Mckenzie river drift boat restoration

Hi I hope I am in the right forum. My husband has an old 14 Mckenzie river drift boat. He has stripped it down to wood and palns on putting epoxy resin on it, filling joint gaps, then painting it. At that point he plans on selling it. We are having a bit of a problem. I dont' think the time and money will pay off at sale time. He is certain it will, he really likes the boat his father gave it to him but he has too many hobbies. It has nice oars and ore locks but no trailer. I want to sell it as is even if it doesn't bring much. So the question is am I being "one of those wives"? Also do you have suggestions on product to use or miscelanious advice?
April (tired of the boat in our garage)
Sheridan Oregon

 

April;
You are to be commended for asking for other opinions. You have written a sort of "Dear Abbey" letter. The difficulty in giving advice or opinions is that you have a purely subjective matter at hand. There are too many variables to address. There are personalities, priorities, values, and all sorts of things that only you and you husband can asess with reasonable accuracy.

I will tell you that boats have values beyond anything imaginable by most ladies. Some guys have love affairs with boats. Boats are the essence of thier spirits. Actually some of us are nut cases when it comes to our "other sweethearts", our boats.

Aside from all that, what is the value of the Mckenzie ? Old boats are often more valuable than new ones, especially if well restored. Think of it as having a cherished antique handed down from prior generations. You might very well place great value on an old dresser or side table that your male counterpart sees as an object that creates clutter. You may be attached to it just the same. As for the boat, you need to explore the market. Are wood boats popular on the Rogue or Columbia ? Has aluminum captured the drift boat market ?

Boat buyers are not much different from buyers of other major items. If it is attractive it will bring a better price than a shabby item of identical form and state of repair. Perception is reality.

Refinishing a boat is a laborious job. Many many hours will be consumed and the materials will stink up the garage as well. Some guys are approaching Nirvana while doing such work. To others it is just a job. If you have a truly classic boat it is worth the work and inconvenience to make it new again. It will bring a hefty price, as in thousands. If it is just another boat, then the payback for all the work is not likely to amount to a fair wage rate.

Let us hope that you can resolve the issue without resorting to divorce procedures.

 

Re: Boat restoration

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. It wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear but appropriate. I will have my husband read it and he will agree with every word. He may even send an email asking for advice on the project. One thing is certain, this boat will be restored. I just hope that once he has finished it that he will not change his mind about selling it. I have a feeling that we will keep the boat another 8 years and beyond.
April