Very new noobie here..

[cpitch]

Hello all. Im currently looking into buying a boat. Nothing at all fancy...just looking for a toy. Something to fiddle around with and take the family out on the bay every once in a while. I found some stuff on craigslist locally and I wanted to get some of your opinions.
Here are some links.
http://mcallen.en.craigslist.org/boa/2452804391.html
The guy says it "just needs a tune up"....what does something like that entail? The boat is pretty cheap and I like the old look of it. I think with some TLC it could be brought back to life.
Please be honest and figuratively wack me in the head if I'm nuts. I want to offer the guy like $500

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Very new noobie here..

Hold on there cpitch.....you do not want to be picking up something like that without being totally informed. Good thing you came here first.

Chance are good that an old weathered fiberglass hull like that is going to be rotted to the core. Stringers, deck, and transom are probably all shot. Fixable but a huge project. Also, I'm pretty sure a 125 Evinrude is an old electric shift model with some crucial no-longer-available parts. Could be a real money pit there.

If you want to get on the water cheaply with the least chance of financial ruin, I recommend an aluminum hull with a outboard motor that's still supported with parts. Aluminum hulls have metal stringers and the wooden decks and transoms are much more easily replaced. Mid to late 70's and newer Johnson/Evinrude or Mercury outboards should be well supported.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Decker83]

Re: Very new noobie here..

Hi Cpitch,
I agree with Ezmobee about the aluminum boat. There is alot less wood in them. You don't have to do as much repair work (LIKE Grinding YOUR HULL) when it is all FIBER GLASS. And the foam removal and replacement. They are usually lighter and tow better.
I myself have a 83 deck boat that I am restoring and belive me it is extremly hot here in Texas.
For the work I have put into this boat, and still not ready to start the rebuild, I could been done with a aluminum boat. A minnor tune up, plugs, lower unit oil, carb adjustments and what not could run as high as $300.00 here.
Anyway enough said about mine. Good luck in whatever you decide.
Welcome to the fourm

 

[NASAGeek]

Re: Very new noobie here..

I have been busy pricing new boats as well. I used to have a small one years ago... now upgrading to a larger one for offshore. The deal you linked seems incredible to also be reliable. I am finding in my research that the motor is more than 50% of the total price of the boat in many cases. In addition to the aluminum versus old fiberglass issues above, I'd be concerned about the motor. How old is the boat and motor? I am guessing 20+ years old. Replacing that engine or more than a "minor" tune-up could be more than $850 just in engine repairs alone.

Horrible weekend = taking family out on the lake and having the motor die on you.

My newbie advice to another newbie... Safety first.... #1 make sure the hull is seaworthy.... #2 make sure you have a reliable motor.

Spend less on the boat.... like an aluminum jon boat and more on the motor for a reliable motor might serve you better.

Just thoughts.
Mark

 

[oops!]

Re: Very new noobie here..

the deals are out there.....

may i suggest, you start reading the motor fourms....the dry dock (restoration and building) and the out board forums.

some things not to waist time on.......

any boat that has the initals OMC.

any cheap boat with a soft floor.

any 470 mercrusier motor.

the more money you spend.....the less work you can expect to do.
vice-versa.....the less money you spend, the more time, money, work you put in to the boat.

remember.........Bring.... Out....Another.......Thousand

 

[RZR2007]

Re: Very new noobie here..

Says the floor has been replaced, probably due to rot. I would ask him why it was replaced, what shape are the stringers and transom in. Rot usually starts at the lowest point and works its way up. If you are capable and have the time to replace them yourself, you could have a nice safe boat for not alot of money, however, if this is something you wouldn't want to tackle yourself it can get pricey in a hurry to have it professionally done. You will want a ride before committing to anything, if he tries to get around doing this, best you move on to something else!

 

[cpubud]

Re: Very new noobie here..

needs a tune up is short for the motor needs major work or replaced 99 percent of the time.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Very new noobie here..

look up Frisco Boaters threads in the rebuild section

 

[southkogs]

Re: Very new noobie here..

Tough to be sure, but the ad says "new floor and seats" but in the photo I don't see ANY seats! At $500, that boat is a project boat - and if "engine needs a tune up" means "I can't get it to start" it's probably not worth $500.

