Should I take this free boat

[coast runner]

I might have the chance to get an 89 Cobia San Marino for anywhere from free to $1000 The boat has been sitting in water for the last ten years and the owner can't remember the last time they used it. I have not seen the boat yet but I am going to look at it this weekend. I have never done any major work on a boat before, but I can do almost anything when I try. I have built a cobra kit car, that is just beautiful. Do you think I'm wasting my time going to look at it? How bad could it be?

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Should I take this free boat

Welcome to Iboats!

Any boat is worth looking at. My current boat had set in the water for about 5 years before i bought it.It was in freshwater with a covered slip.
I say check it out and post some pics of it..

 

[Tadd_P]

Re: Should I take this free boat

depends on the conditions. It would never hurt to go take a look at it. And you never said what kind of motor it had. Now depending on whether you pay $1000 or you get it for free is another thing. Anything for free is worth taking. Even if the boat is in horrible shape it can always be a fun project and have that much more value to you knowing that you fixed it up from scratch. If ya take it do yourself a favor. Take a lot of pictures before, during and after the long journey know what i mean? Good luck

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Should I take this free boat

Cobia builds one of the best boats on the market. they been around a long time. well worth looking at. if an inboard/outboard, count on the bellows, the seal between the engine and outdrive, to be shot.

 

[coast runner]

Re: Should I take this free boat

I do know it is an I/O and I'm pretty sure is a mercruiser. My wife was asking me what I thought it would take $ wise to make it a sea worth boat. I told her I really didn't know, but if I had to take a guess with me doing all the work I could keep it under $5000. Does that sound doable?

 

[Mark42]

Re: Should I take this free boat

I do know it is an I/O and I'm pretty sure is a mercruiser. My wife was asking me what I thought it would take $ wise to make it a sea worth boat. I told her I really didn't know, but if I had to take a guess with me doing all the work I could keep it under $5000. Does that sound doable?

Start a cost sheet for the project. Look at the boat, identify everything that will need replacing (seats, bimini top, gauges, carpet, floors, vinyl, cleats, rubrail, fuel tank and lines, controls, steering wheel, helm, steering cable, epoxy, polyester resin, fiberglass, exhaust mainifolds, lower unit, propeller, impeller, battery, lights, hoses, pumps, windshield, etc) and price it out on iboats mall. That should give you a good idea of what the repairs will cost you.

If its more than a few grand, and the boat needs lots of work to look good, I suggest taking the money you would spend on repairs and buy a used boat in good condition that just needs some normal maintenance and cosmetic fix-ups. A used boat in good condition is usually much less money than fixing up a project boat.

If you want to get an idea of what a complete rebuild entails, check out www.shareaproject.com and look at the boat projects. You will find my 65 MFG there, and a few other notables, like "project long haul" where the floors and many other aspecs of a mid sized bow rider were addressed quite well.

The best work you put into a project is the pre-work when you decide if its for you or not.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Should I take this free boat

I would think under 5k easy if the engine and transom are good.You could replace the engine for less than that.
I bought mine for 1100 bucks and put about 1500 more into it.That was a new transom and new lower unit on the engine..
Cobias are really nice boats.

Here is a before and after picture..

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Should I take this free boat

the san marino is a big boat, and will need a big trailer. you need to do some real investigating. i saw several for sale on line 11,000-15,000. as i said it is an I/O and hope it doesn't sink trying to move it. have a friend who has a 25' Fountain, been neglected, on a lift, the engine froze up. it is in the process of being repower, with a 383 Bravo 1, to the turn of $10,000. also it came close to sinking when they towed it to the marina for refitting. had 2 bilge pumps running.

 

[Nova II 260]

Re: Should I take this free boat

Simply fill in your own dollar amounts.

 

[tmh]

Re: Should I take this free boat

If it's sat in the waer that long, I'd want to see the hull out of the water before even taking it for free. IF it's a ruined hull, blistering, etc. then aither a HUGE fix job (not worth it) or someone has to pay to have it disposed of, which may be some $$$ if it's a big boat. Do they have a trailer somewhere to pull it out to look at?

Next is to figure out what interior work needs doing. Floor/stringers/transom, seating, etc. Then controls, etc and engine. IF you're a handy mechanic then you can keep your engine repair/rebuild/replace costs down some. If not, then you'll pay thru the nose for this, making it not worthwhile unless little engine work to be done.

Again, based on you saying you're handy at getting things done, I'd say FIRST make sure the hull is in decent condition. You can always basically tear out and replace most from the hull up (ton of work, but doable) but if the hull is going bad, I'd walk even for free. OR, I'd take it and part it out on eBay if there are useful parts.

 

[coast runner]

Re: Should I take this free boat

How to I tell if the stringers are bad?

 

[Mark42]

Re: Should I take this free boat

How to I tell if the stringers are bad?

Find a soft spot on the floor, set circular saw to about 5/8" depth and cut out a 1 square foot area. Then inspect the stringers for rot and look for rigid foam soaked full of water. They often go together.

 

[tommays]

Re: Should I take this free boat

I can not figure out how they kept it from sinking if it did not move in 10 years


It is a lot of work if the boat was stored DRY for 10 years to bring it back to life


I was shocked at how the fresh water had eaten up Garys gearcase


Tommays