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

[aspeck]

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

Cool, Mike! You need a bigger boat for the time I come down to fish with you. So get the boat all fixed up and ready!

 

[mikeandronda]

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

Well here is where Im at.......Im gonna do it. Even if I stick $300-400 into the motor to get it running, I figure if I don?t like it or it?s too big I can always trade for a smaller boat.......I really do want a center council flats boat. I have been doing the whole barter thing on Craigslist as opposed to trying to sell outright and have had some pretty good deals happen. And besides I like to look at life as a big learning experience so the more interesting things to learn (Motors) the more interesting life becomes

Art, you say the word and give me date you will be gracing Florida with your presence and we will set up a fun outing or two.....let me know, your always welcome here

jpmurphy "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."

Your right but at risk of hijacking my own thread and turning this into a Ronda appreciation thread. Everyone one of her drivers love my wife and most have bit of a crush.......See I was blessed.....undeservedly.....to have met and somehow been able to convince this gem of a woman to marry me. She is one of the most loving, friendly, easy to get along with person I know......Add to that she is one heck of a looker and its only natural these guys love her........No Ip not a jealous one, but she is so she set our boundaries yrs ago and that includes no out side opposite sex friendships unless its with the both of us...........No lunches/dinners or hang out time unless we are both there. Plus like 5000 other rules.....Like leaving the toilet seat down.......So Im not worried........Ok back to the boat.


I?m gonna do it.

 

[LOW-LIFE]

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

Plus like 5000 other rules.....Like leaving the toilet seat down.......

funny, my GF never puts the toilet lid down but i always close it... and she is the one complaining about the dogs drinking out of the toilet.

 

[mikeandronda]

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

Well all I can say is I have never fallen into the camode because of not checking whether the seat is down or not..........Not one single time.........I dont understand the issue........

 

[eaglejim]

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

Don't forget take some pictures so we can see if we help you make a good decision

 

[LOW-LIFE]

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

Well all I can say is I have never fallen into the camode because of not checking whether the seat is down or not..........Not one single time.........I dont understand the issue........

agreed.

also if us men are so messy and lazy how come my bathroom has always been cleaner than any womans sink and toilet i have dated?....


yea... boat.... cool.

 

[jpmurphy]

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

Great !!! You go for it... Sounds like you truly are blessed with your marriage.
Good for you !!!!

 

[nightstalker]

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

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..........

1. Your truck is big enough to haul it.
2. Check out the glass, stringers, transom, carefully for soft spots.
3. Lets you dad's mechs. help out (you can repay them with fish).
4. I think that half the fun of owning a rig is working on it. Get it to your cottege, fix it up as best you can. If you decide to quit on it, you can always sell it or give it away.
5. You will get comfortable with the size of that rig quickly a be wishing for a few extra feet (trust me).
Nightstalker

 

[nightstalker]

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

1. Your truck is big enough.
2. Let yor dad's guys help out (you can repay them with fish).
3. You will have no problem handling that size boat.
4. Half the fun of owning a boat is messing around with it. Move it to the cottege, get her ready to go. If you give up on it, you can always sell it or give it away.
5. Good Luck.
Nightstalker

 

[LOW-LIFE]

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

5. You will get comfortable with the size of that rig quickly a be wishing for a few extra feet (trust me).
Nightstalker

must be a cialis supporter / user......

 

[haskindm]

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

Don't forget take some pictures so we can see if we help you make a good decision

Are we talking about pictures of the boat, or the wife, or both?

 

[eaglejim]

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

Well since he has talked about how hot she is maybe if she is helping by doing something with the boat that way it will be 2 birds with one stone thing

 

[IES99]

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

I have a 1988 17.5' Wellcraft Bowrider with a 140 Mercruiser (probably what you have: that's how they made them) that I bought new in '88. There has been no problem with transom or stringers. (I have kept it covered). This is a solid boat. The engine is where the money might go. See the Mercruiser forums on this site. Exhaust manifold/riser, carb.

I would go for it. Have fun bringing it back to life. I've had a great time with mine.

 

[mikeandronda]

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

IES99 "I have a 1988 17.5' Wellcraft Bowrider with a 140 Mercruiser (probably what you have: that's how they made them) that I bought new in '88."

Does that mean there was no 18.5' made or just none that year? I think its an 88 and a mercruiser............

Anyways I will know tomarrow for sure because Im useing one of my Dads shop trucks and I am gonna bring it down to his mechanics to go over.......Worst case scenrio is put some money into getting it running ( If its not astronomical) and see what I think after that. Will try and take some pics if all goes well tomarrow

 

[mikeandronda]

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

Well Im on my way to get my new toy....report back later........

 

[mikeandronda]

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

OK, Towed the boat over to a buddies house??.The boat according to paper work says she is a 1989 16?9? Wellcraft. The guy who gave it to me said it was a 18.5? but Im sure he was thinking about his other boat?..Im thinking paperwork don?t lie. It has sat for about 2 yrs?..and it shows it. Real dirty and there is a soft spot in the floor up towards the front??..Uh Oh We really didn?t dig too far into that but Im gonna go back over tomarrow to look a little harder. The rest of the floor, transom and hull seem real solid. The motor is a mercruiser 3.0 140 it says mercruiser alpha one on the outdrive.

The trailer has seen the worst of the neglect?..Lots of rust?..Im thinking the salt water has taken its toll. This is where the most work is going to be besides cosmetic?..At least I hope??..

I want to clean the boat up a little before I bring it in to be checked??..just out of courtesy to the mechs.

I Do have a few pics. ( Go figure after 3 pics the bateries in camera die ) In need to figure out how to post them.

The boat has the name Kathy?s Clown???When I got home wife said Oh well we have to rename it???I then told her is was bad luck to rename a boat??..She said since when are you superstitious?........I said Im not??except when it comes to going out into the ocean?..She then proceeded to tell me that its worse luck to keep another women?s name on my boat?? I have to think about that question a little harder.

 

[tashasdaddy]

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

posting pics http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=286514

renaming http://www.bluewatersailing.com/documents/renamingceremony.pdf

 

[eaglejim]

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

looks like a very nice free boat

 

[daviscfad]

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

I agree I think it is a nice free boat... You could take some aqua buff 1000 or some 3m gelcoat compound and it will bring that gelcoat back to life... You will need a buffer though... I would give her a wash and buff it up... It will get you motivated to work on it

 

[tashasdaddy]

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

wellcraft builds and built a great boat, it is going to be a little on the slow side, but one heck of a fishing boat. get those make shift tabs off the transom, and install smart tabs.

basics, get it safe to use, then all the lipstick and eyeshadow can come later. also do the name changing. when Mama's happy, every one is.