If you're interested in that type of challenge, then go take a look at it. Mine was purchased in that same price range, and I really didn't know enough about I/O's when I bought it (got an OMC stringer, oops). BUT, I actually have enjoyed tinkering with it and know how to handle it when things break. Mine has been VERY inexpensive, took very little to get put together into a good family boat, and I really like it. Overall, it was a great purchase and I've had no problem finding spare parts (I'm currently building a back-up stern drive for it - and still haven't spent very much money on it). But, I do spend a fair amount of time "under the hood."

If you're looking to ease into boating and spend more time playing on the water than you spend tinkering on the boat - run away from this one (even though it's a pretty boat). Bump your budget up to about $3k and start watching closely on Craigslist.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Very new noobie here..

If the engine just needed a tuneup the owner would do it himself so the motor would run perfectly and he could get more money for the boat and sell it faster. Stay away from the just needs a tuneup boats.

 

[Susquehanna Squid]

Re: Very new noobie here..

Agreed. The less you spend, the more work it needs. My advice is be patient and wait for something else. If you really want that chance at a "good deal", wait until December or January to buy a boat. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Ithica DB]

Re: Very new noobie here..

If you get it for 500.00 you are buying the trailer only he has no price on the boat. I would run but if you can afford to gamble 5 then give it a try and hope for the best but expect disaster.

Just remember your wife will always remember.

 

[cpitch]

Re: Very new noobie here..

Thanks for all the replies guys. I let that one go actually. I am going to look a t a '74 sea ray with a 351 windsor. Its been sitting for 5 years but was running good last time it was in the water. the current owner says they just dont have time to fish anymore. The boat is pretty inexpensive and looks good on the photos. http://mcallen.en.craigslist.org/boa/2473412919.html
For some reason this boat is screaming at me to buy it. If all she needs is a tune up to get going I want it even more..

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Very new noobie here..

A Ford powered boat wouldn't be my first choice since they got out of the marine business a while ago and parts support isn't as good as the equivalent GM but with a Mercruiser you should be ok. Just make SURE it's not rotted. That's your biggest concern.

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: Very new noobie here..

That's leaps and bounds better than the first one - still needs some careful attention though. First off, it's still a 36 year old boat, you have to look at the floor, stringers, and transom for rot. If it's been very well maintained and stored, it could be OK, or it could be a bucket of rot. As for the motor, one small piece of advice - they always say "it ran great the last time it was in the water". Well, why wouldn't it run great now, right? Again, if it's something simple, I would think the owner would fix it and sell it as running in tip top shape. Then again, there are deals out there if you look hard enough. I'd take a look at this one, but dicker hard with a non running motor (assume it's blown and go from there). Good luck, let us know how you progress with your search.

 

[ryanr623]

Re: Very new noobie here..

if the engine just needed a tuneup the owner would do it himself so the motor would run perfectly and he could get more money for the boat and sell it faster. Stay away from the just needs a tuneup boats.

bingo

 

[cpitch]

Re: Very new noobie here..

Thanks again guys for the info. We decided that an inboard off shore boat isnt what were looking for. It could just turn into a money pit that we dont need to feed. We are looking into getting an aluminum v shaped boat now. It should be tons less to worry about in the maintenance department. We primarily want to use it for shallow water fishing in the Laguna Madre here in S. Texas. The off shore boat woulda been nice but its a gamble that I'm not willing to take. We are looking at a '16ft mon ark with a johnson 40hp. Looks older but it runs and I'm assuming it will be easier to fix that a Ford inboard...heres the link. The guy is nuts if he thinks he's gonna get $1900. Were gonna go with $1k and see what they say.

Question; Can we turn on the motor when its not in water...just to see if it starts up? And is 40 hp enough? whats the cruising speed on that thing? Where we fish is about 10,000 acres of bay and we dont wanna be chugging along at 5mph LOL...lots of water to cover..
http://mcallen.en.craigslist.org/boa/2465824091.html

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Very new noobie here..

Now you're talking. Tough to go wrong with a Johnson powered aluminum! I'd be painting over that BLACK interior with a quickness though. That thing would be HOT! That boat should do about 25-30MPH I'd think.

 

[CaptOchs]

Re: Very new noobie here..

