cwindenver
Member
- Joined
- May 31, 2006
- RO Number
- 21550
- Messages
- 3
Hi!
I have been a boat wannabe for many years now, but living in Colorado, I just played with the boats that move through the air. I've just moved to New Jersey and live very close to the coast so I've decided to take the plunge.
I located a one owner, 1979 model 24ft cuddy cabin with a Volvo penta stern drive. It was repowered in '99 with a 350. Also that year it got new canvas, carpet and the outside seating surfaces replaced.
Last year it had the gimbal bearing and u-joints replaced along with the exhaust bellows, and a exhaust manifold. Both exhaust risers where recently done also.
The boat seemed to be in well used but good condition. Obviously well maintained and overall seemed very acceptable to me.
So I arranged for a survey and was told that a insurance survey would be my most cost effective way to have the surveyor look at the boat.
So after a pretty through safety inspection and a lot of hammer tapping and flash light shining, we end up in the holy place. He asks me to lean down and listen, I hear the sharp tap, tap, tap, and then thud, thud, thud, tap, tap, tap.
He then gets up then tells me about the way transoms are built and that the tap is good wood and the thud is not good wood. He says that the wood around where the drive is mounted is good wood, and that the affected area seems to just be on one side towards the corner and bottom.
Now this boat is priced at $4000. I'm thinking yeah and the transom replacement is probably 5-6K. So while I'm thinking about how to step out of the purchase, he says "ya know it's not that bad and as long as it's not around the drive mounting it's not that serious".
I asked if this damage could be repaired with epoxy etc. He said I shouldn't worry about it. He says "ya know, with the condition of the boat otherwise, and being a one owner... He says if you pass on this one, you never know what you'll find on the next one and the next one".
Now, thanks for bearing with me so long
I will try to ask my questions.
It this really not a big deal? Should I pass or just do it?
The owner has purchased a new fourwinds, real nice. I asked him why and he really had no answer other than he just retired, bs, bs. My question is really why? why now, especially after spending all the money on the gimbal, ujoints, etc last July.
During the survey he said something about how now with the grandkids, they needed more space... And then at some point I said something about about missing the boating season because of a breakdown, and hes says "yeah, like me last year."
Could the weakness in the transom cause the gimbal bearing to prematurely fail? Would it be reasonable to think that he got a new boat because he knew it would fail again quickly because of the wood rot?
Or should I just trust the surveyor and feel I got my moneys worth from him and take the plunge. I think I'm probably only going to be around this area for 2 years or so. Could I get a couple of years of use out of this boat? After all, it's only $4000 to get into this.
Anyhow, thanks for listening and I look forward in advance to the responses.
Thanks!
-craig
I have been a boat wannabe for many years now, but living in Colorado, I just played with the boats that move through the air. I've just moved to New Jersey and live very close to the coast so I've decided to take the plunge.
I located a one owner, 1979 model 24ft cuddy cabin with a Volvo penta stern drive. It was repowered in '99 with a 350. Also that year it got new canvas, carpet and the outside seating surfaces replaced.
Last year it had the gimbal bearing and u-joints replaced along with the exhaust bellows, and a exhaust manifold. Both exhaust risers where recently done also.
The boat seemed to be in well used but good condition. Obviously well maintained and overall seemed very acceptable to me.
So I arranged for a survey and was told that a insurance survey would be my most cost effective way to have the surveyor look at the boat.
So after a pretty through safety inspection and a lot of hammer tapping and flash light shining, we end up in the holy place. He asks me to lean down and listen, I hear the sharp tap, tap, tap, and then thud, thud, thud, tap, tap, tap.
He then gets up then tells me about the way transoms are built and that the tap is good wood and the thud is not good wood. He says that the wood around where the drive is mounted is good wood, and that the affected area seems to just be on one side towards the corner and bottom.
Now this boat is priced at $4000. I'm thinking yeah and the transom replacement is probably 5-6K. So while I'm thinking about how to step out of the purchase, he says "ya know it's not that bad and as long as it's not around the drive mounting it's not that serious".
I asked if this damage could be repaired with epoxy etc. He said I shouldn't worry about it. He says "ya know, with the condition of the boat otherwise, and being a one owner... He says if you pass on this one, you never know what you'll find on the next one and the next one".
Now, thanks for bearing with me so long
I will try to ask my questions. It this really not a big deal? Should I pass or just do it?
The owner has purchased a new fourwinds, real nice. I asked him why and he really had no answer other than he just retired, bs, bs. My question is really why? why now, especially after spending all the money on the gimbal, ujoints, etc last July.
During the survey he said something about how now with the grandkids, they needed more space... And then at some point I said something about about missing the boating season because of a breakdown, and hes says "yeah, like me last year."
Could the weakness in the transom cause the gimbal bearing to prematurely fail? Would it be reasonable to think that he got a new boat because he knew it would fail again quickly because of the wood rot?
Or should I just trust the surveyor and feel I got my moneys worth from him and take the plunge. I think I'm probably only going to be around this area for 2 years or so. Could I get a couple of years of use out of this boat? After all, it's only $4000 to get into this.
Anyhow, thanks for listening and I look forward in advance to the responses.
Thanks!
-craig