Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

[LouisT]

Hi! I am from Canada and I recently gained possession of a wooden boat. It was passed down to me from my grandfather and the boat was made in Qu?bec (Canada) in the 50s or 60s. It is 20 foot long, I believe the wood is mahogany and seems to be in decent shape apart from the wood on top of the cabin and the overall esthetic. The company is Rousseau&Fr?re. My goal would be to restore it! I believe it was an expensive boat at the time and if restored it could be of decent value. I have included a couple pictures. I know nothing about boats... I don't even know what model of boat this is. I know pictures might not allow for this but would you recommend restoring this boat? Do you think it could be of any value if restored? Any help is greatly appreciated, let me know what you think!

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

Nah...it's not worth the effort...send me your address and I'll get rid of it for you :laugh: Very cool boat. Only you can assess whether it's worth restoring.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

Absolutly restore it and use it! Not only is it a classic,it's part of your family history. It looks to be in pretty good shape,how's the bottom of the hull? Solid? I hope so,but it's wood. It can be fixed.
Grub

 

[rheagler]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

That is a really cool boat.

 

[matt167]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

Yes that boat's worth restoring. Doesent look like it needs much more than refinished

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

Address please.................I'm coming to take it off your hands.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

I collect antiques, and show them as well. The two ACBS categories are "restored" and "preserved". Looks like yours falls in the latter category. A "restored" boat is one that has to have wood replaced and requires basically a major overhaul.

If your objective is to make some money, sell it quick and forget about it. The market is small and the prices today are greatly reduced.

If your objective is to preserve family history and have a fine example of craftsmanship for your family to enjoy for years to come, then by all means keep it and do the work. In that case, the value of the boat is priceless!

My own personal treasure is named after Grandma and Great-Grandma, and will remain in the family at least until I'm gone!

 

[Natesms]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

That boat is COOL all around. From the paint, to the dual motors, even the fenders on the trailer are cool.

If you choose to restore it, plan to keep it in the family. I don't know about the market for those but chances are you won't make enough money on it to justify losing a family heirloom. After the effort to restore it you wouldn't think about getting rid of it anyway.

If you want to get rid of it, post an address and there will be a mad dash of trucks headed your way.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

as mentioned above no it won't worth enough money to justify it if you plan to try to make money but it IS worth some work if you love it and are willing to assume a full time hobby of boat maintenance to go with another hobby of boating

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

That looks very similar to a boat that sat in my grandfather's back yard for years and years before it finally got hauled to the dump. I wish I could go back in time several decades and convince someone to save it. That's a cool looking boat and with the family history I think you ought to go for it.

 

[rallyart]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

And the trailer fenders! It's wonderful.
If you want to keep it then it is worth getting it to where you can use it. If you want to make money on it then sell it after collecting as much info as you can, and the family history. If you just like a big project for a hobby it seems like it would be a great one.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

as long as the bottom of the hull is solid, fix it up. Looks like not too much to do except replace the plywood floor.

You mention "value" twice. You will not be able to sell it for what you put in it. Boats are not money-makers.

Don't do it if you want a "drive it and forget it" boat. it will be constant work and the motors unreliable (unless you update them with one OB and modern controls and steering). There's a big difference between a hobby boat and a user boat.

 

[LouisT]

Re: Do you think this boat is worth restoring??? Need help!

Alright! Thank you everybody for the useful comments.