Please help! I don't know if it is a deal breaker issue?

[atti_mac]

I finally found a boat I want. It is a 92' Wellcraft 180. It has a 1994 Mariner 200hp motor on it. The haul , floor is solid, but in the back both side
has a "chip" . And I have no idea if it is a structual problem or just cosmetic. I have photos of both sides, they fixed it with epoxy.Please help me what to do, i have a good deal on it, if it is just a cosmetic issue I won't care for now. Will fix it later.

 

[MTboatguy]

With the way that rub rail is hanging, it looks like it may have more damage that just what you can see, it kind of looks like the cap has separated from the hull in that area. Depending on the price, it would probably be a deal breaker for me, both sides have been wacked pretty good on that one, probably from coming into the dock to hot. Don't get me wrong, with fiberglass anything can be fixed, but if both corners are trash, I would be wondering what else has been damaged on that boat.

 

[ajochum]

Just some food for thought. Don't know where you're located, but the boating season is coming to an end up North very shortly. There are tons of good deals on wonderful boats that have no dings and may have been better cared for. My concern would be the quality of that repair. Is that perhaps evidence of lack of attention to detail in hidden areas of maintenance. If you found the boat today, I'd sleep on it for a bit.

 

[Foxstan]

Looks somewhat cosmetic and above the water line. The gelcoat does not appear to be cracking but the starboard corner appears to have been repaired at some point below the rub rail or is brighter white for some reason. To see what is really going on you need to get inside the boat and check the hull and transom. The problem is that fiberglass has a tendency to go back to its original shape and not reveal some fiberglass separation. That is why I look at the gelcoat for cracking. Boats are expensive enough without buying someone else's problems but this does look repairable. Ajochum has given some wise advice on this one that is worth some serious consideration.

 

[Chris1956]

Looks like he had it in a slip, and a storm smacked the transom into the finger piers. I would say it was whacked around pretty hard, as I have seen my 21 footer hit pretty hard in a storm, w/o any damage. It was a lousy repair as well, done by an amateur and using polyester putty w/o a gelcoat cover. It is likely cosmetic, but since it looks so bad, the price should be good.

See if you can stick your head and a flashlight into the rear of the hull and see what it looks like on the inside. If you see damage on the inside, I would be concerned. If not, it is likely just cosmetic.

 

[wahlejim]

I would get a survey done, probably around $350-$400 for that boat. It is real easy to go through that much money in repairs and it is money well spent. If the survey comes back negative, you saved yourself a ton of money. If it is what you are looking for, you have piece of mind. If the boat owner won't make it available for a survey, that is all you need to know.

 

[wahlejim]

Just a bit more on the topic, that damage is obviously what you are focused on right now. It is so simple to get side tracked from other issues as well, such as the condition of the outboard, steering cables, shift cables, power trim, etc. The stuff you can't see. That damage could be just cosmetic, but as other posters have said already, the repair can give you insight into the mind of the owner of the boat. If he went quick and easy on a repair like that, what did he do to everything else in the boat. A survey should cover everything for you.

 

[JimS123]

A damaged 23 year old boat with an obsolete motor would be a deal breaker for me.

 

[milehighjc]

Just a bit more on the topic, that damage is obviously what you are focused on right now. It is so simple to get side tracked from other issues as well, such as the condition of the outboard, steering cables, shift cables, power trim, etc. The stuff you can't see. That damage could be just cosmetic, but as other posters have said already, the repair can give you insight into the mind of the owner of the boat. If he went quick and easy on a repair like that, what did he do to everything else in the boat. A survey should cover everything for you.

This^^^ That kind of a repair speaks volumes to me about how the boat might have been cared for. If nothing else, it would make me go over the boat with an even finer comb. That is definitely a shortcut repair, and someone who would take that shortcut probably took other ones too.

This time of year, there will be a lot of boats available. Dont get in a hurry.

 

[MTboatguy]

Another thing I will add, it looks like there is rust down low on that transom, I am betting that transom is rotten.

 

[atti_mac]

thank you , i will check anything i can.

 

[Chris1956]

I disagree with Jim on the motor being obsolete. That model was made for a long time, until 2 cycle motors were essentially outlawed. It I a good, proven design.

 

[JimS123]

I disagree with Jim on the motor being obsolete. That model was made for a long time, until 2 cycle motors were essentially outlawed. It I a good, proven design.

You could say that about a Force as well. They all had the same parent company at the end.

 

[Chris1956]

Jim, the difference is that Force motors are no longer made, and no one ever copied their design. The design of that Merc survives to this day in Optimax and e-TEC V6 motors.