rtwvumtneer6 Posted November 25, 2019 Posted November 25, 2019 Friend of mine tipped me off that the boat and trailer seen below are "free to a good home". Made a quick stop and was shocked/pleased at the condition they're in. I was curious if anyone could give me a ball park idea of what this project may cost to build a deck, add a tiller trolling motor on the back and a trolling motor with a foot pedal on the front? Would also need batteries, a basic fish finder unit, life jackets, anchor, etc. From what I understand there is no title and the boat is not currently registered (PA if any folks are familiar with state regulation). I'm weighing the options between investing in this project, or continuing to look for a used boat that is ready to run...The ultimate goal is to have a vessel that we can use in a local trolling motor only club. If anyone can give me an idea of what I might be getting into financially it would be greatly appreciated. And as always, please feel free to share your experience/suggestions. Thank you! Quote
Tim Kelly Posted November 25, 2019 Posted November 25, 2019 You can do it for very little, but a foot control trolling motor and the batteries are going to be your main expenses. If you want it to be a pretty boat with elaborate decks and hatches etc it will obviously cost more, but a sheet of ply on the front for a deck will cost you just the sheet of ply. A transom mount TM can be as little as a couple of hundred, having another one on the front and using it as a hand control would save you a bunch of money. 1 Quote
Dirtyeggroll Posted November 25, 2019 Posted November 25, 2019 To do it right, at least $1,000. These would be my expected minimums to do the job right: Carpet and glue $150 Wood and miscellaneous hardware $100 Tiller motor $100 Foot controlled motor $200 Battery $125 Battery charger $75 Life jackets $50 Fish finder $200 Navigation lights $50 + time, skill and tools I think that covers the basics. Quote
rtwvumtneer6 Posted November 27, 2019 Author Posted November 27, 2019 Starting to look like I'm going to have a new winter project.... Quote
TheRodFather Posted November 30, 2019 Posted November 30, 2019 Registration and such wasn't too bad when I got my boat legal (came from MN, I lived in PA). I did have to go back to the guy I bought it from and we both had to go to a Notary to sign stuff. He did have the titles in hand. Without the titles, it might turn into a pain though........ Looks like a good deal for free, trailer coupling and jack look new, etc. Quote
BigAngus752 Posted November 30, 2019 Posted November 30, 2019 On 11/24/2019 at 11:31 PM, rtwvumtneer6 said: From what I understand there is no title There is a title, you just have to do a little digging. That green sticker with the big "15" on it looks like a 2015 boat registration sticker. What state issued that sticker? That's where you start looking for the title information. And it doesn't appear that getting a new title will be that terribly difficult in PA based on this: https://www.revenue.pa.gov/FormsandPublications/otherforms/Documents/rev-336.pdf In my state "proof of ownership" can be a notarized letter in which the seller swears that he owns it legally and is selling it legally to you. 1 Quote
rtwvumtneer6 Posted November 30, 2019 Author Posted November 30, 2019 5 hours ago, BigAngus752 said: There is a title, you just have to do a little digging. That green sticker with the big "15" on it looks like a 2015 boat registration sticker. What state issued that sticker? That's where you start looking for the title information. And it doesn't appear that getting a new title will be that terribly difficult in PA based on this: https://www.revenue.pa.gov/FormsandPublications/otherforms/Documents/rev-336.pdf In my state "proof of ownership" can be a notarized letter in which the seller swears that he owns it legally and is selling it legally to you. This is really good info. And you are correct. The scenario has become a little sticky. The person it was last registered to in 2015 is deceased. The documentation would have to come from his executor. That is not the person I am dealing with (he is a distant relative). So, my dilemma is finding the right person and asking them to try and dig up the info, or get the appropriate documents notarized. In short, they were asking me to hook it up and haul it out; it's not that simple. I'm feeling a little bad that I have to ask them to do the extra work, mostly because I don't know them personally, and I'm not sure how sensitive of a situation it is with the owners passing. We're not giving up yet, but it might be a sign that this just wasn't meant to be. I'm ok with it either way. Quote
Redharley Posted December 1, 2019 Posted December 1, 2019 Pa. Can be a pain. Your need title for boat. And title for trailer. If anyone has pa. Registration cards somewhere they both have title # on them to get copies but you still need someone to sign them over to you. You could use on a private pond with out paperwork. Good luck Quote
BigAngus752 Posted December 1, 2019 Posted December 1, 2019 7 hours ago, rtwvumtneer6 said: This is really good info. And you are correct. The scenario has become a little sticky. The person it was last registered to in 2015 is deceased. The documentation would have to come from his executor. That is not the person I am dealing with (he is a distant relative). So, my dilemma is finding the right person and asking them to try and dig up the info, or get the appropriate documents notarized. In short, they were asking me to hook it up and haul it out; it's not that simple. I'm feeling a little bad that I have to ask them to do the extra work, mostly because I don't know them personally, and I'm not sure how sensitive of a situation it is with the owners passing. We're not giving up yet, but it might be a sign that this just wasn't meant to be. I'm ok with it either way. One thing to keep in mind (and perhaps mention to them) is that the boat can never go away unless someone goes to this trouble. It's scrap if it's not straightened out. Good luck! 1 Quote
Super User S Hovanec Posted December 3, 2019 Super User Posted December 3, 2019 And you're dealing with 2 different agencies, PADOT for the trailer and PFBC for the boat. Both can be quirky and quite frankly, a real pain in the tuchus at times Quote
rtwvumtneer6 Posted December 3, 2019 Author Posted December 3, 2019 6 hours ago, S Hovanec said: And you're dealing with 2 different agencies, PADOT for the trailer and PFBC for the boat. Both can be quirky and quite frankly, a real pain in the tuchus at times If you really want to have some fun, try dealing with 2 different states and covering all your bases. Quote
Super User WRB Posted December 4, 2019 Super User Posted December 4, 2019 The trailer looks nearly new, the aluminum boat is a welded hull but flip it over and fill it with water for any hull cracks. Sometimes a gift can be expensive. Tom Quote
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