I think I'm another story of a bad boat purchase

[law086]

Hello fellow boaters,

I think I might be another statistic of a boat purchase gone bad.

About a month ago, I purchased a 1991 Cobia bow rider. It looked to be a good shape for a boat that age and my armature inspections seemed to pass. In retrospect, there were a few red flags that I should have paid more attention to, but, hindsight...

One of those red flags was a piece of plywood the previous owner put under the captains chair. When asked about it, he just said from using the boat all the time it got a bit wobbly so he added it to reinforce the swivel.

Rewind a few days ago, I was walking around the boat and I noticed a soft spot that I somehow missed before. I decided to pull the carpet back and noticed the wood was soft under the fiberglass. I decided since this spot was close to the chair, I'd remove the plywood under the chair to see what the situation was. Attached are the pics of what I saw.

The previous owner didn't tell me anything about deck repairs when we discussed the boat, but I can clearly see the deck was patched and worse yet, it looks like there's rotten wood under the deck. I'm not hopeful, but I guess if I'm lucky the water damage can be local to under the chair due to the bad patch job.

So, I have a few questions if I may, that will help decide my next move. I think I have the ability to do a full stringer repair (and probably transom), but I'm not sure I have the desire nor am I sure the extra money would be worth it on a 35 year old boat.

I'm located in PA, if that helps with some of the questions below BTW:

So, questions:
1. I called the previous owner and questioned the deck repair and he refused to believe that there's any wood under the deck. Can you confirm that what I'm seeing in this picture appears to be a rotten stringer? And likewise confirm there's plenty of wood under the deck in this model/year boat?

2. I'm pretty sure the answer would be "too much", but any idea of the cost for a pro to redo the structure?

3. Lastly, if the previous owner decided to knowingly stick me with it, any idea what it would be worth as a parts boat? It has a well functioning 4.3 merc with an alpha one.

I appreciate any input... time for me to go lick my wounds now

 

[matt167]

With a functional 4.3L, I would rebuild the boat.. Gonna guess 19'?
It will cost ~$5k to rebuild it + your time ( Pro would be $100 hr at least ), but the boat market is so far flipped right now.. Covid made boating more popular than it's ever been but it also created supply chain issues and price inflation. A rebuilt boat good for another 30 years for $5k + your initial invenstment, will be a better deal than a current model boat for $30+k

 

[Bob_VT]

Yes you have rotted strings and a bad deck What is holding that V6 in place??? It is mounted to the transom and stringers...... I have no idea what you have spent but I see a tremendous amount of work ahead of you.

 

[law086]

Yes you have rotted strings and a bad deck What is holding that V6 in place??? It is mounted to the transom and stringers...... I have no idea what you have spent but I see a tremendous amount of work ahead of you.

If I tap on the stringers back at the engine mounts they seem to be holding, but I agree it seems to be a ton of work. I can't believe the previous owner is insisting there's no wood under the deck :-/

 

[law086]

With a functional 4.3L, I would rebuild the boat.. Gonna guess 19'?
It will cost ~$5k to rebuild it + your time ( Pro would be $100 hr at least ), but the boat market is so far flipped right now.. Covid made boating more popular than it's ever been but it also created supply chain issues and price inflation. A rebuilt boat good for another 30 years for $5k + your initial invenstment, will be a better deal than a current model boat for $30+k

Yep, it's a 19'. And honestly the rest of the boat is pretty nice. I was also thinking in the 3k-5k area for the repairs, and like I said, I feel like I can do it myself. I'm not a boat expert, but did fiberglass work repairing another boat I own and have gotten a lot of mechanical knowledge rebuilding a classic car.. so I'm thinking I can combine those skills with some YouTube education haha. My biggest issue is the desire to take all that time. I also don't have a garage big enough to fit it, and here in PA, I can't do the work over the winter outside or with an open garage door in the cold.

I'm also holding onto a little bit of hope the previous owner will make it right since he claimed the boat was fine when he sold it, but knowing now that he patched the deck, he knew the real story.

 

[Scott Danforth]

If the deck is rotten, the stringers and transom long ago rotter

Any fiberglass boat 20 years old or more should be considered a project

Tap test means nothing. Do a drill test and look at shavings

 

[law086]

If the deck is rotten, the stringers and transom long ago rotter

Any fiberglass boat 20 years old or more should be considered a project

Tap test means nothing. Do a drill test and look at shavings

If I can't work anything out with the previous owner my next move will be to continue removing the deck to see what I'm dealing with. Once I examine everything and take proper core samples I'll decide if it's time for a full restoration or fire sale for parts.

 

[hugh g]

If I can't work anything out with the previous owner my next move will be to continue removing the deck to see what I'm dealing with. Once I examine everything and take proper core samples I'll decide if it's time for a full restoration or fire sale for parts.

What shape is the upholstery in? If it's shot it will cost you a fortune to replace it. It all depends on whether or not you want to spend months on a full restore, which is what it will need, plus thousands for material. I faced the same dilemma a couple years ago but decided to part it out, sold everything I could & made a couple thousand. But that's was me. Your call.

You should read some of the threads in the restoration forum & see what you're up against. If you decide to go ahead there are plenty of people here who will offer tips & advice.

 

[CaptnKingfisher]

If I can't work anything out with the previous owner my next move will be to continue removing the deck to see what I'm dealing with. Once I examine everything and take proper core samples I'll decide if it's time for a full restoration or fire sale for parts.

