bertram31.com

Here's a problem to solve for all you guys with lots of experience owning boats.

I own a 1968 SF25 with 318 Chrysler engines. I bought it about a year ago for very little money. My plan was to clean up and repower the boat, then use it for fishing. After fishing this summer on my 31, I realized that I can't fish a flybridge boat by myself very well. So, the 25 won't work the way I had hoped.

When I had the boat stored for the winter last winter, I had the boatyard it is stored in take the engines out of the boat (to start what I expected to be the repower process). Now, since I don't think the boat will work for me, what do I do if I want to sell the 25?

I can:

A) Try to sell the boat w/o engines - which I think will be hard to do.
B) Put the engines back in the boat and try to sell a good, working boat
C) ????

The cost to get the boat back in running condition is about $6000-$8000 according to the boatyard. In addition, if I go for plan B, I should probably replace the fuel tank while I am at it because I would think that a new aluminum tank would be a good selling point.

What do you think?

Any and all comments are greatly appreciated.

By the way, Capt Patrick, this is one of the questions I had for you. If you could please contact me about the 31 interior questions, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

David

Understand that this is simply my opinion....based on prior lifes experiences.

Sell the boat as is! ! !

You did not tell us your bottom line but if you are in a position to break even or turn a profit......spending more on the boat is not gonna help ya.

The more you spend the higher the selling price......in todays market that's not good.

Let the new owner restore it his way.

Ofcourse if you follow my opinion, you will appeal to a smaller audience

Fluff sells.......so make it look good

Harry

Doesn't the 25 SF have a lower station and an open back? One solution, use it.
Second possibility, Take a look on 25 Bertram.com at what kinds of beautiful center console 25's have been made by others. Design your own. Walter

Walter,

My boat doesn't have a lower station. I have looked at those CC conversions. Beautiful. That's a posibility.

My thinking was more along Harry's idea. Instead of trying to convert the boat into one I can use, I thought it would be smarter (and more economical) to sell the 25 and buy a boat already configured the way I would like.

David

david
i currently have the bahia mar, still for sale by the way, previous boat was the fbc, i fish this boat all the time by myself one level you cant beat it, iam looking to step down to a 25 or 26 cc straight inboard since i only fish for bass and an ocassional fluke trip. iam with harry sell the boat as is with engines

You would have a larger audience with a running boat and in turn have a better shot at getting more for it.

So how much more...well I don't see you covering the cost of getting it back into running condition, at least not at the price quoted.

That brings me to, why 6-8,000.00 to put the old engines back in? Did they start ripping the engines down for a rebuild, did they start gutting the interior? Sound like alot of coin to put the same motors back in...or where you buying new power?

If it was a matter of dumping old power back into boat for say 500.00 I would do it. Easier to sell as you will have more people looking. Putting much more into it is just tossing your money away.

Keeping the boat-
Adding a 2nd helm is not that big deal. I did it a few years back to my 31 when I added the tower. If running from the bridge is your only issue, add a lower station, keep the bridge intact. Keep the boat clean and in good running condition and add a nice FOR SALE sign to your decore. Then use it till you find that one person looking for just what you have and then take the money and run.

Other then that, sell as is and walk away...

no way it should cost that much to put the engines back in....i (a complete amateur) took 25 minutes to drop one in and a day to hook everything up. i only sought help with the alignment. since they are the engines that came out , if they didnt rip out all the wires and hoses it should plug right back in.

Dave,

Do you have a place at home where you could "stick" it? Then you would not be beholden to anyone for storage charges, and you could peck away at it in any spare time. And wait a bit for the boat market to recover.

See the post where Steve Miller just bought a boat for way less than the cost of the engine alone...

Dug

Dave-

Unless you want to keep it and make it work for you, I'd sell it as is. You say you don't have much in her. It rarely works that you put more in and recover 100% of it or more.

John

its a great hull...someone will want it....and probably the engines too....what was wrong with them?

CC re-do or as is, eBay

Nic

I agree with the rest, sell it with 2 options:

1. As is without the engines
2. As is with engines NOT installed (let the new owner worry about them)

The get a turn-key Bahia Mar or Cuddy Cabin and keep on fishing!