Re: Has anybody started a project boat and gave up on the job?
Well, I bought my first boat, a 22 foot sea ray, after being bitten by the bug when I started scuba diving. I wanted a boat big enough to survive 2-3 foot waves on lake superior in moderate comfort.
Of course, since I was looking for a cheapie, I wanted to spend $4000 or so and get something I could use with some work. So I thought myself lucky when I found a 22 footer for $1350 with a trailer. I took a day off, drove four hours to get it home, and put it into storage for three months, until I had a house with a driveway.
Then when I was working on the interior, I noticed the floor was loose over the gas tank. I started pulling at it and figured I'd replace it. Then I looked at the gas tank and it was rusted solid, so I thought I'd better replace that too. Pulling the gas tank, I noticed rusty stringers, so I thought, uh-oh. Pulled the whole floor to get to the stringers, and found a rotten transom. So I pulled the motor out, replaced the transom, replaced the stringers, got cleats glued to the stringers, and then gave up hope.
Why then? Well, scuba season came around again, and I realized I wouldn't see the water this year with that boat. Also, I saw another boat of almost the same type that was ten years newer on craigslist for $500. I went to check it out and the hull, floor, stringers, and transom were solid. It had a motor that was cracked, but I had a spare motor from the other boat!
So, I took it home, and worked on the motor with a friend. After getting advice here, I found out I couldn't use the other boat's motor - it was a ford, and the new boat was a chevy. I thought I could maybe fix the cracked motor. We even took it out on the lake for a day, the motor ran well enough for that. But on the way home, the boat on the trailer started to sway, jumped off the trailer, and wrecked the boat, trailer, and my pickup. Too much weight on the trailer rear.
I got the mechanicals on the truck fixed, didn't do the body work (the truck is a 2001, but it has 260k miles) and put the boat on blocks in my driveway. I'm almost done fixing the hull scrapes and dings, I have new parts to replace the motor mounts and transom plate that snapped in the crash, I have a pile of parts to put new brakes and bearings on the trailer, and I have been working hard on a used 350 chevy block for a month (bought on craigslist for $300).
Last night I found that the 350 block has a large crack in the head, and is unusable. So now I'm waiting to order a reman engine for the boat. In the meantime (until I have the cash) I'm going to finish the hull repairs and get the sterndrive's transom work done. I have all the parts I need (used) but I'll still have to do some work to make the new bell housing and transom plate go on properly. I have the new seals for it, and I'll use the outdrive from the 22 footer.
Then I need to do the trailer. Some painting, welding, and wiring.
Also, in purchasing the parts for the second boat I ended up with a third boat (don't ask) on a trailer.
So now I'm nearly broke (I make $86k a year in my day job) since the boats, parts, and the accident have emptied my savings. I am still determined that come hell or high water I will have a boat on the water this year. I have also damaged my finances by purchasing a side scan sonar on a contract - I set up the purchase to occur early summer, when I thought I might have a boat to use it with.
So, right now I have a ton of bills to pay, I have a few hundred dollars to live on until my next paycheck, I have three non-working boats in my driveway, a garage and house full of spare parts and repair supplies, the rest of the house is a wreck - not much furniture, piles of boxes everywhere (been working on boats since I got 'em, not my new house) and one wall half sheetrocked.
I'm not married. No girlfriend either. Wonder why?
I probably *should* give up at this point. I just refuse to. I'm basically broke, yet I'm planning on spending $1600 on a reman engine in a couple weeks.
I think I need help %-\
Erik
