28 ft 2x v8 fix up cabin cruiser? 1200$?

That's surprising, those are awful big lakes for little boats.

One of the big problems for a boat that size, at least around here, with no trailer and not very easy to trailer anyways, is the high cost of keeping it at a marina. Roughly $8 a foot per month. $225 per month for 'your' boat.

The flip side is, they cost so much to run to begin with, plus insurance and stuff, and take so much maintenance, that after the first flush of fun wears off, they sit a little, and then for no apparent reason something craps out that has to be fixed to be able to use it but the mechanic and parts cost too much so it sits some more, meanwhile the dock bill keeps coming in whether it runs or not, etc, etc. Maybe it even sinks, again for no apparent reason. And then you have the CG and environmental fines to deal with, etc, etc.
So a lot of times people just slink off and abandon the boat at the dock. That is usually the last thing the marina owner wants, as appealing as the idea of a "free" boat is, free boats are far from free. So if there are any big marinas around where you live, you might ask if there are any situations like that where you can get a boat very cheap. Also marinas usually have bulletin boards with boats for sale listed.

 

There are some bigger boats.
Little fishing aluminum boats are probably 95% of the boats though.

This thing won't be sitting in a marina, it will be hauled down the dirt roads to the lake every time I want to use it pretty near.

Fly by night.

lol.

 

I'm just suggesting where you might find a boat in much better condition for a much better price. Boats like you are considering are often stripped, crushed and put in a landfill at a cost, no profit. They have no worth and are a liability. But that is here, where there are a lot of them. The one your looking at, where did the $1200 price come from, the seller? Usually they sit there forever, getting worse and worse, until they're junked. Nobody wants them. The wife probably hates it. If you gotta have it, offer him $300. Or nothing. Or have him pay you to take it off his hands. But only if he delivers it.

That's a big exaggeration, but sometimes it isn't.

 

why don't you plug in the figures needed for boat speed and find out what you need to generate the speed you want to cruise at. Then install 2 small to medium outboards to reach your desired speeds. Folks here can give you the formulas. This will answer your steering problems and lighten the boat way up. You could alway strip off all the side and bottom planking, clean up the bottom and side framing and put new plywood back on with a 6 oz f/g over it. You also will have a kicker engine.

 

There is no planking that I'm aware of, I think it's all fiberglass.

Just the trim like the door and exposed wood is rotted away. Shouldn't be a major repair that I know of.

I've been finding some nice cheap rebuilt diesel engines, I'm pretty dead set on going with inboard little diesels.

I'm planning to take a truck style engine, use a marine heat exchanger for a 454 or something, and get the exhaust ceramic coated to reduce heat, and run an exhaust stack off each one. As long as I can find a way to bolt them into the thing.

 

Maybe a cliché but it's true. Spend reasonable money up front for the best quality you can afford and you save it down the line.

I like two engines. It's cheaper to have a main engine and a small kicker outboard if cheaper is a goal. Be sure your electrical and fuel systems are redundant for safety.

 

1 big diesel and a cheap backup outboard seems like what I'd pick.


I really want economy for long cruises, thus am doubting this boat will be what I want even with some little economical diesels.

I honestly never realised that a planing hull was such a terrible idea for low speeds.

 

a kicker outboard is helpful, but a well maintained engine rarely has problems.

 

True. I'll take the piece of mind. I've only been helped by two engines twice in my whole time boating.