Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

[bbgunns]

Hi all,

I'm planning on buying or restoring an aluminium fishing boat within the next couple of months. What are your thoughts about buying this blue fin superhawk that comes with a trailer and a really good running 60HP Johnson for $2,200? (the motor or trailer in the pictures are not the ones for sale)

Pictures:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/41o489led7lqikx/wp4RT-WZt_

Wiring is good, hull is good no leaks, carpet needs to be replaced and I'm planning on buying an electric trolling motor for the casting front deck. I will have some spare time, so I figure this will be a fun few week project for me... Do you agree, or is this a nightmare waiting to happen? I guess my question is, is this a feasible project in respect to cost put into the renovation vs buying one ready to fish?

Thanks in advance for responses.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Hi and welcome, bbguns...
No authority here, so I can't say whether that's a good price for that rig...
What I can tell you is aluminum boats are generally fairly easy to completely restore and when you are done, you could not buy a nicer boat for the same money...or really know the condition of it like you would know this one...
The "tin men" around here will pop in shortly and give you much more information...
Best of luck,
GT1M

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Just by looking at this guys place I would count on the boat being a total gut job, uncovered and out in the elements. How do you know the wiring is good? my 97 in like condition needed a full new fuse block and all wiring too. New carpet means new floors too I think. My guess is you will need a new transom too. Just remember it's the little things like the trolling motor I just installed, mine was used, it still cost me $500.00 to get the entire system running. Fish finder was another $500. It adds up quick. I paid more for mine, but the 90 Merc is in VGC, They take more work than a couple weeks based on what I have done to mine, and I'm not even close to done.

 

[bbgunns]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Thanks for your responses.

I haven't gone to look at this boat yet, so I can't confirm that the wiring works. This is just what the guy is telling me. And he bought it off a guy that kept the boat uncovered which is a shame. What are the cost implications of doing a a complete gut job of this boat do you think? +/-

Regards,

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

My Guess-Ti-Mate, if you do it right and nice would be $1,500. But... Where you gunna buy a NICE boat that you KNOW is Safe and Sound for $4,000 Grand??

 

[bbgunns]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Yes I agree with you there. Also gives me the customization options which I really like. I guess the only thing that I'm worried about, is that I have never actually worked on a boat before... sigh... But am very attracted to the idea of renovating it to be my own. I work as an Architect behind a computer all day so I'm not very handy when it comes to this kind of thing but I'm an avid bass / walleye fisherman and am moving to an area of Ontario that I'm really excited to start fishing. I'm thinking that I would keep this boat for many years so it could be worth it.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Questions...., Do you LIKE working with your Hands? Do you think you have some "HandyMan" type skills? Are you willinging to put in the time, effort and dollars to see the project through, or do you just want to go fishing?

 

[bbgunns]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Yes I am good with my hands, and definitely am willing to put in the time and money into this project...If we all agree that it is worth it for a finished cost of somewhere close to $3500 - $4000 when its all finished. Can others comment as well whether they think it's worth it?

And if I do this project, I would love to update you all on my progress throughout. I'm sure I'll need lots of help and advice.

Thanks

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

If you do the project, you can rest assured the Tinners Here on the Forum will give you All the help you'll need. Give em time to respond. They'll be along.

 

[redfury]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

The first thing I noticed was the placement of the rearmost roller on the boat. That would be the first place you'd want to look at the hull, to make sure there isn't any deflection of the hull, which would be called a "hook". If it's flat and on plane with the rest of the bottom of the hull, then you'd want to hear the motor run on muffs ( better if the lower unit was in a big bucket of water ). You'd want to see it pee water in a nice strong stream ( meaning good water pump ). After that, then it's a matter of worrying about the rest of the boat ( loose rivets, soft spots in the floor, signs of damage/missing switches, etc )

You can buy boat seats, recarpet wood, put in new wood using the old wood as templates...things like that can easily be helped with here by starting a restoration thread and taking lots and lots of pictures. I'd rather work on an aluminum boat after all the time it's taking me with my Glastron.

Keep looking though, I've seen really nice aluminum boats for 2200 bucks, this one seems a little bit steep for the condition it's in IMHO.

 

[bbgunns]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Thanks for your advice. I read that a hook in the hull can be caused if the last roller is too far away from the transom? Over time, the weight of the boat and motor can deform the hull? I will definitely look at this when I see the boat in person. If there is a slight hook, as long as it is symetrical, it should only effect the boats speed though correct?

 

[lokonn]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

I am not to far along on my bluefin. I can tell you it comes apart fairly easily. I like the hull but was not too impressed with how the interior was put together. Doesn't really matter though as everything is gonna be redone. For me the $ sounds kind of high. Although I have not seen boat. Like the others have said you are gonna spend some time and money...and while you are tearing it apart you are gonna say, at least once, ''My God, what have I gotten into''. Good luck and be sure to post some pics.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

You sure do ask some tuff questions!

Whether that boat is worth the asking price is hard to say as I don't know your local market. Could be high, could be low could be fair.

When looking at this type/condition aluminum boat the utmost important thing to determine is this hull structurally sound. Is it straight, are there cracks, holes or poped rivets. BIG DENTS. If the hull is sound then everything else is relatively easily repaired. The beauty of aluminum boats.

Then the question becomes how much do you want to invest in the repairs. How fancy do you want to get? Can you accomplish what you want for the amount of money that it will require to be spent on those repairs to get it where you want it? Budget.

