Trojan Boat Forum

thanks for the replies....there r some soft stop on the bow...and flybridge...those scare me alot....i cleaned the interior..just a basic cleaning...i pulled all the spark plugs out and put mystery oil in the cylinders....monday ill put a wrench on the crank and see if they spin....i dont want to just put a battery on it and try turning it over.... got her for free.....just take it away.....now that its in my yard im a little nervous....welcome to poor mans yachting lol...if anyone in mass and has time on there hands....hint hint...just kidding

Thanks for the information. Knowing now that you had pros do it makes a lot of sense to me. I've seen some do-it-yourself jobs and although many are good, it's still not up the caliber of what you had done.

With a Trojan you should at least have a good hull to work with (no coring) A lot of work but you have a clean canvas too work with. I would say it's going to take a lot of 12 pak's but you have a great foundation to build on.

Well it's Gorgeous!

kevin babineau wrote:thanks for the replies....there r some soft stop on the bow...and flybridge...those scare me alot....welcome to poor mans yachting lol...if anyone in mass and has time on there hands....hint hint...just kidding

There is no such thing as poor man's yachting unless it is a rowboat!
No need to be scared about the soft spots... they can be fixed just requires time and money like everything else you need to do on that boat.
Unfortunately free often means the start of a major expense. I'm not trying to be negative here just realistic!
Your boat seems to require a lot of repair... in my experience it is always cheaper bottom line to buy one that does not need a lot of work. Of course that puts no value on the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/ ... Range&No=0
This link shows what $20+K can buy in a working F36 boat. What I see on yours is at least $25K worth of work in materials and that is likely to be too low.
If I were you I would consider carefully if spending many $$ on a complete rebuild vs buying something that is OK now and will require small increments in $$ for the future.
It is very depressing to put money in and then have to stop when you run out because guess what the next buyer will want your efforts for free too.
My feeling is if you can't afford the lower priced boats on that link you can't afford your free one either.
So the free is OK if you want to do the work thinking you will save $$ is a mistake, you won't. Right now is the best time to buy a working boat the prices are depressed and many people will give them away with lower prices than asked just to stop paying for ongoing storage.

OMG....you are a very brave man. Perhaps not that bright, but very brave. Good luck with your project, I have to say, personally free or not, I would run away. On the other hand, after three to five years of work, maybe you will have the envy of this board. good luck!!!

Another way to look at this is the boat is in your yard, not at a marina, so you don't have any storage fees and you have total access to the boat on your terms and timetable. The hull is bullet-proof but the decks and topsides will require rehab. Don't worry about how "pretty" everything will look - stay focused on the key mechanical and structural parts first. These will take the majority of your time. You'll know in a few months whether or not this boat is restorable in a reasonable time and budget (that's up to you). If not, you'll be able to get out before it becomes a money pit. It's all about time, money and skill (yours or others).

well im a marine mechanic by trade....but not a fiberglass man, but i guess i will learn with this one....i wouldnt pay $20000 cash or even 10000 cash for a boat..and if i did spend that it would only be a better fixer upper...i could sell my houseboat but im not ready yet i put alot of sweat into her...i wont take a loan for a boat...i hate credit...the only thing i owe is my mortgage..7 years left on a 15 year....yes this could be a mistake....but if anyone that knows me knows i take risks.....i love this type of stuff...i wont put money into it until i kno that its worth it....im not paying storage so if worse come to worse maybe a tree will fall on it....

kevin babineau wrote:well im a marine mechanic by trade....but not a fiberglass man, but i guess i will learn with this one....i wouldnt $20000 cash or even 10000 cash for a boat..and if i did spend that it would only be a better fixer upper...i could sell my houseboat but im not ready yet i put alot of sweat into her...i wont take a loan for a boat...i hate credit...the only thing i owe is my mortgage..7 years left on a 15 year....yes this could be a mistake....but if anyone that knows me knows i take risks.....i love this type of stuff...i wont put money into it until i kno that its worth it....im not paying storage so if worse come to worse maybe a tree will fall on it....

When you say worth it what does that mean? Worth it because you can sell it to get your money back? If so doubt that is possible.
Worth it because it will work well after you are done with it... sure that is possible.
My point is are you prepared to spend 20K on it?
From what I see on the pictures and what you have said it needs I see that figure as a given in parts & materials only.
What year is your F36?
My point is for 24,900 asking you can get a 74 hardtop that runs. He is keen to sell... I bet 22K will get it. What will you have and when after 22K spent on your freebie?
This one looks great to me....
http://newimages.yachtworld.com/2/0/0/3 ... 7131558000

More info here:
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/ ... 19264&url=

Just putting up stuff to think about.... I've seen too many broken projects because they end up too big. Your project looks BIG to me.

worth it to me..as for resale i dont like selling my big projects..still have my 67 firebird and i should have sold that years ago..i wont spend 20 grand on this...maybe 2000...and then 1000 a year..i just picked up a free camper that im going to put the propane stove/frig/ lite fixtures in..im trading and 90 hp merc i fixed for little money for a tuna tower and outriggers ..i too have seen project fall to the wayside but thats not me...either ill do it or ill get rid of it...

You've got your work cut out for you, no PUN intended.

kevin babineau wrote:worth it to me..as for resale i dont like selling my big projects..still have my 67 firebird and i should have sold that years ago..i wont spend 20 grand on this...maybe 2000...and then 1000 a year..i just picked up a free camper that im going to put the propane stove/frig/ lite fixtures in..im trading and 90 hp merc i fixed for little money for a tuna tower and outriggers ..i too have seen project fall to the wayside but thats not me...either ill do it or ill get rid of it...

OK I get it now... just a look and see because it was free.
From everything you have said and the fact that you don't plan to spend any real money on it, it's just a spur of the moment idea and likely it will be moving on sometime in the future. Were I a betting man I would say you won't find someone like you to take it off your hands.
I thought you were serious about it but now I see it is just a mindless whim.

ya kno ur quite the character.... what we have down here is yankee ingenuity.....this isnt a whim i take everything i do seriously. as an experienced marine mechanic i knew what i was looking at...why dont u go pay someone to buff ur boat.....lol

Couldn't have said it better myself.......

..That's funny as hell!

I'm now going into the weekend with a big grin!