Tollycraft 26 : How much work is too much

[CmdrK]

Hi folks,

I have been interested in getting a trawler for a long time and recently came across a 1985 Tollycraft 26 Sedan in my area that interests me as hopefully a good smaller (occasionally) trailerable trawler that would be good for weekend trips around the area.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/253246192366619/


The boat+trailer is listed for 12k, which I thought seemed appropriate given the model and condition of the boat but of course there are issues, and the survey yesterday added a few more.
In short:
-The deck hardware (cleats/railings) has let moisture into the core in the immediate area of the holes (looking at it from inside it looks like it went up to 1 inch from the hole).
-The door into the cabin needs to be rebuilt.
-There are various water stains on the interior wood under the corners of the opening windows (which need new sliding seals).
-The carpet/seats are generally just worn and old.

Mechanically and structurally the surveyor thought it was in great shape with the exception of the items above. So the questions is, how many weekends will I need to spend dealing with the 54 holes that need to be rebedded(+ possibly recored) and would you consider these problems bad enough to walk away or try to negotiate an even cheaper price? I am fairly handy and have a woodshop, and someone to help, but my fiberglass experience is limited.

 

[Ken E.]

Tollys were built in the PNW and are popular here, with many still in service. They are well-built and have good 'bones'. A friend had a 26 ,like the one you are contemplating.

A 26' Tolly is a big and heavy boat for a 26, 10' beam. Most have single small-block v8 gas engines and planing speeds are iffy. This is a big boat to be doing much trailering with. Plus, here in Washington at least, you would need a wide load permit to haul it due to the 10' beam.

The boat sounds like it is in rough condition and will need a lot of work. $12k seems pretty high to me, not seeing the boat.

 

[Bill V]

After looking at the pics it seems to be in fairly good shape other then the items pointed out in the survey. As already stated, Tolly 26's are heavy, you'll need a good 4x4 truck to safely tow this boat and launch it. Short SUV's will not handle this boat. Very good boat in rough seas, perfect boat for two people, gets crowded fast. All the appliances and head will be 35 years old, resealing the windows is not as easy as it sounds too. Windows have to come out, taken apart and new rubbers located. Can be done but is not an easy job, been there and done it too. $12k is a down payment only, expect to spend more over the next 2-3 years. Crusader engines of that era are good quality and if taken care of are good for 2000 hours.

 

[CmdrK]

I am planning on limiting my trailering to essentially twice a year to get it to and from winter storage, and I do have a 3/4 ton 4x4 pickup that should be able to handle it, but yes it is an oversize load in every state in New England as well, and the rules differ between states so I am not expecting it to be a boat to just casually trailer.

Also glad to hear they have a great reputation and that it performs well in rough seas, there don't seem to be many in the NE so this is the only one I've seen in person.

I hadn't considered the head and other appliances, they seemed to be in fine condition right now but if those things break they would definitely add to list. My guess was that just for the basic list to getting things serviceable its 3k in parts and many hours of labor, but I've never owned this kind of boat before. I am fine with a bit of a project, and don't need things to look brand new, but I don't want to be in over my head.

 

[Bill V]

You seem to have your head screwed on correctly and looking at this boat with eyes wide open. It is a project boat, it will take hours of labor, more money then you will expect and become a “labor of love”. I say go for it. I was where you are now 16 years ago with mine. It truly was one project after another for 15 years. Don’t ask how much money it took, couldn’t really say anymore. It just takes more then you expect.

 

[SteveK]

It can probably be bought for $10. From the pictures and description the boat alone is worth it, you also have a trailer worth about $3K? Been for sale for a year, wonder what the original ask was?
If you can do the work yourself and have narrowed down to this boat, then go for it. They all have stuff you will not find until you own it after spending several days going over it.

 

[CmdrK]

Well its been on the market for a long time, the original ask in the facebook ad was 15,500, but I don't know if that is the original listing. I did find the original listing that current owner bought the boat from 5+ years ago.

https://www.tolly-classified.com/ad293.html

Nothing has really changed since that listing, except for removing the trolling motor, and adding the electronic ignition and the fact that the current owner has kept it sitting for a 2-3 years so everything has deteriorated.

 

[Bill V]

FYI. Your transmission is a BW 71C V drive. The main reduction gears are no longer made and must either be custom made or find a rebuilt trans. Either way you are looking at $5k for a replacement unless a good used one is found. I bought a good used one as spare parts for my boat.

 

[mvRusalka]

Long time without logging on, but going to give my $0.02 on this.


