survey question

[Razgo]

I was looking at yet another cruiser but its in the 50K range. Steel Hull 36'. If i had it surveyed before purchase is that good enough to tell me the hull is ok? it was apparently made in 1966 maker unknown. Engine is a Ford Lees 84 HP - fresh water cooled 4 cylinder diesel - shaft drive driving athree blade fixed propeller.

thanks

[Razgo]

some pics

[Pericles]

Razgo,

You could address your questions here. http://www.marinesurvey.org/au.html or http://www.aimsurveyors.com.au/offbrs.shtml Like surveying a house before purchase. The report will help negotiate the price down.

You will get the information you want from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

Pericles

[Razgo]

Excellent! thanks as i would never have found those links in a million years. Just as long the survey doesn't force the price up

But after taking into consideration build date 1966, engine hours unknown, I could go a lot lower in price for sure. It will mean a plane flight though to do the "subject to sea worthy and survey results" and inspect her but it would be worth it because so far it seems to have everything I need in a boat. Steel, can go offshore, live aboard, wheelchair access rear to helm/main cabin area.

not sure if it has a shower as the pics don't specifically show it but i think there is one there.

The only downside was that is was so far away from across the bass strait. But the upside is i have an engineer friend who lives near by where the boat is and he is going to go down and take a video of it and send it up on DVD and inspect the moter as he has an engineers ticket, and he loves steel(currently teaches metal work)

[Pericles]

Razgo,

I think you should build. You'll know where the bodies are buried.

http://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=732

http://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=750

https://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=395

https://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=889

https://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=847

https://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=399

https://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=397

https://www.boatdesigns.com/departments.asp?dept=11

Humour me with this one.

http://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=761

Pericles

[Pericles]

Razgo,

Seen this?

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/sho...656#post177656

Pericles

[Razgo]

Hi Pericles, I think life & time is too short for me at the moment to spend on building. I would love too but i think it would simply take me too long and I would have to have someone build it for me. Then the costs would escalate somewhat.

Once i have one in the water then i might consider it. So in the meantime i need to hunt down an ideal complete boat to suit my needs without costing me a fortune. And it does seem bargains to come and go quite often in the boating world. I believe if the above boat turns out to be in great shape I would get it for a bargain.

If i had to build one from scratch it would be 2 years? and perhaps more costly.

But i certainly enjoy the thought of building from plans as they are some great boat plans there.

[Gilbert]

Razgo,
I think your approach here is sound. It's largely a matter of "Do I want to use a boat or build one?"

[Razgo]

Hi Gilbert, thats very true. At first i thought it would be just too expensive trying to buy a boat and thought perhaps it would be better to find one cheaper and fix it up.

However what i am finding is boats come and go all the time. I have also seen comments where boats are advertised say for 50K and then a year later advertised for 25K as an example.

This tells me there is always room for negotiations when purchasing a boat. For me i won't buy on emotion.

I look at exactly what i need then tailor a budget to suite me, and then find a seller that matches my needs and budget and stick to that.

At first I had not spent a lot of time researching but after a few weeks now I am surprised at how many millions of boats that are out there all sorts of shapes and sizes. It just doesn't seem to end. I mean i can spend 8 hrs a day looking at boats but as fast as your looking at them there are more boats coming and going online. It just simply amazes me. So from my point of view I am looking at this as a buyers market and simply bide my time to get the one I want.

Hopefully it will payoff and my wife and I are boating in no time

[rwatson]

Razgo has some good advice there.
It intrigues me that the main shots of the boat were of the interior, not one of the engine bay etc.
I always look at the key elements first, ie. the engine, especially where you are looking at the sole source of propulsion. Also, the costs of repairing an engine are always the most horrendous.
Using Razgos insights, we might get a boat for say $30k (down from $50k) , find that access to the engine, the sub standard wiring, the "impossible to access" drive shaft and a dozen other smaller things including slipway costs etc , could easily cost .... what, $15k worst case ? - and 9 months of no boat use.
Even the best surveyor will have trouble verifying the state of an engine.
Combine the 'Razgo Rule' - "Dont buy on emotion" with Murphys Rule No 7 "Everything that goes wrong will cost 5 times as much to fix as the seller estimated" when considering a boat purchase.

[Razgo]

Yes, when i asked about the engine the boat dealer said the hours were unknown and to always get a mechanic to check before buying anyway.

However it will be a case if personal inspection and having friends who are mechanics might be able to find out more about the motor condition. being a ford i am guessing parts will be readily available. I am guessing a sail to test the motor would revela most problems to a good mechanic?

[Pericles]

Razgo,

Go to http://www.glen-l.com/ and search on News letters for issue 93. The article by Rick Klemm on the building of Bo-Jest should interest you. He built the vessel for $20K over 2 years and its been valued at $60K. Note, it does not take too many breakdowns to permanently discourage the fairer sex from boating.

Also see this http://www.thecoastalpassage.com/rust.html from So I designed my own boat... kinda

Pericles

[rwatson]

I presume you mean $20K ( thousand) :-)

[Pericles]

rwatson,

Thanks, updated.

Pericles

[Razgo]

Nice boat but way too small for me and 2 years out of my life to build one is not an option now. maybe 10 years ago for sure i would have attempted something like that

I actually have just found my ideal boat but a bit out of my budget range at the moment at AUD$130K

Boden Steel Flybridge Cruiser
twin 80hp Perkins diesels
a large inventory of electronics including Furuno radar, GPS, Auto pilot, depth sounder, VHF - UHF - UF radios, three large solar panels and a 2000ltr fuel capacity.