Are they REALLY new engines? And more.....

[prowlersfish]

Going from a ready to use boat ( what P-Dogg is looking for ) to a project / restore boat is a big change. The costs involved can easily exceed the cost of a turn key boat. The work involved can over whelm the most enthusiast person . Sure some restore projects come out nice .But many never get done and die where they are at a guess would be 9 out of 10 . look around any marina or boat yard .


Just some thoughs

A boat thats been sitting and looks perfect , can often be more work then a boat boat that looks a a little rough and is being used .

On one boat you liked it because its the only that did not smell , but had no holding tank , that could be the reason . Holding tanks smells can be taken care of by changing over to using fresh water to flush .

[prowlersfish]

Have you heard back yet ?

[P-Dogg]

I did hear back last night. The broker asked for phone number so he could have one of the prior buyers call me. Okay, here's a question for you. How do I know that it is the previous buyer, and not the broker's buddy pretending to be a happy customer, ask for him to fax me a copy of the title to the boat he bought? What elese can I do? Regarding the engines, the broker referred me to their service shop and said that they were rebuilt long blocks.

Regarding boat odors and holding tanks, the smelly boats were wet -- under the salon windows, in the aft cabin under the shore power connections, in the rope locker, around the hatch in the forward deck, etc., i.e., places where water got in and mold was growing. Having experience with a Y valve that was not properly winterized and which subsequently cracked, and then spending a week in the boat with sewage leaking into the bilge before we found the practically invisible hairline crack, I am, unfortunately, familiar with the difference between mold and sewage odors. Also, the Moneta boat is kept under a shed, so any of the places that are prone to leak and did so in other boats would be shielded from water ingress.

I agree that it is a change going from an operating boat to a project. I also agree that many such endeavors fail outright. If I choose to go forth with that idea, I am under no delusions that it will be to save money, as I think is often the case with people who buy fixer-uppers thinking that they can get a good boat for less money by repairing it themselves. What I seek is a solid boat with good mechanicals and a decent interior. I'm not saying that price is no object, or I might be looking at other than 30-year old boats. The point is that I like the tricab because it has no ladder, has wide flat side decks, two separate sleeping areas, decent salon/galley combo, twin gas engines, and two heads. While I have not yet prepared a budget for a project boat, I have prepared myself financially. Unlike many (most?) Americans, I have lived beneath my means. Because of my prudence, I own my home (at 47), I own my three late-model cars, I have no revolving credit card debt, my college loans are paid off, fully 17% of my salary goes toward retirement, etc. Between me and the Mrs., we have 5 technical college degrees (no history majors in my family). This is the long way of saying that it's time for a boat!

Since my wife is so tuned to the idea of a boat with solid mechanicals (having experienced multiple generator and engine failures during our boat-rental career)I do not even know if I can buy a used boat instead of a genuine built-from-the-hull-inward project at this point. We are still far from leaping into the project boat, however. There is much to be considered, and learned, especially from you guys who have been there before me, before we commit.

I'll report back after I talk to the Moneta service shop. In the meantime, please continue to try to talk sense into me. Thanks for all of your input. Perry