We have an early Tollycraft 26 here in the PNW where most of them still live. Ours is a '74, and '85 was close to the end of production. We absolutely love ours, if you've been researching Tollycraft, you'll see why they have the reputation and following they still do.


The hull is solid glass, and there is no wood in the stringers. They are foam core and the strength is all in the glass itself. So, you're likely to have zero hull issues.


I've never seen or heard of an older Tolly having blisters. Our 1974 has been in the water continuously since new. We recently had all of our bottom paint sanded off and the hull moisture content was very low.


As you noted, the decks are cored and you'll have to deal with the water intrusion issues around the fittings.


There's a company called Bounty Marine that has all the original drawings and can manufacture brand new windows for any Tolly, highly recommended if you need to do that much work on yours anyway: https://www.bountymarine.com/


These boats as noted, are heavy and have small rudders. They certainly have a bit of a reputation for being hard to handle at low speeds, but that isn't anything that can't be overcome with practice. Let me know if you have specific questions, or if there's anything else you're curious about on these.

 

[Bill V]

mvRusalka is a nice looking example of a 26 Tolly. Every last word of your post is very accurate too. I have two close friends that have 26 Tolly's and they are very sea worthy and have followed me to Ucluelet on a number of fishing trips. My only problem with a 26 is the beam, too narrow for twin GM V8's. Only twins I ever saw were Ford 302 or 4 bangers, other then that I would highly recommend them for the OP.

 

[CmdrK]

FYI. Your transmission is a BW 71C V drive. The main reduction gears are no longer made and must either be custom made or find a rebuilt trans. Either way you are looking at $5k for a replacement unless a good used one is found. I bought a good used one as spare parts for my boat.

Thanks for the heads up! I'll keep that in mind. 5k seems like a lot but I am not that surprised give that even outdrives that are still being manufactured cost about that much. I'll have to watch ebay and see if any come up.

 

[CmdrK]

You have an absolutely beautiful boat there. I love the cockpit canvas and I am glad to hear there is somewhere that knows what to do about the windows! I'm sure I'll come up with more questions in the future but thanks for logging in and giving your two cents!

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Tolleys are pretty good boats but be aware that you are buying a project. It may be ready for use or even live and work aboard but the list will get longer rather than shorter.

I really doubt if you will be able to load the boat onto the trailer and pull it from the water, no matter how mean your truck is. Probably take a travel lift to load, you can probably float it off but a long as you are aware the trailer is mostly for storage you might as well go for it.

pete

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I agree with those posting here. I had an 1986 Sea Ray 300. It had issues on any wood areas. Back then Sea Ray believed in marine plywood, screws and glue.

Go for it if you think you can handle the work. You will spend a lot of $$$. Which will pay off when you sell it to get a bigger boat. Meaning this will be a stepping stone for you.

Good luck

 

[CmdrK]

Well a recent good piece of news is that the seller of the boat is willing to help me by working with me to core and rebed all of the deck hardware (I would still need to buy parts). He happens to work at the boat yard where the boat is kept and works on restoring fiberglass boats professionally, so I will have someone to work with to get the railings issue resolved who knows what he is doing.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Well a recent good piece of news is that the seller of the boat is willing to help me by working with me to core and rebed all of the deck hardware (I would still need to buy parts). He happens to work at the boat yard where the boat is kept and works on restoring fiberglass boats professionally, so I will have someone to work with to get the railings issue resolved who knows what he is doing.

See the ocean is calling.

 

[mvRusalka]

A few other things I thought of over dinner for the OP:


Put your head against the cabin sides and look up at the underside of the flybridge. There are wood spacer strips that run longitudinally along each side that can rot out on boats that have sat outside for a long time. It isn't the end of the world, but if rotted out you'll want to replace them so you don't get water intrusion to the cabin sides through there.



I'd also check the bulkhead between the anchor locker and v-berth for softness or rot. If tons of wet anchor rode has sat against it for a long time, or rainwater has been leaking down the deck fittings, that might need some attention.


The rubrail fasteners can be another leak source on a 26, shouldn't affect any wood structure as they'd just be leaking down the inside of the hull into the bilge, but would be a good thing to check and address to keep the interior dry. The later 26s, starting in '82 or '84, I can't remember which, went to a real teak interior that was much improved over the "mica" interior of the earlier boats like ours.


Original fuel tanks are aluminum and can last a long time, but if original are probably nearing the end of their life. One of the best things about these boats I think, is that the tanks will fit out through the deck hatches in one piece. New expletives will be invented, but you don't need to resort to cutting them out like so many other boats out there.



