Free Boat: Shoudl I take It??

[peakay]

Hi there,

This may sound like a dumb question, but here goes. A neighbor friend has offered a boat to us for free that is supposed to run, but is very diirty and needs lots of love. its a 1987 Chris Craft Scorpion 210 and is docked in newport beach, ca harbor .

Photo attached - my camera flatters it -- its actually far worse looking in person

Pros: Free Boat!

Cons:
- Paint is badly faded and accent stripes are all cracked
- Interior is intact, but aged and starting to pull apart at the seams on a couple areas
- Bottom needs cleaning
- Needs new and properly fitting cover
- I expect the dock fees to be $500 or so a month
- Refurb and upkeep $


Should we go for it or run screaming away from a potential money pit??

It seems like these are fairly common and standardized boats - are they easy to get parts for? Am I likely to find good used parts in boat forums or ebay??

Thanks in advance.

 

[jbcurt00]

No not for $500/mo WHILE you rehab it

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,..... Ya mentioned everything but what matters the Most,....

What's the Motor, 'n Drive,..??
What kinda condition are they in,..??

 

[MTboatguy]

I would be very careful, often times the most expensive boat you will ever own is the one you get for free, I would want someone to survey it and make sure that the wood structures in the hull are sound, you are talking an almost 30 year old boat, that has been sitting in salt water, I would suspect the transom is probably going to need to be replaced as well as the possibility of the stringers as well as floor, which is labor intensive and not cheap. Spend the money for a survey if you are really interested, it may save you a lot of money on a so called "Free" boat.

 

[roffey]

I would think if its free you have nothing to lose but your time. I would not dock it while you are restoring it but I am out in the country and lots of places to keep a boat for free.

 

[roscoe]

Trailer?
Do you have a tow vehicle?
Do you have room to store it, or are you looked into a slip?
Is there a contract on the slip or can you pull her out and leave.
If there is a contract, is it transferable, or will they kick you out?
Why not use it as is? You don't need to fix up cosmetics. And if you do, it will cost way way more than you think, and you will still have a 30 year old boat that is worth nothing.

engine, outdrive, transom, stringers-- are whats important.

 

[smokeonthewater]

No way in hell I'd pay $500/mo to own an old dilapidated and almost definately rotten boat.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

I had a 'free' boat once (it came attached to the engine that's currently on my Checkmate) ..... several thousand dollars and hundreds of hours of my hard work later it's now in good condition.

Have you asked your neighbor why the boat is being given away, and for an honest assessment of everything that's wrong with it? If it has mechanical issues I wouldn't want to risk being stuck out on the water until everything is taken care of.

One option would be to put some thought into what kind of boat you really want and take your time while searching for a fair deal on a good used boat that will meet your needs. Another option is to take the 'free' boat and if it proves too costly to repair you could part it out and put the proceeds toward a different boat.

No matter what you decide, there's really no such thing as a 'free' boat.

 

[Thalasso]

Remember. Nothing is free. It comes with a price. Can you afford it would be the question

 

[garbageguy]

Hi there,

This may sound like a dumb question, but here goes. A neighbor friend has offered a boat to us for free that is supposed to run, but is very diirty and needs lots of love. its a 1987 Chris Craft Scorpion 210 and is docked in newport beach, ca harbor .

Photo attached - my camera flatters it -- its actually far worse looking in person

Pros: Free Boat!

Cons:
- Paint is badly faded and accent stripes are all cracked
- Interior is intact, but aged and starting to pull apart at the seams on a couple areas
- Bottom needs cleaning
- Needs new and properly fitting cover
- I expect the dock fees to be $500 or so a month
- Refurb and upkeep $


Should we go for it or run screaming away from a potential money pit??

It seems like these are fairly common and standardized boats - are they easy to get parts for? Am I likely to find good used parts in boat forums or ebay??

