new to boating

[jstange2]

I have been looking into getting a boat and found a 1974 17'6 Reinell with a 140 hp inboard, a 2 year old lower unit on it, and a shorelander trailer. Is it worth $1000. I am going to look at it in person in 2 days.

 

[jdsgrog]

Re: new to boating

depends what kind of work needs to be done on the boat. be sure you know what to look for when buying a boat...especially a fiberglass boat and an i/o power plant.

 

[jstange2]

Re: new to boating

What should I look for? He said he rebuilt the bow seats last summer. I think I am actually going right now to look (wife reminded me of a wedding friday).

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: new to boating

Good Luck. Make sure you give it a really good check over and if you are not sure get someone who knows boats to help you inspect it. Get a water test or at least see it started on muffs.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: new to boating

Certainly sounds like it COULD be well worth the money to me. However your main concern on a boat that old is rot. Replacing the wood in an old glass boat is a huge project and could easily kill your good deal. However a newer outdrive, running motor and nice trailer for $1000 is still a great deal.

 

[jstange2]

Re: new to boating

Well, I looked, and it is a guy that I went to high school with (wierd huh?). It obviously isn't perfect, but it looks like it is worth it to me. I am going to scrounge up the money and he is going to get a battery in it and see if it floats within the next couple of weeks. It may need a carb kit.

 

[jdsgrog]

Re: new to boating

there's a lot of things to look at when buying a boat. but a couple of basic things is a strong transom with no soft spots, or rot and a solid floor. soft spots in the floor will likely mean rot not only to the floor, but the stringers. a rotted transom is a worse problem. it's a lot of work to replace it. on the transom see if there are any stress cracks in the fiberglass (not spider cracks unless they are severe). check particularly near the outdrive and bolt holes. if the gaskets are worn or cracked, then water is sure to seep in and cause rot.

also see what brand the outdrive is. from my understanding if it is a johnson, it will be very hard to find if anything goes wrong anytime in the near future.

if you search on this forum, you will find more things to look for when buying a boat. also, remember that fiberglass boats tend not to hold their value for a reason. i have a small 14' fiberglass runabout and a lund 14' aluminum. the lund is a lot easier to maintain and work on. the runabout is sitting in my garage right now in "project" status.