Marine trader 34

I've been looking at a 1975 MT 34 which needs loads of work. My fear is it might exceed its value in repairs but the owner is open to offers.... So what would one be worth in salvage condition. My theory is to purchase it with the option of parting it out if needed.

It has been in dry dock since 2010 and looks like the decks are in rough condition. The interior is tired but complete and with a refinish I think it will come back to life.

No more than $20,000 I'd say. And depending on what if any work you can do yourself I'd be prepared to put at least $20,000 into it.

I saw one for sale a couple of weeks ago in Sarnia, asking $10k Canadian. Is that the boat you're looking at?

Mt 34

My friend has one in Oriental. Decent drive train. Hull good. Flybridge terrible. Deck over rear cabin not good. A fixer upper but it could be had inexpensive. Used to be a nice boat but he got old and has just ignored it.

Jeff F said:

I saw one for sale a couple of weeks ago in Sarnia, asking $10k Canadian. Is that the boat you're looking at?

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Yes, same boat. With your knowledge of the Canadian market do you think this one is worth a look. I think this one needs lots but it did have a decent survey back in 2010...

I've got my eye on two actually. The other boat is a 3270 Bayliner which needs much less but it has been sitting too a long time. I'm in no hurry but will strike on the right vessel before spring.

Name of the boat is Hawkeye.... Perhaps someone has a connection to her from the past...

For comparison, I got my MT 34 for $25k a month ago. Had external railing damage due to its covered slip collapsing during a storm.

Link to blog and current/past pics. https://libertytrawler.wordpress.com/

Here is a summary of upgrades, etc that had been done.

Ford Lehman 120HP Diesel Inboard
Direct Drive Engine (6,025 Hrs),
(2.5 to 3 gallons/hour Fuel Efficiency!)
7.5 Kw Onan Diesel Generator (778 Hrs),
2 Staterooms w/Ensuite Heads,
plus convertible Dinette (sleeps 6),
Dual Helm, Flybridge Canvas Enclosure,
Vetus Bow Thruster, 2500Watt Inverter,
Raytheon GPS, Chartplotter, Autopilot, Radar, & VHF Radios, Electric Windlass,
Marine Heat/Air (17,000 BTU),
Gas Oven/Range, 12v/110v Refrigerator,
Fuel Tanks Replaced, Decks & Cabin Top replaced & re-fiberglassed,
& Entire Boat Painted (2004-2005),
Under Cover & Lift Stored Since 2005!
34’ LOA, 11’9” Beam, Draft 3’6”

DAFF said:

Yes, same boat. With your knowledge of the Canadian market do you think this one is worth a look. I think this one needs lots but it did have a decent survey back in 2010...

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I don't have any special knowledge, but the ad caught my eye. It could be worth close to zero, but at an asking price of $US7k it's gotta be worth a close look if it's the kind of boat you're after. Safe to say that all the boats of that vintage have deck issues... Depends on what else you find.

All boats exceed their value when repaired. Maybe not immediately but eventually.

If you are handy, at $20K you shouldn't be too far upside down. Buy it if you like the boat not in lieu of a retirement plan.

Talked to the owner and going to take a look in a few days once it warms up a touch. Posted a few more pics to let other chine in on their thoughts. My biggest issue is the deck over the aft cabin. Not sure what the original surface should be. To me the boat looks like a disaster but might be a diamond in the rough with lots of love.

From first hand experience on this vessel in particular is there any tell tale signs or spots to look for ? I will be looking at the tanks and jumping around the decks for soft areas.

Don`t jump too hard on those decks, it could end badly.

I once told my vavorite surveyor I had my eye on a CHB. She said "Eric .. You don't want a CHB". Decks and cabin as I recall. I rather like the boats. She lived on an old 40' wood Monk.

BruceK said:

Don`t jump too hard on those decks, it could end badly.

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My gut says run by the pictures. The clutter and mess are not helping the sale but perhaps its not all that bad.... Its part of the adventure I guess. Looking will not cost me much other than some time and fuel.

DAFF said:

My gut says run by the pictures. The clutter and mess are not helping the sale but perhaps its not all that bad.... Its part of the adventure I guess. Looking will not cost me much other than some time and fuel.

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+1 Run

Unless they give you the boat.

And some cash.

Hey I only paid 9000 for mine and its a 36 marine trader Europa. Ill let you
know what it ends up costing me....

Walk away. You'll end up recoring the whole house.

I know I own one and had to do just that...

