Is it worth it...?

[vizwhiz]

I have two "S" boat options staring at me in the face right now - both very inexpensive, and relatively local...

One has an aluminum trailer and motor on it, and has been sailing up until recently, is currently out of the water. Interior is, from the way the guy described it, trashed and filthy. He said it was filthy when he bought it, and he doesn't even open up the cabin door when he sails - just goes out and sails and comes back in, no use for the cabin. I hear that as "trashed" and concerns me a little about how well the boat itself has been maintained.

Second one has no trailer or motor, but the boat is supposedly in really good shape (looks good from the pictures). This boat is even cheaper than the one above, but not having a motor and trailer, it would add significantly to the cost to add those.

My idea (wifey shakes her head at me) is to buy both...
Buy the one with the trailer first, haul it home, put it up on blocks in the backyard, drag the trailer back to pick up the other one and bring it back also.
Take the best of both boats and make one boat with all of the best parts on it....best rudder, best centerboard, links, ropes, etc.
Put the balance of the hardware back on the lesser boat.
Sell the lesser boat for the first $yyyy that someone waves at me.

Any input??

[pokerrick1]

So let me get this straight - - - as you buy a boat you're LOOKING to spend ALL OF YOUR FREE TIME on it - - - completely ignore your wife and family for a long time - - - and deliberately do a GREAT DEAL OF WORK

I'm with wifey

Keep looking

Rick

PS And what happens when the same part is bad on both boats - - - answer: you spend MORE $$$$$.

[Rick Westlake]

I'd get the nice boat, buy a good trailer, find a decent used motor (likely on Craigslist)....

Bossa Nova's original 1999 trailer was in rough condition when I bought it, and I had several problems that first summer; I bit the bullet when the brake linings broke free and jammed in the drums, and bought a brand-new Sea Lion dually with disc brakes and all the goodies I could find for it ... $3500

Out of curiosity I just checked Orlando Craigslist and found several 5- to 9.9-hp outboards for $500 or less. OTOH, I bought a brand-new 9.9-hp Tohatsu for my first Mac, and it cost about $2000.

Those are at least figures you can use in your discussions with the Admiral ... hope they help.

[Doug91mac26s]

Sounds interesting to me! If both boats are very inexpensive, it could be worth it. Of course not knowing how inexpensive makes it tough to give a good opinion. How bad could the interior of the first boat be? Maybe it's just real dirty and messy, could be a hidden treasure in there, considering the guy doesn't go in there. Let's face it, the interior of the stock boats are spartan, what could be wrong with it? Maybe the cushions are no good, or missing...

Some people don't enjoy projects, if you do, and the prices are right, go for it.

[c130king]

I know when I was at the point of making my big buy I had a choice of buying a boat "ready to sail" or a couple different ones that would have needed some work or some new gear. I went with the boat that was ready to go on the water...very glad I did.

Good luck with your choice and I hope you enjoy your time with your new boat.

Jim

[vizwhiz]

Guess I didn't post the prices, did I...

Um, the one with trailer and motor is $3000, the other without is $2000... I might be able to negotiate a few hundred off the $3000 boat because he's trying to dump it from a divorce - that's the dirty one. The $2000 boat just came down from $4000 then $3000 to $2000 because they are trying to get rid of it - but bare boat, pretty much, just clean.

The ready-to-sail boats I've seen range from around $6000 (asking prices) to $8500...probably could pick one of the middle-range equip/price boats for $6000-6500 after negotiating.

I'm just not sure whether to do the bare-boat thing and drop $$$ buying trailer, motor, parts, accessories, etc. (and still end up at $6000) or just pick up a ready-to-sail. It's just hard to see two boats nearby for that kind of price without at least considering doing something!!

Thanks for the input - I am in no rush - trying to make you-know-who happy too, so looking hard at the ready-to-sails also!

[Trouts Dream]

he's trying to dump it from a divorce - that's the dirty one.

Thanks for the input - I am in no rush - trying to make you-know-who happy too, so looking hard at the ready-to-sails also!

In the long run, whatever wifeys happy with will always save you the most money.

[Catigale]

The boat sans trailer is almost valueless. A trailer to move it costs as much as the boat, so the value prop isn't there.

I would follow the buy both mantra after pricing out two things

How much is a new trailer for the nice boat?

How much would a large trash hauler charge to cart off a junk boat?

If you don't want to do both boats (code for no Admirals' approval) buy the good boat and a new trailer. Period.

[hoaglandr]

I suggest you do more homework on both boats. You need to check out the inside of the "trashed" boat in person and also inspect the good boat. Since they are both relatively local this should be do-able. A few hours spent assessing the condition of these boats in person will probably make your decision much easier. If not, at least you will be making an "informed" decision.

