Where are all the wreaked boats?

[ted655]

Where ARE all the storm damaged boats & equipment????
I live right here at ground zero for hurricane damaged boats and "nothing". No ads, no auctions, no classified ads by Government agencys, NOTHING.
Not much on the internet either. There a a couple of sites that have a few, highend boats. I'm telling everyone, counting all the storms that hit Florida, then Katrina, then Rita, there are (some fricking where) THOUSANDS of wreaked boats and equipment.
Where & why isn't it out there to buy?
Anyone?????

[PAR]

Take a week off of whatever you're doing and drive the coast roads. Not the main highways, but the two lane, follow the coastline roads. There will be small marinas, yards, storage, salvage, repair and or service shops in every town. Bring donuts and make friends. Don't let them know what you want, just look around. Each place will have a back fence with a few old, tattered blue tarps covering the remains of an unwanted project. You may have to chase off some bees or move a half a dozen old car tires, but there will be a Rhodes 19 or old Carver or whatever you may desire, or have the energy to search for among them. Maybe you can ask about spent or project boats, but make friends first, usually a couple of visits is necessary. They have clowns wandering around all the time, asking fool questions and don't want to be bothered with, yet another guy looking for an old Chris Craft with good engines and trans just needing paint for under a thousand bucks. If there was such a beast, it was snatched up by one of the yard workers long ago.

Most of the craft damaged in the storms have been declared or repaired. Yard space is many dollars per foot, so the declared stuff is in a landfill or some poor souls back yard, likely rotting away, because they got into a lot more then they figured.

Yes, there are many deals and bargains available if you have the resources to handle these types of projects. Very few people can. I can on some types, but have learned what types, how to value them and what their place in the market could be. I have a list of over a hundred yachts of interest to me and there present condition, within several hundred miles of my shop. I know who owns them, having talked to most, who's yard they're stored, having talked to each of these guys, general repair history, the special ones have a owners history, etc., etc., etc.

How bad do you want a fix 'er up 'er? They're out there, how many real miles and yards have you been in? I've been in thousands looking for the special boat. I've found plenty over the years.

[ted655]

You are right to some degree. Maybe moreso in FL. We have driven the coast from Gulfport, Miss. & throughout LA.. What you describe is the average collection of junk/abandoned projects & sinkings. I personaly saw the thousands of boats left by hurricanes Kat & rita. They were in PILES. I figured then.... well OK, people first. Restoration crews also had priority on most roads. Now, over a year latter, those piles are GONE. there are not enough repair yards to hold all that wreackage. It is GONE. I smell a rat. A gut feeling that these boats are being held from the public. I'm not paranoid just because I don't know who "THEY" are. "Somethings afoot Watson"

[longliner45]

most of these boats will be tied up in littgation for a few years.........insurance claims and all ,,but you do have to wonder ,,,were are they,,are big boat companys keeping them off the market?Im building a 32 ft sailboat,,,and I cant find anything for parts,,,,no engines ,nothingyou would think that by now stuff would be available,,,,,longliner

[Thin water]

I saw a pile of these on auction sites last year that had been paid off by insurance. Some just had the gel rubbed off down to the fiberglass, others were not worth hauling to the dump. I think they got rid of most by now. I considered bidding on some but I already have eight other boats including a 28' Chris Craft that needs both engines gone through. Do a search on "Boat salvage auction" and similar words and you will find a bunch. Longliner, e bay has a bunch of sailboats on it all the time from 22 feet to 30 feet. Many are donated to some charity or another who auction them, no reserve. I have seen quite a few sell for for way under $1000 in very good condition. The boats that sell so cheap are usually docked at some marina in the water and have no trailer. None of the boats that went chaep had inboard diesels, only little kickers.

[longliner45]

thanks thin water,longliner

[marshmat]

I've seen a few reports that indicated some scary discoveries about a lot of the boats that washed up on shore in last season's storms. It seems a fairly significant number of the craft found on shore weren't only damaged, but utterly destroyed- and photos and survey reports of the wreckage seem to indicate that the ones that really take the damage, are often built so poorly that they simply disintegrate. I've seen photos of 20-30' hulls on shore, barely holding their shape, but with so much delamination and cracking that they can literally be ripped apart by hand. Storm-damaged boats worth repairing seem to be a bit scarce- the good ones don't take as much damage and so are repaired fairly quickly; the bad ones often take so much damage as to be unsalvageable. Nevertheless, there are plenty of boatyards that have dumped projects lying around that they just want to be rid of.... with a good eye you might find one that's actually worthwhile. Good luck.

[PAR]

97% of the insurance claims have been settled on these boats. Declared, repaired or sold. The few remaining with outstanding settlement issues may be in courts for a while, but it's not as much as you would think. The insurance companies want out from under the weight of these things and the yards can only do so much work in a given year.

Matt is correct, it is quite difficult to find the correct boat to fix up. You have to know the manufactures abilities, the quirks of the particular model, parts availability, yard space, tools for several disciplines in repair efforts, skills for the same. The most important thing is knowing which boat to walk away from, which comes out of experience at restoration. You have to take a few baths on this type of work before you learn how to pick the right boat.

[ted655]

Thanks. I was really hunting engines & parts.