Good plan. You can probably get another hull with a non-working engine cheap enough to justify doing an engine swap, but before doing that you should thoroughly check out this one to make sure everything is good. I'd do a compression test and pressure test the block. If you're nearby and need a hand holler. I'm in reading

 

[law086]

Good plan. You can probably get another hull with a non-working engine cheap enough to justify doing an engine swap, but before doing that you should thoroughly check out this one to make sure everything is good. I'd do a compression test and pressure test the block. If you're nearby and need a hand holler. I'm in reading

Thanks man, I appreciate the offer. I'm in the Allentown area, so not too far!

 

[444]

You don't get this sort of rot without having rotten stringers and transom. That is the reality of your situation and the result of a boat being stored outside. If you don't have a suitable heated garage space I would stop right now. Fiberglass work needs warmth to cure and this amount of work is not doable before the temperature plunges.

 

[froggy1150]

Agree about rot. Disagree about stopping project. He can make the cradle, start demo and grind away. Cut and prefit some of the wood. That way when it starts to warm he is ready to go glassing

 

[GSPLures]

By the looks of the stringer in that picture if the rot is localized I would go play the lottery. If you are considering to fix just assume its a total gut everything from transom to bow. That way there is no surprises when you pull the deck.

Only you can determine if it is worth your time and money to rebuild.

Not sure about the laws in your state, but can you possibly go after the owner in small claims. He knowingly sold you a rotten boat and lied about it. The plywood over the top is proof of that.

 

[hugh g]

Agree about rot. Disagree about stopping project. He can make the cradle, start demo and grind away. Cut and prefit some of the wood. That way when it starts to warm he is ready to go glassing

I agree. With Fall come cool temps which is far better then doing demo & grinding glass rather then in the heat of summer. He'll have a head start on it when Spring rolls around.

Forget small claims court. The guy will claim he sold it "as is" & even if the buyer won his case trying to collect a judgement on a deadbeat can take months & months or even years.

 

[nola mike]

Forget small claims court. The guy will claim he sold it "as is" & even if the buyer won his case trying to collect a judgement on a deadbeat can take months & months or even years.

As is sale with a known defect isn't quite that cut and dry. But unless you bought it from the original owner he can deny that he made the repairs. On a positive note, I had a soft spot in my deck a few years ago. Turned out to be localized to the deck and a support brace between the stringers from water not draining from the ski locker. I still pulled up the whole deck and drilled the stringers and transom. Didn't look nearly as bad as yours though.

 

[444]

Worst thing he could do is rip the whole boat apart then give up on it. A stripped apart disassembled boat is worthless. At least as-is he could patch it back together and resell it if he decides to pass on the resto. If he strips it all apart then gives up on it he will have to haul the hull to the dump and sell the trailer and engine separately.

 

[freerider8]

Wow that really sucks that you find that after the fact. It's unfortunate that this is how people are these days when selling something. More often than not people say anything when it comes to selling a used vehicle...etc.
Since you are this far into it I would probably fix as much as you can yourself and let a Pro do what you can't. At least when it's all done you know what you've got and it should be a great boat afterwards. You have to chock it up to a lesson learned and be as careful as you can when looking at stuff in the future. I have found things on my boat as well that were let go or fixed half-assed and needed to do them myself. The only thing I didn't do was the carb rebuild so far. Mine is nothing like this but still needed things that people clearly try and hide. Good luck

 

[demarko210]

I appreciate any input... time for me to go lick my wounds now

What a happens is you over look items being anxious to get what you want. I have done the same when I purchase my first boat 1978 Grady White. I saw it on the internet and drove to PA from MD. Did my research on looking at boats and buying and still bought a boat I needed to rebuild. Deck was solid but the transom was gone and if the transom is gone the stringers are gone in a older boat.

I used it for 2 years and started to rebuild it. Ran out of time but gained a lot of experience glassing and rebuilding the inside of a boat. I got rid of it, all that was needed was to lay the deck and mount the engine. I realize, that old boat didn't have all I needed to go fishing. I was trying to add this live-well here bigger gas tank there etc, so I decided it would be easier to buy another boat now I know what to look for. I purchase a budget boat of the 2003 year that had the items I needed so I can gain the experience as a Capt. I will not be my last boat as this will not be your last. Have fun with it and good luck.

 

[Jermy-Jinky]

I have a similar story...my wife bought a boat as a surprise gift for me. She/we didn't do any research on buying used boats. She just jumped at the price and bought it without looking into it or even going over it at the time she picked it up. Long story short: floor has rot, foam is soaked, stringers and transom have rot, motor is still questionable, trailer bunks are rotted and boat is resting on bunk mounts, hull has spots where the fibers are exposed...I originally was going to resto it, but it just isn't worth it for what it is. Every time I go out and look at it, I find one more thing that needs repair (read as $$$ and time). Plus, it's a small boat and we are a big family with a lot of friends that we would like to be able to take out with us, so, it was an expensive lesson, but one well learned. I will try to sell it honestly as-is to see if I can get even a few bucks back before it makes its final voyage to the county dump.

 

[freerider8]

I have a similar story...my wife bought a boat as a surprise gift for me. She/we didn't do any research on buying used boats. She just jumped at the price and bought it without looking into it or even going over it at the time she picked it up. Long story short: floor has rot, foam is soaked, stringers and transom have rot, motor is still questionable, trailer bunks are rotted and boat is resting on bunk mounts, hull has spots where the fibers are exposed...I originally was going to resto it, but it just isn't worth it for what it is. Every time I go out and look at it, I find one more thing that needs repair (read as $$$ and time). Plus, it's a small boat and we are a big family with a lot of friends that we would like to be able to take out with us, so, it was an expensive lesson, but one well learned. I will try to sell it honestly as-is to see if I can get even a few bucks back before it makes its final voyage to the county dump.

Wow that is a shame this happened. One thing I never do is buy something I have not looked at that is for sure. I am sure you and your wife will not either.