What would YOU do?

[Scott Douglas]

On a bike ride 'round the 'hood the other day I spotted this:

[ted]

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.

[asphaltgambler]

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

[herr_oberst]

Trailers always have value.

[Jeff Higgins]

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

[stomachmonkey]

Keep riding, don't look back.

[Scott Douglas]

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.

[masraum]

Do you have lots of disposable equity?

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

[Scott Douglas]

Here's a shot of the out drive:

Pretty decent for having been left outside for 27 yrs.

[Geneman]

I/o? ! Run awat fast!!!

[911 Rod]

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

[HardDrive]

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

[rockfan4]

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.

[Dantilla]

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.




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.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Keep riding, don't look back.

Agreed.

[URY914]

Baz, calling Baz.....

[Scott Douglas]

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.

[Seahawk]

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.

[911 Rod]

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.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

He bought his boat very cheaply, and it was running/being used just two years ago for fishing.

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