I am in the middle of a total restoration on my 1975 34 if you can do the work your self fine if you have to farm it out RUN AWAY. It is a lot of work but when I am done I will know exactly what I have and it will be done right, also if the running gear is in good order it may be worth the time to restore the boat

If the asking price for the boat is $7k, how many additional $ would be consumed to address the soft deck, and most likely house, before folks felt it would have been better to have "run away."

I know there is a near infinite amount of variables in the equation. But, how much deck and house repair can one get accomplished for an additional $10k, $20k or $30k? I'm assuming no work to the entire drive train, just fiberglass, wood and paint work.

My boat runs fine. But the leaks are rotting out the coring. I hope to get some estimates once the weather turns. I'd like to know about the experience of others to get some reference points to evaluate the proposal(s).

I'd have to farm out almost all of the work. I can paint, spin a wrench and I can tear stuff out, but rebuilding the core issues is beyond anything I want to do personally. I'll write the check - up to a point.

Capt.Bill11 said:

+1 Run

Unless they give you the boat.

And some cash.

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My thoughts exactly. You couldn't give me that boat. It would take some cash.

It is all a matter of if you are looking for a boat to work on. Some people enjoy that(cars too). They end up working on them...restoring them....then selling them. And they are NOT doing it to make money. They do it because they enjoy it. If you are that person, go for it. But if you are looking for a boat to enjoy underway out on the water sometime in the not too distant future, this is not the boat.

I can't tell anything from the pictures. It looks like my boat in the off-season.

It would be educational.

I got mine 1974 MT 34 with L120 working good for 10k. For next 7 month, I was on "hard" working on this boat. Bottom: fix blisters, glass all, but the engine intake, trough hulls. Do not have gen nor a/c installed and have composting toilet. I did scrape paint to fiberglass and repainted with epoxy. Painted above water line. Redone all around plywood, Top deck. New shaft and bearings. New packings. New fresh and raw water pumps. Hoses,belt and many other maintenance. So far, I got at least another 10K in it and the work is not done. Currently floating at slip and finishing cosmetics. A lot of work, but I love this boat. Still have to figure out how to put some kind of fuel indicators - have none. Do not know how much fuel I got in tanks.

Use a dipstick. The last 34 I was on, an '83, fuel dropped straight into the tanks from the fill.

I wish that I could, but mine do not have a straight drop from fill cap - it curves. I saw on other boats, that they have plastic or glass tube on the front side of tank. but I do not have it. I will have to empty on tank at the time and attach one. I am suspecting, that I have at least 80G in each tank and will take a lot of 5g cans to empty the tank. Not much of a option at this point.

Use a cloth or metal measuring tape with a non-snagging weight on the end.

Take tank outside measurements to figure gallon age and tape increments.

Or sight guages are pretty easy if you care to track down suitable components.

Electrical guages can be OK....some have no problems, many have some issues.

Tank sender air pressure system seems universally accepted as a good system.

Thanks, will try the tape.

If you do not have too much snaking around a thin clear (no knots) 3/16 dowel with the end rounded can sometimes make the curves. I have also used a piece of 1/2w thin flat with end rounded. If there is only one bend start it with the bend planned for. It needs to be rounded to slide over the neck edge at the top of the tank

Check further back by the fuel pickups. There will be a plug on the top of each tank that appears to have no purpose. Unscrew it and you may find it is a dipstick.

You will need to take out a drawer on one side of the salon and remove a cushion on the other to have room above to withdraw the full height of the dipstick.

At 1.5 gallons per hour you don't need to lose sleep over how much fuel you have in your two 150 gallon tanks.

I did found the plugs. On left side, there in do dipstick - I guess that is lost, but on right side is return line going to that plug. I guess, that fuel level is equal in both tanks. I was under the impression, that the tanks were 100g each. It look like 2 barrels welded together, but it could be 150. I have no idea. Found out that the tank is full ( after using a dipstick) and some "nasty stuff" on the bottom (about an inch). Previous owner told me that engine burns 1g/hr, but he did not said at what rpm.

Sometimes I think these cheap fixerupper boats should be avoided or bought just for the hull or hull and engine.

Then strip the rest off and build economically w plywood a cabin/house that's serviceable .. hard to look at but not tooo.

But the best advice to the OP would probably be to buy a smaller cheaper but better (more usable) boat. Unless what you actually desire is the path Sea Moose took mentioned in post #16. Then you should probably look at your past and see how your other projects have turned out.