Aluminum and wood boat

I'm new here and I have a question for you guys...

a guy I work with, says he has a 12' Jon he will give me. He said that the guy bwfore him had split it down the center, bolted a plywood runned all the way up the center (too widen it) and glassed the bottom... he says that it doesn't leak, but is really ugly. he said it had a full flat deck on it when he got it, but that wood was rotted so he took it off.

Now, the question... the boat is free, but is it worth the $30 in gas it will take me to go get it?

What do you think? can I make the thing work on a slow river?

 

Depends, can you swim?

 

OH, ha ha.... I am brand new to boating... So far, this is what I know.... Boats go in the water... and that's about it.

 

No, it's not worth it. it will be tremendous trouble, and will turn you off to boats for life.

 

I'm with Sal on this...
If you haven't heard it before now, lemme perpetrate my wisdom upon you:
There's no such thing as a "Free" boat. If you want to get on the water and have some fun, find something you like & spend a few hundred bucks. Leave fix-er-upers to the rich retirees.

 

Sounds sketchy to me. If your cruising grounds are never more than waist deep water, it's probably perfect for you- but if you want a boat, take SolomonGrundy's advice and fix up a real boat. These frankenstein jobs rarely last long before fatigue, corrosion and rot conspire to sink them.

 

Reminds me of a saying, "Beware of things that cost you nuthin' 'cos that's exactly what it's worth."

 

That reminds me of another saying "The best things in life are free.. ". It doesn't apply to this boat.. but its a good saying. haha

 

I think the best things in life should be free, but the ladies down in our red light district want to charge me!!

 

Best things?? ladies??

"one mans trash is another mans treasure."

Funny thing is, that if you put a price tag on some of these frankentein boats, just like the red light 'ladies' you might have more of a chance of offloading them than when they are offfered for free!