Newbie/first post

[deific]

Hello, found this site on Monday. I love how it seems like a good majority of you are based around me. CT and MV. Well I am almost 27 and know nothing about building boats or mechanical knowledge. I am getting married in Nov. so I need to get into a boat before the wife sucks me dry.
I am drawn to buying a project by my nature i guess. I build my own rods, and tie my own flies. So I am looking for a 23' potter hull. Potter hull, i guess because everyone seems to be drooling over them. So i want one.
I have a boat i have been eyeing for the past year and a half, boat never moves, house is falling apart. Front yard looks like a yard sale minus the sign. Is it ever appropriate to go offer him some money for the boat even though there is no forsale sign?
What are other good places to look for a 23' SeaCraft?
Thank you!

[deific]

Also, can you suggest any reading materials to learn glass techniques? Mechanical knowledge?

[strick]

Yes it's appropriate to ask if they would consider selling the boat. I just bought a 20sf that took me about 4 months worth of phone calls before I finally got in touch with the rightful owner. Even then he was playing hard to get and said he was not sure that he wanted to sell. I waited another 3 weeks and upped my price another $500 and finally he bit. So keep at it and you will eventually get a boat. As far as books go I cant remember the names but there are two really good ones out there. They are buried somewere in my house. Go to Amazon.com and do a search. Also keep looking at this site and classicmako.com and you will pick up some good info.

strick

[deific]

Thank you. Its a 23' Mako. I had a group of boats I was looking at, but I am becoming more and more partial to these boats every day. Any idea where I should start the offer if I can't even get close to the boat?

[warthog5]

Welcome Aboard deific. Just remember, a project boat is not done to save money.

It's easy to spend $30K redoing one yourself.

[deific]

Thank you for your reply warthog. Although I am not doing it to save money, I guess it is in the back of my mind that I could get more boat for my money by restoring it myself. I am expecting some cost, but 30k? not sure. Perhaps you can enlighten me on what I am in for before I make any purchases? Is 30k including power?

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Re doing a boat will take twice the time you thought it would and cost you approx one third to one half more that you thought usually approx 50 to 60% on what a new one costs.

Simple $$ tally
Old beat up hull. $5,000
New trailer $4,000
New motor $12,000
T-top $1,500
Leaning post $1,000
Electronics $1,500
Hydraulic steering $1,000
Glass, lamination, resin, and stuff $2,500
Paint, sandpaper, and stuff $1,000
Hardware, and miscellaneous stuff $1,000
Gas tank $800
And on and on and on- tools, equipment, BEER $1,000
-------------
$32,300

My 23 CC cost me approx $32,000 and took over 150 days to do and was worth every dime and now I kind of miss working on her now a days.




FellowShip

_______________________________________________

My motto: Just for the Grins

[deific]

Well here is what I was accounting for:
Old not so beat up hull. $2,000
New motor $12,000
Hydraulic steering $1,000
Glass, lamination, resin, and stuff $2,500
Paint, sandpaper, and stuff $1,000
Hardware, and miscellaneous stuff $1,000
Total budget above price of boat and power ~$4,500
And I believe I could get the boat for a lot less than $2k.

Does this sound reasonable?

Beautiful boat by the way.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

How about

2 New Batteries, Electronics, T-Top, Rod holders, Leaning Post, 2 New Bilge pumps, New Gas tank, Trailer, Trim Tabs, Boat lights, Flood lights, Live bait Plumbing and pump, Fresh water washdown, Rub Rail, Plus all the Beer you will drink while you put all this together. When I did my boat I had a ruff estimate of $20,000 to $22,000 and it cost me $32,000.

Please don’t misunderstand me. All this $$$$ info is not to discourage you but to inform you of one fundamental truth.
To do a project boat is not to have a cool boat for a really cheep price. It is just to have a Really Cool Boat…………Period.
If you want the best deal on a boat for a reasonable price. Then I always recommend looking at a 2-5 year old boat that has been kept in dry storage with a owner who is making payments on and never uses the thing. That boat is in excellent shape and you can pick it up for 80 to 60 % of new WITH NO WORK. Think of all that BEER money you would have saved.
Doing a project boat is only for truly SICK PEOPLE which have a incurable disease. putting 1/3 more money into a project KNOWING full well that NO ONE will ever give you as much as what you put in it IF YOU WOULD EVER SELL you got to be either crazy or sick.

JUST LOOK HOW SICK I AM.



FellowShip

_______________________________________________

My motto: Just for the Grins

[deific]

Fellowship-
Unfortunately I believe I am already very sick. You don't discourage me, I would much rather know what I am getting in to prior to undertaking the project. I think you are right in not misleading someone who doesn't truely understand what they are getting themselves into. I will be sure to keep costs in mind when attempting to find the best boat possible. Thanks for your help. Once you get into something like this, and built a boat like you have.. You don't actually sell it do you?