Re: how to get a free boat?
Sounds like you're about to give up on that wooden boat project. I think you're right to do so. I don't think you'd ever be happy with it, no matter how much time and money you spent.
Free boats are easy to find where I live, but I don't know about there in OZ.
Around here, the best approach is to drive around, looking for boats in people's yards. You'll know the ones when you see them. They'll have weeds growing up around the trailer, which will probably have flat tires.
Ask the people there about that boat. Many will be happy to see it gone, having tried to sell it a few times, without success.
But...and this is a big but...there's a reason it's sitting back there going to seed. And that reason could give you as much trouble as the boat you have. Rotting wood under the floor, a rotten transom, and other problems. Or, if you're extraordinarily lucky, it's just a boat in decent shape that is no longer being used, or one with a broken engine, or something like that.
Don't just take the first free boat you find. Inspect it carefully, just as you would a boat you were going to buy. Thump on the transom with a rubber mallet...all over it. Check the deck. If it's soft, so, probably is the wood and foam under it. A lot of work.
Check the entire hull, too. My neighbor just gave away a very nice looking boat and trailer...hidden underneath the hull was a big hole in the fiberglas. You had to really look hard to see it.
Finally, there's no such thing as a free boat. By the time you get most free boats ready for the water, you've spent more than you would have for a decent used boat you can use today (or tomorrow, anyhow).
Still, if you're determined, you can probably find a free boat that needs only minimal, cosmetic work done on it. If you have an outboard on hand, that's a plus.
But do think about your repair plans. How much are you willing to spend to repair a free boat? Compare that with the price of decent used boats in your area.
