I must be insane...

[SgtMaj]

You know, I must be crazy. Lately I've seen several boats in craigslist with motors, in better condition than my boat is in now, selling for less than what I've got in my current boat.

Why havn't I scrapped this project? Tell me, why am I still working on this boat?? I'll tell you why, because if I give up now, all that time and money will have been for nothing, and I can't let that happen, so I've got to spend more time and money on it to make sure that all that time and money wasn't for naught. I could totally be a politician with this mindset. Seriously though, it kinda breaks my heart to see all these boats going for so cheap now. Where were these deals 3 months ago?!?

The aweful thing is, these deals are so good, I'm going to have to go for one, just to get a motor out of it, so then I'll have another boat. This is killing me.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: I must be insane...

It's cheaper than medical bills for all the counseling to keep you healthy..... are you enjoying yourself? This is a common thing here on iboats..... wait until "two foot fever" strikes and you decide that a boat 2 feet longer will be better suited for your needs.......

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: I must be insane...

Oh trust me, I've already thought about that... If I had the garage space, I probably would, too. Something with a cabin with a kitchen and rest room would be nice... Nothing like being able to stay out fishing ALL day. *sigh*

I may still need counseling...

 

[JB]

Re: I must be insane...

If there is anything I have learned about "restoring" boats or cars it is that they are never worth what it costs to finish them.

Making them more valuable is not the point and not the payoff. The point is the joy of creation and the payoff is the pleasure we get out of doing it.

The fact that we have a great boat when the project is done is a bonus.

 

[Windykid]

Re: I must be insane...

Lets see what were those sayings.

A boat owners two happiest days, the day he bought it and the day he sold it.


A boat is nothing more than a hole in the water that you continually pour money into.

 

[57whitehouse]

Re: I must be insane...

Mostly it should be for the joy of working with your hands and seeing the fruits of your labor. Don't worry about the money unless money is the problem.

I've been buying boats cheap and turning a proffit on them. Mostly 1950's style boats. There classics and don't cost much to own or maintain.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: I must be insane...

As far as the boats for sale this time of year its normal to find them cheap.
People have them setting and can't use them and decide the cash would be better.
The last 3 boats and my jet flea were all bought in the winter...

 

[MikDee]

Re: I must be insane...

Ever heard this? "The grass is always greener on the other side of the street" Who know's what hidden evil issues lurk in these boats out there?
If you really like what you got, hang in there, stick with it. If not, make a change, simple as that.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: I must be insane...

man it is a disease, MBS (multiple boat syndrone), very addictive. i have 3 and a Yammy PWC in the back yard, one is a project, the others are all running.

the northen states seem to have the best deals on boats. i would be rich if i had a carrier, and could buy boats, then make a trip once a month to bring them to Florida, for resale.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: I must be insane...

I hear ya Sgt Maj

Have you seen my signature lately? I could use the bass boat like it is but I have a couple of issues I would like to address, before I take her out.

Here I am looking on a gov liquidation website, craigslist, and I found another boat with motor on ebay that may end up going dirt cheap I have my eye on it and I can't even afford the darn thing. Yep sitting here watching a boat on Ebay like it's fixing to commit a crime . That aint the worst part it has a Mercury on the back. What am I doing looking at a Mercury? You know what really makes me sick? There was a car advertised on Craigslist for FREE, running car with title. You know what is really bad? I can't afford to even go get FREE stuff :redface:. I know what your thinking anybody should be able to afford to go get free stuff, but it is the going to get the free stuff that isn't free.

I would have a good excuse to buy a bigger boat though because all of mine are 13' to 15' boats. In all honesty I probably could of been done with that bass boat a month or 2 back if not more. But you can ask TD, I came up with something to modify, and we did get the job done but I'm still not done anchoring the wires and fabricating things. You may also go into modification mode also Sgt Maj, then you'll keep digging into that wallet and when you could of been done with the boat already it is still sitting in the garage.

I'm with TD on this though when he said

"I would be rich if i had a carrier, and could buy boats, then make a trip once a month to bring them to Florida, for resale." Except I'm not in Florida.

 

[Nandy]

Re: I must be insane...

I will be the discordant note… I almost feel guilty in posting this, but here it goes...
from http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=1532372#post1532372

After reading the information that you have provided I’m guessing that you have gotten in much more than what you thought you were getting into. Hopefully I am wrong.

I have made 5 restorations so far and repair 3 motors, not a master but have some experience. This place is the best place for information, before, during and after the purchase of a boat. You should have come before buying a boat that sounds like a lot of work and money if you are going to do it right. I would have advised to use them $1500 to buy a boat that was running and you have had the chance to see if it performed as you wanted in the condition that you will frequently face. Too late now for that...

You need to find all that is wrong in this boat, inspect every corner, deck, hull, transom, etc… Take photos and post them here. You will not run out of advice, good advice. Then sit down and calculate how much will it take to fix the boat properly, then add the price of an used motor (35 to 50 hp sound about right for that size), get an idea of the time it will take to fix it then make the commitment if you think it is worth it.

If you decide to go with it you will learn a lot from the boat construction. It will help you greatly in your next purchase and you will have a huge satisfaction every time you use the boat. Also, don’t expect to be able to sell the boat to recoup your expenses. Generally, that never happens.

The forum will help you in any way possible, these are great folks!

If you have to spend more than half what your budget is... Buy the other boat IF it is a running boat. I would scrape the project, put it back best you could with the least expense, keep the new experiences and knowledge and sell it for what you can get. Keep in mind that you might still have to restore that running boat but it is a boat that is running and unless it has something wrong that will cause a safety issue or ruin the boat/motor you can take your sweet time fixing it...

It is hard to tell what will be the best choice as I don't know how much have you spent. In my case if I had not spend over $500 I would walk away and get a boat that is running. You can get instant gratification of using it and later you can have the gratification of fixing it. At this time you are working in a boat that even after your are done with the hull you still have to find a motor. You don't even know how that hull is going to act with the motor... I guess you can see where I stand on this one... I assure you, I am not trying to be harsh or a butt... Good luck in your decision, whatever you do...