Should I or Shoudn't I?

[cortezaero]

My dad has a 1988 Sea Ray 18.5' runabout he is offering to give me.
He had it in a slip at Saguaro Lake outside of Mesa, Arizona for a number of years (it is now on the trailer in storage). When he took it out of the water he pressure washed the green gunk off of the hull but there is a lot of 'crusty stuff' that slows the boat down. It also needs some upholstery work (Arizona sun). I'm not afraid of DIY stuff within reason, but I'm not very mechanically inclined. It has a Mercury 135 outboard. I've heard about new EPA rules related to 2 cycle motors; would I have a problem legally with this motor?
I know there are a lot of 'what ifs' with this whole scenario; but based on what I've shared, does this sound like a good deal, or will I be in over my head? How do you remove the crusties from the hull without damaging the gel coat? I've heard that muriatic acid works well, but I'm concerned about working with it safely and disposing of it properly. Any ideas on what all of this could cost?
Thanks for any and all responses!
Brad

 

[sschefer]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

Hi Brad, sounds like a good project but not one that you can start without you heart in it. Boats are an extension of ones pride much like a car except everybody has a car. Not everybody has a boat!

If you're not mechanically inclined is there anything stopping you from learning? I doubt it, so what are you waiting for, get you hands dirty!

If money is an issue for you, you can still start the project, it will just take longer to complete and you'll need to get a little more creative. Make no mistake, a boat of your size is not going to be cheap to fix up and take care of but you can do it if you have a budget and stick to it.

As for the hull cleaning, there are several methods. One of the newest is soda ash blasting. From the sounds of things you'll probably find a lot of what's known as osmosis blisters so sanding it down with 80 grit, fixing the blisters and applying a good barrier coating and paint would be my solution. It'll cost you about 500.00 in materials to do it yourself.

Regarding the EPA and two cycle motors. Some lakes (Lake Tahoe) prohibit them but it has nothing to do with the EPA. The way the law was explained to me was that they are legal if its on the boat when you buy it. Essentially if the boats an 88 and the motor is an 88 or newer your O.K. If the boats an 88 and the motor is 78 you not supposed to run it. I've never seen or heard of anybody being checked. The two cycles are on the comeback now. Check out the Evinrude E-Tech or the Mercury Optimax.

Finally - The number one rule in boat restoration is don't over think it. You can spend hours mulling over a problem when the answer is sitting right in front of you. Just do it.

Best of Luck ! We've all had to make decisions like yours and guess what, we have boats!

 

[salty87]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

1st post, awesome. welcome to iboats

everything depends on the details.

you seem to appreciate that there's no such thing as a free boat.

one of the next things to realize is that it doesn't financially make too much sense to pay people to work on it. that's not always feasible, some jobs are over most people's heads. some things, like scrubbing a hull, just cost money to pay someone else to sweat. again, sometimes it makes more sense ($) to stay at the office and let someone else do the work.

anyway, the hull can be cleaned up. might take a new, cheap, power tool but it can be fixed good enough for a freebie.

wet sanding usually does the trick, compounding with a buffer...nothing technical, just time consuming which = $$ if you're paying someone else

 

[180shabah]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

Throw us some pictures of your "new" boat and make sure you check out the restoration forum.

As for the restrictions on 2 strokes, it depends on the lake where you will use it. Some don't allow 2 strokes, but most do.

Welcome to iboats.

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

I say go for it!

Like what has been said... You will spend money on the project. But it's a great way to spent time, plus the boat when finished has more meaning cuz it's your dads, and it stays in the family. I spent 5 years restoring a 1969 Plymouth 'Cuda 340, and new nothing about car restoration at all! I found a great forum like iboats and never looked back... Now I have my first boat, which was in great shape to from the beginning... The interior is gutted for some modifications (modest stereo, upgrade to 3 battery system, fishing platform with trollong motor in the bow, all the decals are off so I can polish blemishes on the hull, wax and hopefully be ready for spring... My wife thinks I'm nuts!!!!!! But the boat will be what I want it to be.... Point is take your time and have fun! I bet there isn't a question or issue that the folks here can't assist with!

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

How is the motor? Does it run good? Does it have good compression?

If the motor is good, then I think you should go for it. It would be a great starter boat for you, plus, you'd make your dad happy that you are enjoying something that he gave you.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

Assuming no rot in the boat, and good compression on the motor (big assumtions)...an 18.5' Searay with a 135 outboard is a great hull and power combination. Well worth whatever effort it would take to get it back on the water. Let's see some pics.

 

[fishmen111]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

Know what you have to start with and a firm upper $ cap. A boat can suck up your money quicker than the NYSE. As others have stated, if it runs and the transom and stringers are not rotted out...go for it. Good luck!

