Possibly buying a boat, need input please

I hear that... my current boat is a "Free" Craig's list find... 7 years and thousands later I have had to replace the transmission, rebuild the top end of the motor, strip the hull and barrier coat, re-wire the entire shore power A/C system, replace the entire fresh water system tanks to faucets. All of this not including the extensive list of cosmetics... After all remember what B.O.A.T. stands for

 

Xyberz, good choice. I've been following along but held off until you made your decision. Others have given you sound advice.
Now I'll add my two cents. Save your money, keep looking but don't fall in love with anything. There are millions of boats out there and there is always another boat to find, another boat to see.
Spend some time on this website and you'll see a lot of posts from people who were planning to do exactly what you were thinking with that old Bayliner. These people usually post for a while and then vanish. Did they complete their project? Well, we'll never know but I doubt it. Most restoration projects are never completed. Why? Because most people would rather be out on the water, not covered with dirt, fiberglass dust and uncured (sticky) boat building materials.
Another reason is money. Thinking you'll save money fixing up an old boat is a fantasy. Want to restore an older design that's not too far gone? Do it because you like the design and can afford to spend a lot of money and time. What do I mean by a lot? For a boat like that Bayliner? I'd say a really first rate job would set you back in the neighborhood of $10,000.00 and a couple of years work. A boat like that will need just about everything and it all adds up.
To put it in perspective, last year I sold a 2006 Caravelle 187 with an honest 67 hours on it for $14,000.00. We have a bigger boat and just never used the Caravelle and in hindsight buying it was a mistake. I probably could have gotten a little more for it but wanted it out of here. The man who bought it got a "new" used boat for a few thousand more than what you'd have spent to "fix up" that derelict Bayliner. All he had to do was hitch it to his truck and drive away.
Think about it.
Note to 7228sedan: You and I know it's really B.O.A.T.T. "Break out another ten thousand"....the key word being 'another".

 

Truer words have never been spoken

 

Man that's crazy, and funny acronym but it makes sense haha. Yeah, I'm not ready to spend years on a boat, months maybe but that's about it.

I definitely don't have $10k to repair a boat. Honestly I'd rather build one from plans found online and at least that way I'll know it's totally brand new.

 

IF your hobby is going boating , keep looking there are loads of $2,000 boats ready to use.

If boat repair and rebuilding is your new hobby projects are a dime a dozen.

 

Hang out at the marina on Sunday afternoons and watch for unhappy looking guys with wife and kids coming in on boats.

Another good place to 'steal' deals was military bases. Kids would buy new motorcycles then get orders to ship out in 24hrs or less and have to dump the bike.

 

Actually my hobby is fishing, but I'm a DIYer, inventor, designer, etc so I can handle a lot of different roles

But good tip! Thank you =)

 

there is a saying at the local yacht club: there is no boat you can afford least than the one that is "free".

look for the boat that some other poor guy spent thousands on restoring or rebuilding, and than health, divorce, moving, etc forces him to sell it.

It is far cheaper to buy a seaworthy used boat that is ready to go rather than a project. At most, look for boats that just need a good cleaning, no repairs, projects or missing parts. The fastest and cheapest way to get on the water is to buy a boat that someone else already fixed up.

Also, most marinas have monthly or bi-monthly auctions or lists of boats owned, for decent boats just for back slip fees, or less sometimes. Be careful with those, but often great buys can be made if you shop carefully.

good luck

 

Thank you, very good quotes to always remember. I'll check out our local marina to see what they have available and hope to get a good priced ready to go vessel. I have a lot of patience and would rather do it right.