done or just walk.

I just found a buddy of mine a 38' aluminum sportfisher for $3500... It sank at the dock and the previous owner collected $38,000 in insurance on it. In 3 weeks working part time he/we has gutted the interior and gotten it running for about $300 and motored upriver to a new slip..... another $1000 will re panel carpet and furnish it and PRESTO $35,000+ ins. value..... probably $20,000 real world value

Dumping a couple thousand and a summer of hot dirty work into something ya might break even on is not my idea of fun be it free cheap or expensive


ALSO, for the record I PROMPTLY dump on a bad acquisition of ANY price.

 

[proshadetree]

Re: Free boat?

Ok you knew your Carver. What were the others like ? Ask friscoboater about all those good boats out there. I think he is putting some more glass in one now.

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: Free boat?

If I told my wife I was bringing home a free boat she would bounce an anchor off of my head. No, seriously, she'd bounce an anchor off of my head.

But, having said that..... :facepalm:

 

[proshadetree]

Re: Free boat?

You dont tell them slip it in easy, No way they will notice that 50 foot Bertram your looking at.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Free boat?

If you are gonna do a project boat for any reason other than "for some reason this boat is more important to me than any amount of money" then the boat should be worth AT LEAST 4 times what you have to put into it when it is done or just walk.
.

How about..."I like it ok, I will prolly keep it a few years then get a different one, and I can guarantee I will sell it for AT MOST 1/2 of what I put into it...but I will run the snot out of it, and enjoy the heck out of it in the mean time, so I feel I got my money/time's worth out of it, and I have no regrets"

I think this is closer to what the real world is for most of us. I don't do it to make money. That's why I have a job.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Free boat?

Ok you knew your Carver. What were the others like ? Ask friscoboater about all those good boats out there. I think he is putting some more glass in one now.

the trick is to shop ALOT and buy ONLY when you find the right one.... They are out there. You need cash in your pocket but you can't let it burn a hole

How about..."I like it ok, I will prolly keep it a few years then get a different one, and I can guarantee I will sell it for AT MOST 1/2 of what I put into it...but I will run the snot out of it, and enjoy the heck out of it in the mean time, so I feel I got my money/time's worth out of it, and I have no regrets"

I think this is closer to what the real world is for most of us. I don't do it to make money. That's why I have a job.

I don't do it to make money either.... I do it to get a MUCH nicer boat than I could have had otherwise. ....... Heck I MIGHT even get to use my latest one this summer LOL

Did I mention that I have less than $4000 in it (pic in my sig) and have pretty much nothing left to buy..... just a bit more work left.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Free boat?

I can give you a first hand example of one of those good shape boats for a good deal... I just sold my 1980 Carver 2667 Santa Cruz.... 26' flybridge cruiser.. new carpet new canvas new cushions ans upholstery on dinette.... all pumps and thru hulls new.... EVERYTHING worked perfect... sleeps 4, fridge, stove, anchor, life vests and safety gear on a full roller ez loader trailer for $5500.....

That was my asking price because I found 8 of the same boat within 300 miles on craigslist for between $3500 and $8000

I find about 5 SMOKIN deals a year although i usually pass on em.

If you are gonna do a project boat for any reason other than "for some reason this boat is more important to me than any amount of money" then the boat should be worth AT LEAST 4 times what you have to put into it when it is done or just walk.

I just found a buddy of mine a 38' aluminum sportfisher for $3500... It sank at the dock and the previous owner collected $38,000 in insurance on it. In 3 weeks working part time he/we has gutted the interior and gotten it running for about $300 and motored upriver to a new slip..... another $1000 will re panel carpet and furnish it and PRESTO $35,000+ ins. value..... probably $20,000 real world value

Dumping a couple thousand and a summer of hot dirty work into something ya might break even on is not my idea of fun be it free cheap or expensive


ALSO, for the record I PROMPTLY dump on a bad acquisition of ANY price.

By your 4X profit number I'd bet there is only the rare AL boat on this resto site that meets your criteria, and fewer glass boats. In fact, you'd better be careful because unless things go perfect you wont even make it on that 38'er. It's always easier to come up with a bargain on something that was more expensive when new, but in the 16-18' range where most of us are shopping often the difference between a boat for 5K and one for free isn't much. On the Carver if there were 8 in your price range it's hardly a bargain unless you found one for 2-3K. That's actually called A LOT of depreciation. It's a bargain only when compared to the price paid when new.

