is a sunken boat a good deal?

[Home Cookin']

I've noticed the mast sticking up and then this appears on craigslist, with a photo of the boat floating:

26 foot sail boat free (norfolk willoughby bay)

Clean title. Its a great boat to anyone that can get it out of the bay its all yours no strings attached. I have talked to some people its not that much to get out of the water. Boat is completely made out of fiberglass so nothing will be rotted. It has not been under water know longer then a few months but don't wait once you get the boat up you can make some good money or just have a nice boat of your own. Please call rick for all of the information needed will try and help as much as I can threw this i just can't do this alone I beleve the boat is still in great shape i don't know how it sunk. Its only in 9 feet of water so come and get it soon so you can be sailing away on your new 26 foot sail boat from coast to coast all FREE. Rick (757)-xxx-xxxx

But I do know what can grow on unpainted surfaces in "a few months"

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

if it were local I'd probably bite..... I'd just head down with a few blue plastic barrels, rope, goggles, a gas powered air compressor and water pump and get with it..... but then I'm crazy

 

[JoLin]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

Sure this is the first time it's sunk? If it happens on a regular basis I might think twice

 

[ingalp01]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

I say raise it, but I'm willing to take on just about anything. With some ingenuity and some elbow grease, you could have yourself quite a deal. If it turns out to be trash, donate the boat and take the tax write-off. Money or property for nothing is always a good deal...

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

You guys are nuts. That thing is dead.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

You guys are nuts. That thing is dead.

I dunno, this one sat at the bottom of Minnetonka for 50 years and still runs pretty good
http://www.steamboatminnehaha.org/history/minnehaha.html

 

[reddogg]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

If you get her up, figure everything but the hull is going to be shot/corroded. If it were a few weeks, I'd go for it, but a few months=allot of cash to put her right.

red

 

[seabob4]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

Can you say "Complete Re-wire"?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

not much wiring is needed tho.... a bit of lighting and you could be golden.... Hmmmm I spose it might have an inboard tho.... that could be a bigger project but then I've already bought two sunken I/O boats.... both in fresh water..... Both were repaired to be really nice boats.... One the engine was junk and the other.... Well those engines and drives are now in my wellcraft

 

[444]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

Even if the boat was junk after, getting a couple friends out there and raising it would be a lot of fun!

 

[Perlmudder]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

RUN don't walk. Very few boats are "all fiberglass" and after spending 9 months underwater everything in the cabin and all the rigging on the deck is going to be garbage. It more so sounds like the seller is looking for someone to remove the boat for free because he sure doesn't want to do it. I do agree with 444 though, it might be a fun to try and bring it up, but not worth a resto.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

I bet the owner is hoping someone will remove it from the lake, so he doesn't have to pay for the removal...

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

guaranteed.... the first one I bought was $500.... the recovery bill was $500... The second one I bought was $600 and the recovery/storage was $4000

 

[QC]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

Its only in 9 feet of water so come and get it soon so you can be sailing away on your new 26 foot sail boat from coast to coast all FREE.

No comment on the sanity of recovering this boat although it actually does sound like fun to try and raise her. No matter what that's funny right there though . . .

 

[veritas honus]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

Be a nice guy... donate some time and labor to save someone some salvage fees... Seriously, though... If you want to check it out or just help a guy out, that's great. I wouldn't sink any cash into the salvage, though. It may turn into a good boat for your good deeds. You just never know... Good luck!!!

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

I think I would do it just to test my McGyver skills, I would get huge credibility with the wife!! Sounds like a blast!


And VH can tell you I need as much as I can get too!!

 

[southkogs]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

Why "up?" If we're just going for the fun factor, pull the right permits and buy the scuttling charges!!

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

Ah! Floating a sunk boat is sometimes not as hard as it looks. We slipped a big tarp under my sunken I/O (with leaky bellows) and tied the tarp above the water line. Then, we pumped the water out until it floated.

A sailboat won't require rebuilding the carb, alternator, starter, pumping the tank, changing all fluids twice and all new bellows.

Of course, all sunken boat retrievals are different. Best of luck!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

I was not going to take this on for so many reasons, plus I already have a fleet of varicose boats (broken vessels). Just thought it was funny, and of course the "something for nothing" and scavenger side kicks in. From the picture (below) it probably has an inboard but regardless, the motor is history as I'm sure the rest is, except perhaps rigging and hardware.
It's been on the bottom since before spring in salt water (you see it driving over a bridge (HRBT)) and I know from my own moored boat the growth was very heavy this spring so everything would be covered. PLus a lot of sand movement, to get in the moving parts.
If someone were to raise her (or if the owner was required to) it would be fairly simple: a skin diver (snorkle) could hook a line to the bow and a sea-tow type boat could pull it to the surface driving forward. Then pump it out with a 3" pump; if you can't get the gunwales above water you fill it with truck tires and inflate, then pump. That's the easy part and probably not too expensive, and this is in a harbor where skilled (and unskilled but hungry) help and equipment is abundant.
I know from my own salvage experience that the first guy to touch it is responsible for the fuel, and that can be a very touchy issue. Right now we have a full moon, which may be the way to go. Shhhhh.
Stripping the parts to sell is not very productive around here because "free" sailboats this size are a dime a dozen and so are used parts. So that $150 winch may bring $25; sails if you clean them $50; etc etc. Everything you buy for a sailboat is ungodly expensive new but not used (sailing is fun like standing in a cold shower tearing up $100 bills).

http://norfolk.craigslist.org/boa/2440576540.html

Good luck, guys; she's all yours!

 

[bonz_d]

Re: is a sunken boat a good deal?

I find this whole thing extremely funny.

A few days ago there was a post about a boat that's been sitting for 15 years and everyone jumped in and said it was junk and not worth the effort. Even though to me it looked like it was kept inside all that time. But here you people are nuts enough to refloat a very questionable boat that's been under water for months and no one even knows why it sunk! Maybe an extremely low tide and she grounded and ruptured the keel?

Guess whatever it takes to float your boat!!!!!