Need boat info ASAP!

[Fiffa]

Hey guys and gals,

I really need your help figure out who the manufacturer is for this boat that I am about to buy! The seller has no idea what it is and it's behind a fence right now, so I can't scower the hull for a mfc plate. I'll start with the description...

- Aft section is shaped like an upside down spade that slopes aft the further down it goes and it appears that the rudder is attached to that portion (there isn't a rudder on it now and there are no visable connection points on the belly of the hull)

- Fin Keeled

- 3 or 4 ports on either side of the cabin, with the aft section of that being larger (width and height) than the fore

That's really all I have to go off of right now, because I only saw it at night with just headlights pointing at it. I plan on going back tonight and taking pictures if this mystery hasn't been solved yet. I want to say that the LOA is 22-25 ft, but once again, I'm eyeballing. The guy accepted my offer of $100 for the boat, due to the shape it's in, so I really want to do my shotgun homework before I make the leap!

Thanks a bunch!!!

p.s. I keep posting, but it tells me it's an invalid link the first try and a duplicate post the second. Please PM me if all of these have posted!

[badsanta]

He should pay you to take it. It will cost him to junk it. It is not the deal you think. Do you have to buy sails, mast? are you talking a whole rebuild? you are talking thousands and months of work. It may be a deal but do your home work. If the owner does not know what it is, I doubt he has the papers on it and you will have to prove ownership.

[KindOfBlue]

I agree with badsanta. I had a boat worth 5K if I could find a buyer and ended up having to pay someone to take it off my hands. These days you can probably find a boat that only needs bottom paint and a launch for $100.

[sailingdog]

Fiffa—

First off, you don't say whether this boat has a mast or not. Does it have a mast, boom, standing rigging to support said mast, running rigging, sails, an engine or outboard? If the answer to any one of those questions is NO, then I would say, you'd be better off looking for a different boat. $100 is a gift to the guy selling the boat, unless it is basically complete.

Getting a mast, boom, sails and rigging are going to cost you more than getting a boat in decent shape will. That doesn't even figure the cost of replacing and re-installing the rudder—assuming no drastic damage occurred when the rudder was lost.

Generally, as a rule, it is cheaper to buy a boat in ready-to-sail condition, than it is to get the same boat in not-ready-to-sail condition and refurbish it to the same condition as the first boat.

BTW, your basic description is so generic and lousy that it could describe any one of a thousand boats. Some of those boats aren't worth spending the time and effort to restore, others are... without photos, your description is basically USELESS.

I'd highly recommend you read the POST in my signature to help you get the most out of your time here. It has tips on searching sailnet, writing a good post, etc..

If you're really set on going ahead and buying the POS you describe in your OP... then you really should read the Boat Inspection Trip Tips thread I started.

[sailaway21]

At $100, what do you care who the manufacturer is? You'll have plenty of time to figure that out as you're restoring your $100 wonder. Frankly, I wish you the best of luck and hope you've happened upon the deal of a lifetime. I suspect that reality will more closely resemble the above posts, though.

[chucklesR]

Check with the laws of your state and make sure the local landfill will take it after you chop it up with a chain saw.

Thanks for getting rid of it for the boaters out there.

Seriously, it's not a deal, certainly not a steal and will cost you a small fortune to fix up to even moderately usable condition.

[Fiffa]

Wow... tough crowd!

I got some pics just now, but I am a bit weary to post them here to prevent any further harsh criticism! I think the boat is a bust anyway... especially for a first time owner. I snuck into the place and got pics of the interior and boy is it gutted! The hull seems solid, but it needs paint badly. As far as any rigging or rudder is concerned, I'd be SOL. I looked around the lot and came up dry.

Thanks for the brutal truth guys. I'm still kicking myself on not jumping on a Ranger 22 with everything included. Whoa is me!

[SimonV]

Have some fun with your project. If you on sell it for for $200 that 100% profit.....think positive.

[bljones]

Hell yeah. I am curious to see what you see. the cradle and/or trailer might be worth the hunnerd clams.

[SimonV]

SHOW THE PHOTOS NOW.....please