If you have any questions about your transmission, Harbor Marine in Everett, WA is our go-to rebuilder around here. You can't throw a rock in Puget Sound without hitting 10 26 Tollys, so there's a big support network and lots of knowledge in this corner of the country. If you haven't already, take a look at the Tollycraft Boating Club as well, it's mainly PNW-centric, but has a nationwide presence.

 

[Bill V]

I really doubt if you will be able to load the boat onto the trailer and pull it from the water, no matter how mean your truck is. Probably take a travel lift to load, you can probably float it off but a long as you are aware the trailer is mostly for storage you might as well go for it.

I keep my boat on a 3 axle trailer during the winter, as stated, my trailer is just for storage. Trailer has never seen salt water, boat is slung in and out of the water. Your boat and trailer will weigh about 10,000 pounds fully loaded and whatever truck you use to tow it needs a good brake controller. Mine sitting on trailer is almost 15,000 pounds fully loaded and I tow it with a friends Ford F450 4x4 7.3 turbo diesel. I suggest you have a good class IV hitch minimum on your truck to tow the Tolly.

 

[Bill V]

If you have any questions about your transmission, Harbor Marine in Everett, WA is our go-to rebuilder around here. You can't throw a rock in Puget Sound without hitting 10 26 Tollys, so there's a big support network and lots of knowledge in this corner of the country. If you haven't already, take a look at the Tollycraft Boating Club as well, it's mainly PNW-centric, but has a nationwide presence.

Very valid info. The man to talk to is Mike Vogt (425-259-3285 X103) A true guru on BW V drives. He rebuilt both of mine. I truthfully see at least a dozen 26's everytime I head to Ucluelet to fish and have many a mile on one with friends that own them. There has been no better boat built in the 26-28' lengths for running the PNW waters of the west side of Vancouver Island then Tolly's and Glasply's. Both were built for PNW waters and many are still running after 40+ years.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Hmmmm? The seller agreeing to work with you to help rebed and replace some soft areas? He works at a marina and has the knowledge. I believe that part but getting him to help you after the sale is final really sounds like a stretch.

Marina craftsmen charge out their time at $100.00 to $150.00 an hour. He is not going to help you for free unless you get it in writing and establish an escrow account.

Picture this. You pull one stanchion to rebed it. It turns out there is a 2 square foot rotten or soft area. Maybe the headliner is bad, etc, etc. A 20 minute job just turned into two days. Your previous owner has other commitments.

Take a discounted price instead.

pete

 

[South of Heaven]

Do you like the boat?? You can crunch numbers all day until you're blue in the face and think of what ifs...

 

[Woodland Hills]

Don’t be intimidated by fiberglass work, epoxy will fix nearly anything and it’s not a high skill process. It is messy and detail oriented work, but anyone can learn enough to do safe strong high quality work.

 

[Bill V]

Hmmmm? The seller agreeing to work with you to help rebed and replace some soft areas? He works at a marina and has the knowledge. I believe that part but getting him to help you after the sale is final really sounds like a stretch.

Marina craftsmen charge out their time at $100.00 to $150.00 an hour. He is not going to help you for free unless you get it in writing and establish an escrow account.

Picture this. You pull one stanchion to rebed it. It turns out there is a 2 square foot rotten or soft area. Maybe the headliner is bad, etc, etc. A 20 minute job just turned into two days. Your previous owner has other commitments.

Take a discounted price instead.

pete

I have to agree with this. Have not found much "free" help worth having in the past 15 years of projects. For a seller to make a commitment of time is not unheard of but for it to happen is another thing altogether.

 

[SteveK]

Simple.
Put in the purchase contract a discount or x number of hours assisting with said work.
Take the discount and then pay the seller on the agreed hourly rate.

 

[CmdrK]

I'll definitely be sure to get something in writing, or discounting the price and then paying him directly afterwards also makes a lot of sense. There's incentive for him to do the work and he would end up with the same amount of money in the end, and if he disappears I have left over cash to hire someone else if I wish. I'm hoping that the core intrusion didn't go further than the surveyor indicated, thankfully all of the hardware is accessible from underneath and you can see the discoloration of the core through the bottom glass layer, which doesn't go far from the holes.

 

[CmdrK]

I keep my boat on a 3 axle trailer during the winter, as stated, my trailer is just for storage. Trailer has never seen salt water, boat is slung in and out of the water. Your boat and trailer will weigh about 10,000 pounds fully loaded and whatever truck you use to tow it needs a good brake controller. Mine sitting on trailer is almost 15,000 pounds fully loaded and I tow it with a friends Ford F450 4x4 7.3 turbo diesel. I suggest you have a good class IV hitch minimum on your truck to tow the Tolly.

