"Dave Hall" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 15 May 2007 18:54:41 GMT, "longshot" wrote:


got my not so shiny new to me 1987 Bayliner in the water for the first
time last night... I have a leak between the transom & hull. boat mechanic
says the motor has to be pulled to put a new gasket on it. he gives me a
price of 300-400. is this a reasonable price?

$3100 for the boast , $80 to dewinterize... $358 in title/tax fees, now
another $400 for the leak... arrrrgggghhh!

Don't let all of these guys get you all bummed out. Sure, "a boat is a
hole in the water into which you throw money" and you will have to a)
spend some money on maintenance every year and b) learn to do some of
that maintenance yourself, but check out the price on a similar new
boat ;-(

Accept that a few things will come up each year. Try to be proactive
in identifying where the weaknesses are and then fix those that
require fixing. Then enjoy the boat. If you are thinking that you will
get to just put in gas though, you are in for a rude awakening...


I wish I had read all the advice given in this thread *before* I purchased
my first boat many, many years back. I did not have the resources available
on the internet back then though.

The first year of operation can be an eye opener for a first time boater,
especially if not doing his/her homework. No use in throwing the dirt
under the carpet for these newbies..........it is best to tell it like it
is. ;-)