Hurricane damaged boats - bad idea?

[paul28]

I see the Moorings has several cats for sale indicating hurricane damage that the surveyor says is repairable. Is this a bad idea to even consider?

[Dave_S]

I'd worry what was left after years of people picking the best one's and scavenging the best parts. At some point they must have no value but if you go in aware and the price represents good value.

You may find more info searching on here there have been a couple of other threads on it.

[KC375]

Probably not a good idea.
It depends on your skill set and location. If you have the right skill set (deep boat repair experience) and location (on site) you probably would not be asking here.
If you had been on site with the right skills and local connections at the right time (after the storms but long enough that insurance companies were settling) you might have gotten some good deals.
The “good stuff” is long gone. You would be looking at well picked over inventory and probably lower value. So the effort of going to look and organizing (or doing your self) a survey and an estimate of repair cost starts to be a big share of the value at stake...i.e. you might spend a lot more acquiring the boat than “savings” are worth.
At this stage you might be able to find a boat others have started repair and given up on that you could buy at pennies on their dollars...but you might not.

[S/V Illusion]

Who’s surveyor - the Moorings one? Regardless of the integrity of this surveyor claim, it is foolish to base any judgment on it alone. If it was repairable, why do you think the charter company didn’t? Almost anything is repairable but at what cost?

Let’s review - what famous quote is attributed to PT Barnum ???......

[s/v Moondancer]

I live in Miami where we have a few hurricanes. I have seen three insurance write-offs repaired but not a single one in which I would cross the Gulf Stream!

[paul28]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Who’s surveyor - the Moorings one? Regardless of the integrity of this surveyor claim, it is foolish to base any judgment on it alone. If it was repairable, why do you think the charter company didn’t? Almost anything is repairable but at what cost?

here's an example of one that was repaired

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/201...nced%20listing

[paul28]

Originally Posted by KC375

Probably not a good idea.
It depends on your skill set and location. If you have the right skill set (deep boat repair experience) and location (on site) you probably would not be asking here.

Well, I don't know what deep boat experience means (fiberglass skills?) but I do have a long life of rehabbing houses that were completely gutted. And I have lots of time (retired) to go anywhere.

[paul28]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Who’s surveyor - the Moorings one? Regardless of the integrity of this surveyor claim, it is foolish to base any judgment on it alone. If it was repairable, why do you think the charter company didn’t? Almost anything is repairable but at what cost?

This is example of what I've seen

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/201...nced%20listing

says already repaired. Obviously would need my own survey but just was inquiring as to feasibility of taking this route

[KC375]

Originally Posted by paul28

Well, I don't know what deep boat experience means (fiberglass skills?) but I do have a long life of rehabbing houses that were completely gutted. And I have lots of time (retired) to go anywhere.

Paul, in rereading my post I apologize for the tone – it sounded a bit snarky. I don’t mean to suggest that you don’t have the skills, time or aptitude.
I do mean to suggest if you’ve not done it ten times before you don’t have the experience to assess how much effort it takes, therefore how much of a “deal” or not you are getting.
If I can draw a parallel with my own experience. As a kid I made some money rehabbing cars, mostly British Leyland products. Thanks to a good set of tools, and a Haynes workshop manual I did a pretty good job replacing a motor on an MGB (other than putting the clutch throw out bearing in backwards)...but the fifth time I did it I was about four times faster and I knew before starting exactly what I was getting into. If you’ve not done at least a few boat rehabs, major fiberglass repairs, re-rigging etc....you can do it but you won’t have the experience to do it efficiently and you won’t have the experience to know which boat is a deal because it looks worse than it is and which boat is a money pit because that innocuous looking crack means....

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by paul28

Well, I don't know what deep boat experience means (fiberglass skills?) but I do have a long life of rehabbing houses that were completely gutted. And I have lots of time (retired) to go anywhere.

I turned a stone barn built in 1832 into a house single handed. Doing that was way cheaper and years faster than rebuilding my 38' trawler.

Unless you can get that boat into your backyard, next to your workshop I don't think you can win.

[yeloya]

The issue is not limited to skill or time, albeit they are both crucial. But there are other problems to be faced with; if the mast and standing rigging is to be replaced, do you thing the manufacturer will send this to you ? Even if they would, do you know if this mast is still produced ? And finally when you would have finished everything, do you think the boat value will be worth all the effort, time and and the money you would have spent in the meantime ?


Cheers


Yeloya

[AKA-None]

Do you want to sail or fix boats?

[chowdan]

In today's world as far as it has been after the hurricane. I doubt there is much value in the boat now. As others have said, do you want to sail or fix boats?

The boats that are remaining are going to require a ridiculous amount of work, and if you do it in a yard, a ridiculous amount of money.

I'd pass on any salvage boat that has been sitting around this long.

I'd take the money you'd spend on the rebuild and purchase on a smaller mono that's in good condition and go have fun

[singlespeed]

Will Moorings supply the charter history, including repairs performed over the life of the vessel in charter? Is the survey from an independent marine surveyor or is it Mooring's in-house surveyor? Too often, charter companies perform quick fixes on vessels during the high charter season to keep the vessels generating operating income. Unless the quick fix fails, the charter company often do not perform a thorough evaluation and fix on the original problem.

If you are planning to do the majority of work to put the vessel in a safe cruise worthy condition and have the necessary skill set to perform the work to the satellite faction of a qualified marine surveyor and understand that the Caribbean boatyard rates are high, with space available around the vessel during hurricane season being very restrictive, go see the vessels. If you answered no to any of these points, forget them.

[shipofools]

Originally Posted by yeloya

SNIP- ; if the mast and standing rigging is to be replaced, do you thing the manufacturer will send this to you ? Even if they would, do you know if this mast is still produced ?-SNIP

Cheers


Yeloya

its pretty easy to find replacement masts, and there are always sleeves. This is a non issue in my view. Lots of boats rerig.

Cheers