Rotted Transom and stringers

A truly honest answer Bob, is a botched bad survey would have found this. If you are looking for a cheap boat, and all you look at is what is visible by raising a hatch, this is what you get. I have already hinted at junking it, but he did not bite. What I see is 6 to 8 thousand dollars, and untold hours on a boat that MIGHT be worth 4K when its over. I don't have all the books to look up the value, but NADA has it at 5K. We all know how bad the market is and unless he keeps it years, I don't see the reason to move forward.

Ken
 
Mudd,
Just think, You get a chance to do a complete refub of the boat and it won't cost you anything but time. :D

The experience alone will be invaluable.[:P]
 
True enough Charlie, but you know I would advise you just as I advised him. In the end, its his money. I will be there to help him if he proceeds. Friends don't let friends tinker on boats alone. Besides, he will be buying the beer.[:-drunk] [^]:D

Ken
 
quote:
Originally posted by muddkatt

A truly honest answer Bob, is a botched bad survey would have found this. If you are looking for a cheap boat, and all you look at is what is visible by raising a hatch, this is what you get. I have already hinted at junking it, but he did not bite. What I see is 6 to 8 thousand dollars, and untold hours on a boat that MIGHT be worth 4K when its over. I don't have all the books to look up the value, but NADA has it at 5K. We all know how bad the market is and unless he keeps it years, I don't see the reason to move forward.

Ken

Click to expand...


Having done both transom work and stringer work, this is a 12-15K project, easily.

If this was a Bertram, Seacraft, or other classic make, I would say go for it, but in this case - send it to the land fill.
 
I'd say about 3-4k in materials not including mechanical work.
 
Well, I bet this is the last fixer upper this guy works on! He will learn a big lesson the hard way if he doesn't take Muddie's advise.
 
3-4k + mechanicals could be reasonably close, plus beer. while the rebuilt boat won't have a resale value greater than the cost of the job, little about boats are a sound investment. if the job is done properly, you should end up with a boat that lasts longer than you can use it. the alternative is spending probably double the money for another used boat that could possibly suffer from water intrusion.

if you're not going to keep the boat for awhile, it's a losing proposition. but if you want to keep it and don't mind the mess and grinding, it can be a better bargain than starting over. depends on the size of the project, really.
 
quote:
Originally posted by onthecreek

3-4k + mechanicals could be reasonably close, plus beer. while the rebuilt boat won't have a resale value greater than the cost of the job, little about boats are a sound investment. if the job is done properly, you should end up with a boat that lasts longer than you can use it. the alternative is spending probably double the money for another used boat that could possibly suffer from water intrusion.

if you're not going to keep the boat for awhile, it's a losing proposition. but if you want to keep it and don't mind the mess and grinding, it can be a better bargain than starting over. depends on the size of the project, really.

Click to expand...
That pretty much sums up his position. I see the point, maybe I am just getting lazy, But that sure is a lot of work on something that will not have any real value at the end (except to the owner).

While I am thinking about it, the fuel tank is aluminum. it is located right in front of the bilge under the mid cabin berth. What is the chance the tank is about gone? There is no doubt in my mind it got wet, probably still is.

Ken
 
even a free boat is expensive if it needs lots of work. surveys pay for themselves.
 
Help him make a personal evaluation of the boat. Is the hull in good condition? Does he like the size and roominess? Does he like the style? Pix might help.

From experience, he's gonna go thru ups and downs with a project this big. It'll take a lot longer than you both realize. You'll both likely be opening a can of worms. BUT, IF you complete the project, you'll have a better boat than what was manufactured. You'll also find how bad a job the manufacturer and drive installers did.
 
My brother owned a Meridian, not even worth it if you put 5,000 into it.

Pass on that boat IMHO.
 
There are a few old classics which people want to salvage and spend the $$ on. But at least you found the stringers and transom at the onset. Sometimes the stringers are repaired first, then the transom, and finally the tank is discovered... Yes, there is a good likely hood that the tank is damaged since it has been sitting in foam which will tend to trap the water around the tank.

Bruce, All boats are built to a price. end grain balsa has some unique properties in both compression and shear which sets it apart over foams. The problem of course is that it can rot and the builders often take shortcuts. Any boat should be properly made: few are. I gave an example of a series of boats using Balsa for 30 years with good results, so it can be done. If I was building a one off today, I would use foam core for the entire boat over a male mold/stations. Balsa strip planked or cedar strip planked can also be used, and for somewhat less price--and will have better specs.

The problem is that the majority of boats have short cuts taken, where the consumer does not see them. They are disposable boats--and this includes some good size and expensive boats. A good fiberglass boat can last many years--there are 60 year old boats world cruising. You can build a far superior boat using epoxy, specific and exotic cloths and cores--and spend over twice as much on the materials. This boat will last indefinately--but the consumer will not pay for it. Each person has a choice to buy a boat which does not have balsa core--and they can vote with their pocket book. But the consumer does not know the difference. Thus rotton stringers, transoms etc, even in non cored boats.
 
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