Newbie questions on refit costs

[colbachlaw]

I am looking at two 35' Bertrams and I am trying to figure out what is the best way to go, a boat that is totally done (I am leaning this way) or a boat that needs some work but is $30K cheaper. Both are gas boats with similar motors

The refit boat has a new AL tank, glass tech cockpit, salon doors, and bow pulpit, as well as all new electronics. The salon is totally redone and has teak flooring. The only thing it would need is outriggers and a flybridge enclousure.

The second boat had an above average survey, but needs a new tank and cockpit deck and maybe salon doors. The salon is pretty dated and would need to be redone (teak floors and new cabinets). It has decent electronics and a new hardtop and flybridge enclosure.

I would not be doing any of the work myself.

Can anyone give me some ballpark figures on what it would cost to do the cockpit decking (I have called and e-mailed glass tech, with zero response), tank, salon doors and salon.

Also, any ballpark figures on outriggers and a hardtop with enclosures.

Thanks,

Mike C

PS- I also posted this to the 35' forum.

[JohnD]

Welcome Mike!!

just to let you know I posted a reply over on the B35 forum of Bertram33.com.

One think to keep in mind with used boats, the listed price is just the asking price. There may be some downward room in the price of either boat.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
JohnD

[Bruce]

Mike,
Take the boat thats done.
You will use up every bit of that 30k and maybe more doing whats already been done.

Redoing the deck systems, door, pulpit alone would be 1/2 that 30k.

Decent electronics, radar, map gps-depth, vhf with installation is 5k.

Tank/install would be 4k.

That would leave approx 5 to 6 k to do the salon. A very tight budget.

Grab the boat thats done. Enjoy it right away and eliminate the hassel of dealing with numerous repair companies, their over budget bills and drawn out work schedules.

[thereheis]

bruce is right pay and go play, do the do any get the finished one...

phil

[waggles02673]

Mike

I agree to get the turnkey boat. Several years ago I purchased a B28 that needed to be upgraded. I did the cometic work myself and I am lucky to have a friend that owns a boat yard who cut me a break on the repower. I lost a lot of time on the water making the changes and found that what I thought would be a quick and easy project would lead to another issue that needed to be addressed. If it were me I would go with the boat that has everything done all ready.

Jon

[Harry Babb]

Hi Mike
Grab the one that complete. You will burn up the 30K difference before you know it. I do all of my own work and am constantly amazed at just how much money I spend just on materials and parts and even more amazed at just how long it takes me anymore to get anything done. The marina's I think are even slower.

Pay the price and go have fun.........all of these guys are giving you good advice I feel sure from personal experience

Harry Babb

[Brewster Minton]

Bruce is right. 30k would get eaten fast. Get the finished one.

[Garry]

Take the one that is done/turnkey and negotiate hard. Can't believe there is much of a market for gas B35s. As UV has said many times the money is in the steel and gas motors in a B35 ain't worth much especially if you plan to fish offshore. Good luck.


Garry

[Capt Dick Dean]

I went thru the same situation 8 yrs ago. There were two boats, same engines. It's always two boats, right? One need work, the other was finished. The asking price was the same. How that could be is still amazing. Both parties wanted to sell but one was a fox is sheep's clothing. After looking at the boat that need work three times, I phoned the owner. He told me what the boat needed as far as he was concerned and I told him what I thought. Needless to say, my list was bigger that his.

The story is getting ahead of itself.

Is bigger better? Maybe so, may be not. In this case bigger is better because it drives to price South. I like South. But this is me. Not the seller.

I did not know what a Bertram31 represented. The Bertram31 site was just beginning to drive the prices UP. UV was begining to be come a national figure. Soundings magazine had the 31 featuerd on the cover that month. They (Soundings) asked if this was the "Best Boat Ever Built". The article led you to believe it was.

There was no price at the boat yard .. I had to call the owner. I had no clue either. So what do you do? Hit 'em with a low ball and the price will come out. Fast!

So I dialed the number.

God, this could go on for pages. Should I pick it up later? Or sahould we end it here? I have to go out.

[Carl]

If I had the cash I would go turnkey.

If the xtra 30 strapped me I would consider buying a boat that needed a bit of TLC but had sound glass and steel. I would use boat and tackle a project at a time.

Your "short list" of projects will eat that 30k up fast. Another thing, I think you will be losing some valuable time next season waiting for work to be done. Then once your in the water comes the next list of projects.

Turnkey

[Mikey]

Mike, Welcome. As the owner of a five-year project that should have splashed long ago do as Bruce and the rest say. Life's too short. Spend the $$$ go boating.

Also, to paraphrase Tom Hanks, "There's no neckties in boating." We gots to do somfin 'bout dat pic with the suit and tie.

[John Jackson]

Mikey, give him a break on the suit and tie. I signed up for the site with no picture and Capt. Pat robbed my web page at work and put me on in the suit and tie. I think it gave him a chuckle! Needless to say, I changed the picture as soon as I figured out what happened. I would bet he did the same thing to Mike.

Mike: A redo equals time and expense and way over budget. Buy already done unless your nuts like most of the guys on this site. You will be in the water sooner and spend a lot less.

[thuddddddd]

John seems to be one of the quite guys on the site. In person he has alot more to say, and he does AWESOME work. Lots of thought and attention to details. A waste to utilize the skill on a RLDT, but we all have our failings.
John the boat looks great.

Thuddddddd

[colbachlaw]

Thanks for all the info guys.

Sorry about the tie- I only wear it to make money to pay for my bikes, boats, and cars. I was pretty amazed to see someone went through all the trouble to pull my photo off my ambulance chaser webpage.

I think I am going to go with a "done" boat and save the time and grief of a refit, although I am sure I will find plenty of ways to spend $$ on a refit boat.

Thanks,

Mike C

[Bruce]

Mike,
Forget about the tie. It classes the place up.
Something most of us are lacking.

I was pretty amazed to see someone went through all the trouble to pull my photo off my ambulance chaser webpage

That would be grinder boy, our three fingered leader Pat.

There are plenty of ways to spend money on a boat.

My current project started out as a gas to diesel conversion.

Ended up including:
1. New aluminum tank.
2. Next/Gen 3.5kw with sound shield.
3. New bulheads and deck supports.
4. New walkway supports.
5. New transducer.
6. Seperate house system to its own battery.
7. New charger.
8. New 110ac panel.
9. Clean up old wiring.
etc, etc, etc.

Started out as a 8 week deal, has turned into a 16 week deal.

The Volvo D4's are wider than a 6BT and fitting that Genset with soundsheild and be able to remove it and still service both the engine and genset on that side was an engineering achievement that ate up a week.

So you see you made the right choice.................