CONTINUOUSWAVE

Q1: is the boat pictured below in Figures 1, 2, and 3 a Boston Whaler MONTAUK?







Q2: what do you think of the boat shown above for a price of $2,000?

Q3: is the seat worth restoring?

Q4: is the console worth restoring?

IF I BUY THE BOAT

If I buy the boat its restoration will not be a small project.I know the boat needs the following components replaced or restored:

• gel coat
• seat
• fuel tank
• console

I have access to a body shop where I can get most of the work done.

I see potential.

I will buy a 2015 Yamaha F115 for $5,600.

My overall budget is $15,000.

Q5: will I make it?

I will add a T-Top if I have sufficient money for that project.

ASIDE: This is my first post on this forum. I'm 25-years-old. I plan to use the boat for two year and sell it for enough money so that I have not lost he money invested in the boat.

Not a Montauk. The hull and interior components make the model.

The hull is pre 1973 and is non-smirk.

The console and pilot seat are not from a Montauk.

To assess the true condition of an older hull, such as the c.1970's boat shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, from three low-resolution general views of the boat is not possible. Only a detailed in-person close visual inspection can determine the hull condition.

The helm console and helm seat appear to be made of wood. The boat may have been a a SAKONNET.

A price of $2,000 for a c.1970's 16-foot Boston Whaler boat with a rusty trailer seems a bit high. Much depends on where the boat is located and what is known about its history--and, of course, on the boat's actual condition.

To estimate the total cost of refurbishment of the boat to any particular condition and configuration will be difficult.

The only reasonable basis for being able to sell the boat for at least what you have invested in the boat is by performing all the restoration work yourself and not figuring any monetary basis for your work and time.

The first thing I would want to investigate is the large rectangular blue patch on the hull sides. What is it, and why was it put there? Does it conceal some damage? It is a very odd feature and unless its history is known, it could be a costly problem to remedy.

If you like working on boats, have the time, have a place, and have the enthusiasm, buy the boat as long as you carefully inspect the hull for any damage and deterioration. Remember, this boat was made about 50-years ago. The greatest influence on its present condition will be its history of use and the care it received. Fifty-year-old boats can easily have problems that cost a lot to remedy.

Find the stenciled number of the hull at the inboard face of the transom.

Thanks for formatting my questions. And the super fast response.

I have not seen the boat in person and do not have better pictures.

I am located in the Mexican Pacific coast and the boat is in the Baja Peninsula. I am having a friend, who is in the boating industry, go see the boat on Tuesday. He'll get better pictures and a good look at the boat. I will tell him to look for the stenciled number where you told me, and ask about the big rectangle. It should have been obvious for me to think about it.

I totally agree. Selling the boat for my monetary cost, not time and resources. I do have time and space to work on the boat.

Thanks for all the advice.

Sometimes you can significantly increase the value of a boat just by changing its location. For example, I recite this third-hand story:

A fellow had a neighbor who owned a nice MONTAUK 17 boat and kept it in his garage. The neighbor passed away, and the boat sat in the garage unused for several years. The fellow approached the widow and inquired if the boat were for sale. The window was quite happy to get the boat out of her garage, and offered it to the neighbor for $500. The neighbor bought the boat. He washed and cleaned the boat, then took it to an expert mechanic at a local dealership, where the engine was serviced and found to be in very good condition. Perhaps new tires for the trailer were added.

By moving the boat from the widow's garage, to the the dealer for service, and then back to the neighbor's backyard, the value of the boat rose to about $7,500. As they say, "location, location, location."

ducktales wrote:Q3: is the seat worth restoring?

Q4: is the console worth restoring?

If the seat and the console are the original components of the boat as a NAUSET or an EASTPORT or a SAKONNET, they were made with very good marine mahogany woods.

If the wood is still in good condition--which for a nearly 50-year-old boat would be quite amazing--then you may be able to restore the wood to its former glory as a beautiful fine marine mahogany varnished wood component of the boat. This depends entirely on the wood's present condition.

It looks like some of the wood has been painted, and removal of the paint may be difficult and required abrasion, possibly losing some underlying wood. If there is plywood used, you must be careful not to sand of the finish layer.

If the wood has rot or has delaminated or is otherwise compromised, restoration using the original wood may not be possible. However, a skilled carpenter could use the existing wooden components as patterns and duplicate the original console and seat, if that is desired.

Or you could alter the boat to have a different console and seat, something more available today, such as a molded fiberglass console and polyurethane molded pedestal seats.

At age 25 you probably unlimited energy for this project. Again, as long as the hull is not damaged, not waterlogged, not missing major components, the boat could be the starting point for a restoration. But be careful that you won't spend more money and time than just paying more for a Boston Whaler boat in better condition as your starting point.

You could do something like this if you wanted a modern interpretation of the 17' Whaler. Here is an example that is a pretty servicable boat.

Thanks for all the input and advice.

Turns out the [blue] rectangle is just a vinyl test because they were thinking of wrapping it. I have not managed to get someone to look at the boat.

I found a dealer that is selling a new Yamaha 90 hp for $5,300. The boat costs $2,000, the engine costs $5,3000.

Do the engine and the boat seem like two good finds?

Of, course I can't move forward without taking a look at the boat.

[This poster now has a second thread asking for advice on a completely different boat.--Moderator]

Once you put a new engine on an old boat, you will never get back the full cost of the engine in resale of the old-boat/new-engine combination. Putting a new engine on an old boat generally only makes sense if you plan to keep the old boat for ten years or longer, and you want the reliability of a new outboard engine for your boating for the next ten years, and you can afford a new engine, and you don't expect to be selling the boat in the immediate future.