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New member, owner hopefully soon...

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Topic author
Great laker
Scurvy Dog
Scurvy Dog
Posts: 13
Joined: October 2nd, 2014, 5:42 pm
Vessel Info: 1986 36 Mariner 3697
Mercruiser 454's
Location: Kenosha, WI

New member, owner hopefully soon...

Postby Great laker » October 2nd, 2014, 6:02 pm

My wife and I are looking for an older 36 Mariner, model 3697. Great layout for entertaining and someone with bad knees. We've seen several with some pretty soft spots in the deck. No ser added hardware suggesting an entry point. Anyone have experience with this?
Great Laker. Kenosha
Marsh
1986 Mariner 3697

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Canada
Lyndon670
Admiral
Admiral
Posts: 657
Joined: July 29th, 2013, 11:35 pm
Vessel Info: 2000 Carver 506
Volvo TAMD74EDC
Location: Georgian Bay
Has thanked: 124 times
Been thanked: 138 times

Re: New member, owner hopefully soon...

Postby Lyndon670 » October 3rd, 2014, 8:12 am

When I was in the market for my first "big boat" some 15 years ago, I came across a lot of boats with soft spots on the deck. It's not a hard fix, nor is it expensive to have it repaired. I wouldn't tackle it myself unless I was handy. Basically, the top piece of gelcoat is cut out well beyond the softness and then the rotten wood is exposed and removed. A new piece is cut to template and dropped in. Then the old piece of gel coat is set back down and the cuts are re glassed. Now, that's simplifying the process for the purpose of a post, but that's it.

The long and short of it in my book is this - get a survey each time and walk if anything comes up. There are hundred of available boats on the market, and just as many without soft spots as there are with. If an owner is serious about selling, it would have been addressed before the listing went up. In my book, where there is one issue with a boat I'm looking at buying, then there are probably 2 issues. And what ever price you get to fix it - double it.
Lyndon,
2000 Carver 506
FOXY JOE
Volvo 7.4TAMD
Queens Cove Marina
Georgian Bay, Ontario
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United States of America
waybomb
CYO Moderator
CYO Moderator
Posts: 2404
Joined: February 5th, 2013, 9:24 pm
Vessel Info: 1995 Boston Whaler Rage15
1987 3697 Carver Mariner
1988 Cougar 46 Kevlar Vee offshore
1969 15' Glasspar / 1967 Johnson Electromatic 85
1996 Boston Whaler Rage 15
Location: Saint Joseph,Mi
Has thanked: 50 times
Been thanked: 396 times

Re: New member, owner hopefully soon...

Postby waybomb » October 3rd, 2014, 12:18 pm

You might want to look at one of my first threads here where I showed our 3697 Mariner project.
Took a decrepit wreck of a boat that sat uncovered on land for 10 years and fixed her up.

But ALWAYS get the vessel surveyed before buying one, unless you are prepared to do what we did. We knew what we were getting into. FWIW, we paid $3,500 for the boat and put about $22,000 more into it. But we essentially have a brand new boat, and it was paid for as we went along. It was surveyed at $45,000 for insurance purposes when done.
Thanks
Fred
1969 Glaspar Avalon /1969 Johnson Electromatic 85
1987 Carver Mariner
1988 Cougar Kevlar 46' with triple blown 572 ci
1995 Boston Whaler Rage
Past - 1988 2807, 1989 4207 Aft
User avatar

Canada
Lyndon670
Admiral
Admiral
Posts: 657
Joined: July 29th, 2013, 11:35 pm
Vessel Info: 2000 Carver 506
Volvo TAMD74EDC
Location: Georgian Bay
Has thanked: 124 times
Been thanked: 138 times

Re: New member, owner hopefully soon...

Postby Lyndon670 » October 3rd, 2014, 5:18 pm

Fred, what do you think your labour costs were, and how long did it take you?
Lyndon,
2000 Carver 506
FOXY JOE
Volvo 7.4TAMD
Queens Cove Marina
Georgian Bay, Ontario
User avatar

United States of America
waybomb
CYO Moderator
CYO Moderator
Posts: 2404
Joined: February 5th, 2013, 9:24 pm
Vessel Info: 1995 Boston Whaler Rage15
1987 3697 Carver Mariner
1988 Cougar 46 Kevlar Vee offshore
1969 15' Glasspar / 1967 Johnson Electromatic 85
1996 Boston Whaler Rage 15
Location: Saint Joseph,Mi
Has thanked: 50 times
Been thanked: 396 times

Re: New member, owner hopefully soon...

Postby waybomb » October 3rd, 2014, 7:49 pm

The only thing we paid for labor-wise was the granite and the carpet. Everything else my wife and I did ourselves.
1800 total for the granite including the granite
2400 total for the carpet, which includes the inside carpet and all the outside serged carpet, including the carpet.
We have about 1100 man-hours of our labor in it.
Thanks
Fred
1969 Glaspar Avalon /1969 Johnson Electromatic 85
1987 Carver Mariner
1988 Cougar Kevlar 46' with triple blown 572 ci
1995 Boston Whaler Rage
Past - 1988 2807, 1989 4207 Aft
User avatar

Topic author
Great laker
Scurvy Dog
Scurvy Dog
Posts: 13
Joined: October 2nd, 2014, 5:42 pm
Vessel Info: 1986 36 Mariner 3697
Mercruiser 454's
Location: Kenosha, WI

Re: New member, owner hopefully soon...

Postby Great laker » November 6th, 2014, 8:40 pm

Thanks for the advice. The only boat I ever bought without a survey was my first- it was new. I would not buy without a good survey. I'm not as fearless as Fred, but I'm not shy about tackling what needs to be done within my comfort and knowledge levels either. We decided to go ahead with the boat, soft spots on the deck notwithstanding. That's the only significant issue that came up, and a boat 28 years old isn't expected to be without flaws (ie work needing to be done). She hasn't been neglected and she runs well, both a plus.
First year will be adapting from years sailing, to the change to twin screws and lots more room.

appreciate the sound advice!

Great Laker
Marsh
1986 Mariner 3697

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