Useful Life of a FRP boat from the 80's

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yamadon7

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This is my first post so be gentle. We are looking to get a new to us 80's boat. 36'Carver aft cabin, 10 meter Trojan sedan, 3370 Cruisers just to name a few. The question is in Michigan where boats only spend 4-5 months in water what is the useful life of the hull if properly maintained? Thanks for any answers.

Don
 
IMHO: Indefinitely! Engines & systems are another story.
 
"useful life of the hull if properly maintained?" -- yamadon7

I agree w/ Steve, indefinite. They do not "wear out". Sub-systems will all have a design lifespan, and will need periodic replacement. ( Eng, wires, hoses, pumps, batteries, upholstery, lighting ). But the hull, if cared for, is "pert-near" forever.
 
Don't worry...this won't hurt a bit...

But seriously, it might be the wrong question. At some point the cost of replacing the interior furnishing, engines, fuel tanks, electrical etc will end up costing more than the "used" boat is worth. At that stage the "hull" is probably still not worn out, but it may well be "useless".

So....maybe we can re-phrase the question a bit?

Something like...If a purchase an 80's era boat, will it be worth anything in 10 years? Will it still be useful?

the answer to that question, for me, a 1980 tolly owner is Yes & Yes. I expect I will still be able to run my 1980 Tolly 10 years from now. In my case, I expect to be able to repower at that time and use it another 20 years. At that point, I plan to not need to get another boat.
 
We have a 1980 28 ft. boat that has stayed in the water it's whole life, except when it gets
bottom painted. The bottom is in great shape, as well as the hull and topsides.
It has original RWC engines and we just changed out the generator last summer.
Everything is original except for the fresh water pump and a/c pump. We also changed out the
carpet and installed wood floors and installed an on demand water heater and changed out
the propellers last year..
The upholstery is also completely original and in great shape.
Be sure to find a boat that the previous owners have taken good care of and it will out last
you.
 
We had a 87 3370 Cruisersfor many years, to this day my wife says it’s the best boat we ever had and I think it’s one of the best boats that Cruisers made. Built like a tank and yet would cruise at 22kts even in some rough stuff
 
The useful life can be almost indefinite...but watch out for wood rot...more difficult and sometimes more expensive than replacing engines..transmissions...etc..that is the bane of older fiberglass boats...
 
Watch out for stringer rot. Its very common for boats of that era to have some stringer rot, especially around the motor mounts. As been said here, look for a maticulously maintained boat and check the stringers for any add ons that don't look original. Many times various things are drilled and mounted to the stringers with out proper sealant and over many years the wood inside the stringers turn to mush. Stringer repair can be expensive.
 
the hull itself should last forever (well.. .almost) the problem will be things liek stringers, transom, etc... (in addition to the obvious onboard systems)

some builders used cheap plywood for stringers with a splash of gelcoat... this will obviously cause serious issues to the hull.

i wouldn't have any doubgts about buying an 80s vintage boat from a reputable builder (heck, I own and live a 1970 boat!!) but there are some buidlers i'd stay away from. any good surveyor should be able to point you in the right direction.
 
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