Just keep in mind that if you buy the ready-to sail boat you will still probably want to add stuff (more $$$$) to make your admiral comfortable or to satisfy your need for gizmos. (I've got a long list of my own to install this winter). That being said I tend to agree with Catigale.

Russell

[cbig]

Been in ur situation before. Wait it out until the right boat comes along unless both make offers u just can't refuse. We waited and bought a 90 d (last of) for little over $4k. Trailer was functional, some rust but all was well cared for. ..really clean boat. Guy even had engine and sailing logs in it w maintenance records. How could I not? We
are lucky we live in the Los Angeles basin so there's more to choose from. Asking prices mean little.

Chuck

[vizwhiz]

Thanks to everyone for the input...my decision just got easier ..the "dirty" boat was just sold.

I have been talking to the A-T-B (admiral to be) about the different prices for the ready-to-sail boats verses getting to "personalize" one from ground-up, which there are a few within pick-up range, so that conversation is happening also (thanks Poker!). There's a lot to be said about both options...

The $2000 boat is scheduled for me to see next weekend...going to borrow a mask and go under the boat to see what it looks like under the water-line.

Looking at little motors right now...(thanks for the heads-up RickW). Watching the video, they seemed to purport that anything from 6-10 HP would work...true, or is the 6 HP just too weenie? (Not like I'm racing the thing on motor power.)

By the way, do I need a long-shaft motor for the "S"? I am seeing some short shafts, some 20", and a couple 25" shafts... I want one that is going to work (not cavitate like it's sucking the bottom out of a chocolate shake), but not be too long that it turns into a problem in shallow water (which we have a lot of here). Thanks!

[pokerrick1]

If you don't want to do both boats (code for no Admirals' approval) buy the good boat and a new trailer. Period.

Or keep looking

Rick

PS I got up early today (after a late night) to look at two powerboats on Lake Mead. BOTH were junk - - - I guess people here think they can get away with misdescribing boats and pricing them out of sight because they aren't that many to look at ready to go - - - like there are in Southern California. So far, looking for a boat here in Las Vegas (Lake Mead) has been a PITA I'm thinking of spending a week in MDR, find and buy a boat, and just have it shipped here via truck - - - of course then I might have problems getting a slip where I want it (Las Vegas boat basin on Lake Mead near Boulder Dam and City). Oi, decisions, decisions (yeah, everyone should have ny problems - - - my biggest decision most days is where to eat dinner and play poker )

[vizwhiz]

Cbig, Doug91 - do you guys have short shaft or long shaft outboards? What is the right size for the D/S?

Poker - I appreciate your persistence - I'm giving more and more consideration to a ready-to-go boat.

The one nagging concern about doing that is...wear-and-tear...not so much on the boat itself, fabric on the seat cushions, etc., but on the...the..."stuff"...that makes it seem "ready to go" in the first place - the compass and the VHF radio and the chartplotter and the sheets and all the little pulleys and the cam-cleats and the...the "stuff". If I buy "ready to go", I'm buying something someone has been using and/or has been used (how much? how hard?). That's really the only ?? sticking in my head about going that direction.

If I buy bare-bones and add the blocks and cleats and other stuff to bring lines aft, for example, and I add a new chartplotter...then all the "stuff" is, well, "new". At least I know it isn't going to let go on me out there in the middle of Tampa Bay. I am not saying I necessarily WANT to spend a lot of time and $$$ custom-installing all that stuff. But...at the same time, I don't want to have to start replacing all that stuff anyway because it turns out to be...old...and...used up.

I'm trying to be wise - my goal is to sail, not to start a new project. Time on the water, not time on the trailer. And at the same time, I realize that I'm not buying a new boat - it's a used boat, and one that's nearly 20 years old, in this case! So I understand that it doesn't make sense to try to overly think this...that's why I'm also thinking harder about the ready to go boat...

sigh...such a tough decision to make...

[pokerrick1]

Poker - I appreciate your persistence - I'm giving more and more consideration to a ready-to-go boat.

Now don't get me wrong - - - the boat can need SOME work - - -just NOT a YEAR'S worth of work unles you are a YEAR PROJECT kind of guy! Most guys aren't.

Rick

PS MY idea of a Year's Project is like -- - hit every strip joint in Las Vegas to determine which one has the best food

[Ixneigh]

I'd go on the condition of the structure of the boat. I'd take a filthy interior over a clean one that had stress cracks, impact damage or things like that. These are small boats. Soap and a few days of scrubbing can do wonders. The later boats don't use any structural wood inside or very little. The older ones like what I have use plywood bulkheads and stringers. Structural damage, even slight, takes more effort to fix then scrubbing mold, oil stains, and general filth.
Been there and done it both ways.