Newbie - Please Help Advise

[myyear2g]

Hello!

Glad I found this forum and look forward to learning and one day sharing some knowledge. I’ve been a part of some other forums not related to bots and enjoyed the discussions.

I have a 50s Skagit 17’ boat that has been in my family a very long time. It was my dad’s and he passed away when I was young - so the boat has tremendous sentimental value. It is fiberglass and has sat for the past 35 years uncovered and outside in Wyoming. I am beginning to plan for having it transported to my home state of WV where I plan to store indoors until I have the cash to have it restored.

I called the one bot shop in that area and they said that it would be very expensive to restore and that it is likely ruined by sitting outside in WY elements 35 years. I know nothing about boats, but they said likely 35-40k to restore without them seeing it. (I was hoping they would say 20k lol).

Can anyone who knows about fiberglass and boats tell me if it looks possible to “be saved” - I didn’t want to pay to have it transported cross country if it isn’t even possible. I know that there are likely details of the bot that would be better to see to give input - but these are my only pics (I took these pics last year). Any insight or thoughts are appreciated and thanks in advance!

[Chotu]

Depends on what your definition of “restore” is.

To me that looks like solid fiberglass. That’s not going to be ruined by sitting out there all those years. It looks like it needs a new windshield, somebody to work on the outboard for a bit to make sure it runs, some new seats. Maybe some light blue paint. Good to go. You could do it at your house for $5000? Of course there would be some time involved and you would have to learn about Outboard’s, painting, and putting in the new windshield and seats.

[Capt Clark]

What Chotu said^, plus the cost of transport to almost heaven…..

And, if it has tremendous sentimental value like you say, bring her home and restore her. This is a project but a small and very doable one that you could learn a lot and get rid of some of your cash that’s been building up. You will find a wealth of knowledge here and one I would recommend would be Boatworks Today. Good luck, keep us informed, & welcome to the forum.

Capt Clark

[JPA Cate]

Welcome aboard CF, myyear2g,

A long time ago, I saw a bunch of guys -- four or five to a side, lift a small motor boat out of the water, and carry it up the beach, to be worked on above the high tide line. What I'm getting at is if where the boat is, you can get a borrowed or rented trailer, people power can get it on the trailer, where it then needs to be tied down. Then take her home and hose her out, give her a good washing, and you are likely to then be able to assess her condition.

Take pictures. (CF software is pretty clunky. Keep the phone vertical and the pics will post right side up. When you don't, then they're on their side.) Lots of people will be able to help you with specific jobs.

If she is a solid glass hull, it will probably not be too difficult to bring her to useable condition. Your State or Province or Shire or County probably has some minimum safety regulations the boat will need to meet, and you can look them up on the net.

Consider getting some things on the used market if money is tight for you. Boating can be one of those things that takes all your money and then wants more, so keep track.

If you've got kids or grandkids, maybe you can involve them in the project. They'll love it.



Ann

[Tetepare]

Anything wood will probably have to be replaced. Floor, no big deal. Transom no big deal as long as it’s backed by fiberglass.

Throttle and cables a few hundred bucks.

The motor though figure minimum 500 for a used motor.

The seats too $250 plus.

Trailer may need work or may be a throw away.

Title for boat and trailer? Could be a real headache.

Figure $2000 - $3000. Plus your labor. When you’re done it may not be worth even that.

[MicHughV]

I agree with the above. The hull doesn't look too bad, but most everything else will have to be redone. The engine is likely shot and you'll need a new one. I suspect the same about the trailer.
As above, the money you spend on the boat to "restore" it will be money gone.
As little as the boat is, it will not be practical for most things.

It wouldn't take much to find a decent trailer and haul it out of there. It makes no sense whatsoever to leave the boat with someone to "restore" as it would likely cost a small fortune, way beyond the value of the boat.
Because this boat is an emotional attachment, you need to park it next to your house and work on it as time is available. Having a roof over the boat will go a long way to assist you.
Consider this boat as a hobby project for you, as it's resale value is likely not worth discussing.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, myyear.
As others have opined, looks doable, to me.

[myyear2g]

Wow - thank you all kindly for the warm welcome! I appreciate so many of you lending your knowledge and experience to me. Your comments are encouraging!

Two dumb questions:
Is it safe to say that even if the boat turns out to be in terrible shape that enough time / fiberglass mat/tiger hair / money can restore anything? Or is there a point when a boat simply cannot be brought back to original glory/water safe? I’m fine with sinking 15-20k into it and realize it might be worth 3-4K when finished (I would never sell)

There was mention of the trailer possibly being junk - what things specifically on the trailer should I look at to know that answer? I figured bearings/wheels/tires/wiring would all need replaced.

