/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Boats can be tricky. The trailer is often more expensive than the boat itself and the registration and title are almost always lost. And getting a abandoned title is a huge pain and also sometimes costly. The boat itself is usually had so much work don to it by previous owners that everything is a wreck and hard to fix. And parts are hard to find. Also make sure the cleats are backed. Almost all manufacturers back the cleats but they break or are replaced for other reasons and never get backed. Check the hull for even the tinniest crack. Fixing fiberglass isnt hard but it is sometime really hard to get to the spot that needs fixing. Im sure im forgetting a few things but that trailer and paper work are almost always a heart ache and sometimes make the purchase not worth it.

>>673843
Yeah, thanks, i didnt think about the paperwork.

>>673838
Does it come with the trailer? Does it fit on the trailer properly? If so, might be worth it. If not, pass on it.

Westerner was a division of the Westerner Rubber company. They made boats from the early 1950's to at least the late 70's. Your's looks to be a 70's era boat. Its in very rough shape. getting original parts for it is going to be a serious problem, as I can find very little information on them. They have probably been out of business for decades.

Your interior looks to be completely shot and I can guarantee you will start having mechanical problems if you start running it regularly. It might turn over and idle for awhile without issue but everything is going to be dried up and worn out, just waiting to fail. Thats not to say its gonna explode or anything, but you'll probably get some oil leaks, bad electrical, nasty crap in the gas tank getting into the fuel lines, etc. Its gonna require a rebuild. I'd also be concerned about the durability of the fiberglass after 40 years in the sun. It will probably need reconditioning too.

Heres a listing for a very similar 1978 model.
http://www.boats4sale.pro/detail/us/nFdUnUCCOHOUFnFUPnO/ski-boat-18-5-ft-198-hp-Mercruiser-outdrive-Chevy-V8

Used boats are money black holes. Its something you have to know a lot about already before you go looking. If you really know your shit then its still rare you find one worth your time and money.

>>673838
an other pic of the boat

>>673838
an other pic of the boat

>>673859
>>673861
Fuck. Tell him you'll take it off his hands for free if he includes the trailer. Don't pay a dime for that mess. Old boats are a dime a dozen in places that have any kind of recreational boating going on near by. I know people that go to marinas and get given boats in better shape than that for free just so they can free up a birth.

Eh its a nice boat for 500 bux. Just make sure you see it in the water first.
DAT engine compartment. Bare plywood housing. And overhaul it first before going fishing. Really dual outboards would be better so if one motor fails at least you can limp home

>>673838

tell him you need to put so much work in it

that you have to replace the seats and sand and paint everything over

so ask him if it's ok if he can sell it for 400

I'm sure no one else wants to spend time for that boat(still a nice price though).

the two happiest days of boat ownership- the day you buy it and the day you sell it

B.o.a.t.

Bust out another thousand.

>>673864
This. Seriously.

>>673838
I know absolutely zero about boats. But if that were me, and I had somewhere to store it:
I'd say 350 with the trailer. And if he said yes, I'd just have some fun doing it up. You could redo the cosmetic stuff yourself (sewing the vinyl could be fun). Regarding the fibreglass as somebody mentioned, that could be fun learning.
Worst case scenario, you do it up a bit, then find out you're way out of your league, so you sell it for what you bought it for.

Having said that, I know absolutely nothing about boats, nor do I know about boating regulation in your country (US I presume).

A boat is a hole in the water you throw money into.

OP - as a former boat owner that has stripped down a boat and rebuilt it let me bring something to your attention.

You need to make sure you have no rotting wood in the transom area (rear wall of the motor). While this is an inboard motor the transom still bears some load by the lower unit on the outside. Also you need to be concerned about rotten stringers. These are the wooden beams that run front to rear. The only way you can check them is getting inside the boat, with a screw driver, and poke the stringers. They should be encased in fiberglass but that doesn't always protect them. Crawl under the trailer and look for any visible signs of holes, cracks and scratches. I doubt this boat has seen water in over a decade. So it probably did float when it was last used but over time, with neglect, that boat can rot from the inside out.


At worst case scenario you can pull the motor and transom and sell them for the money you're likely to pay for the boat. The trailer may be worth something in scrap as well. Don't forget that you'll have to also pay taxes, title fees and registrations fees on both the trailer and the boat.

Good luck.

>>673956
>>673969
deez niggas know what's up. be prepared to spend ten times what you bought it for getting it to be something you'd want to ride in, or have a lady out on the water in.

>>673992
My dad owns a marina, I've worked on more of these shitty tri-hull turds than anything else. People end up dropping thousands just to get them in running order. Seriously OP, it's a turd. You could probably get more out of the trailer than the boat, depending on condition. Also, if you do pick it up plan on fouled plugs, shit fuel in the tank and the throttle cables breaking.

Bring
Over
Another
Thousand

Marine tech here
That Mercruiser outdrive is going to be a bitch
the mercruiser alpha 1 and pre-alpha series are
going to cost you more than the boat, even to replace miniscule shit like a steering link clip, and you will have to with that.
theres an upside to this tho, those alpha 1 parts and even the mercruiser v8 it's self is worth more than $500, you could triple that parting it out.
Don't believe me , call some local boat shops and ask them how much various parts for that engine or outdrive is, or just check boatparts.net , almost every boat shop in america uses that site for parts

I cleaned boats for 2 months and learned that you can get 800 dollars/foot if you do the right boats.

That boat is not the right boat for resale value. It's for a beaters fisher boat and not that great.

I don't see any tie-in's for a bimeney (canopy that collapses) and the tie framework is a FUCKING HELL BITCH to tie ropes around if you need to do it in a hurry. Do it before you need it.

The boat going fast won't turn well and can flip because of the turn angles of the lines under the boat. Imagine a new age boat (look at one on google) at a 45 degree angle left or right while it cuts into the water. You don't see this boat doing that, hit a wave in a hard turn and FLIP you go.

There is no underhull from the looks of it. A calm lake boat.

Also the engine is small and takes up too much space for the design.

You find a cobalt, sea ray or crownline that is what all the used boat renters are buying up. Learn from them.

Though I must say I hate the wooden interior boats. Don't get a boat with carpet or buttons for a carpet. It's fucking stupid, think of a boat as a kitchen. Everything plus bathroom "liquids" fall on the floor. Kids peeing their pants and walking around dripping into your boat afterward.

Get it all in fiberglass/p[astic. It will save you hell later. Get it in a mono color with a bright interior and bimeney straps everywhere.

DO NOT GET PIC RELATED AS A FIRST BOAT - it is like a hunters gun. One type of gun for each prey type. A .308 will shatter a rabbit, and a .22lr will not take down a boar and a shouldered gun with proper optics to hunt long range.

This boat is a calm lake boat you can lift out of the water with a hoist that is located on the dock itself. It's meant for that type of ownership.

>>673838
SALT FREE DRINKING WATER?

what the fuck?

The only reason to buy that shit is to part it out

I would buy it and turn it into a land speeder. That is all.