TOPIC: Glastron Nauta-line

Anybody here have any opinions of these boats? I would love to have a Glassic that my Wife, Daughter and I can do a little coastal cruising and spend 2-3 days aboard at a time. I found this one on C-List for $4,500 and it appears to be in decent shape. It needs a head, some hydraulic work and a good bath (and I would remove a lot of the foofy furnishings) . I looked it up in the glassic library here but only found Mercruiser test specs on the engine/performance.

boston.craigslist.org/nos/boa/5184921199.html

I would have a professional survey (inspection) done on that boat before any money changed hands. I am a huge Glastron fan, but they were bad about not having proper drainage which let to rot in the transom, stringers, and floor. It does not appear that the maintenance has been kept up on the boat, so I would be very weary unless you have it checked out closely.

Just my two cents....

Ditto Mark's comment. Personally, I am always leery of outdrives that stay submerged 100% of the time. It's an old boat and for that reason alone, the engine should be suspect. By all means, have it surveyed and make sure the engine is run and the outdrive is put through it's paces. If they need to be rebuilt or replaced, it will double your cost...or more. I think you might do a lot better to find a similar boat for maybe $7K-$8K that's turn-key and a "going concern." Fixing-up is fun. Rebuilding is not and the aggravation factor can be overwhelming. Just ask my wife.

Here's a Sea Camper I ran across on the internet a couple weeks ago. I have no idea if it's still available but I would be much more inclined to go for something like this TRAILERABLE houseboat (with a flying bridge!) and a $6,500 asking price. No matter where you find it, you can drag it home. Total mobility for wherever you want to go. No slip fees and it will never sink when you're not using it!



Here's the link: www.pinterest.com/pin/298011700314925026/

By the way, Sea Campers have their own support group. If this type of houseboat interests you, it's a great place to find out what's available. www.facebook.com/seacampersupportgroup

(Keep in mind that free advice is worth twice what you pay for it.)

The wife had a thing going to get a houseboat a few years back. I kinda went along but soured on it after I better understood the overhead. The issue of servicing the submerged I/Os was an big $$$ problem. The older houseboats here were inboards, which IMHO is still the way to go. BUT the trailerable houseboats kill many of the downsides. They cant be as big (maybe 30ft ish) but the advantages are high. Shoot you can stop in a RV park with one, on the way to our vacation spot.


Years ago I wanted to build one of these...
Trailable house boat plans

Something like these might be more useful, more places to go safely. Good for bigger water, coastal putting.

www.boatdesigns.com/24-Hercules-trailerable-cruising-yacht/products/395/

www.boatdesigns.com/25-Coastal-Cruiser-trailerable-motoryacht/products/802/

Just putting this up for comparison, but IF you were to build, go with one of these, which use modern faster, simpler, building techniques.
www.bateau.com/products.php?cat=27#.VdtIQ32bkxg

Thanks for all the help guys... I thing you all are right, that boat needed way too much work. I'm going to be on the lookout for a medium sized cabin cruiser. Check out what I posted in the general forum....