 

[sschefer]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

There's an old saying "Never look a gift horse in the mouth". It means that checking to see if a horse is long in the touth is something you do when you're paying good money. When its free take it, you can always kill it and eat it.
Your Dad would be happy to know you found it had bad stringers and a rotten transom. It would mean that you took the time to learn what that meant. If you fix it, (and you will), you'll know more about boats than most people and when you're ready to actually buy one, you'll be able to make an intelligent purchase. Knowledge is key, working on you Dad's boat will give you the experience you need.

 

[DJ]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

cortezaero,

I am in Gilbert. I'd be happy to look at the boat and give my advice.

You can PM me with the contact info. See the PM (Private Message) function on the upper right corner of the home page. Go to "send a PM". I am DJ, which is obvious.

BTW, ALL AZ lakes are fine with 2-cycle outboards. That includes: Havasu, Mead, Powell, not to mention the Salt/Gila chains.

 

[cortezaero]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

Thank you all for your responses! I spoke with my dad some more and learned more. He has had the motor worked on recently and it should be in good shape (I believe he put stabil in the gas tank).
Also, he tells me that the upholstery isn't all that bad.
I'm certainly not new to boats; I grew up boating and I currently own a 16' sailboat that I have slowly been fixing up as time and money allow.
I'm thinking about this boat instead of the sailboat because I think it would be more practical for my family.
My biggest question at this point is how to remove the scalies on the hull; I'd like to do it myself.
Several of you have talked about how this isn't a big deal, but I could really use some specific input on what to use, how to do it, what to be careful of, and how to dispose of and work with any caustic materials.
Also, can I do it while it's on the trailer?
I know that there is a fair amount of boat that is sitting on the bunks and rollers. Will the scalies remove themselves over time from these areas simply by taking the boat on and off of the trailer? Or do I need to somehow get the boat off the trailer?
Thank you again for your responses!
Brad

 

[sschefer]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

If you're trying to salvage the paint, there are several off the shelf hull cleaning solutions. Try West Marine they have a large assortment and as long as they don't have a big red flag next to the listing they are probably not very toxic if at all. The Soda Ash (baking soda) blast process is pretty popular now and a lot of Marina's are doing it. I don't know if it will harm the paint or not but it is non toxic.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

Once you have the boat, take some photos of the bottom of the boat and post them in the "boat restoration and building" forum here and you'll get tons of advise

 

[mthieme]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

SeaRay is a very good boat.
I've had two (albeit older) and they are built like tanks.
Good choice.
Without pics, it's hard to say about your hull.
Nevertheless, I'd start with a power washing and go from there.

 

[cortezaero]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

OK, it's been a year since I started this thread and I still haven't started on the boat; life!
I now have a house with room in the sideyard to park and work on the Sea Ray. However, after reading through the restoration section of iboats I have a few more questions before I start this project.
1. My dad had the boat in a slip for a few years and at some point the cover leaked and the boat flooded with rain. I'm not sure how long the rain was in the boat. The wood access point to the in-floor fuel tank is soft, but everything else seems ok (all I've done is walk around on it). I am concerned about the stringers and transom; how can I be confident that everything is sound; I don't have the $$ to take it to a boat inspector.
2. I want soooo badly to give my family the experience of boating that I grew up with; but my budget is tight enough that I need to have a good idea of what a typical day on the water is going to cost with a family of five (tubing, skiing, cruising, idling and checking out nature).
3. After sitting for a few years what should I expect to need to do to the motor? It was serviced and running well a few years ago and has sat since.
Thanks again for all of the input!

 

[Bearfan]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

I would copy and paste this into the restoration section. That's where the restoration junkies hide.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

Others on here are going to disagree with me. But, until I had the engine running well, I'd only do minimal cosmetic repairs. You don't want to put too much time and effort into the boat until you are sure that the expensive part (engine) is good.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

I agree with both of the above - verify that the running gear is salvageable first. And you need to target your audience. Restoration questions in the restoration forum, and engine questions in the correct engine forum. Doing this will produce the best results.

 

[cr2k]

Re: Should I or Shoudn't I?

Without seeing the boat I can't give you any answers.

The engine, however, I can give you some guidelines.

The Merc 135 was/is an awsome engine as was the 115 I6.

One major problem with the older mercs is the insulation used on the wiring is rubber not the neoprene or vinyl used today. That being said DO NOT touch of move any wires you don't have to. Why? The insulation will flake off and cause you lots of problems with shorting out if you are not careful.

Get a can of liquid electrical tape and have it with you anytime you move anything under the cowl.

Other than that good luck with the project.