Ballpark Cost of a Boat Restore

[gata119]

Hello,
 I want to redo my boat soon, but I have no idea what to expect as far as cost.  I have a 1971 Aquasport 240.  I pretty much want to replace everything from the rub rail in.  Fix holes in the cap, new floor (marine plywood), new gas tank, full transom, install new console, livewell and leaning post, and then re-wire everything and throw the motor back on.  I will not be doing the work becasue I have no idea what I'm doing.  Ballpark figure, how much am I looking at spending?  I will supply the console, gas tank, leaning post and livewell.  I understand that there are variables here, so I am just looking for a ballpark figure ($5,000, $10,000, $15,000, etc.)  Also, If anyone knows someone who does good work at a fair price, please, let me know.  I live in Bradenton, FL!  I've attached the site for photos, just to give you an idea of the boat.  Thanks!

http://s1121.photobucket.com/albums/l51 ... 1QQtppZZ16

[seabob4]

I'll do the re-wire (complete, sans engine harness) for $1200.  

There, there's your re-wire cost.  Switch panel, gauges, all wiring in the boat and T-Top.  You bring the boat up here to Weeki Wachee...

A shameless plug for myself, I might add.  Plus any new installs you might want to do.

[fitz73222]

Beautiful boat; looks like someone has been in it once. I've got the same Todd leaning post and baitwell. It came with the boat, I'm not crazy about it but I will use it until rebuild time. Curious how yours is plumbed. Mine is currently not plumbed, I thought of just rigging up some plumbing at deck height and over the transom for the time being. I'm not going thru hull until rebuild time. Is yours plumbed through the hull? Good luck getting a number on the costs. Seems to be rather hush hush but I realize every case is different. Scotts (gran398) builder in NC seems to be a perfectionist and if the outcome is anywhere near what my expectations are; mine will be traveling to NC for her rebuild. Talk to gran398 off line for the story. It seems that the Florida rebuilders have latched on to the Tampa Bay tarpon boat craziness and are getting premium dollars for their work.

[Capt Matt]

Very cool boat,
Drive the boat around and get several estimates before you decide. Prices will vary so much from place to place.  If you are supplying all that stuff for the rebuild most of your cost will be in the labor.
Capt Matt

[slippery73]

I'd figure $3500 for the transom and cap, $2500 for the deck, another $1500 for interior hole filling and fairing, $1500 for interior paint and nonskid,  $1500 for reinstalling console, tank, livewell, hardware, etc.  Another $1000 to mount transom bracket and rig motor. Plus electrical rigging and hardware costs.

Thats $11,500 just for the interior.  You could certainly spend less, depends on what level of fit and finish you'd want.

[gata119]

Thanks for all the replies.

Fitz - Yes, the person I bought the boat from re-did some things back in 2003.  He said that they re-gelcoated it, fiberglassed the splash wall in, and threw on that '03 Honda.  The floors feel solid, but I figure since i'm going to do the transom, among other things, I'll just go ahead and do the floors too.  Some of the leaning post screws are stripping out and the wood holes left seem a little soggy and soft. I despise this Todd leaning post/livewell setup.  It is plumbed from a thruhull, then under the deck until it reaches the livewell.  That is where the blue fill and drain hose attach on the outside of the livewell (UGLY).  There is no room to plumb directly under the livewell because the gas tank is directly under it.

Seabob - I'll keep you in mind, thx.

Slippery - You sound like you've done this before.  My buddy had his transom done
 on his 222 for $3600 so hopefully your numbers are spot on.  Thx!

[gran398]

A 240...the queen of the fleet.

Good for you.

The Carolina rebuilders are world-class. And hungry. The Aquasport name/lineage means nothing up here.

Just another rotten hull. No following. No magic. Just another rebuild chance to prove themselves to their peers.

"You got work?"...heck no, we have nothing right now, how about you?

"Well...we just got in this 24 foot Aquasport out of Florida..."

I have no monetary interest in helping anyone...only the satisfaction in trying, both ways. There are a bunch of damn good glass shops sucking hind tit up here right now with NO work that will work only to keep their crews employed. Just saying.

And the work is right there... or better. Without the crybaby. Shop and compare.

[Group W Bench]

Gata,

If you are going to go through with the expense of a restoration, you should specify that floors and transom be rebuilt using composite materials. For example, Nidacore for floors and Penske or Nilaboard for transom. Although wood is a fine core in terms of strength vs. weight, there is simply no way to ensure that all future holes are correctly sealed through the wood core.  The installer of electronics may say that he overdrilled the hole, epoxy filled, and then redrilled into the epoxy donut, and sealed with 5200 when he installed the transducer. In reality, this sort of meticulous installation is seldom the norm. Many a rotted wood transom has begun with a poorly installed transom mount transducer.