Thanks in advance.

photos?
But probably doesn't matter, others have stated the biggest concerns. I don't know where you are, but Newport harbor is quite the high dollar area to slip a boat. Why is it being given away for free? Do the current owners know it's junk? Are they in a position where $ is not a concern? If so, maybe you have a good find. But if you're interested, suggest getting a reliable survey before you take on its liabilities

 

[BigManDan72]

What is the condition of the floor? If there are soft spots you can be assured that most of what's underneath is rotted. That's the concern I'm facing with my 85
Wellcraft. No soft spots yet but I have to believe they're coming.

 

[GA_Boater]

This is not a free boat no matter what the OP says. It's an owner with a $500 a month liability he want's to avoid.

The boat is "supposed" to run. How long ago? Probably the last time out. :facepalm:

If this giver is a friend, the best you can say is you are not ready for full time ownership, but thanks for the offer.

 

[NYBo]

I would want someone to survey it and make sure that the wood structures in the hull are sound, you are talking an almost 30 year old boat, that has been sitting in salt water, I would suspect the transom is probably going to need to be replaced as well as the possibility of the stringers as well as floor, which is labor intensive and not cheap. Spend the money for a survey if you are really interested, it may save you a lot of money on a so called "Free" boat.

I thought saltwater didn't promote wood rot like freshwater.

 

[MTboatguy]

I thought saltwater didn't promote wood rot like freshwater.

I am not talking about the salt being the cause of the rot, but you have a boat, sitting in saltwater, that has an ill fitting cover as mentioned by the OP, most likely in the open, and exposed to the elements which includes fresh rain water, lots of moisture, no matter what type it is, is going to promote rot.

 

[smokeonthewater]

I thought saltwater didn't promote wood rot like freshwater.

saltwater doesn't fall from the sky... sure salt can come into the boat but for the most part the water that comes into them comes in the form of rain

 

[redneck joe]

See my sig line.


For me it was worth it but its a lot of time and money

 

[Rick Stephens]

The thousands I have spent on a not free, ready to run boat...... I wouldn't trade the labors for anything, I enjoy every minute of building up my own unique water craft. But oh boy have I gone through dollars over the years. To make that ChrisCraft what it should be is guaranteed to cost many thousands even if it has been well cared for. If it doesn't have a trailer, it ain't worth a plugged nickel though. It has to be pulled out and the $500 monthly made to go away.

Rick

 

[peakay]

Sorry for the loooong delay in replying guys. The donors of the boat changed their minds for a while, but I think finally have given up on having enough time to use and care for this thing. The background on it is it was given to them and they've had it for a few years and aren't using it. They are honest people and not trying to pull a fast one.

They said they had the outdrive rebuilt 2 years ago and the gimbal bearing replaced. The obvious things it needs right now are a complete detailing, gel coat polish/restore, new covers and a bimini. Might need a seat or two recovered as well, plus it would look better with shiny teak....

>>> Click here for photos <<<<

I have a buddy who is willing to go in halves on it to reduce the monthly expenses and refurb costs. Am also looking for a lower cost dock/mooring, but its probably not going to happen in Newport.

I'm inclined to do it - am I crazy? work out of my house and having something in the harbor (10 mins away) would be a good draw to get me on the water, even if its just chilling and wrenching on the dock. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper on a trailer, but I know I'd spend less time on the water that way.

What do you think?? I see many think this is a bad deal, but does it look any better with more info?

 

[gm280]

Just my opinion mind you! I would forego buying half a boat with anybody. Either you buy it all or forget it. And I would also find a trailer for it because sitting in water 24/7/365 has its issues. So if you still want to refurbish this boat, buy it outright and trailer it to your home and do the refurbish work. But like I said, that is just my opinion.

 

[64osby]

Going halves is not a good thing IMO. If you move forward and accept be prepared to take on all expenses, pay for the refurb and any mishaps that your buddy or you may cause.

Is sitting on the boat chilling worth $3,000 a year (shared), or $6,000 (sole ownership)?

Might be worth having a surveyor do a complete inspection, that way you shouldn't have any big surprises if you decide to go all in.