The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

[bute56]

Hello all, and thank you in advance for your help. I have a young family (5 y.o. girl, 1 y.o. boy, and of course my lovely wife), and we have been talking about buying a boat. I am a fireman, she is a stay at home mom. Needless to say we are not rolling in the cash, but I have a second job, and our budget will allow us to spend a little extra on hanging out at the lake. We have been looking at everything, but we like the idea of being able to spend a night or two on the boat if we want. We also like the idea of having a large aft deck. We found a 1978 28' Carver Santa Cruz that seems to fit us pretty well. The boat is in decent shape cosmetically, I feel like I could really have it lookng good with a little elbow grease. Mechanically, I dont know. Two 305's started up and purred, but the boat would not plane out as far as I could tell-engines suspect. The owner did not know how to make any of the systems work-pressure water, water heater, stove, fridge. No trailer. He is asking 9k. I was thinking of offering maybe 5k, contingent on full survey. Any thoughts? What do you guys think its worth? Sorry this post is so long.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

Honestly..... that is too much and too old. If your are looking to just cruise around I would get a bow rider or a small cuddy cabin. Easy to tow, easy to use. The boat you described could suck your bank account dry in a single breakdown. No trailer means you MUST keep it docked and then stored. I see that big boat as a money pit if you are concerned with funds.

Your wife is your first mate and you two will have your hands full with that much boat and no time to watch the kids.



Do you have boating experience?

 

[scoutabout]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

First of all -- welcome to iboats. You will find all sorts of helpful people here...and some of them even know a thing or two about boats.

I hear you about wanting to spend time on the water with the family. It's a great way to pass the time.

Now for the less than good news. Even though Carver has a good name in the industry, my gut feel is that you are potentially in for a world of hurt with a boat that is a) this old b) already isn't working that well, c) is being sold by someone who doesn't know how to operate it and d) you aren't rolling in cash (who is, these days, anyway).

In firefighter talk it's probably the equivalent of an old, grease-soaked restaurant with bad wiring, no smoke detectors, and an arsonist living upstairs...

The cosmetics you mention are the very least of your worries. If the owner doesn't know how to operate it , he probably didn't know how to maintain it, and the problems brought on by neglect can compound pretty fast.

At the very, very, least -- spend a few hundred bucks getting a competent marine surveyor to crawl all over that thing as well as go for another sea trial with this person.

It's not beyond the realm of possible that it just needs a spit shine and some spark plugs but the chances of that are probably pretty small.

I don't mean to scuttle your dream of a nice weekender you can spend some quality time on with the family but this may not be the boat. And any boat that is in contention should get that same thorough going over by a professional. You are looking at boats that are big enough and complex enough to cost many, many thousands beyond the purchase price to put right if they've got problems.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on...with pics too, of course!

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

You said the magic words..."full survey". Get someone good and independent. If you have a friend or relative with boating experience have them check it out as well. If the boat wouldn't plane, it's possible the trim wasn't set, considering he didn't know how anything else worked. Google similiar boats and check craigslist as wall to see this boat is priced fairly. It seems to be priced high for a boat of this age and size, without a trailer.
BTW welcome to iboats forum. You will find a wealth of knowledge here.

 

[capt sam]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

Honestly..... that is too much and too old. If your are looking to just cruise around I would get a bow rider or a small cuddy cabin. Easy to tow, easy to use. The boat you described could suck your bank account dry in a single breakdown. No trailer means you MUST keep it docked and then stored. I see that big boat as a money pit if you are concerned with funds.

Your wife is your first mate and you two will have your hands full with that much boat and no time to watch the kids.



Do you have boating experience?

he's right, you can get in over your head quick, down size your plan.

 

[JoLin]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

he's right, you can get in over your head quick, down size your plan.

Double ditto-

First boat, old boat, big boat, limited funds. Yup, I'd also advise you to lower your sights. Get something smaller, simpler and newer. These guys aren't kidding about this boat having the potential to suck you dry with one major repair.

Knock 4 or 5 feet off that length and go for a single engine. Search, search and search- look at lots of boats. There are many pocket cruisers out there that could fit the bill perfectly for you. Easy to learn on, easy to handle, and trailerable. Plenty of advice available right here. Ask your questions. People are glad to help.

Whatever you decide, tho, a marine survey should be at the top of your list. The surveyor knows what he's looking at, and he works for you and you alone. These guys are worth their weight in gold.

I wish you the very best of lluck.

 

[Nandy]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

You have good advice here. We will be in better shape to advice you if you give us your boating background. In my opinion everyone that is telling you to stay away from this boat is probably right. Get you a good working boat, not one that you have to fix unless you are a seasoned boater or it is a killer deal (this one does not sounds like a killer deal).
Downsize to something you can trailer if you have the proper towing vehicle. 21 footer being at the max size. You can find quite a few boats with cabins that will fit your family. I am guessing here that you have very little if no boating experience. The market is full of boats, take your time, do not rush (easier said than done, been there done that) and let us know whatever else you see. We will try to advice you.

There are several flags in this deal. My biggest is the owner not knowing how to make several things work in this rig. That mean the guy is clueless and probably neglected maintenance and the possibility of abusing the rig due to his ignorance OR, he knows what is wrong and is lying to you. Both situations are not good.
Please, if you have 5k to spend in a boat you can get yourself a good working boat that you can put in the water and enjoy right away. Do not rush, repairs can be very expensive for marine equipment unless you can tackle them yourself. Even for the diy'ers some repairs can be too expensive.

Good luck.

 

[xxturbowesxx]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

A 4 person family should be easy to please with anything 17' and over.. Big boats = big money.. even if it was free getting it water ready could cost you thousands(not to mention dock costs)..I would cast my vote towards a bowrider because its a good efficient design that will have to power for watersports and room for your family.. If you want a boat that is enclosed for camping or something you may want to consider a party barge with a part or full enclosure..

