Need some advice

[glust]

Good morning all. My son picked up what he thought was a deal. $500 special. Starcraft 19' open bow. OMC 140 hp sterndrive with a cobra outdrive. Got the motor running pretty well, outdrive works fine, tilt trim, fine, throttle good. We put it in the water to check for leaks and she slowly took on water. about an inch an hour. Got her out. The PO bought bought did not install a new bellow. Bought but did not install a new gimbal bearing. He had also installed two (2) bilge pumps which indicates to me he didn't mind running around in a leaky boat. My son is going to install the new gimbal bearing and bellows, dry her out real good and then take her for a dip again. If it still takes on water I am going to encourage him to dump it. The trailer is rough, the stringers are shot and need replaced, but he is excited as hell. He doesn't mind doing the work. He's pretty good with his hands.
My question is... Is this save-able or should he cut his losses and run. He is into it for about $850 right now. Thanks everyone, wealth of knowledge and experience here.

george

 

[kcon]

Sounds like getting the boat to a structurally safe operating condition is gonna cost a lot more than what he's already invested.

 

[Woodonglass]

Unless there's a hole in the hull the only place it can leak is where there's a "Hole" in the boat. I'm guessing that if the outdrive is all sealed up with new parts, she'll be fine. Is it Worth It? Well if he wants a boat, and likes the style of this one, then by all means it's worth it. Go price a NEW 20ft boat and you'll see what I mean. If he has to do a total gut and restore he won't have more than 7-8 grand at the VERY HIGH END. Probably more like $2500-3000. He'll KNOW for sure the craft is seaworthy and probably better than when it was new.