Additionally, if you are going through the process of replacing the floor, it is a very prudent idea to have your guys run a couple of 1708 biaxial tapes around where the stringer pan is bonded to the hull. At least in 196 and 222's the delamination of the stringer pan from the hull is quite common in 1970's vintage boats. I assume your larger Aquasport follows the same construction pedagogy as its smaller siblings, and is prone to the same sort of potential failure in the future. The 1708 tapes should be glassed down with vinylester or epoxy resin, as we are talking about 30+ year old polyester laminates to which you will be bonding. These resins will promote a stronger bond for the laminates of tape. Actually, it's not a bad idea to have them throw a layer of 3/4 oz mat and a 1708 over the whole bottom up to the chine on these 1970's vintage boats, as it would be a nominal amount of weight and would not be very expensive. The stringer pan on the 196 and 222s of that vintage are nothing more than one layer of chopped strand mat and one 24 oz roving that is filled with 2lb density pour foam. 2 Lb pour foam is fine for flotation, but over time degrades in a stringer application. 8 lb may have been a more enduring choice, but then again, the boat has made over 3 decades on those stringers. Nevertheless, if the floor is already out, it takes very little time to add these precautionary laminates over the stringer and hull to give you peace of mind going forward. Simply put, you don't want to have to do it again.

Before the shop lays the deck back down, (hopefully 3/4 Nidacore with a layer of 1708 biaxial laminated to both sides prior to cutting/installation) it would be prudent to specify that they run transom knees from your new transom to your stringers. The deck can than be notched for the knees prior to installation. Folks tend to overlook the tremendous fulcrum created by hanging a modern 4 stroke outboard on a scissor lift or bracket. It is an easy extra step that should be incorporated into any rebuild of the magnitude that you are contemplating.

Our shop builds new Shipoke flats boats and restores lots of older Shipokes, but we have done a handful of Aquasport restorations for buddies who were in a bind with other procrastinating shops and needed their boats done. I am by no means an expert on Aquasports, nor do I play one on TV. These are simply some of the tips that we have found to be best practices from the limited Aquasport restorations for friends which we have done. Best of luck with your restoration. You have a good looking boat already that will be really impressive when you are done.

Regards,

Group W Bench

[gran398]

Excellent post, great point on the transom knees.

WELCOME to the club

[gata119]

Thank you Group for the reply.  As I have no knowledge of boat restoration, these are all great things that I need to hear.  It also reminds me that I really need to find a builder who knows what they are doing and, most of all, is willing to do things right.

[fitz73222]

Thank you Group for the reply.  As I have no knowledge of boat restoration, these are all great things that I need to hear.  It also reminds me that I really need to find a builder who knows what they are doing and, most of all, is willing to do things right.

Pm sent, call the fellow who I have given you the phone number for. You may have already called him but he can offer you a deal if you let him post your rebuild from start to finish.

[Necessary Evil]

Gatta,

When I succumbed to the impulse to buy a hull and rebuild it I  looked into hiring out much of the work and found it to be cost prohibitive. Unless you are made of money it makes no economic sense to rebuild a 35 year old boat unless you are contributing almost all of the labor yourself.

Among others, I had a nice conversation with Will Leslie of Bayside Marine Services right up the road from you in Palmetto about my 22-2. He is a very pleasant guy and I am sure you would enjoy speaking with him if you have a chance. He has done quite a few Aqua makeovers and was very generous with his time and advice. He also builds a brand new Aqua look alike that he brands as the Aeon 23. It appears to be a great boat and he can put you in a new one with a new motor for less than he would have to charge to rebuild your old Aqua without a new motor. After talking to him and a couple of others it became very clear to me that the only way a rebuild made economic sense was to do most of the labor yourself. Even then, I think it is a coin toss whether you really come out ahead.

All that being said, I'm having a lot of fun giving the rebuild a go. I'm a glutton for punishment I guess. I just always wanted to try this, and I'm not getting any younger :) For my next trick, I'm building my five year old his very own suspension bridge to nowhere in the backyard :)

Really, I am.  ;)

Best, and good luck,

Charlie

[Necessary Evil]

I'm also a little jealous of your extra square footage on your 24 vs. my 22-2. If you put a bracket on that long, low rider and reconfigured the interior some, well,  you'd have the deck space of most modern 26 to 27 footers.  

I'm also curious about your performance numbers rigged as she is. A bracket might improve them some.

I'll be looking for you around the bay.

Charlie
Anna Maria Island, whenever I get the chance...

[Flatback Man]

I just paid approx $15000 to do a full hull remodel for a 22-2. I pick her up tomorrow. A 24 footer might be a grand or 2 more?

[fitz73222]

I just paid approx $15000 to do a full hull remodel for a 22-2. I pick her up tomorrow. A 24 footer might be a grand or 2 more?

Wow! Finally someone shares the secret cost number! Some pictures and a list of what was done would be fantastic.