For myself the last thing I look at on one of these is the trailer and then the engine. Why? Because for me those two things are easily replaced and would not break the deal if the hull is sound and it's a model that I want. I generally do not look much at the interior of these boats as I figure they are going to be gutted anyways. There are many of these out there to be had and had cheaply if one knows where and how to look. Some are still best left alone.

Another advantage of aluminum boats it that as long as they are structurally sound they can be used while under reconstruction if planned right. It does not all need to be done at one time. Though many here do it that way and they turn out magnificent.

I am just starting on my second project boat. It is a 1988 Alumacraft Classic 16 and was in about the same condition to start with as this one you ask about. I paid half of what you are looking at though it also had a blown up engine on it. Yet was sitting on only a 5 year old Shoreland'r trailer. The rebuild will be done in stages again as I plan on using it while I fix it up.

Hope this helped or at least gave you some things to think about.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Some good sound advice is offered here, my first resto was a tin boat, and it came out great, then I jumped into a glasser, which is still under "project" status. Glass takes a considerable more cost, effort, and time to complete.

Then I purchased a running tinner again, (so I could fish) and I am slowly getting her in good running order. Wiring was the first thing I had to address. I added the fish and GPS and trolling motor this year, and it runs good. So I have my day boat for use, and my project boat for long term tinkering. It will eventually be a really nice old classic, much like Wood on Glass has done with his Lone Star. None of this work is beyond the average guys ability, and the information offered here will almost insure you don't screw it up. So is it worth it? I think if the outboard you have mentioned is in good running order then it may be a good candidate. What will it sell for after you have everything you need to do added in cost wise? Rarely do you get the $$ back out, so make sure you love the boat, because there are lots of projects out there to choose from. Have you looked at others to compare? that might be a wise choice at this point.

 

[bbgunns]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Awesome guys thanks a lot for the feedback. I have a bit of a tough decision to make I guess. I'm going to look at it at the end of the month but I'll make sure to post some more close ups of the hull and other interesting areas of the boat motor and trailer. I'm becoming more comfortable thinking that this is a project that I want to sink my teeth into. It definitely won't be something that I'll want to sell a couple years from now and I'm not doing it to make a profit. More for the experience I would say and to have a boat that I can truly say is mine... I'm thinking that I'll keep this boat for 10 or more years and enjoy it with my kids (don't have any yet, only 26 and getting married next year). Looking forward to posting a new project feed so keep an eye out in a month or two. And I will definitely reference some similar projects such as lokonn's blue fin.

Regards,

 

[SKDave]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

You live in Ontario? Browse kijiji, I have seen far better deals than that. Recently saw a restored 18' SS with 120hp mercrusier for 2800.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

bbgunns, this could be a very nice 1st boat and a really nice 1st project. Especially for someone with no experience. To start with an aluminum boat is the best idea. A lot less difficult stuctures to deal with than a glasser and can do most repairs with the most basic of hand tools. And again with a sound aluminum boat there are 2 ways you can approach this project. You can go all out from the beginning and redo the whole thing or you can do as I've done and do it in stages.

From a quick search I see that the Superhawk goes right around 750lbs dry. No gas, batteries, engine or gear. It is just a bit shorter, wider and heavier than the Alumicraft I'm doing and also has a higher freeboard. All of which should make it better for bigger waters were it could get ruff in a hurry. It is also rated for a max Hp of 85-90 depending on the year.

I have a 60hp 2 cylinder Johnson on the Alumacraft and with 2 people, gas, 2 batteries, trolling motor and a bit of other gear it performs very well even though it is rated for a 75hp. That Superhawk is about 250lbs heavier than my Alumacraft and that 60hp on the Superhawk puts it just under the 70% of max Hp so the 60hp may be a bit underpowered. Something else to think about. But again, you could always repower it at a later date when a great deal on a bigger engine comes along.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Buy an aluminum boat? Sure, they make LOTS of good ones. $2200 does sound a bit steep, but w/ only 2 pix, it can be hard to tell.

If the motor is a good runner w/ great compression, clean lower unit oil, & little to no cosmetic damage, (tilt & trim would be a HUGE bonus) it could be a good rig for a rehab.

Best of luck.

 

[bbgunns]

Re: Should I buy this 1988 Blue Fin Superhawk to restore?

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to get the guy to take some more photos with the 60hp Johnson and trailer he promised me. As well as the boat without then white tarp draped over the front deck. I agree bonz about the outboard and I can always upgrade at a later date. As long as its running very well, I'm happy with the power as of now. But unfortunately it does not have power trim. Will post more photos soon.

 

[Unclelarry]

Hi all,

I'm planning on buying or restoring an aluminium fishing boat within the next couple of months. What are your thoughts about buying this blue fin superhawk that comes with a trailer and a really good running 60HP Johnson for $2,200? (the motor or trailer in the pictures are not the ones for sale)

Pictures:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/41o489led7lqikx/wp4RT-WZt_

Wiring is good, hull is good no leaks, carpet needs to be replaced and I'm planning on buying an electric trolling motor for the casting front deck. I will have some spare time, so I figure this will be a fun few week project for me... Do you agree, or is this a nightmare waiting to happen? I guess my question is, is this a feasible project in respect to cost put into the renovation vs buying one ready to fish?

Thanks in advance for responses.

Iam doing one now. Got Lot of money in it but better then paying 20000 for a newer one