Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

[mikeandronda]

Ok its free to take possesion of the boat but I know its gonna be a long way from free by the time its on the water Its been 1 1/2 yrs since I sold my boat and Im dieing to get on the water again so I excited but a little wary at the same time. What do you guys think

Its a late 80s 17.5 wellcraft bayrider with a 140 hp inboard. It needs a new starter and carb work.........I know right there is probably $200,000 worth of parts and labor.

Heres the deal, its a whole lot more boat than I am used to......It was a little intimadating when I looked at it today.........Yes shes pretty ugly....needs lots of TLC in cosmetic department. Anyway Im not sure I wanted to get into a big boat like this ( I know some of you guys probablly see it as a dingy ) and I got the rest of this week to decide.........
Pros.
1. I think its a really cool boat and big enough for the Family and some friends.
2. its a very sea worthy boat as I know 3 different people who have fished deep sea's in it and all said the same.
3. Its free to start with.

Cons:
1.Big for me
2. Big for my truck ( funny thing is I was talking to someone about trading my truck for a bit bigger truck just yesterday) Would have to up grade tow vehical because a 2001 ford ranger aint gonna cut it. I do need to do this anyways because I do tow stuff all the time....just not as big as this boat.
3. Have to keep it at our cottage 40 mins form my house because it wont fit im my garage..........

 

[chiefalen]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

First you mean 200 dollars and i bet if you clean the carb yourself under a 100 the starter.

Your truck can pull that boat no problem.

Who makes the motor and drive is the BIG deal.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

Here's a simple way to measure the wisdom of accepting this boat. ...

Would you want this boat if it weren't free?

 

[rolmops]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

It sounds like a present that will be hard to afford.
The $200 you mentioned is probably just the teaser rate.The tank full of gas next summer may cost $2 or $4.50 a gallon next summer,we have yet to find out.
In my experience these presents have the nasty habit of biting you in the rear.

 

[oops!]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

i think he ment 200 thousand dollars in parts and labor.

mike a late 80's uasually meams stringers and transom.
lot of work 200 hrs worth.

40 mins is not that far if its a cottage.

can you build some of it in your drive way? (after all you do live in fla)

you needed a new truck any how.

it would really suck sitting around this spring "watching" the water.

you needed a project any how.....!

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

jay_merrill "Would you want this boat if it weren't free?"

Well I never saw myself in boat this big but I now live semi close to the ocean......and well it calls to me each time Im fishing from shore.......so much so I have no urge to freshwater fish.........So if I had money saved for a boat and this one was in sailing condition and a fair price........Yes.

One other con. Its an inboard......I have no experience with inboards.......Well in truth other than operating them I have little knowledge of ourboards........Thats why Im at iboats


chiefalen "Your truck can pull that boat no problem.

Who makes the motor and drive is the BIG deal."

You mean whether its worth the boat because of who makes the motor and drive?

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

Well here is another pretty cool thing.......My Dad owns a powersports/marine dealership and I can get the parts cost for him......He has some of the best mechanics working for him but I really, really hate when he "takes care of things for me" All the guys in the shop always are really cool to me and if I need help on minor fixes on my cars they always offer to help just becuase but I feel like Im taking advantage of them and my Dad when people do nice stuff because Im the big man's son. So if I could do the repairs myself with the friendly advice of the guys down their I will be a happy camper..........

Rolmops........My whole entire life has been a present I cant afford.


Oh and Ooops we think alike........my wife would hate the advice abouts more projects and bigger truck.......What does she know

 

[oops!]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

the real question is .....can she handle the fiberglass dust in her bed

 

[eaglejim]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

Wasn't you guys that gave your boat savings money to a needed family over Christmas?(if so this sounds like your reward) Take the boat,enjoy the fixing and the boating part if it turns out it is too much boat sell it and get a smaller one (I vote yes)

 

[salty87]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

inboards are mechanically so simple...little more than any detroit car from the 70's

if it's too much and too far away, that could get old. depends on the stringers/deck is my answer. and, unless there are gaping holes in the deck you can probably get at least a summer out of it.

