Water Damaged engine

[bobby g]

G'day all

First time and need a little advise. I'm going to look at a 26 ft fibre glass flybride that has no engine because it was water damaged when the boat half sunk or somehow got water in the engine and was written of. I have not had a big chat with the owner about how it happened, but the boat requires a new engine. What should i be looking for to give me some kind of indicator of the overall damage to the boat?

Thanks Bobby g

[BM]

Stomp around on the floor with boots on or use a hammer over the entire floor looking for some spots.

Where you can get to the stringers/bearers (usually in the liftout floor sections if fitted and in the engine bay area) tap them with a hammer also looking for softness.

Have a good look at all the wiring and depending on how long it was submerged you may see a tide line on timber door paneling etc

Is the sterndrive no good also? Or is it shaft drive?

Are you capable of doing the work yourself? What size engine did it have? A single engine 26ft flybridge would want absolutely no less than a 7.4ltr Chev/Mercruiser and even that would be underpowered.

If you repowered that with new you will be up for $25K for engine and drive unit plus fitting plus steering if it is buggered, plus, plus, plus.

Projects like this are only worth attempting if you have the skills and contacts to get what you need at the right price.

Many people embark on these projects only to discover its a money pit and after they have put plenty in they sell off cheaply and lose bigtime.

I recently looked at a Savage 28 flybridge without engines. Was going to buy for 10K and keep for myself. By the time I repowered it, replaced the velvet drives, new shafts, rudders and props I was around 45K. Thats before painting the hull, retrimming and any fitout and canopy work. Not worth it. And I am in the trade...

[Roughasguts]

Bobby, I would probably walk away from it, Like BM say's it's going to cost you big bucks to get it going again and that doesn't mean it's going to go well.

So if it doesn't go well, what are you going to do spend more dollars on something that will never be worth the time and money.

Best thing to do is buy a 5.5 metre trailer boat near new and enjoy from the start.

[Davey1]

The insurance company has written this boat off because the wholesale or trade costs to get it back on the water exceeds the value of a comparable boat in working order. Bit like a written off car - the only one who could come out ahead would have to be someone in the trade who does not include the cost of their labour.

Hope this helps.

[trueblue]

is it the 26' blackwatch that got rolled at the gold coast seaway???

[BM]

Whoa, hang on a sec......

If it was a Blackwatch 26 some of them come out with a 340hp turbo and supercharged diesel and volvo duoprop setup. If you had to replace that you'd be up for 50K+ easy....

Cheers

[Angla]

I could imagine all the electrics and electronics would likely need replacement too after a dunking.

Chris

[bobby g]

Thanks Guys

It is a 26 Blackwatch. I dont know the story of the one that rolled in the seaway.
What happened? i'm going to look at the boat this weekend. I'll let you know.

Bobby g

[revs57]

Brave man Bobby,

For similar money at 55k for a new motor, plus the by price, plus anything else your almost in new 21-24ft plate with new 4st on trailer ready to go territory without the headaches.

BOAT does stand for Bring On Another Thousand!!!!

all the best with it

Cheers

Rhys

[trueblue]

I think there have been 2 of the 26' blackwatches rolled at the seaway. One was 30th December 04, and the other roughly 12 - 18 months ago I think.

[jimbo59]

I think there have been 2 of the 26' blackwatches rolled at the seaway. One was 30th December 04, and the other roughly 12 - 18 months ago I think.

I think smithys mate owned the last one to roll,from memory it had a yamar in it, looked pretty beat up too.

[whichway]

Hi

How do you roll a 26 Blackwatch in the Seaway. I would have thought that if it was rough enough to roll one of those, it would be too rough to fish outside

Whichway.

[BM]

Lots of stupid skippers out there that have money but no brains........

[trueblue]

from what I have heard, the 26 blackwatch is not all that stable with a tower on it...

lots of people in bigger boats troll in what would be called big seas for a small trailer boat...

and there are some really big and sh!tty pressure waves in the GC seaway sometimes, which when combined with a really big swell, wrong tide and some sandbank shoalling make it really treacherous at times

anyone can get caught by something nasty at any time