Bad Decisions!!!

[woppy balboa]

Newbie in need of opinions. I currently have a 1974 Sterncraft 22' with a rebuilt 350 chevy i/o. I bought the boat 3yrs. ago not running with a ford motor for $1,200. I have since been working on the boat and purchased a lot of new s/s parts for the boat (cleats, rod holders, rubrail, etc.). Roughly $800 worth of stuff. Recently I got a deal to have a rebuilt 350 chevy motor/ outdrive in for $1,800. At this point I have $3,800 invested and I still have an issue with the trim not working. The beam on the boat is about 3 inches shy of the space I have it in between house and fence (this is my only rear yard access). Also, it seems that leaves ppile up in the bilge, then when we get rain the bilge holds water. Not good for the bottom half the motor (tried covers- don't work).
I bought the boat with main intentions of using it on our lake (that gets pretty rough) and our annual Florida trip (coastal waters).
So all this brings me to my question. Option A, keep what I have; work on it when I can; invest more $ into it to get it right; and deal with cover and storage issues? Or, option B, I can get a new 16' deep-V aluminum hull with outboard for about $13,000?

Unsure and considerations- $13,000 would need top be financed. how well does a 16" deep-v alum. actually handle rough water?
Any input welcome.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

16 feet is close to the minimum for most rough water situations, but each boat is unique, and a great example is a Whaler. You didn't define what kind of 16 aluminum boat you were looking at. Alum boats tend to be less comfortable in rough sea's because they are much lighter than fiberglass.
Making payments when it's stored isn't fun either, so my rule is cash only for toys like this. Maybe finish your project, sell it if you don't like it, they buy what you want. A non running boat wont give you much $$ when selling, verses a good running boat. And you will take a good 20-30% hit just buying a new boat, then selling it, so I guess you have to decide.

 

[woppy balboa]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

Very true, the weight thing is my concern for the handling. I have 2 different water situations because the lake is large and fairly shallow so it can get choppy quick and the gulf just has those slow rolling waves. This is why I'm thinking deep-v. The boat I can get the best "new" deal on locally is a 16' Lowe side console

 

[Slip Away]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

IMO, sell the Sterncraft for $3,000 cut your losses and look for a decent used 22' or 23' Center Console with an outboard. Probably find quite a few in your area . If you are already willing to spend $13K on a little tinnie, you should be able to find a used fiberglass CC for about the same money.

 

[Malibu Rudder]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

I agree completely with Slip Away. Good luck and i am sure the right decision will come to you.

 

[saumon]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

IMO, sell the Sterncraft for $3,000 cut your losses and look for a decent used 22' or 23' Center Console with an outboard. Probably find quite a few in your area . If you are already willing to spend $13K on a little tinnie, you should be able to find a used fiberglass CC for about the same money.

Same as SA, but I would say a 17-20ft. CC; more gas friendly...

 

[woppy balboa]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

That would be my selling price if going that route. I limited the length do to price, storage space (beam), and loading/unloading alone. I was trying "new" because I see first hand how a project that you don't have a lot of knowledge in can get put aside and compound.
I bought a boat cover cause every now and then water would build up and kill the starter causing a non starting issue. Which then results in the boat sitting longer, so on and so. Then the cover (with support pole) would sag and fill with water. Well it finally tore and guess what. Same problems as before. It seems like a no win. The reliability of new is so much better than used. LOL. With all the problems I've had with the 22' in the past 3 yrs. (and never got it in the water) I don't want to have issues on the water with family (reason for alum. and outboard worst happens is motor dies and you float). Would be a no brainer if not for the money and convincing the wife that it's a good idea. And that I didn't lose my *** on the first "deal" (sterncraft)

 

[jayhanig]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

Here's how I dealt with water getting in on my bowrider: I took a 2 X 8 and cut off a 1 foot length, then using a forstner bit I drilled a hole in the center the exact size to hold a 1 foot length of PVC tubing without actually drilling all of the way through the wood. That created a vertical stand that I then placed on my transom (on top of a small towel so it wouldn't scratch my gelcoat). That short stand was topped with a PVC T fitting. Then I ran a long section of PVC tubing from the side of that vertical stand to rest on top of my boat's windshield. I terminated that long section of PVC with a 45 degree PVC union. Then what I did was run a line from my bow cleat aft and then through the long PVC length so that it comes out of the very back of that short vertical stand on the transom. That line then gets attached to the outdrive of my boat with the outdrive in a partially up position. What I have done is create a centerline support for a boat cover that absolutely won't allow water to collect. Once I've tied the aft section of line to the outdrive, I lower the outdrive to make the line taut. Then it's just a matter of snugging down the cover's sewn on straps.

The cover I've been using for three years now is a Classic Accessories StormPro. It comes equipped with two ventilation pockets for the aft section of the boat and it is trailerable. The only other thing I've done is drape some padding over the windshield underneath the cover so the sharp frame edges don't wear the cover prematurely. So far, so good. Tropical Storm Andrea went through here last week and not a drop of water under the cover. My boat sits in the driveway under the stars.

