What's It Worth?

keelbolts · Post by **keelbolts** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 3:03 pm

We're still trying to get daughter's '73 Tri-Cabin to Hampton from DC. The initial plan was to drive the boat to a marina near her slip to haul her out & check her bottom. The trip to haulout was to be a cursory shakedown to see how the engines worked. Now, the broker can get them to turn, but not start. The batteries aren't up to it.

So now we have a boat that will need work on every inch, inside & out, with engines in unknown condition, and a missing v-drive. We already have a contract at $3,250, but that assumed the engines ran. We can go thru w/ the deal at that price, but what is she worth?

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 4:26 pm

keelboat, I have bought and restored several "project" boats over the years. My advice is to fully check out the expensive parts first, engines (compression test, etc) drives, stringers and bulkheads. Now start calculating the estimated cost of ALL upgrading. Then double your estimate. The $3250 will only represent a fraction of the total cost

Is the finished boat worth anywhere near this total? Probably not. Sorry to be negative but the world is full of half finished boat projects.

jimbo36

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 4:36 pm

Did you have a survey done on it? A surveyor (good one) should be able to give you good estimates on the required repairs.... you still need to add 15% to that figure.
My worry is that with your concern about $$ this early suggests to me you should be buying a boat that works and requires little major work.
There are many inexpensive boats that fit that requirement in this buyers market

My motto is that nothing is really a deal in this life, good value maybe

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 4:48 pm

I'm about 35 minutes from the marina. Be happy to meet up with ya and look it over if you'd like. Saturday morning works for me.

FT. Washington Marina, I think, is the closest marina with a haul-out. Unless Buzzard Point is up and running with a lift.

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:31 pm

Take Jamie up on it. And thats just hands down cool of you to offer help Jamie , And yes if you change your mind about the boat there's more out there

willietrojan · Post by **willietrojan** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 6:00 pm

keelbolts,

Is this the boat?

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1973/Tr ... ted-States

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 6:35 pm

For a '73 model year, she looks pretty good.

keelbolts · Post by **keelbolts** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 8:00 pm

Thanks for the quick replies. Being as how I have a ton of questions, and will have 2 tons more before we're done here, Im glad this is an active forum. Some I've been to were dead - nothing but crickets. As for a lively one, I recommend plasticclassicforum.com. It's all about plastic sailboats, but they welcome all comers. It is very lively and, if you have questions about finishing a plastic boat, it's a great site with a great bunch of forumites.

I've owned wooden sailboats for 25 years and plastic ones for the last 3 or 4 so I know a thing or 2 about how budgets of both time and money get blown out of the water before the boat goes in. Luckily, I do boat work & I work part-time at West Marine so my abilities & costs for stuff are up to the task. Believe me, I'm not under any illusions about what we're up against with this boat.

I guess I just wanted someone to tell me that the price we've agreed to is reasonable. Daughter doesn't have a boat load of money, pun intended, but I'm confident that she is capable, with a bit of guidance and time, of putting in the ton of work that she'll invest in turning this sow's ear into a silk purse.

As an aside, while I've been a blow boater for a long time and will probably continue to be, I'm pretty impressed with the layout on these 36' Tri-cabins. It's amazing what you can cram into 36' and still get a pretty boat in the deal.

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 8:30 pm

If you want a project - why not get something a little smaller, and FREE!?!?!

http://fredericksburg.craigslist.org/bo ... 08753.html

26' Trojan Cabin Cruiser (Stafford)
Date: 2011-02-06, 3:56PM EST
Reply to: sale-hcgeg-2195608753@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

26' Trojan cabin cruiser... no engine... no trailer... HUGE BOAT! You haul... it's yours. Project boat that I don't have the time for.

willietrojan · Post by **willietrojan** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:59 pm

If you have to get a V-drive you will most likely be looking $2K for rebuild and over $5K for new

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:59 pm

keelbolts
If that link is the boat your getting it looks nice by the photos . I would tell them to get them ruining as you where told they do run so hold them to it

should be able to find a used v drive ,

risctaker · Post by **risctaker** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:27 am

If you haunt sites like ebaymotors, I've seen used / reman v-drives for under $1,000.

keelbolts · Post by **keelbolts** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 12:42 pm

Thanks for the info shared so far. I have much to learn about Trojan Tri-Cabins and you guys have helped make my learning curve a little less vertical.

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:45 pm

Stringers, If a boat has bad stringers your daughter is looking at a major, major project. but everything else on the boat could be fun to work on.

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