Looking for my first boat

Hello,

I am 19 years old and looking for my first boat. I am thinking about an older 16' silver king (or another high end flats boat like hewes etc.) to fix up. I've looked around craigslist for weeks but can only find people that are a little too proud of them... not saying that there not worth it. The age of the boat does not matter, but it has to show potential. For power, preferably no power but late model will do. Price range.. reasonable > $6000-7000. Does anybody know of such a boat??

Thanks,
Paul

 

Why preferably no power?
Separately a boat and an engine is going to cost you more than a boat and engine together unless you get the boat without engine nearly free.

 

I'm in central Florida and there isn't any shortage of used boats around here. Crag's List means you'll pay more then you have too in most cases. Every other carport in the area has a boat in it, looking for new, loving owner. I wouldn't pay more than a grand for a motorless boat of the type you're looking for. Flats boats are motors, with attached free boat and trailer.

 

PAR is right but I would not pay anything for one. There will be a free boat at your local yacht club it just doesnt have a sign on it.

Some one will have a boat thats got a seized motor or needs repair and the marina fees are already souring --they will give it to you and prob deliver --they do exist. Ive seen some good stuff given away. Be patient.

Go to the yacht club and talk, talk to every one and anyone --information comes from unexpected places.

Walk into the bar and shout I want a free boat, some old guy sitting at the bar will lift his head and say "you can have mine'

 

Unfortunately, he'd get thrown out of the bar. He's not old enough to drink. Flats boats "with potential" probably won't be given away. Some have quite a cult following. An example of 80 percent of them probably can be had for under a grand. But I doubt a Hewes could be. You can put together a decent 70 hp 16' for around $7000 I should think. I've been gone from that area for about three years now so I'm not current on the costs.

Do you intend to charter?

 

Hes 19!!!

 

Drinking age in the USA is 21

 

I found a '94 21ft. release (decent shape) with an 05 225etec that has 1 cylinder with low pressure.. 3500$ but those engines are horrible about that... thanks for the inputs but the "free boats" are the ones that are like old beat up boats that don't even have a good name on it... I want the ones that aren't the ones people won't give up Im eye ballin a '92 hewes with a '09 90 yam but hes 3-4k too high atm. Btw who cares about the drinking age, no one says i cant go in

 

Fifty, you are under the impression that the "good names" are built better than the others. You'd be incorrect in this assumption. I've replaced just as many transom cores, rotten stringers and soles in the "good named" boats as the off brands. In fact, the good named boats are usually the ones that show up needing something fixed, while the 25 - 30 year old off brands, where built like tanks in hopes this would be a selling point in a difficult economy.