Assessing a "Free" Catalina 251

[saladsamurai]

[FONT=&quot]Non-boat owner here so please forgive my ignorance. I am pretty sure there are no “free” boats, but I am going to take a look at one tomorrow anyhow. It's a 1978 25-foot Chris Craft Catalina 251. My initial research shows that this is not a very desirable model in that there are plenty out there for short money (sub 3,000). Maybe that's not a good indicator of "desirable" but it's all I have right now.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I am looking for any pointers you might have for assessing the level of effort to make this boat seaworthy.[/FONT] A friend of mine and I are going to take a look at it, but I know nothing about boats and he knows "a little more."



We plan to attempt to start it (bringing a spare 12V battery and some starter fluid; it’s been a year since last start when it was put on stands) and I plan to go over the fiberglass hull with a bright light to look for any cracks.



I also plan to "knock" all over the hull to try and detect internal rot. It is on stands and the keel is blocked and it looks like it is well supported. I will inspect the interior and engine box for any signs of rot or neglect.


It appears that it was winterized/shrink wrapped each winter up until early 2019 when the shrink wrap had a branch poke through it and continued to tear in subsequent winds until the owner pulled it all off.


I asked a few questions that seemed like the right things to ask, but like I said, I am not even sure what to look for. Here is what I have asked so far.


Thanks for reading.

• Do you have the title for the boat?
  
  Nope. Apparently, because of its age and because it was previously registered in NH, there was no title, no need for a title. I'll try and find the website for you.
  
  Here you go - https://www.marinetitle.com/boat-re... a registration,or titles on outboard motors.
  
  I will make sure you get a "bill of sale" for it so there's no confusion about it.

• Where did the boat come from? Sounds like you've only had it a year or two on the stands.
  
  So my friend Brian found a great deal on the boat in Nov of 2018, but didn't have a sloop/parking spot/whatever they're called to store it at, so he asked if he could store it in our side yard just until Spring (of 2019). Then he lost his job and ran into a few other issues, and subsequently gave up on the boat. He's tried to sell it a couple of times, and we had like 6 people interested in it, but all of them just flaked out and stopped communicating before they ever got to see the boat. We're at a point now where my wife, understandably, really wants it gone so I'm a lot more motivated in helping to find a new owner for it because of that. Brian's completely on board with giving the boat away for free, both so it will be out of my yard and because it's a shame to send it to salvage when it's a good boat that really just needs cosmetic work.

• Do you know how it has been stored in the winters prior to you owning the boat? For example, was it winterized or shrink-wrapped prior to you owning it?
  
  It was shrink-wrapped when the previous owner (before Brian had it up on stands) and it was initially shrink-wrapped when it was up on stands here. But we had a really bad storm, I think it was early 2019, and some branches fell on the shrink wrap (small ones, the boat didn't get damaged at all), and once the shrinkwrap got a few tears, the wind slow made them bigger tears. It went through last winter without shrinkwrap on it.
  
  The one time it did get some water in it (which is why the cabin will need the cosmetic work I mentioned) was entirely user error. Brian had been up here working on it, didn't seal it up properly, and we ended up getting heavier rain than was forecast. It went through subsequent storms without any issues, though.

• Why are you getting rid of it?
  
  I'm not a boat guy and have no interest in becoming one, but I'd hate to see it just get scrapped. Finding a new owner helps them, helps Brian, and helps my wife not be mad about it anymore, which would be nice.
  
  Let me know if you have any other questions, Boat Owner.