how to tell if the PO was a moron

[Gordon J]

The issue is, what is the description of troubled vessel? Trouble for you is an opportunity for someone else. A broker suggested we should not consider our current boat. My response is that everything has a value. The current price was obviously too high. The question then becomes, what is the boat actually worth?

In the end, we paid a price that provided us a chance to have a larger and better equipped boat than we otherwise might have bought, fir the price odd a bit of sweat equity.

I can tell that many here would not have considered our boat because it had been equipped to handle helicopters. I knew with a bit of work I could bring her back. Painting should be complete in another month. I think she will be better than new and at a fraction of the cost of a similarly equipped boat of same age.

I think going into any transaction with open eyes and realistic expectations is of paramount importance.

Our last boat we bought new. We still had to put in $40k to make her blue water capable. I will have put in much less to or current boat in terms of dollars, but have added significant labor.

Gordon

 

[Donsan]

Is this verbiage OK - - in my marina many vessels lie at the docks or at moorage moribund waiting for the next victim to purchase their decaying hulls and innards.

Well, its not quite time to appoint you the TF Poet Laureate but an interesting description.

 

[sdowney717]

The issue is, what is the description of troubled vessel? Trouble for you is an opportunity for someone else. A broker suggested we should not consider our current boat. My response is that everything has a value. The current price was obviously too high. The question then becomes, what is the boat actually worth?

In the end, we paid a price that provided us a chance to have a larger and better equipped boat than we otherwise might have bought, fir the price odd a bit of sweat equity.

I can tell that many here would not have considered our boat because it had been equipped to handle helicopters. I knew with a bit of work I could bring her back. Painting should be complete in another month. I think she will be better than new and at a fraction of the cost of a similarly equipped boat of same age.

I think going into any transaction with open eyes and realistic expectations is of paramount importance.

Our last boat we bought new. We still had to put in $40k to make her blue water capable. I will have put in much less to or current boat in terms of dollars, but have added significant labor.

Gordon

If you have the time and desire, which I do, then you're going to enjoy the DIY aspects of working on your own stuff.
And I have learned a lot, what works, what does not. I study and research and see what other people have done, and do a lot of daydreaming about a project before taking it on.
I also am an independent thinker and doer, definitely not always going with the flow.
Very few people would have taken on my 1970 37 foot Egg Harbor either.

I do wonder when I hit 80, what my feeling about this will be, right now at 57, still young enough to do lots of things. I have also been intrigued with the concept of living aboard a boat. The house is interesting in itself to work on projects. My time is divided so many ways.

 

[Art]

To affordably gain confidence in your boat's electric system... regarding "marine electrician survey" which can be accomplished in most marina areas:

It's usually not too hard to contact a good/reputable [to locate one may take a bit of searching] marine electrician. Then be ready to pay a hundred to three dollars (cost is depending on your boat's electric system complexity) for a really, really good-quality assessment [survey] of your boat's entire AC/DC electrical systems; e.g. control panel, wiring, switches, connections, appliances... etc. IMO, this is one of the best (life-safety filled) bang for the buck you can get.

The electrician can provide you with list of all needs/suggestions. Then you make the choice as to how to handle things. Some electricians will even discount the survey into the entire application price if you have them do the repairs or alterations.

While we were in process of purchasing our 1977 Tollycraft in 2008 [from it's original owner, with his marine maintenance person acting as the 91 yr. old owner's representative, who'd taken very good care of the boat]: One of the first things I did was to have a marine electrician do a thorough survey. Results were good in that nearly all existing electric "stuff" (for lack of a better word) was in OK and pretty much original factory condition... the few electric items needing attention were immediately tended to. The marine electrician also supplied me with list of what he recommended for upgrading to bring things into 21st Century compliance-levels of "marine electric correctness". I've yet to do so and have been happily, successfully, carefully utilizing our Tolly baby's electric system in its original condition since purchase. Hopefully this or next year I will get opportunity to have the same electrician come aboard and perform a thorough electrical up-grade. Mainly I want to keep things SIMPLE! Our currently, still well performing, original Tollycraft manufacturer's electrical system is the definition of "Simple"!

 

[DHeckrotte]

In reply to Sunchaser's post, #29: https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/zip/5989639531.html

 

[Art]

In reply to Sunchaser's post, #29: https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/zip/5989639531.html

I often scan CL boat section. There are many derelict boats such as you list. Bit more than a few years ago there was a marina with over 100 berths and other things that had fallen into neglect. When purchased it took a more than a couple years [and lots o' $$$] for new owner to reestablish its quality. Initial sequences of this marina's restoration had forty +/- derelict boats scrapped. What an effort it must have been!

 

[Conrad]

Another PO story...

Shortly after we purchased Blue Sky, I had the yard electrician look at the electrical system, as we had to replace all batteries, which we knew prior to purchase.

He discovered that the house batteries, inverter batteries, thruster/windlass batteries, and start batteries were all connected in parallel. The master switch was completely out of the equation.

So was this the fault of the PO? Don't know. The PO had owned the boat for two years, and spent a lot of time renovating the interior, doing a masterful job of it, which is where his talent lay.

There was nothing obvious to indicate the problem as long as all of the batteries were charged.

I suspect that he didn't know, but someone before him certainly did.

Now of course everything is done properly - very properly.

The boat had passed survey by the way; don't know if that is something that should have been picked up.

 

[eyschulman]

The guy who put the screw there might have been an evil genius looking for insurance money well above what he was selling the boat for. Or just sloppy and ignorant. Not everybody should play with electricity.

 

[Salish Nomad]

When I see/here about these issues, I thank goodness for the PO of my boat, who did some very fine things.

My experience as well.

 

[what_barnacles]

As moderator, I admit the original title sailed close to the wind, but as no-one reported it, it got through.

Even when the PO was quite adament of all the refurb that he did in order to cruise the Caribbean for 10 years?

This wasnt the only instance of the PO getting lazy or not knowing enough to do a proper job. It's just one I thought I would share. He owns it, and he is indeed a moron.

one more, this was buried in a harness. The red/black (charred) wires were welded to the wires of the other cable.

 

[what_barnacles]

Ah RTF you are so correct. I forgot this is the PC side of TF.

Is this verbiage OK - - in my marina many vessels lie at the docks or at moorage moribund waiting for the next victim to purchase their decaying hulls and innards.

This was the exact situation of this one. It sat for 8 years at dock after 10 years cruising the Caribbean. It was rode hard and put away wet, so to speak.

I knew that going in so I dont fault the PO for selling me a junker (I wanted one). I simply fault him for doing such a thing.

 

[BruceK]

Even when the PO was quite adament of all the refurb that he did in order to cruise the Caribbean for 10 years?

This wasnt the only instance of the PO getting lazy or not knowing enough to do a proper job. It's just one I thought I would share. He owns it, and he is indeed a moron.

one more, this was buried in a harness. The red/black (charred) wires were welded to the wires of the other cable.

Looks like audio speaker wire. Scary stuff. Maybe poor emergency running repairs get done, with whatever is to hand, and later the proper fix is forgotten.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

6 month rule:

For the first 6 months, all problems are the result of the previous owner. After that you are on your own.

What he said!!!