Potential project boat

[jchristian467]

I am looking for my first boat and a project for the winter. I am a pretty mechanically inclined and handy but I have never owned a boat and am not sure exactly sure what to look for. I am trying to set up a time to get a better look and better pictures, if it's worth taking to the next step. The engine supposedly runs good and keep in mind it's only $750 so I am expecting a bit of a fixer up. I just don't know if it's worth fixing. Any second opinions would be very much appreciated. And thank you in advance.

 

[briangcc]

It'll definitely be a project as I see things that seem to indicate its a total gut. I'd look very closely at those stringers and decide if you want to be on the water in 2024 as I don't see this as a simple over the winter-be on the water in spring 2023 job.

All the stuff on the outside of the hull appears cosmetic - could fix with a gelcoat patch kit...especially if you're not fussy on looks.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Welcome to the forum. Just in the two interior pics you attached it looks to me to be a complete gut job. Not knowing the make or year, I’m not sure of the “bones”. Keep in mind even if the floors don’t feel soft doesn’t mean the stringers and transom are good. Boats like this use fiberglass encapsulated wood and foam as the structure. Over the years, the foam gets saturated, and all the wood rots making the hull likely to flex and crack. Replacing all the interior from the hull up is a huge undertaking. It can be done over the winter, but you need to keep in mind it’ll cost you a few thousand and a lot of time. As most will attest to on this forum, the cheap or free boats are often the most costly in the long run. Transom, deck, stringers, and vinyl backing wood always need replaced in a boat like this. Knowing that going in, you should check the mechanicals as far as the motor and outdrive. The outdrive was replaced as it’s an SEI. It needs to atleast run decent to provide you with a good starting point.

 

[jchristian467]

Thank you both for the quick replies, looks wise is not much a concern to me, I'll be happy to be on the open waters fishing even if it means standing lol. I am going to call and set up a time to look at it, get that tarp removed and have him start it. Hopefully that will give me a better idea of what I'm getting into. I will try to post better pictures asap. Now I at least have a starting point of what im looking at and for. I am trying to recruit a local boat enthusiast to come with me as well.

 

[racerone]

It takes a lot longer to repair / build a boat than what they tell you.

 

[jchristian467]

It takes a lot longer to repair / build a boat than what they tell you.

From the comments so far and what I have been reading. I do believe it's going to be a lot more work then I was thinking. But on the plus side I've been looking for a project and more knowledge so that's not necessarily a deal breaker. I have done construction and auto mechanic work most of my life so hopefully that will help. My biggest concern is mostly cost related and putting in more money then the boat is worth.

 

[poconojoe]

Those interior pictures don't look good. I would save up more money and buy a better boat. They are out there. Find one that was better taken care of.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Lots of us have rebuilt boats without prior experience. Being handy and good with tools will help a lot. Keep in mind that, even after you fix up a 20- or 30-year-old boat, it's still a 20- or 30-year old boat and you most likely won't recoup your cost if you sell it.

You will, however, have a reconditioned boat that you know is sound and safe, and you most likely will have it for much less money than if you had bought something water-ready in the same condition. So if you really like the boat, and plan on keeping it for a while, and you don't mind spending a few thousand on supplies, tools and personal protection equipment... go for it!

 

[racerone]

Agreed----If you want to have a long lasting boat that you can take out with confidence then go for it.-----And there are many boats on the market that will have issues with rot in the stringers and transom.

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard

based on the pics, I would also assume a total tear-down and rebuild

assume $3000-$4000 for the hull restoration (assuming you do the work yourself)
assume $2500 for the interior restoration (assuming you do the work yourself)
assume about $1000 in other incidentals, cables, etc
assume you will be on the hard for 6 months to a year

if you plan to make a small fortune flipping boats start with a large one

if you want to have a project, most fiberglass boats 15 years or older are projects

 

[tpenfield]

Agree with the others, I would expect to find a fair amount of structural rot making a full gut and rebuild the right thing to do.

