On Wed, 03 Aug 2005 10:40:49 GMT, Captain Chaos
wrote:

Man, you guys are a rough crowd. One half-way positive response to a
new boat buyer. Is that how you guys typically welcome new folks? I
bought the boat to have fun as someone stated. I expect with a boat
this age that some repairs may be needed at some point. I don't plan
on sinking a bunch of money into it and believe it will suit my
purposes well.

With your price advisories, I'd have to say you guys haven't been boat
shopping in a while. Maybe prices are higher here in the Southeast, I
don't know. $3000 will not get you a nice boat at all.

Hopefully, you will luck out.

Collectively, the experience here is unmatched in any other boating
forum spanning from 50 foot Grand Banks and a North West cruising
expert to light sailing boats. Speaking only for myself, I have
roughly 50 years of experience with boats and know what can and can't
go wrong with a purchase like this.

Bottom line - you asked, we answered. You didn't like the answers
because they didn't fit your opinion, that's not our fault.

As to price, there are more boats on the used market than you can
shake a stick at and I guarantee you if you had taken the time to read
through the local shopper's rag or Boat Trader, you would have found a
good boat for the same money, bigger, better and probably better
maintained.

It's my opinion that anybody who buys off of eBay at the auction price
is crazy - in particular a boat. However, if you are satisfied, fine.

Do yourself a favor before finalizing the deal. Get a cheap rubber
hammer and thump the engine stringers and transom around that
outdrive. If you hear a nice solid thunk, then you'll probably be
safe. If you hear a dead thump, then you have a bad transom and or
stringers and the boat isn't worth the money.

I have
looked at this boat personally over this past weekend, and in my
novice view, it is a nice boat. It actually looks better in person
than in the pictures. I would have liked to have paid less, but for
the sake of $500 or $1000, I am not going to sweat it.

Good enough - if you are happy with the purchase, do it.

That's all that counts.