I'm looking to buy my first boat. I want something that I can take to a local bass lake and also take to back bay at the New Jersey shore. Instead of just getting a 12ft aluminum boat, I am considering getting a power boat because it may be something I can do with the family and I won't be able to my wife and kids in a dingy. So I'm thinking about a powerboat that is a little versatile. I only need the boat to last 3 years, because if the family enjoys it, we would move up to more boat after that. And if they don't like, I'll keep it for fishing or get a smaller aluminum boat.
So I found a 16ft 1984 Thundercraft - Boat, motor, and trailer asking price is $1700. Trailer has been totally overhauled - new paint, tires look good, new rollers, new lights, etc. I opened the motor case and it's pretty clean, brand new screw, 60HP - owner claims compression tests are 140/135/140 (top/middle/bottom?). The hull looks really good - no scratches or obvious scrapes. The interior is kinda crappy, which I would expect from a boat this age. Areas of concern: soft spot on the floor, an aluminum plate covering the transom, and there is slight webbing (cracks) in the corner where the hull dips for the transom area. Also, the transom seems a little soft. I can wiggle the motor slightly, about 1/8 inch of play.
This seems to be a good price for this boat. I've budgeted $3000 total for a boat, and I want to get an electric trolling motor for it too (estimating $400). So I figure I have about $800 to spend on repairs and/or other accessories I need. Should I be overly concerned about the softspot? I do not have time, skill, tools, or ability to repair the floor myself. How much would this repair cost? Will I need to transom replaced too?
Ideally, I'd like to do nothing to this boat this year, but the soft spot makes me concerned that water could get inside the hull (resulting in sinking). And the transom concerns me that the motor may rip off (resulting in sinking). So my big fear is the boat sinking ;-)
I appreciate any insight.
So I found a 16ft 1984 Thundercraft - Boat, motor, and trailer asking price is $1700. Trailer has been totally overhauled - new paint, tires look good, new rollers, new lights, etc. I opened the motor case and it's pretty clean, brand new screw, 60HP - owner claims compression tests are 140/135/140 (top/middle/bottom?). The hull looks really good - no scratches or obvious scrapes. The interior is kinda crappy, which I would expect from a boat this age. Areas of concern: soft spot on the floor, an aluminum plate covering the transom, and there is slight webbing (cracks) in the corner where the hull dips for the transom area. Also, the transom seems a little soft. I can wiggle the motor slightly, about 1/8 inch of play.
This seems to be a good price for this boat. I've budgeted $3000 total for a boat, and I want to get an electric trolling motor for it too (estimating $400). So I figure I have about $800 to spend on repairs and/or other accessories I need. Should I be overly concerned about the softspot? I do not have time, skill, tools, or ability to repair the floor myself. How much would this repair cost? Will I need to transom replaced too?
Ideally, I'd like to do nothing to this boat this year, but the soft spot makes me concerned that water could get inside the hull (resulting in sinking). And the transom concerns me that the motor may rip off (resulting in sinking). So my big fear is the boat sinking ;-)
I appreciate any insight.