Wow. Such a drastic swing of boats you're interested in! A 10,000 acres bay is pretty big. I would think you would want something a little bigger for that size of water. A larger boat is going to give you a smoother ride.

First off, it's all about condition. My 1991 was in much worse shape than my 1969 I bought 10 years ago. Just because its old doesn't mean it's rotten to the core. There's potential for rot in ANY used boat. A floor really isn't too hard to replace if you know how to cut plywood and lay down fiberglass.

Second, how many people do you want to take out? A 40Hp pushing an 15 ft aluminum hull works well for my parents. However when they add two people and they have problems getting to plane.

Third, what layout/features do you like? Open bow? Swim platform? Center console? Make a list of what are must haves.

Forth, decide on what engine type. Go outboard if you plan to go on Salt water. If you can't afford a 4 cycle, be prepared to pay more in gas. I had a 100HP 2 cycle Johnson and it took 11 gallons of gas for a one-way trip across (10,560 acre) Canandaigua Lake! It's one of NY's Finger lakes. So figure 22 gallons to go to the other side and back. My brother's I/O maybe used 5 or 8 gallons. Big difference. The downside is I/O's require more maintenance. If the prior owner didn't do any maintenance, it's going to get expensive to catch up. Only way to tell is to get records or have a mechanic look at it.

Fifth, what's your budget? If you can't dump a ton of money all at once into a boat, maybe getting a fixer-upper isn't such a bad thing. All boats need money to keep them going. My brother has a 5 year old boat and things still go wrong with it. Go aluminum? Please... My dad still had to replace the floor of his aluminum boat. It was much harder to do because he had to drill out tons of rivets. He was fuming when he found that out.

Bottom line is there are pro's and con's to different kinds of boats. Figure out what works best for your situation and narrow down your list. Then post the ads here.

 

[cpitch]

Re: Very new noobie here..

Wow. Such a drastic swing of boats you're interested in! A 10,000 acres bay is pretty big. I would think you would want something a little bigger for that size of water. A larger boat is going to give you a smoother ride.

First off, it's all about condition. My 1991 was in much worse shape than my 1969 I bought 10 years ago. Just because its old doesn't mean it's rotten to the core. There's potential for rot in ANY used boat. A floor really isn't too hard to replace if you know how to cut plywood and lay down fiberglass.

Second, how many people do you want to take out? A 40Hp pushing an 15 ft aluminum hull works well for my parents. However when they add two people and they have problems getting to plane.

Third, what layout/features do you like? Open bow? Swim platform? Center console? Make a list of what are must haves.

Forth, decide on what engine type. Go outboard if you plan to go on Salt water. If you can't afford a 4 cycle, be prepared to pay more in gas. I had a 100HP 2 cycle Johnson and it took 11 gallons of gas for a one-way trip across (10,560 acre) Canandaigua Lake! It's one of NY's Finger lakes. So figure 22 gallons to go to the other side and back. My brother's I/O maybe used 5 or 8 gallons. Big difference. The downside is I/O's require more maintenance. If the prior owner didn't do any maintenance, it's going to get expensive to catch up. Only way to tell is to get records or have a mechanic look at it.

Fifth, what's your budget? If you can't dump a ton of money all at once into a boat, maybe getting a fixer-upper isn't such a bad thing. All boats need money to keep them going. My brother has a 5 year old boat and things still go wrong with it. Go aluminum? Please... My dad still had to replace the floor of his aluminum boat. It was much harder to do because he had to drill out tons of rivets. He was fuming when he found that out.

Bottom line is there are pro's and con's to different kinds of boats. Figure out what works best for your situation and narrow down your list. Then post the ads here.

very good points.
I guess if I was putting down a list it would go in this order
1. has to do well in shallow water
2. preferably flat bottom BUT I'm not closed to v bottom
3. under $2k
4. I'm gonna need something that'll hold 4 people

The boat I posted last time was trashed. They covered up a bunch of stuff with the "paint job" they did. The console was ply-wood and the motor didnt start. The battery was brand new and so where all the electrical wires and hoses along with the 5 gallon gas tank. (all of which was exposed)

There was a crack in one of the welds that holds the boat together too.

Needless to say I ran away from that mess.

There seems to be lots of good looking boats in my area in the $2k and up range. I'm gonna have to look real hard for something worth while.