How do the slings get underneath the boat to get it off of the trailer? Being a bunk trailer the hull rests on bunks for their entire length.

Also the truck I have is also a ford, an older 4x4 F250 7.3 turbo diesel that the sticker rates up to 12,000lbs towing capacity, in a previous life it towed excavators, and the brake controller + brakes on the trailer seem to work well, although its definitely going to a mechanic for a check up before the boat gets put on it. If it ended up being 15,000 lbs though that would definitely be too much weight. Its important consider that 140 gallons of gas in the tanks would be 900 lbs on its own, add in other things and weight goes up quickly.

 

[Woodland Hills]

If you are going to tow her a hundred miles or more you might want a bigger truck, but if it’s just 5 miles to your winter storage and back twice a year, then just go slow, brake early and don’t worry about it.

 

[Tolly Roger]

I say "GO FOR IT!"

Here in the PNW a 1985 26 Tolly would be very valuable. Kind of RARE.

The last couple of years of production on the 26 offered Real Teak Interior (albeit veneer) which if cared for is much nicer than the "shelf paper" fake wood. They shifted to Crusader power in about 1983 that in my mind is a much better power plant. They offered a much improved head and got rid of the stinky recirculating toilet. You should have white decks (not teal) and dark blue accent colors.

There are a bunch of standard options that would be advantages in the later 26 that started in about 1980 but an 85 would be a nice boat.
Changing the windows to powder coated (same color as the hull) and slightly tinted updates the look and seals all the leaks. Not cheap but worth it in my mind.

We had a 1980 for a few years and did lots of work on it. (blog documented)
Really liked that boat. We have a 34 Tolly now.

There are many 26's around here with very experienced owners who would be a huge help if you need them. I am happy to connect you.

Keep us posted !!

 

[Bill V]

How do the slings get underneath the boat to get it off of the trailer? Being a bunk trailer the hull rests on bunks for their entire length.

My bunks are made up 2 x 6's stacked 3 high. I have knotches cut out to pull slings thru. The bottom 2 x 6 is not cut, only the top two boards. Top board has a carpet covering on it. I also have 6 screw jacks, 3 per side, that I have adjusted to keep boat level while sitting on trailer and support the hull.

I once owned a Ford Super Duty F250 4x4 V10 6 speed manual that I used to tow my boat to the marina that had the travel hoist,about a 10 mile trip. I installed a class 5 hitch and it towed fine for the short distance. Did take it to a repair shop to have the bottom soda blasted so I could start fresh with bottom paint. Trip was 25 miles with 10 of it on the Interstate at 60 mph, felt like the Queen Mary was following me. Sold the truck as I only used it about 500 miles a year and enjoy my half ton far better.

 

[Art]

I'm wishing you Great Luck! Tollycraft are well built pleasure cruisers.

Not sure of what is happening under the "torpedo" bases for stanchions that support hand railing on your 26' Tolly.

Will tell ya... 13 yrs ago when we purchased our 1977 Tolly tri cabin 34'er she had several torpedo bases that were loose [our Tolly deck has hand rails full perimeter all around gunnels]. When trying to screw the bolts tight... the stanchion bases became ever looser.

Sooo... I soon decided to bite the bullet and fix em all. Well, when I really got into it I found the problem was not the fiberglass [torpedo base areas on our Tolly have no balsa core under them - they have broad areas of solid fiberglass]. Problem was - the 1" x 1" "keeper-plates" that the lock washer and nut to the bases' bolts tightened to had rusted out!

In the shop they had "cut a corner" [something seldom done by Tolly builders] - in that - by using scrap mild steel cut into pieces with a drilled hole in their middle - was what they used as keeper-plates. The shop fastened the plates and bolts/stanchions into place - then onto each keeper-plate they liberally smeared some brand of white calking. Guess the calking was to keep salt water off the mild steel. Anyway, some of the locations' calk allowed the plates to fully rust out.

Sooo... the repair of firming up the torpedo stanchions became relatively easy [hardest part was getting hand-access to the under deck locations]. I removed the bolts, cleaned off remaining old calking underneath the deck, cleaned the SS bolts, lock washers and nuts, got some big pieces of SS with holes - Put it back together and tightened things down - DONE!! None have come loose in 13 years!

An item I'd like to recommend about what was already mentioned by another poster... when you check the wood lengths along side of fly bridge junction to roof - take a sturdy ice pick for prodding. If it goes deeply in then replacement is or may soon be necessary. If just some locations are a bit "punky/soft' but not too deeply affected IMO you can fix that with some of the rot fix materials available.

Happy Tolly Daze! - Art