Sad story but a hopeful happy ending.

kriptech · Feb 27, 2021

Hello everyone! I am new to this forum and new to boating in general so any help and advise will be greatly appreciated. Since the boat is a Sea Ray I thought this would be a great place to start. I have a really great and close friend who is a Marine currently deployed somewhere in the Gulf. He has toured Iraq and Afghanistan and will returning home for good the end of May. Now the bad, while he has been deployed he and his wife have filed for divorce and between that and being deployed has taken a toll on him. I have had several video calls with him lately and he just doesn't seem the same. I received a call from his ex-wife a few weeks ago telling me that there are a few of his items that I needed to take care of or she would just abandon or dump them, one of them being his Sea Ray which has been sitting at a storage lot for the past several years. This past week I picked up the boat and towed it to a storage lot near my house since my HOA won't allow me to store it on my property. She is in really bad shape! The hull is all oxidized, the vinyl is cracked and burnt, the wood backing on some of the vinyl has rotted and who knows what's up with the engine. Some of you are probably saying just to get rid of it but unfortunately he loves this boat and has sentimental value, to him I believe it belonged to a family member he was close to that suddenly past. I am going to attempt to repair it as much as I can before he gets home so that atleast he can enjoy one of his passions, boating in his Sea Ray. From what I have been able to figure out it is a 2000 210 signature bowrider, Mercruiser 5.0 with an Alpha drive, I hope I'm right. The boat is now in Central Florida and if anyone knows someone or can recommend someone, I will greatly appreciate it.. Shameless plug, anyone willing to donate time, labor, etc. will also be greatly appreciated. I will take pictures of the boat if anyone is interested in seeing the condition. Thanks for listening.....

Woody · Feb 27, 2021

Pay the storage rent for your Marine friend, he'll reimburse you when he comes back from the Gulf.

Woody · Feb 27, 2021

kriptech said:
Hello everyone! I am new to this forum and new to boating in general so any help and advise will be greatly appreciated. Since the boat is a Sea Ray I thought this would be a great place to start. I have a really great and close friend who is a Marine currently deployed somewhere in the Gulf. He has toured Iraq and Afghanistan and will returning home for good the end of May. Now the bad, while he has been deployed he and his wife have filed for divorce and between that and being deployed has taken a toll on him. I have had several video calls with him lately and he just doesn't seem the same. I received a call from his ex-wife a few weeks ago telling me that there are a few of his items that I needed to take care of or she would just abandon or dump them, one of them being his Sea Ray which has been sitting at a storage lot for the past several years. This past week I picked up the boat and towed it to a storage lot near my house since my HOA won't allow me to store it on my property. She is in really bad shape! The hull is all oxidized, the vinyl is cracked and burnt, the wood backing on some of the vinyl has rotted and who knows what's up with the engine. Some of you are probably saying just to get rid of it but unfortunately he loves this boat and has sentimental value, to him I believe it belonged to a family member he was close to that suddenly past. I am going to attempt to repair it as much as I can before he gets home so that atleast he can enjoy one of his passions, boating in his Sea Ray. From what I have been able to figure out it is a 2000 210 signature bowrider, Mercruiser 5.0 with an Alpha drive, I hope I'm right. The boat is now in Central Florida and if anyone knows someone or can recommend someone, I will greatly appreciate it.. Shameless plug, anyone willing to donate time, labor, etc. will also be greatly appreciated. I will take pictures of the boat if anyone is interested in seeing the condition. Thanks for listening.....

You looking for some cash donations too?

hughespat57 · Feb 27, 2021

If this is serious, then get serious about it.
Get photos of the boat inside and out, top to bottom.
Pull the engine hatches and pics of the engines (pics of model and serial tags), drives, HIN number on stern.

From that start with specific issues and you will get specific advice.
I would not start putting a lot of effort and time into the cosmetics until you have a grip on the current state of the mechanical.

You admit new to boating so give us something to start with.
Show us this is real, sorry to be harsh but we see a lot of good people and a lot of BS...

paulswagelock · Feb 27, 2021

This story starts just like every Craigslist scam for a boat I have seen....

dwna1a · Feb 27, 2021

Much more info is needed. HID#. Where in Fla is the boat and are you willing to do the work? There are many shops more than willing to do a restoration project are you funding the project?

kriptech · Feb 27, 2021

@paulswagelock this is not a scam and I am offended by that reply.
@dwna1a the boat is in Central Florida, Winter Haven to be exact. He is like my brother so I am more than willing to do the work and fund what I can afford. I will get all the numbers as son as I can. Here are some picture of the hull and interior...

PlayDate · Feb 27, 2021

I have seen far worse. I would start with a good cleaning and mildew removal and see how the surfaces clean up. The only "investment" would be a proper cover for the boat. It is sad to see an owner let such a simple thing as a boat cover disintegrate which in turn ruins what is underneath it. If you are comfortable with chemical cleaning then you are good to go. It will be an all-day event. If not.....hire a mobile boat detailer to do the work.

Sorry to hear about your friend's divorce......make sure this is not a marital asset (how is this titled and was it acquired during the marriage). If it is.....you probably don't want to put a dime into it until it is appraised. Making it nicer will cost your friend cash to keep it.

paulswagelock · Feb 27, 2021

PlayDate said:
......make sure this is not a marital asset (how is this titled and was it acquired during the marriage). If it is.....you probably don't want to put a dime into it until it is appraised. Making it nicer will cost your friend cash to keep it.