 

[kevincave]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

i bought a 78 24ft sea ray, needed a starter. sat for a couple years so it needed cleaning. everything was on it and looked good. well it got rainwater in the motor so now i am rebuilding a 454 which i am very capable of. lucky for me theres not much i cant work on. found all kind of things that needs replacing. i am putting about 1500.00 on top of the 1500.00 i paid for it. it can get expensive quick........kc

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

My other concern was the First Mate. You just have to be very attentive with a boat that large with lines while casting off and docking. You really would be putting stress on yourself and the wife with 2 young children.

I hope you understand we are not raining on your boating parade ...... just that specific size boat. Even if it was brand new.... it would be a handfull with the kids.

We want you to be welcome here at iboats!! We are all focused on having fun!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

I also dream of someday owning a smaller cruiser with overnighting capabilities and have looked at them online quite a bit. Personally I don't have any experience with a larger boat and am quite intimidated by it. I've noticed there are quite a few 24' models with aft cabins and single engines that look pretty manageable. I think that's what I'd go for for my first larger boat. A 24' should be pretty fairly easy to trailer and the maintenance savings of only have 1 motor and drive to deal with.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

i think a nice trailerable cuddy cabin would be a better choice for a first boat. 19-22ft range.

 

[keelhauled]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

I have to agree with these guys... take it from someone who operates a 41 year old boat regularly... they break. Sometimes finding parts can be a challenge, even for a '78. If I didn't do my own work, I'd be sunk (figuratively and literally LOL).

Don't get me wrong, the cool factor of a big cruiser is sweet, but unless you plan to spend a lot of time and a whole bunch of money on it, look for something a little more manageable.

I feel ya, though. If I had unlimited funds, I'd upgrade to a Chris Craft Commander!

Remember, B-O-A-T = Bring Out Another Thousand!

 

[gss036]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

That boat/cruiser is not a trailer boat and it will need a mooring spot at about $3-4@ft @month, so that can can get spendy in a hurry. Then the needed insurance the port will require will be another couple $100 per month because of the liability involved. Not counting the running cost, a 20 mile round trip trip will probable take 40 gallons of gas or more.
There is a bunch of good advise in the above post that you really need to consider.
I doubt you could ever get that boat on plane, probably a displacement hull.

 

[Silver Heels]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

If you decide to go with the boat and opt to get a trailer, I would think a fire truck would be able to move it just fine- at least as long as its not to a five alarm fire! LOL

By the way, I don't have kids yet, buy the two of us really enjoy our 20' cuddy. Its enough for the occasional weekend excursion, and an adventurous kid would have a blast sleeping under the enclosure in back.

 

[AguaSki]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

Good advice here. I was in a similar position 5 years ago and I elected to go with an 18 foot bow rider. My family of 4 has also overnighted several times in it. I have rigged a forward canvas cover from the front of the bimini to the bow rails, and I rig a rear cover from the back of the bimini to the snaps used for the cockpit cover. The sides of the boat are open, so this is not a perfect enclosure, but it does provide some protection from the elements as well as some privacy. One kid sleeps in a bed I rigged for the bow, the other kid is on a lounge seat folded to the open position, my wife on the other lounge seat, and I am on the floor using a foam pad for cushioning. Kind of ghetto rigged, but we have fun, and it proves you can camp in a bow rider. Sometimes we are on the hook, other times we are beached, and we have also camped with the boat still on the trailer. The kids just love getting out of the house.

 

[bute56]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

thank you all for the advice! I have been leaning towards just forgetting about the carver. I do have lots of experience with boats and have piloted a 33' chris craft several times, in and out of the slip, pulling in, backing in, open water, all of that. I felt like it wasn't much of a problem for me. Anyway, the one thing I kept thinking regarding the carver was, if I could steal it and the engines were sound, how could I say no. Like you all though, I too understand that this is a highly unlikely scenario. By the way a full survey by an accredited surveyor=1k or so. That's for the whole nine yards. I am in Oklahoma.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

bute56, are you on Grand Lake? Otherwise, that boat is almost going to be too big for a lot foarea lakes. There are TONS of other items that can break on a boat that big. A big concern with a boat of that age is the condition of the transom. If it is soft, run away fast. There are lots of electricals and maintenance on a twin engine as well that will skyrocket the cost. Since it will likely be staying in the water, you will have to pay for full bottom paint jobs, also not cheap. I would seriously look for a 20-22ft runabout. That way you fan fish, ski, tube, and cruise around without breaking the bank. I have a 76 20ft runabout on Grand and I just had to rebuild it even though it was kep in impecible condition, the transom still rotted out. Lots of work to keep an otherwise spectacular boat in the water. If it had any engine or outdrive problems I would have junked it.

Point is, a boat that old is going to have plenty of issues, requires lots of gas, and won't let your kids do the fun stuff like watersports.

 

[dbkerley]

Re: The best way to buy a 30 year old boat....

We recently got an AristoCraft 19 and took it to Lake Hamilton 2 weeks ago. We got a lovely room overlooking the lake and slipped the boat in their docks for free. The beds are comfortable. The kids are safe at the hotel pool and the area restaurants are great.

All for less than the cost of trailering, mooring and fueling the old one. BTW, a really impressive set of storms moved through overnight and since the free docks weren't covered I had a lot of bilge work to do the next morning.

Those 19s are really cool little boats. This is my first one and the cockpit area is huge compared to most this size. The hardtop on it is much nicer than a bimini. My wife and I can have quiet conversation at cruise in the rain and still be comfortable.

Added: It throws a good wake and has the power and traction to toss two 17 yr olds airborne from a tube at will.