That's not to say there aren't bargains out there but supply and demand mostly dictates price. I don't know about glass or IO boats but around here 5K buys you a crappy 18 foot AL boat from the mid 90's with a half burnt outboard that probably meets 3or 4 of the criteria. The short price range doesn't leave as much room for a bargain. I'd rather have one that only meets 1-2 of the criteria for cheap, stick that extra money into it and actually have something solid. What makes it worthwile is that like many people, I enjoy the process and in the end can take pride in the work. If I was rich maybe it would be different, but more likely not.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Free boat?

I am a little jealous on that 38'er though, but I don't think it would fit in the garage, and I'd have to find some bigger lakes to fish. But damn, that sounds like a nice boat and a heck of a nice find. And to be fair I did my math wrong, turns out 4x40000 is 16K not 20K. I was close, almost!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Free boat?

LOL

Don't get me wrong.... I haven't ALWAYS made out so well..... my carver was a great deal for the guy and I had people beating down my door to get it....

There is a LOT of junk out there and you have to look long and hard to find the needle in the haystack but I promise I could find a nice solid 18-20 in your area that maybe needed a couple minor repairs such as blowers or some wiring or an outdrive for 2 k but I would be on craigslist 10 times a day maybe for months to find it.

I'm not against projects but what I AM against is people buying (or getting em for free) because they think they are getting off cheap. I also really hate seeing some rotten 15' trihull pulled out of the weeds loaded down with 3 adults and 7 kids floating in the lake while 3 of the kids madly bail water, 2 adults argue and the third adult cranks the 1962 outboard until the battery goes dead.

I'm not at all against the guy with a small boat and a small budget...... I just hate seeing someone get in over their head.

on the 38'er.... Earlier today I took her out of her slip past several million dollar boats and braved the flooded ohio river two miles upstream dodging the floating trees today.... we crossed over to thhe kentucky side and went up harrods creek to a bar n grill for cheese burgers before crossing back to the indiana side and tieing her up in her new slip.

It's amazing how small a marina gets when you get a boat that big (and light) out of the slip and have a cross wind..... was very cool tho

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Free boat?

I've also rushed out with money in hand MANY times for my latest "SMOKIN" deal only to come back empty handed and pissed about what I found LOL

 

[444]

Re: Free boat?

How about..."I like it ok, I will prolly keep it a few years then get a different one, and I can guarantee I will sell it for AT MOST 1/2 of what I put into it...but I will run the snot out of it, and enjoy the heck out of it in the mean time, so I feel I got my money/time's worth out of it, and I have no regrets"

I think this is closer to what the real world is for most of us. I don't do it to make money. That's why I have a job.

Only reason I'm restoring mine is because to buy a finished one done to the same level of quality will cost several thousand more than I will have into mine when I'm done. And since boating is a secondary hobby for me, I have to manage the cash flow situation so I can maintain spending on my other hobbies.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Free boat?

Only reason I'm restoring mine is because to buy a finished one done to the same level of quality will cost several thousand more than I will have into mine when I'm done. And since boating is a secondary hobby for me, I have to manage the cash flow situation so I can maintain spending on my other hobbies.

This is the other big factor. A project boat allows you to attain the boat you want with payments of a couple hundred here and there for parts and materials. I don't think anyone would be real intertested in selling me an already nice boat for semi-regular payments of like $98

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Free boat?

Is that a lawn chair you are driving from?!? Love it!

LOL yep! This was all the interior that was in it when I got it (and that "seat" was promptly disposed of) http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w200/ezmobee/New Boat/DSCF2146.jpg

 

[Andy'sDelight]

Re: Free boat?

I disagree a bit. It's not that anyone is getting down on the boat, it's a matter of telling the OP the reality of cost and labor to resto' that boat. Many people jump on this site saying "hey, looking at my first boat and here it is, a little elbow grease and we're good!" That's just not the case. I think it's fair warning to let the guy know EXACTLY what he's in for with this. there are no free boats.