Ok guys...what ya'll think? Rud wants advice regarding a boat...:)

[Rud]

ok, i wont bore you with the FULL story but suffice it to say i grew up around boats (half the reason i qualified as a marine surveyor in 2001) and in my lifetime as a kid (from birth to 19) my family had 3 boats...

1) 0-23 months old - my mum and dad had a fairline 20' (small boat, cheap to buy/cheap to run) they sold it in 1986 to buy...

2) 23 months-11 years - they bought an Invader 2200, again reasonable cost, was petrol 3.6 litre chevy block OMC engine (so fuel not so cheap) and they did it up and we had years holidaying on it around england, Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland

3) 11-19 years - they had a Colvic Watson 25' 6" motor sailor which again we had for holidays etc etc...


so...the family itself has been boatless for 3-4 years now and my dad hasn't the time or money to buy another for a good few years...now in 1995 when we sold the invader 2200 i vowed to find it one day and buy it back as my first boat....but it dissapeared and we have only seen it once since.....UNTIL last week....when i found it! just by chance driving down a country lane, there it is on blocks, looking old and decrepid on someones lawn by their house....

so yesterday i decided to go round, knock on the door and ask about it...so i did the guy was about 60-65, knew nothing about boats and said he bought it four years ago for £2000 for his son...who moved out and never did much with it...so he straight out says "why, do you want to buy it?!" - so im like..."well yea if its for sale, i'd be interested... - let me have a look around it...."

so i did and my god, its in a sorry ass state, really bad, like MAJOR project bad...EVERYTHING in my head as a marine surveyor is saying "DONT TOUCH IT"...as i would advise any client to run a mile....but i feel like i could turn it around...yea it'll take LOTS of work, LOTS of time and LOTS for money (over a period) to do but its been a dream and ambition to find it and (if needed be) restore it...(IT REALLY NEEDS IT! lol)

anyway check the pics...(i can get the boat for next to nothing cause the guy doesnt want it, is moving to downsize and i think will be relatively glad to see the back of it!)
















i dont have any old images on the PC to show how it DID look when we owned it all those ears ago but believe me, it was immaculate...just thought i'd throw this up to get the thoughts and advice of my dubcnn/dubcc family

[STILLDRE IS THE GODFATHER]

it looks like it means alot to you even though its gonna take sum work but if it will make your pops happy then do it

[Rud]

it looks like it means alot to you even though its gonna take sum work but if it will make your pops happy then do it

it does mean a lot yea....he's not encouraging me cause he knows its a lot of work, plus he's frustrated at how the previous owners have neglected it but yea i think it would mean alot to him if i was able to turn it around!

[Don Seer]

did you let on to the guy its your old boat?



...btw sounds like a bad idea.. would be cool.. but i went down this road once with a vw beetle.. bought it cheap.. spent ages saving up 1000s to get it done.. the welding alone would have cost me all the money i'd saved.. plus more to complete.. woulda been 12k or so for what i wanted.. (which was a prett standard metallic cherry red "cal looker".. )  so i bought another car and flogged the beetle for what i paid for it..

[Lord Funk]

Sounds like one of those instances where you've got to balance sentimentality with common sense.

If you have the time and the money then it seems like you'll be glad you did it in the long term. Also, is this going to be something you'll regret not doing if you never have the chance again? It seems like a fateful kinda coincidence that you promised yourself you'd buy it back and then just happened to drive by it...

Honestly, if I was in your shoes and it meant that much to me and I could afford the time, money and effort, I'd buy it.

[Rud]

Oh yea, i really do, i know in my surveying mindset im walking into a minefield! i'd warn anyone else to run! but yea, it is odd i swore i'd find it and i have...the cost of the boat is pennies, the guy just wants shut of it...i just need to way up where i can keep it to get all the work done and the likely cost of it all...if i can get that engine back up and running with a good service and some new parts then i reckon with my connections i can turn the rest of the boat around with 5k...the likley market value of it in great condition would be around 11-12k...

its a tough one...real tough...i know what you mean seer, sounds v. similar situation!! yea he knows it used to be ours!

[Rud]

PS: here is some photos of a good condition one... (what i aim this to look like)

[No Compute]

Seeing as Xzibit's rap career has faltered sales wise maybe he would like to branch out the Pimp My Ride series or get a lesser known rapper involved, although I don't think Pimp My Boat would catch on.

[Sikotic™]

That boat is in pretty bad condition. It's a shame because judging by the other photos you put up, it was a beautiful boat. Like everyone is saying, you have to balance sentimentality with the cost and chance you're taking trying to restore the boat.

If you're willing to spend the money and there are no serious problems with it, then I would go ahead with it if I were you since I enjoy restoring things. Just keep in mind that it could potentially have problems AFTER you restore it and maybe a new critical problem will occur in the future. If at the end of the day, the price of restoring the boat costs more than the price of a new or used boat in perfect condition, then it probably won't be worth the effort.

Anyways, good luck on what ever decision you make, Rud.

[Rud]

That boat is in pretty bad condition. It's a shame because judging by the other photos you put up, it was a beautiful boat. Like everyone is saying, you have to balance sentimentality with the cost and chance you're taking trying to restore the boat.

If you're willing to spend the money and there are no serious problems with it, then I would go ahead with it if I were you since I enjoy restoring things. Just keep in mind that it could potentially have problems AFTER you restore it and maybe a new critical problem will occur in the future. If at the end of the day, the price of restoring the boat costs more than the price of a new or used boat in perfect condition, then it probably won't be worth the effort.

Anyways, good luck on what ever decision you make, Rud.

Thanks man! I doubt it will ever be worth again what i spend on it, but if you know boats, they never are...they depreicate as do cars, excessive spending does increase value but never to the degree of cost - so its not something im doing thinking of a profit...

yea the problems after restoration are an issue, i cant even survey it properly until i own it cause it needs destructive testing and as a surveyor you cant do that to someone elses boat if its not for a client and you can be the client! crazy eh! lollll but yea, again its the cost vs sentiment thing...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm - dilemma!

all your thoughts are welcome and appreciated - even prominents about pimp my boat! agreed, it aint gonna catch on!

[Chief]

man if you got the know how and it wont cost you an arm and a leg, then do it! it's a pretty nice boat man.

if he only wants pennies for it, take it do some tests and see if it will be worth it.

[Suga Foot]

I'd say get it.  Just because you might regret not buying it down the road.  This could be a boat you own for the rest of your life.  As long as the fiberglass is okay I don't think it's a huge deal.  You'd probably end up dumping money into the engine every year anyway.

It also might be cool to redo the interior the way you want it.  I'd say as long as you have a place to store it, then get it. 

[WestCoasta]

my dad used to have a dope ass 13 foot Boston Whaler

went up to Lake Tahoe every summer with that shit

[Rud]

I'd say get it.  Just because you might regret not buying it down the road.  This could be a boat you own for the rest of your life.  As long as the fiberglass is okay I don't think it's a huge deal.  You'd probably end up dumping money into the engine every year anyway.

It also might be cool to redo the interior the way you want it.  I'd say as long as you have a place to store it, then get it. 

Yea i think i will regret it if i let it slip, and ill prolly regret the money it'll cost when im doing it! catch 22 but i reckon resentment is better than regret

thats the issue im trying to get sorted this week! storage!

[BIGG-A]

I dont no shit about boats.