Give me [an idea of] the value of a 1980 17-footer with a Johnson 70-HP outboard on a Tee Nee trailer that has ben kept in a garage from 1988 to 2023?
What is the laden weight of a 1980 Tee Nee trailer?
I cannot find any documentation for the trailer. This trailer is not registered. It cannot be on the road legally. I want to avoid driving to a scale.
[The post has been moved from the INTRODUCTION TO THE FORUM SOFTWARE forum to THE GAM. The INTRODUCTION TO THE FORUM SOFTWARE is NOT a boating forum. --Moderator]
Value of 1980 17-footer
Re: Value of 1980 17-footer
I presume that your request for an estimate of the value is based on intention to sell the boat. Boston Whaler boats are very easy to sell, if priced right. Generally a popular model in excellent condition and at a fair price will sell very quickly, usually to the first real buyer who sees the boat and has cash in hand.
I can only give you some vague ideas about the value of your particular boat, engine, and trailer.
BOAT
The value of any 1980 Boston Whaler boat, which is now 43-years-old, is primarily determined by the present condition of the boat. The 17-foot hull is a very popular length, and these boats are always in demand. Again, the present condition is a huge influence on value. The boat could be worth anywhere from $4,000 if the boat needs a lot work to $10,000 if the boat is like-new.
ENGINE
A 70-HP outboard engine from 1980 is almost certainly a two-stroke-power-cycle engine, and it will also be 43-years-old. An engine that is on a boat will generally need to be demonstrated to be able to start and to be in running condition--preferably by an on-the-water test while propelling the boat to the expected boat speed for the boat and engine combination. Without demonstrating the engine can run and propel the boat properly, the engine value is perhaps $500. If the engine starts quickly, runs like new, and propels the boat to the expected boat speed, then the engine could be worth $1,000 or more.
TRAILER
A 43-year-old trailer for a 17-foot boat does not have a huge value, except when it is in good condition and ready to the road, which means good tires, good bearing, good hold downs, good wench, and a working trailer hitch. Tires that have been siting for 35 years are most likely no longer safe for operating on the highway at any sort of speed. Getting the trailer on the road will likely require new tires. A road-worthy trailer maybe worth $500.
Regarding the "laden" weight of the Tee Nee trailer, I presume you want to know the weight of the trailer with the boat and the engine and all the gear aboard the boat on the trailer.
A starting point for calculating the weight of the boat, engine, and trailer will be to use the empty boat weight as specified by Boston Whaler. To do this, the model of the boat must be know. There are many 17-foot models.
The weight of the engine can be found from archives, but the manufacturer of the engine and the model of the engine (number of cylinders) must be known. To find the weight of older outboard engines, see this archived discussion:
Weight of Older Outboard Engines
https://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/011042.html
If the boat can be removed from the trailer, you can easily find the trailer weight with a bathroom scale. Place the scale under each of the two tires, and under the tongue support wheel. To get the most accurate weight, but a 2 x 4 board under all three supports, then using a jack, raise each wheel, one at a time, remove the 2 x 4 board, put a bathroom scale under the wheel, and lower the wheel onto the scale. Add the three weights to get the total trailer weight This should give you a very accurate weight of the trailer.
ASSESSMENT
The idea that neither the boat or engine has been used since 1988 is a factor that works both as an advantage and as a disadvantage. For some buyers, the boat having not been used for the last 35-years might make the boat a "time capsule" from the 1980's, but for others, a boat that has sat for 35-years can be full of problems that can only be discovered by trying to use the boat.
A further factors in assessing the value are the present location of the boat and where the boat was used, particularly if the boat was used in warm saltwater year round compared to seasonal use in northern freshwater.
With the very minimal information provided, no realistic assessment of value can be made without seeing the boat in person or seeing excellent photographs of the boat. All classic Boston Whaler boats have very high retained value, so you should not accept any offer below $4,500.
If everything is in very good condition, the engine is running fine, the trailer is registered and road-worth, the boat-engine-trailer might elicit offers of over $10,000.
Of course, your desire to sell the boat within a certain time can also affect the price you are will to accept, as will your location, and time of year.
I can only give you some vague ideas about the value of your particular boat, engine, and trailer.
BOAT
The value of any 1980 Boston Whaler boat, which is now 43-years-old, is primarily determined by the present condition of the boat. The 17-foot hull is a very popular length, and these boats are always in demand. Again, the present condition is a huge influence on value. The boat could be worth anywhere from $4,000 if the boat needs a lot work to $10,000 if the boat is like-new.
ENGINE
A 70-HP outboard engine from 1980 is almost certainly a two-stroke-power-cycle engine, and it will also be 43-years-old. An engine that is on a boat will generally need to be demonstrated to be able to start and to be in running condition--preferably by an on-the-water test while propelling the boat to the expected boat speed for the boat and engine combination. Without demonstrating the engine can run and propel the boat properly, the engine value is perhaps $500. If the engine starts quickly, runs like new, and propels the boat to the expected boat speed, then the engine could be worth $1,000 or more.
TRAILER
A 43-year-old trailer for a 17-foot boat does not have a huge value, except when it is in good condition and ready to the road, which means good tires, good bearing, good hold downs, good wench, and a working trailer hitch. Tires that have been siting for 35 years are most likely no longer safe for operating on the highway at any sort of speed. Getting the trailer on the road will likely require new tires. A road-worthy trailer maybe worth $500.
Regarding the "laden" weight of the Tee Nee trailer, I presume you want to know the weight of the trailer with the boat and the engine and all the gear aboard the boat on the trailer.
A starting point for calculating the weight of the boat, engine, and trailer will be to use the empty boat weight as specified by Boston Whaler. To do this, the model of the boat must be know. There are many 17-foot models.
The weight of the engine can be found from archives, but the manufacturer of the engine and the model of the engine (number of cylinders) must be known. To find the weight of older outboard engines, see this archived discussion:
Weight of Older Outboard Engines
https://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/011042.html
If the boat can be removed from the trailer, you can easily find the trailer weight with a bathroom scale. Place the scale under each of the two tires, and under the tongue support wheel. To get the most accurate weight, but a 2 x 4 board under all three supports, then using a jack, raise each wheel, one at a time, remove the 2 x 4 board, put a bathroom scale under the wheel, and lower the wheel onto the scale. Add the three weights to get the total trailer weight This should give you a very accurate weight of the trailer.
ASSESSMENT
The idea that neither the boat or engine has been used since 1988 is a factor that works both as an advantage and as a disadvantage. For some buyers, the boat having not been used for the last 35-years might make the boat a "time capsule" from the 1980's, but for others, a boat that has sat for 35-years can be full of problems that can only be discovered by trying to use the boat.
A further factors in assessing the value are the present location of the boat and where the boat was used, particularly if the boat was used in warm saltwater year round compared to seasonal use in northern freshwater.
With the very minimal information provided, no realistic assessment of value can be made without seeing the boat in person or seeing excellent photographs of the boat. All classic Boston Whaler boats have very high retained value, so you should not accept any offer below $4,500.
If everything is in very good condition, the engine is running fine, the trailer is registered and road-worth, the boat-engine-trailer might elicit offers of over $10,000.
Of course, your desire to sell the boat within a certain time can also affect the price you are will to accept, as will your location, and time of year.