On Wed, 08 Jan 2014 06:52:03 -0600, Richard
wrote:

On 1/7/2014 7:22 PM, John B. wrote:

It all sounds lovely however generally reality sets in a while later.
In nearly every one of these "get a boat cheap and fix it up" an even
semi-realistic survey of what the actual costs will be shows it to be
expensive.

Which is, of course, why every boat yard I've been in the past forty
years or so has abandoned boats in it. People wake up to the fact that
they have spent 6 or 7,000 dollars and they aren't even half finished.

One of the boats you listed needs a new engine but replacing an engine
can be an extremely costly project on an old boat.... a boat built in
the early '70's may very well have been built with a gasoline engine
which is no longer available... so Hidie-ho we'll use a diesel.. only
you really need to get an engine that you can fit a marine gear box to
and you really need the various accessories like coolers, water pumps
and so on. About the cheapest marine engine-gear box I see in the
"running" small 10 - 12 HP range is about US$1,000 and there is no
guarantee that it is going to fit the existing engine mounts and
certainly the prop shaft, propeller and stern gear fittings will
probably not fit.

So.... add to your $200 cost, say another $1,000 for engine and gear
box and perhaps $500 for shaft, prop, stern bearings and stuffing box.
and, or course the new engine mounts so some more for making and
fitting those.

You say, O.K., I'll do it myself.... well epoxy resin is what? $70 a
gallon? Cloth I have no idea what U.S. prices are but certainly not
cheap. Labour? Even if you do it yourself you need to figure the, what
is? $7.00 an hour U.S. minimum wage that you could get pumping gas at
the gas station, or maybe $50 a day if you don't work overtime.

Pretty soon you wake up and smell the roses and if you've got enough
fingers to count on you discover that your $200 sailboat is now worth
about $2700 in your hard earned cash and it still needs painting, a
boom, rigging both standing and running, sails, and a host of other
stuff... the stove doesn't work and the head needs replacing... none
of the thru-hull fittings look safe and the sea cocks are all
sticking.


Absolutely correct. (Actually sounds like "been there - done that")

But the little trailer sailers that we've been discussing are all
outboard types. Under 2000 pounds displacement. MacGregors mostly.
And all swing keel or centerboards.

So the motor isn't all that hard to install. Pricy tho.
You simply would not believe the price on new outboard motors here!
Talk about sticker shock. But, of course, there is always the junker
route. Cheaper up front, maybe, but another verse of the above to get
reliably running.

In the end, what he has "found" are simply not what I'm looking for (As
I have said publicly several times).

But if anyone (_NEAR TEXAS!_) knows of a Capri 18 or Capri 22 - with
trailer) that is in good to excellent shape - and can be pried from
the current owner's hands for a not too unreasonable sum -

I'd be grateful to hear about it.

Definition of a boat - a hole in the water surrounded by wood, steel,
or fiberglass, into which you constantly pour more and more money