BINGO

kriptech · Feb 27, 2021

@PlayDate in my buddy’s difference the boat was probably furthest from his mind dodging bullets on the other side of the world and his ex is a piece of work so I doubt she cared or crossed her mind. Fortunately the boat is under his name and he was able to keep it as part of the settlement.
Thanks everyone for the advise thus far. I’ll update as I progress and welcome any additional advise.

Chip S · Feb 27, 2021

Definitely get a good cover for it with support poles to stop any future deterioration. I would also get some dessicant and mold bags to put under the cover.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DampRid-64-oz-Fresh-Bucket-Moisture-Absorber/999990332
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/star...lease-system-twin-pack--12090288?recordNum=26

Agree with the above, do not put any money into it until the divorce is final. Any money put into it now will have to be paid again at the divorce settlement. It can be a project you and your friend do together when he gets home (after the divorce). Boaters enjoy working on boats almost as much as riding on boats.

joeyleggz · Feb 27, 2021

Your a good friend good luck with it ...but her lawyer might list that as an asset, it’s a gamble

boatman37 · Feb 27, 2021

As far as cleaning and buffing you will probably need a light wet-sanding on the gel coat. Maybe start with a 500 or so and work your way up to at least 1500. Then start buffing a polishing. I really like the Presta products. As far as the interior, Marine31 works great but some of that will need replaced. A good upholstery shop can take care of that. Before getting into all of that I would be sure of the divorce finality which has already been mentioned. Then have a very good boat person check it or better yet have it surveyed to see if it is even worth repairing. If the stringers and transom are rotted it might not be worth repairing. Have the mechanical checked also. If the mechanical and transom and stringers are in good shape this would be a great restoration project. Shouldn't cost a fortune but alot of elbow grease.
At a minimum you should replace the bellows and impeller before putting it in the water. Those are likely no good and cracked bellows can sink a boat. A good boat mechanic can give a quick inspection of these too. Bellows will roughly be about $700 at a shop and impeller probably $200

Good luck

bobeast · Feb 28, 2021

This is the kind of story that needs to come from someone who has earned a modicum of legitimacy. Call me a cynic but "Shameless plug, anyone willing to donate time, labor, etc." just doesn't read well in a first post. I might be more inclined to buy into the story from someone who had at least a few dozen other unrelated posts.

Chip S · Feb 28, 2021

bobeast said:
This is the kind of story that needs to come from someone who has earned a modicum of legitimacy. Call me a cynic but "Shameless plug, anyone willing to donate time, labor, etc." just doesn't read well in a first post. I might be more inclined to buy into the story from someone who had at least a few dozen other unrelated posts.

Giving advice to someone who is inexperienced with boats only costs us our time. I don't see the harm in that. I agree that I'm not sending money to some random post on the internet, just like I don't send money to some stranger that calls me. There's no risk, though, in posting free advice.

Arminius · Feb 28, 2021

None of us can see the future. I gave my last boat to my brother despite his location on the other coast. Despite his assets, he was not temperamentally suited to boating, it has an engine problem and he is giving it to Goodwill. Why prolong the inevitable? The ultimate result will be bad and you will be held responsible.

dwna1a · Feb 28, 2021

In Woodys defense your post does read like many of the scams we see.

clear title and ownership would be the first thing, these members that have responded know what they are talking about.

kriptech · Feb 28, 2021

Please stop bashing me for posting, this is not a scam and I never asked for money. Do you see the word money in my post, NO! I simply am a person trying to help out another who is in need. I joined the forum because it was specific to the boat I thought it would be the best place to get advice. After all you do join forums to get advice on specific topics correct?? I can totally understand the hesitation because of all the scams out there but please if you have nothing constructive to say then don't post. I simply asked if you know anyone reputable that is close to me or anyone willing to help in any way, shape or form then please let me know...
@Woody sorry I missed your earlier post, no I am not taking donations.

Arminius · Feb 28, 2021

Plant a rumor with the in-laws that the boat is worth a lot of money and make sure she gets it. Unfortunately, he would probably end up with the boat and nothing else.

Creekwood · Feb 28, 2021

kriptech said:
Please stop bashing me for posting, this is not a scam and I never asked for money. Do you see the word money in my post, NO! I simply am a person trying to help out another who is in need. I joined the forum because it was specific to the boat I thought it would be the best place to get advice. After all you do join forums to get advice on specific topics correct?? I can totally understand the hesitation because of all the scams out there but please if you have nothing constructive to say then don't post. I simply asked if you know anyone reputable that is close to me or anyone willing to help in any way, shape or form then please let me know...
@Woody sorry I missed your earlier post, no I am not taking donations.

Calm down, don't get offended. Forums like this get lots of scam posts and BS, and a first time poster with a long story is always going to be subject to challenge. Get past it and don't lash out at the people that you are asking for help from and you might get some pretty good advice. Take the high road and you'll get lots of help.

I personally would not get involved in anything in the middle of a divorce. Nothing good will come of it. You will be spending money on something that will be subject to a legal dispute and you may even have legal liability in some way. Lawyers find a way to get at money in these situations and attaching yourself financially is hugely risky IMO.

Sad story but a hopeful happy ending.

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