 

[Don S]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

inboards are mechanically so simple...little more than any detroit car from the 70's

It's not an inboard, it's an IO. He just hasn't figured out the difference yet.

One saying that has never been proven wrong is this:

The most expensive boat you can get is a free one.


The previous owners seems to have found a way of getting rid of it without trying to get it to the dump.

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

Don't let the size of the boat spook you.
For years I used a canoe and a 12" aluminum because I fished hard to reach lakes in Mich. and Ont.
My Dad tried for years to give me his 17' deep V he used on Lake Michigan and I always said it's to big for my fishing. Well it's my boat now and I LOVE IT! It's not hard to haul, I can still go to most of my remote spots, and best of all my wife goes with me darn near everywhere because it's so user friendly.
I still have the canoe, it just stays drier more!
I can't speak on the repair stuff as I only have enough mechanical savvy to get myself in trouble.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

Hey Don, help nice guy out.........Its probably ingnorance but I always thought the difference Between inboad and outboard was how it was mounted? I understand the inboard motor is similar to a 4 Cyl. car engine and I thought Outboards were closer to a lawnmower engine( At least the 2 cylnders)......I know I know so much learn yet.......Thats why Im here

A funny thing about this boat is that the owner was talking to my wife at work about how he was out fishing. My wife mentioned how much we like to fish and that we spent out savings for a boat and that I was bummed. He said well I have a boat he can have.......When the starter and carb had problems he decided to buy a new boat and sell this one never got around to it......Well it got around work (Big trucking company)t hat he was gonna give it to me and a few of the guys got upset because they would be willing to buy it from him and he didnt offer.......Thing is this guy is not know for his generosity or being very nice and everybody was a little perturbed that he offered it to me for free......Now if you ask me, my wife is a hottie........Unless allready smitten and in love with another women I feel mere mortal men must struggle not to be attracted to her.................OK that part was just incase she looks over my shoulder while Im typing this......but she is hot......I feel this might be a factor in why he offered the boat to us for free................Well that and she is his dispatcher at the truck company they work for........Maybe he thinks he can get loads to haul if he is real nice........Either way works for me

 

[Don S]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

An outboard looks like this.

An IO (Inboard Outdrive)
Has the engine inside the boat, but there is also an outdrive mounted on the back of the boat.

An Inboard
A straight inboard has the engine and transmission mounted inside the boat, with a propshaft and rudder mounted on the bottom of the hull. The engines are normally in the center of the boat. Most of the inboard compitetiion ski boats are made like this.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

Ahhhh thanx Don......Ok so its an I/O and now I know the difference

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

remember you are now in Florida, do not spend a cent on it until you have a clear TITLE. FL is a boat title state, and very strict. trailers are just registered, and motors they don't care about.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

Just be careful, a free boat is like a free puppy, they never are.

You may see a free boat when you are actually getting a drain for your bank account.

As TD said, make sure you can title it and have a clear idea of what it will take to get on the water, it could turn out to be a real deal.

Good luck.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

Take it Mike, the worst you can do is get a free trailer out of it.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

Ok so its an I/O

Ayuh,...

And now for the Big Question,.....

Who's I/O,..??..??

Hopefully it's Not OMC....

 

[jpmurphy]

Re: Got offered a boat today.....For Free!!!!

Personally I like a challenge ! If it weren't for the free boat I have, I wouldn't have one as I can't afford thousands of dollars on a boat when I have home remodeling plans for the spring.

Forget the guys at work. This guy has a different kind of bond with your wife than with guys from another department. Been there done that.

Take the boat ! Take the boat ! Take the boat !

If you get in over your head financially, make a wadding pool out it !

As I see it, if you can't get help on this site, there is no help available.

Is there a forum on spelling here ???