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I just looked at a 15' sport that looks like it has been sitting outside for years. The wood needs to be refinished/replaced, there are a few areas where you can see raw fiberglass from chipping, etc. and there is small spyder cracking throughout the boat. That said it looks like an honest boat, however I am an absolute rookie. What is typically the biggest issue I should be looking for? Here is one photo...
And if I do move forward, any ideas on what a cosmetic restoration would cost? Any restoration specialist in the Newport Beach, CA area?
The restoration process can be fun and very rewarding. Minor fiberglass repair is not very complicated and there are many members here that can give you great advice and step by step suggestions. The wood can be purchased from Specialty Marine which is a sponsor on this site. As far as how much it will cost, depends on how much of the work you are planning on doing yourself. I would suggest the main concern would be water in the hull.
There are a several places listed to get replacement parts for a 15' in the venders web links. Most people see what they can salvage or fix themselves and then buy what they couldn't. Specialtymarine.com is one of the more popular venders. If you just plan on taking the boat somewhere to get it painted it will probably run between $2500-4000 depending on the prep work needed. There are several sugestions in the discussion areas on how people have done it themselves. Also check out the project albums. There is a world of help on this site if you just take some time to search around it. Good luck and have fun.
EM,
Do you have photo's of the boat? It sounds in rough shape and could have water in the foam. If you looking for a boat on the cheap, a fixer-upper will never be that. There are plenty of boats out there to choose from so unless you really know what your getting into, I would wait for a better starting point.
Thank you for the replies. Specialty Marine looks like a great resource. Unfortunately, I don’t have time (and more importantly skills) to complete the restoration myself, so I will need to outsource it. Regarding the photos, I do have some...is there a good place to post them on this site? Also, how can you tell if there is water in the hull? Lastly, there looks to be a very chunky paint or some sort of build-up along the water line. Is this a protective coating that is applied? Is that problematic, or will that peel off when you sand and paint the hull.
Thanks again so much for all the advice!
Evan
In your position, I believe your taking the wrong route, as kamie suggests too. there are plenty of boats out there, find one that is in decent shape at a good price. If you looking for a restored boat, they are out there also, and at a lessor price that what the owner has into them. If I sold my restored 13 footer, I would get nowhere what I have into the boat, just for the materials bought, and I did all the labor myself.
Its not like restoring cars where you can spend 40k buying and restoring a 57 Chev convertible, and then sell it for 65k.