If you take this on, make sure the current owner has the NY state title in hand as you will want/need it to take proper ownership of the boat. (else you won't be able to register it)

 

[todhunter]

Lots of great info in this thread already. @tpenfield is correct - if the paperwork isn't in order for the boat and trailer, RUN away. You want clean titles and a clear path to ownership. If you make the purchase, the first thing you need to do before buying any supplies or pulling the first seat out is get the boat and trailer registered and titled in your name.

Also, if you begin to seriously consider buying this boat, get the owner to take you for a test drive in the water if at all possible. A boat engine can crank, idle, and sound great on the hose in a driveway. If there are any real mechanical issues, they will raise their head when the prop is under load as it is pushing the boat through the water. If the seller is hesitant to do an in-water test, I would be hesitant to buy unless the price is just too good to turn down, and you're willing to deal with mechanical issues (up to and including replacing the engine and/or drive) during your restoration.

For my boat restoration I though I could do it in 6 months for about $3,000. I ended up taking 18 months and I think I spent about $10,000 on the restoration. So whatever you're thinking now for time and money, I would triple it to get a realistic idea of what it will take. I'd estimate I spent somewhere around 600-700 hours of my time working on the boat. If you can swallow those numbers and still feel OK about the project, have at it! It was a mostly fun process, and the reward of having a great looking boat this summer has been huge.

 

[briangcc]

Boat's not legal to launch - registration expired last year. That's what the 21 on the blue sticker next to the NY registration numbers indicates. If you want to get exact....May of 2021. With Salmon season in full swing, I wouldn't risk it as LEO's are gonna be out.

I also don't see a current 22 sticker on the trailer plate - it should be there. The free covid pass is gone so it needs the sticker which indicates the registration is current....it'll be prorated if the current owner goes to the DMV.

It's ALOT of work in NY if the paperwork isn't in place. Court, Cops, DMV, weight slip for trailer, etc.

 

[poconojoe]

Don't overlook the trailer either.
While it might not cost as much to restore or make road worthy, it still needs consideration.
Considering the weight of the boat, it is likely required to have working brakes.
The frame, suspension, tongue, winch, tires and lights need to be up to par too.

 

[poconojoe]

When I bought my 18 foot bow rider it was 10 years old. I paid just under $10,000 for boat and trailer.
I was very lucky in that I got a very well taken care of rig.

9 seasons later it's still a great boat because I take care of it. It lives in my garage during the off season, but it's in my driveway during the boating season. I'm a fanatic. When it's outside it's always double covered. My bilge is always bone dry. If it gets water in it from a rainy day out on the water or from swimmers, I dry it out and open everything up to air the boat out in the sun.

I know someone that left their boat out in the weather for several years. The cover was all torn and the boat was trash. It was a sin. All he had to do was keep it covered and it would have been fine.

You can have a top of the line boat, but if it wasn't taken care of, it could be garbage. And the opposite goes for mediocre brands.

The point is that you can find older less expensive boats that were well taken care of, probably for less than the cost of a complete restoration. And without all the restoration work.

 

[76SeaRay]

One item I didn't see mentioned is a place to work on the boat over the winter. For doing the work, it has to be bone dry and you must be able to maintain the temperatures up in the higher 70's for best results. Also, keep in mind that gutting a boat means lots of dust (and I do mean lots). If you work outside, make sure you consider the dust drift (especially when it comes to neighbors). Grinding the fiberglass is also noisey....

I would expect that it will take the winter to just do the gut work and prep it for new glass and gelcoat work next summer. You should do a compression check on the engine as you might have to do an engine rebuild which could be done over the winter. Check the integrity of the exhaust closely. New exhaust system gets really spendy.

 

[poconojoe]

If you are expecting to run this boat, I would first check the integrity of whatever the motor mounts are screwed into. If the wood is badly rotted, I can only imagine what the torque of a running engine would do.