OK, it's a not a secret to most of you, but realizing how nasty a boat can look when it's really just dirty can save you a ton of money. Most of our beachcats are made of Fiberglass coated with a thick layer of gelcoat.

That stuff is very durable but as it gets older, sits under a tree, is exposed to dirty water, it can start to look pretty bad.

The secret is to understand that undamaged but nasty looking gelcoat can almost always be brought back to nearly "like new" appearance with a little work and the right chemicals.

Here is a good example from the topic where loquinho is restoring his dad's Nacra 5.2.

If you see a beachcat for sale that looks like this



remember that it has the potential to look like this after washing up.



Anyone advertising a boat for sale that looks like the first picture just wants it out of their yard, of course you still need to check everything out and make sure no expensive pieces are missing (and they are all expensive if you have to buy them new) and that the underlying fiberglass is sound.

But remember that a dirty boat is often a great deal.

--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

How To Create Your Signature

How To Create Your Own Cool Avatar

How To Display Pictures In The Forums.
--

My P18-2 was covered in chicken droppings when I bought it
for less then €500.
It was sitting in a barn for over 8 years.
Came with 2 sets of good sails and a trailer. Inflated the tires and
drove it to the next truck-wash. Imagine the smell when I power
washed most of the shit of....
Was a good deal, had so much fun trailering it to France and the
the Round Texel race.

Grtz A

--
Tornado (80's Reg White)
Prindle 18-2 (sold)
Dart 16 (hired and hooked)
13 mtr steel cutter (sold)
Etap 22, unsinkable sailing pocket cruiser.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands
--

Quote

OK, it's a not a secret to most of you, but realizing how nasty a boat can look when it's really just dirty can save you a ton of money.

+1
This Hobie needed to be gone within the week.

What 30 seconds with an ultra fine rubbing block & water would do.

What a couple of days worth of elbow grease would do.

How it looks on the water. And it came with Magnum wings, EPO rudders, & the newer rudder system.


--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

Wow, good point. I see boats on ebay and craigslist all the time that look like crap. What difference a little, or a bunch, of elbow grease will do for a "just get it out of my yard" boat!

--
Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
--

Quote

Wow, good point. I see boats on ebay and craigslist all the time that look like crap

many of them are crap and are not worth ANY elbow action... if the hulls and spars are solid.. then maybe, but if they aren't ...

That's some beautiful clear water the Hobie 18 is sitting in! Where is that?

Quote

That's some beautiful clear water the Hobie 18 is sitting in! Where is that?

A Provincial Park beach, just around the point from my house. Lake Simcoe, Ontario.
It does scare some people, when you are flying along in the powerboat, & they start to see rocks whizzing by below, but you are still in 20' of water.

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--