Opinions on buying sunk boat

[gooseblitz]

What do you guys think?
How big a headache would I be looking at. Boat is newer and bigger than I could afford normally....but I wouldn't mind the project and between my uncle who is a very adept mechanic I am considering it.
Anyone every done it.

 

[david_r]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

i have a cousin that bought a boat that had been swamped/sunk and the seller said the motor had been completely under water.

i dont remember what kind the boat was but it had a small cabin and a 454 i/o

the guy he bought it from buys and sells boats but hadnt put any time or money in it( other than buying it at an auction).
the seller sent one of his mechs down to check the motor and he told him it was locked-up.......so he sells it to my cousin for $2500

my cus took it home and you could see where the mech had put the socket to try to turn it....on one of the pully bolts not the main crank shaft bolt...we got a kick out of that---- trying to turn a 454 with the wrong leverage.

he pulled the plugs added some oil and let it sit...couple days later he cranked it over to rid the oil put in new plugs and she fired right up..........didnt even smoke (after all the oil was burnt out)

if it was me the motor would have been toast.......some people have all the luck!!!!

i would weigh the options---cost of repair vs cost of one that runs..and to be safe expect the worse

anything you buy used is a gamble, it just boils down to money and time.

good luck let us know how it turns out.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

Salt water or fresh?

When it was raised, was the engine "pickled" in fuel oil or diesel?

Is the interior fiberglass, wood, ??

Generally sunk boats are a ton of work and a ton of money, and are more expensive than just buying a dry boat of the same quality. You do get to spread out the cost over the time you fix it though.

As noted above though, you may get lucky. If you do, then great, but it's a gamble, and you may end up with junk.

Assume the worst case, that you have to dry it all out then replace all the mechanicals, engine, and interior, and potentially gut the hull to get all the water out, and you'll have an idea of how much work you're looking at.

Erik

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

I would be very concerned as to why it sank in the first place.

 

[david_r]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

good point!!!!

it seems that in my cus' case it was either the plug or one of the exhaust thingys.......i dont remember i was just so amazed he got that nice of a boat w/454 for $2500.

we should all be that lucky ........................at least once!!!!

 

[Lucky Penny]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

Before you spend a dime, you really have to get a good answer to the last question. Why did it sink in the first place? The best you could hope for is a fault in the bilge pump and she was carried down by rain water. There are some serious question that need to be answered
1) were the engines completely submerged? Fresh or salt water? How long was it submerged? Was it completely submerged?
2)What is the condition of the interior?
3) check the foam in the floation compartments. Is it soaked?

If sunk in salt water, forget it. Not worth it.
If the engine was pickled, how long ago, was it cranked over? was the pan drained? Pull the plugs and see if the intake was flooded with water (hydo-lock will kill the engine)

Best bet, stay away from it unless you want a very expensive project boats

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

Someone brought me a boat that has been sunk a while back, I ended up junking the boat. It had dirt and rot throughout that boat every where you looked just wasn't worth the time. Plus the hull had a big patched area on it. That was an old bass boat though.

 

[ne7800]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

If you have the time and ability than go for it just be prepaired for the posibillity of a lot of work

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

give us all the info. an aluminum tinny with no motor. sure buy it, no problems.

 

[dwco5051]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

Would you think of buying a car that was submerged in a flood?

Almost as bad with a boat in many cases. Be prepared for a lot of work on details you never even thought of. You have to be more than just a mechanic. Seats, instruments, wood work, electronics, steering gear, etc. in addition to engine and outdrive.

It can be done and it will keep a person out of the bars and from in front of the TV for a long time. Also remember the sum of all the parts bought can far exceed exceptions. Also problems will crop up in the future on things you never thought of. If you have sense of adventure and the skills go for it. But you must be realistic, it ain't always easy.

Been there

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

no...

 

[HONKER1]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

Aluminum?????? Go for it. Anything else..No Thanks.

 

[gooseblitz]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

Fiberglass floors, sunk at stern in rain when bilge pump failed to come on, sunk in saltwater.

 

[rndn]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

Sunk in salt water, walk away.

 

[Yepblaze]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

Unless this is your Uncle's idea, this could cause a "riff" in the family for years to come.

Any mechanic "worth his snuff" is more than aware that nearly every component on the vessel is in some way compromised. And even after component repairs, troubles will still arise leading to perhaps this same component's replacement, then on to associated components failure, need of repair, or then possible replacement.

What I was trying to explain is every part on the boat not normally intended to be submerged will haunt you(him) for perhaps as long as this boat is in the family.

Just because he can appear to perform miracles does not mean he wants to marry a second non paying job.

If it was you that felt mechanical enough to take on possibly the biggest humbling project of your life, Id say go for it.

But if you intend to lay this on a relative, forget it.

 

[gooseblitz]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

No my idea....my uncle and and brother in law are mechanic and electrician with too much time and goodwill on their hands.
I was planning to replace drive(it was sold separetly already) , rebuild or replace with crate engine some upholestry needs replaced but the unknown is the electronics. How much will it hit me for to totally replace by a dealer or can the 3 of us do it oursleves.

Outside of engine, drive,upholestry and electronics what surprises do I have?
I know it is like building my own boat.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Opinions on buying sunk boat

How big is the boat? Does it have floatation foam beneath the deck?

If there's foam, there will be water in it and it will have to come out.

How complicated are the electronics? Is it just engine gauges and a few lights? Or more? That'll affect a lot.

Get us some more information, pics if possible. Model of boat, year, and what's currently on it to repair.

If you already know you'll have to replace the drives, you've saved a lot of time and aggravation. How the boat is built and what's on it now will tell us how much effort is involved.

It's possible to do the electronics yoursellf, sure. It's one of the easier jobs on a boat if you're starting from near scratch.

Erik