TOPIC: New book, "How to Sell a Boat"

I think I need to write this book, it may become a best seller! This summer has been a zoo of boat stories, that I am sure you all have as well.

This summer, my Dad got boat fever. He always loved the '66 Cruisers Inc. he had and thought, he needed one again. So we scour the Craig's List and any other advertising place including the well know internet auction site. As we got into this, we started to open our horizons to even other wood boats. There was the Minnetonka, that the seller said was as NEW. I had been restored just a few years ago, with new ribs, where needed and it was a show boat. We were drooling at the thought and after many of the typical questions about rot, hooked and hogged hulls, we were off on a 180 mi. one way adventure. What we saw before we even got out of the car, was a hooked hull. Rot under the peeling varnished wooden windshield frame, ribs that were MISSING! We were there for a way too long 5 min., before we turned around for the 180 mi. return trip.

Next was the 15' Lyman. It too, had been extensively and lovingly restored. We were even told repeatedly, how it was restored. Off we go, at least it was only 100 miles from home. This boat had all of it's ribs, but they were in pieces! Even the ones amidships, where she must of hit a dock, the planks and the ribs were cracked. Looking underneath, she was hogged out at the windshield area of the hull and hooked at the transom. Of course he assured us that these would come out when she got wet and swelled up. But looking at the rear of the hull and edges of the transom to planking area, it had this weird greasy kind of stuff. What is this, we ask. Why it is the wax from a toilet "johnny ring". It keeps it from leaking! Boy are we slow, we should have known that. Back home we go.

Then Dad remembers a boat that he knew from new. The original owner had died and the '60, 16' Lyman was sold at the estate sale, 18yrs. ago. He remembered the buyer's name, so off we went to his house. After some coaxing, Dad bought it. Yes, it has some minor varnish wear hear and there and the hull needed some sprucing up, but it was worth it. In about 3 weeks, the boat was beautiful.

All this gets me into Wolverine fever. The first guy was selling it for his Dad and told me the boat needed refinished, but it was solid as the day it was built. He says though that it is at his Dad's house and we should call him to see it. So we have our list of questions and then the Dad says, there is a 1 foot hole in the bottom, from the previous owner! But, he was sure it could be repaired, since the bottom was fiberglassed once already. Thank heavens we called him.

Today, it was 185 one-way miles to look at this Cadillac. I was getting to think maybe I wanted a no maintenance aluminum boat. So I ask when it was last in the water, if the trailer and tires were up to traveling, if there were any dents in the hull, etc. Oh, the tires are EXCELLENT, they hold air good and should give no problems. Also, I forgot to mention, the boat was last in the water as far we as we know, in 1994 not 2004, like I told you. We never did have it in the water, I thought my father in-law though did. Well, the recoil on the 35 Evinrude was broke, the engine cover had broken latches and the carb. knobs were missing. The tire that was against the house was rotten, because he couldn't see it, where it was parked. Though he said it had lug nuts holding the wheels on, none of the spare tires we brought would fit, because he forgot, the camper has lug nuts on it, the boat trailer does not. There were no dents in the hull, because they were puttied over, after a hammer was used to beat the dents down and then WELD the ribs to the hull.

You can not even imagine, all the questions we have asked and how few are answered with honest knowledge. Then when you get there, they remember the problems. Is there an aluminum Wolverine or Cadillac for me? What is the price of scrap metal these days? Though I want a wood boat, most I see won't support combustion or are out of me league in price. This actually started as wanting a winter project, not a 5 year plan.

I am sorry the Cadillac turned out to be a beat up tin can. Our passion for old boats can send us many miles to look at a wreck of a boat (and they are all wrecks in one way or another). Only pure love can lead you to drag that wreck home (the young, naive type of love). And sheer bloodymindedness will enable you to persevere and restore that wreck (And time and money. Lots of time and money).

HandyAndy, Don't feel sorry, I really appreciate the heads up. I just can't believe the way some of these sellers have no conscious when you ask questions and get very obviously answers that are not true. I think many have a way of assuming that if you drive many hours and miles, you will buy it. I have learned long ago, that, that can be a very time consuming and expensive mistake. Better to run away then to take it away.