To buy or not to buy?

[arf145]

BTW, didn't really mean to knock your inspection. My inspection of our current (1st) sailboat was laughable in retrospect--And I'd even read a book on it! It worked out fine, and the boat was a solid as I thought, but I was probably too willing to ignore small things because I figured I could take care of them. That was true, but way more time/$ was needed than I figured. I believe I had attached a heartstring there

I've heard numbers like $8-$10K thrown around for parts/labor for a repower of a 2-cylinder. But you've got a 4-cyl ...

[lajimo]

No, really my first inspection Was poorly done - lessons learned, albeit at a price! However, I was really happy with the surveyor - he explained everything he was doing, had me look at all of it, and generally provided a day long concentrated tutorial in boat systems. Really useful to me and well worth the price ($14/ft).

[SeaDreamer1Day]

You seem to be extremely satisfied with your surveyor. Who was it?

[SuenosAzules]

Sounds like you got a good marine surveyor. As far as the Hunter I can tell from your description that this will cost quite a bit of money to get this vessel back up to par and seaworthy again. I was also thinking about the possibility of some galvanic corrosion that may exist in the engine. Have a qualified engine surveyor or marine mechanic inspect the engine before making a final decision. What was the condition of the zincs at the time of survey? Was there any signs of corrosion on the prop or shaft? If this were my decision, I would pass and move on to other boats. There is so much inventory out there with motivated sellers right now.

[lajimo]

Surveyors name is Kevin Martin 985-707-3776

Still discussing next steps but clearly a full engine survey will be involved if I go forward. There was no corrosion On the prop or shaft and anodes were in good shape.

[Sailonguy]

Just past my 1yr with a 1980 boat. It was neglected for nearly 10 years. The good news is I got it cheap... really cheap I thought... much below book value. The structure is solid, engine was suffering from non-use but after servicing it and running it regularly its doing ok (thankfully) When I looked into re-powering I come up to somewhere on the order of $20k, (replacing a 35hp diesel) based on conversations with others and internet research.... But, factoring that into the offer price, I didn't really have an idea of how fast the other things would add up. I have nearly spent what I paid for the boat to bring it up to standards..... It seems the cost is twice as much and take at least three times as long to fix as I had hopped.

Not to dissuade you, I am actually happy with my purchase. I still feel like I made the right choice for me...and I wasn't expecting to make money on the deal... I read somewhere that buying a boat in Bristol condition with all the "gear" will ultimately cost you less money... This is, without a doubt, very, very true.

[lajimo]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Curious as to what you've had to do, and how much of it was a surprise