Would y’all recommend that I simply found another one to transport the boat cross country? It may seem odd, but this is another item that I am comfortable spending way more to fix than it is worth just to have the trailer my dad used to tow the boat.

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I’ve been a part of a few forums and we all know the people who post once or twice and vanish. I’m here for the long haul.

[MicHughV]

Some years ago, I had a fishing boat on a galvanized steel trailer, that just sat there for a long time.
I finally sold the boat and the new owner came to pick it, but the trailer wouldn't budge. It turns out that the tires were shot, bearings seized up and brakes rusted beyond salvage, and the brake lights/turning lights were the same.
I suspect that your trailer will likely be the same.

I don't think re-doing the boat will be all that expensive, from the photo's alone it looks quite salvageable, material wise, but will be labor intensive. A new engine, controls, etc, will likely be your biggest expense. $15-20K will be more than adequate, though with elbow grease, you could whittle that down to a fe few grand .

You are planning a long trip. Maybe a solution would be to put the put the boat on flatbed truck, rather than a trailer. I know you can rent trailers for most anything, but the boat is not very big. You have to get it out of there first, not sure how will plan to that.

[JPA Cate]

If the trailer is important to you, too, you need to photograph all the welds on it, and see if it is rusted out anywhere. If it is not, then you'll still need to address the bearings, brakes, tires, wiring for brake and directional signal lights, and whatever else shows up while you're doing those. For that, you'll need the boat off the trailer.

I saw an o/b motor in the picture, and am wondering if you know whether or not it was working when the boat was stored? It's probably a two stroke, and don't sell it on, yet. New ones can no longer be imported, but the older ones are pretty easy to work on, and there are still some parts around for them. By the way, there are guys who restore "classic" outboards, as a hobby, and they will be able to help you source parts....

Ann

[Ballsnall]

Originally Posted by myyear2g

There was mention of the trailer possibly being junk - what things specifically on the trailer should I look at to know that answer? I figured bearings/wheels/tires/wiring would all need replaced.

Your trailer is made of steel so it's 100% repairable. Just look for any corroded areas and have them repaired then either sandblast and epoxy paint or hot dip galvanize it and will be good as new.

[Jebtrois]

It may end up being cheaper to rent a U-Haul trailer or truck to put the whole thing on/in and move it yourself. Make it part of the adventure. Like others have said, with time and careful shopping this boat can probably be done for a few grand. 20k sounds crazy to me.
JEB

[boatpoker]

As something you have a strong attachment to, may I suggest you may find even more satisfaction from acquiring the skills to do the job yourself. The learning curve is not all that steep ... it's more about patience.

[Oeanda]

The boat itself probably has very little value. And given that it was left outside for 35 years, which is a long time, it does not seem to have been valued as a boat by anyone else for a long time.

Sentiment is a wonderful thing. But, like memories of our loved ones, it is a concept contained in the heart or mind, not embodied in a fibreglass object.

Honestly, hire someone in the neighbourhood who has any clue about boats, to go take a look at it and give you the info straight. Then spend the other $19,750 in whatever way you think would make your dad happy. Assuming he wasn’t totally sadistic, in which case this is your chance to finally escape!!!

( jk
there is no escape.

[grantmc]

Welcome to CF MyYear2G.

Wow what a great little boat. It so reminds me of a little fizz boat that 3 friends and I bought and restored back in the late seventies. It had been sitting for years too. We spent every Sunday for months restoring her. She was a similar size, but had a Ford 6 cylinder petrol connected engine attached via gearbox and shaft to a jet unit.

We rebuilt the motor, but the trailer was actually the biggest part of the project. Nothing very difficult as others have said, just time. Because the cost was spread over months and split between the four of us it actually wasn't much of a drain on our finances. Similarly none of us knew anything when we started but we learnt about marine things, how to fixup the motor and gearbox and jet unit, and how to stick weld etc.

And we were kids so we borrowed, begged and mostly used second hand bits and bobs and improvised. So for example I remember we went to a car wrecking yard to find suitable seats. We picked a big old front bench seat for $5 out of a vehicle called a Ford Zephyr. It was bright red. We even painted flames down the side of the boat and found a couple of old mag wheels for the trailer. She looked pretty fly eventually.

Man we had some fun with that boat, much of it at a place here in New Zealand called Lake Taupo. As 16 and 17 year olds the boat also was a real chick magnet, and we all learned to be pretty good skiers too. Wish I had a pic to post.

Enjoy the project MyYear2G.