 

[Krichbourg]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

Welcome aboard Woppy! I don't know, I'm leaning more towards option A. It sounds like you are very close to having a water ready boat. Unless I'm missing something, you got a good deal on the hull, sounds like you have it re-powered. You're almost there. The cover issue is minor and fixable. It seems like for way less money that buying new, you could get your tilt/trim fixed and put that beast in the water. If you can't get all the help you need here to do it all yourself, hire someone to help you fill in the gaps. If you can get her in the water for for under 5K all together, I think you've done well. Buying new will not stop you from having issues on the water. It's nice to think that, but it's just not the case. To be fair, it will likely lower the chances. When you put one together as you are attempting, I think you will be better prepared to deal with any unforeseen issues when they arise. When it comes to bragging rights, there is no question. Anyone with the money or credit can buy a boat and get on the water, it takes a real boater to turn a collection of parts into a safe and fun watercraft. Good luck with it and let us know how it all turns out.

 

[woppy balboa]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

thank you Krich, I'm leaning that way myself. Today anyway, LOL. Main reason is even if it cost as much as a new boat I already have this one and there's nothing the wife can do about that.

 

[woppy balboa]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

At Jay, that sounds like a good idea once I have the trim working again. A friend also suggested that i just cover the boat with a screen/mesh type fabric to keep the magnolia leaves out and let the water flow right out the drain hole. I'm not so sure of the complete functionality of this idea.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

I would build an option C. Your A seems like a money pit and B for $13K is outrageous. C for me would be a 19-22' center console - fiberglass - 140-175 hp - used with a budget around 6-8k.

Oh and you will keep a 16'er on the trailer most times if you do any boating off shore in the Fl Keys - 16'ers are to damn small - not safe.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

woppy - I will preface this by saying that I am a Chevy engine guy and not a Ford engine person. That said, why do you feel like you need to get rid of the Ford engine and put in a chevy? If you just need a starter, try dbelectrical. I got one from them for a good price compared to other places.

Anyway, what all do you need to do to get your boat water ready?

All of us do it yourselfers get that frustration and want to scrap everything and get something new that needs no work. You save a lot of money with a boat you can fix yourself though (but older boats will be less reliable).

If your boat is a big piece of junk, do you really think you will get $3K for it? This time of year is probably the best time of the year to sell.
I would think that you could get a reliable 19' boat for less than $10K. If you don't have an urgent need to get your current boat going, how much will you get out of a $16K boat?

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

If the bilge keeps filling with water,why don't ya put in a drainplug??

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

Sometimes admitting spending 7K to make a $3K boat into a $3K boat makes sense only if you prefer a lot of work at less than a penny per week over spending time on the water.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

Sometimes admitting spending 7K to make a $3K boat into a $3K boat makes sense only if you prefer a lot of work at less than a penny per week over spending time on the water.

I agree crabby captain john. That's why I was wondering exactly how much work the boat really needs and why he needs to put in a different engine. I get that way with my boats sometimes If one thing breaks, I fix it and feel proud that I fixed it and I usually save a lot of money by fixing it myself. But, when I go through times when several things break down and I have difficulties diagnosing the problem.....well, I just wanna sink it the boat and forget about its issues. But, then, I just do one thing at a time and after each repair is done, I feel better and better about the boat again.

If i'm reading this right (and I don't want to put words in Woppy's mounth)...Woppy did what many of us do.. fix up the easier to do cosmetic stuff first, then get it running.. but, then by the time you get the engine worked on, all of the cosmetic stuff looks like crap again because of dirt, leaves, etc. Then, you start to not like the boat again.

 

[woppy balboa]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

Ok guys let me try to clear this up. The original Ford engine was not in running order when I got the boat. However, it was a quick fix to get motor running. Problem came when my friend (i/o mechanic) realized there was a hole in the outer plate that sandwiches the transom. They stopped making this part in 1986. Anyway my friend found a replacement ($500) but the year was just different enough to not match the inner plate. So I was gonna have to replace the inner plate (another $500). Meanwhile we had been talking/joking that replacement parts are so much cheaper for a chevy engine than a ford because of the common place of boat using chevy set-ups. Just so happens my friend had a customer with a junk boat but with a chevy engine that he himself had rebuild a couple years prior. He made me a deal for $1500 he'd put the chevy engine in my boat so I told him to do it. So as far as I know the drivetrain is fine other than the trim motor must have went out.
Boat has a drain hole. It fills with water because of huge magnolia tree leaves that build up in the bilge and block the hole during rain.

 

[woppy balboa]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

For the most part the boat probably isn't that far from being water ready. Mostly what I am doing is cometic, but above the rubrail. So I have not been able to put the numbers on yet. I guess my biggest gripe is now it seems like it might be (dare I say) too much boat. Backing it into my driveway with only inches to spare between house/electric panel and fence. Plus then to cut the grass it's either hook the boat up and move it or bring the mower through the house. Between this and the water filling bilge issue it gets pretty frustrating. Add in that I will basically be launching this beast by myself has me a little concerned.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Bad Decisions!!!

Nothing like spending money with a negative return. Unless you enjoy working on a boat more than using it and a while down the road have a boat worth less than you put into it,,, buying another makes more sense. I sold a 17' '04 McKee Craft with a 90 Yamaha and trailer in great shape for $7000 last winter. Someone got a great deal and I had more cash for my next boat. He took it home to GA and had it on the water the next day. Make your top $10K figure $1k for registration and incidentals. Look for something no older than '04. Aluminum is light and sits on top of the water instead of in it which makes control more difficult in rough water - been there with a 22'er. Go over it well or drop a couple hundred to have someone check the structure and motor-- then boat. Don't limit yourself to 'local' and don't limit to a CC. Have had my last CC, finally went back to a cuddy.