What would YOU do?
 

On a bike ride 'round the 'hood the other day I spotted this:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688049958.JPG

Get a friend to buy it.

Buy vessel assist so you can get towed back to the boat ramp.
Need to restore the trailer bearings, brakes, tires and wiring before you can start on the boat.

More questions.....what is powering it?

Trailers always have value.

We all know there is no such thing as a "free" boat.

Keep riding, don't look back.

My brother is coming to get it late next week.
Details:
Parked in '95
Mercruiser 165HP 6-cyl that was rebuilt back in the day by the owner's neighbor who owned a speed shop, so basically blue printed.
Son of owner says they never had a problem with the engine, ever, when skiing at the river.
Boat has only seen fresh water, no ocean water, and they'd flush the cooling system once home till it ran clear, ie all the silt/mud was out of it.
Boat was parked when the trailer rims decided to cause some sort of problem and owner decided he'd had enough. Just parked it and left it in the driveway.
Interior is total trash, but engine looks OK even though the cover isn't in great shape.
Controls seem to work according to the son, I haven't tried the steering, he said you can see the throttle move at the carb though.

Do you have lots of disposable equity?

Do you want to keep your disposable equity or get rid of it?

Here's a shot of the out drive:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688053084.JPG
Pretty decent for having been left outside for 27 yrs.

I/o? ! Run awat fast!!!

Put 10 grand into this bad boy .....and you'll have a 5 grand boat. lol
Part it out.

It’s like watching a guy convince himself that marrying a prostitute with a long pinky nail is a good idea.

My co-worker just bought a boat. Just a small one, outboard motor.
Took it to his boat guy, the boat guy says the transom is all rotted out. First wake he goes over, the motor will end up in the back of the boat if you're lucky, or the bottom of the river. $2000 minimum to fix.

I'm thinking a boat that's been sitting 27 years needs a very careful examination.

Is this the type of boat you want?

I bought this as a bit of a fixer-upper, because the Carlson series is no longer made, and they're getting hard to find.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688058693.jpg

First thing I did was put a new trailer under it. This one was horribly mis-matched.
Looks like it was originally for a JetSki. Sits nose high, so when backing down the ramp, the stern is way too deep before the hull starts floating.
Brand new EZ Loader took care of that. Boat sits down between the wheels, instead of above them.
Put the old trailer up for sale, and was surprised how thrilled the guy was who quickly bought it.

Purchased for $3500, have put a bit more than that into it to bring it back into shape.
Took care of some rot in the floor, new motor mounts, rebuilt the outdrive, had a custom mooring cover made.

Never would have put this much effort into and old tri-hull.

Edit: A guy at the marina has offered me $10,000 for it.

Agreed.

Baz, calling Baz.....

My brother is the one who will be putting money into this, but more than likely will junk the boat, maybe saving the power train, and keeping the trailer to use with his boat.
He bought his boat very cheaply, and it was running/being used just two years ago for fishing.
It's a 16' V-hull which he likes more than this tri-hull design. His is a '69 model, he's into old stuff and likes working on things. Maybe more so than actually using them.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688060345.jpg

If your brother has the space and time, and the desire, why not?

I wouldn't but the price is right. At a minimum, it will be a conversation piece.

It amazes me the people that buy a junk boat, fill it with the family, and take it straight to the lake expecting a fun day.
Not meaning anyone here.

Is that a front tow hitch? If so, I'd like to know his impression of the set-up.

https://media.giphy.com/media/l3s0zd...AhBP/giphy.gif

Yes, that's a front tow hitch.
We've been using them for over 50 yrs as Dad had one on his IH so we could park the Boles Aero close to the garage with the door on the yard side instead of the alley side.
My brother put this one on his Colorado and finds it helps get things up the hill easier than pulling and allows him to put it where he wants easier too.
He had one on his dually but took it off when he sold it.

I can 99.9% guarantee the plywood floors stringers and bulkheads are rotted out and while anything can be fixed..... It would never be worth the time and effort for an old small tri-hull like that.

I spent a winter fixing my "cheap" 21' boat's rotted floor/stringers.... better than new now with new wood, epoxy and glass, but it was a lot of work.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688065537.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688065537.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688065537.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688065537.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688065537.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688065537.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688065537.jpg

You know the saying "The 2 best days of my life were the day I bought my boat and the day I sold my boat"????

Good news~!!!!
you aren't technically buying the boat, therefore, above statement does not apply. you should have no troubles at all. :)

Yeah, we're not counting on anything being usable except the engine/out drive and trailer.

Been there, done that more than once............I'm hard headed

I use one of the below to move things around in confined areas...fits on the front end loader and makes putting things in barns, etc., a breeze.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688066863.jpg

Dad had a Travelall, no tractor.
My brother only has riding lawn tractors so they aren't much use pushing a trailer up the hill.
He just added this one to the tow vehicle he is working on building.
I can't wait to show you guys what he's come up with, but it's not ready for show time yet so I can't expose it.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1688067197.jpg

Very interested when you can go public.

Yep, front mounted hitch makes launching easier. But reduces the amusement of people watching boats being launched. ;)

There is only one problem, space. I'd go for it just to part it out and cut up the hull. That takes space. Time is what you have when you're not spending it wisely.

So evaluate "free" with time and space.

Hey Zeke, did you get my email on your web page email addy about the cabinet?

roflmao!!