Re: Appraisal on 1977 Newport PICTURES

[Kjos]

Give me your appraisal of a selling price IN CALIFORNIA for a 1977 NEWPORT 17 boat, with a 1993 Evinrude 70-HP engine and a 10-HP auxiliary engine on a trailer.

Fig. 1. NEWPORT 17 to be appraised based on this image.

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Fig. 2. NEWPORT 17 to be appraised based on this image,

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Fig. 3. NEWPORT 17 to be appraised based on this image,

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Fig. 4. NEWPORT 17 to be appraised based on this image.

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Fig. 5. NEWPORT 17 to be appraised based on this image.

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Fig. 6. NEWPORT 17 to be appraised based on this image.

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[Moderator's note: all the photo-images of the boat have been cropped to remove the sky, the ground, and beautiful tile and slate work. Those elements will not affect the appraisal of the boat, engine, and trailer. The original size of the boat in all images remains the same. Please do not upload images of boats that consist of about one-third sky on the upper part, one-third ground on the lower part, and only a partial view of the boat in middle 1/3 of the image. To photographs objects that are much wider than they are tall, please rotate the camera to the landscape format. ]

Seller's Description

The condition of the hull on a scale of ten where ten is better than new, in my opinion is 9.5.

The 35-year-old boat has had only "light" use in the 20-years since I have owned it.

Engine cylinders had measured peak dry pressure reading of 105-PSI. A leak-down test showed a 20-percent-decrease in cylinder compression [that is, a decrease to a pressure to 84-PSI from 105-PSI over over an unspecified period of time]. The engine has just now been professionally serviced. In my estimation the engine runs perfectly.

The boat has a Wm. J. Mills & Co. Bimini Top and a cover.

The electronics are a VHF Marine Band radio and a SONAR.

Trailer running lighting needs replacement.

[jimh]

My appraisal is as follows:

The NEWPORT 17 boat is a great harbor cruiser boat, so a buyer must be interested in using the boat in that manner in order to realize the maximum sales price. When I see a NEWPORT 17 boat in use, the location is always in very well protected waters. You also need to find a Boston Whaler enthusiast to buy this boat, as he will appreciate the boat more than some guy who just wants a 17-foot trailerable outboard boat.

The photographs of the hull do not show any major damage, but they do show minor defects that have resulted from typical use of the boat for 35-years. On that basis your estimate of the boat condition as "9.5 out of a possible 10" is too high. The condition is probably more like an "8", as long as there is nothing hidden from view. The red rub rail has held up well for 35-years-old. The forward windscreen looks very good. Often they are crazed and cracked.

In FIgure 6 there is an oddly installed rod holder or flag staff socket. I am certain that Boston Whaler did not install it. Any modifications to a classic Boston Whaler boat that were not done to the same standard as the factory become a detraction for fussy buyers.

The OMC Evinrude 1993 70-HP two-stroke-power-cycle engine was an excellent engine for its time. In 2023 the engine is 30-years-old. It is entirely possible that the engine presently runs very well, but in general a 30-year-old outboard engine that has passed through at least two owners has suffered a substantial reduction in value. The cowling does look to be in excellent condition.

The 10-HP auxiliary engine would only appeal to someone who wanted to troll at low speeds for long periods. Otherwise it is just extra weight on the transom. Another concern is how the auxiliary engine is mounted. If the mounting was done very well, and the engine could be removed and the transom restored, then no harm was done. If the mounting involved any change in the transom other than a bolt hole or two, the auxiliary engine is not an asset for a buyer who does not need one or want one. You can probably easily sell the 10-HP auxiliary engine yourself separately from the boat, as otherwise you might be more or less giving it away--unless the buyer has specific interest in having an auxiliary engine on a 17-foot harbor cruising boat.

The trailer is mostly not described, thus its value cannot be appraised.

The weather canvas and cover could be substantial assets, but if they are also 35-years-old they may need replacement. Mills & Co. use Glen Raven Mills SUNBRELLA fabric, which is extremely durable, but even SUNBRELLA shows its age after 35-years in the sun and the weather.

The included VHF Marine Band radio and SONAR set are not described, so their value cannot be considered as much influence on the price. Really modern VHF Marine Band radios with Digital Selective Calling now sell for only $150 new. An older radio is perhaps worth $30. Modern SONAR sets have fantastic color displays and amazing transducers, and they sell for less than $500 for a small screen device. Again, an old black-and-white one-bit monochrome display might be worth $40 to $50 as long as it worked, the display was perfect, and the transducer was working.

Perhaps the most positive influence on the price is the location in California, where everything seems more expensive that elsewhere, but particularly classic Boston Whaler boats.

With these qualifications in mind, I would think the boat could be sold quickly for about $13,000. I am basing this on a local boat, a 1976 SPORT 15 with a similar engine on a trailer that was sitting on my street three weeks ago for $9,000 and disappeared in two days. If you are willing to wait longer, you can have a higher asking price.

If you expand your description of the several elements you left vaguely mentioned, more value will be possible.

[Jefecinco]

The trailer appears to be painted steel rather than galvanized steel. If the trailer is not galvanized steel or aluminum it will have little value to a buyer who boats primarily in saltwater.

[Phil T]

I think a fair market price, given California location, is $9,000 to $11,000.

While the engine may be great, it is old. A new engine is $12,000 to $14,000.

A new trailer in California will cost $3,000 to $4,500.