PLEASE CHECK OUT MY ENTIRE SERIES OF THE RESTORATION ON MY CHANNEL! After buying my 1995 Sea Ray 220 I found that it was rotten. This is the beginning of my rebuild. Follow me on Facebook profile.php?i...
See the Full Restoration Here! There are full write-ups, pictures, and embedded videos in order. DONT MISS IT! friscoboater1995searay.blogspot.com/2012/01/rebuild-begins.html Follow me on Facebook- facebook.com/friscoboater
Good on you for being man enough to put something like this up on utube. Who hasn't bought something that's turned out to be a piece of crap. The true test of character is getting back on the horse. Thanks for posting this and hopefully saving others the same hassle.
I had a customer that did the same thing. He bout a 20’ Four Winns Horizon, ran it a few times, then noticed soft spots in the floor. He continued to run it that summer, and the engine let go. This was before I got my hands in it. So he had the engine replaced, and brought it to me for winterizing, and asked me about the floor. Being that I’d just officially “opened”, I took the job on for $1500 if he paid for all the necessary materials. Of course he bit off on the offer, then my headaches began. I had no idea the extent of water damage, and really, you won’t till you open it up, dig the foam out, and really get into it. I ended up rounding up friends to help split the hull at the seam, took the top half away from the bottom half, then the work began. TONS of work! All by myself till it was time to rejoin the hull back together. My best advice to ANYONE looking at buying a boat is to take a good mechanic with you. It’ll save you a ton of headaches further down the road. I had a TON of time in that project, which can be seen on my RU-vid channel as well. If someone tells you they “just had the floor done” on a glass boat, always be suspect of the job that was done. My customer had taken his to another shop before he’d asked me, and I came to find out, they had no intention of taking the job as far as I did. They quoted him from the consoles back, which if they’d have split the hull, would have realized that wasn’t going to be enough. Admitting that you don’t really know what you’d be getting into until you tear into it is a hard sell to a customer, but one step that needs to be taken. After that job, I’ll never go on a total quote basis for a job like this. I quote them a per foot basis as a worse case scenario. There’s a ton of things to look for when buying glass boats both I/O and outboard, that needs to be looked at. Be careful when buying out there people! Even if the boat had “the floor replaced”, they need to provide documentation of what was done. If they can’t do that, walk away, or run away. You don’t realize how many people will sell you a bill of goods. I’ve had too many people bring me boats to work on that when I climb inside I have to give them bad news because A) they just didn’t realize, or B) they did no research or asking of questions. I’ve seen the same thing this guy in the video experienced far too many times. Also, don’t think that because it’s a boat, it can be left outside because “it gets water in it anyway.” You don’t know how many times I’ve heard this from new boat owners when I come to find out proper care has not been maintained when it comes to the care of their chosen craft. I hate being the bearer of bad news to people who were excited about their purchase, only to see their faces drop when I give them an estimate of repair due to lack of care.
I gotta say, of all the channels on RU-vid with boat videos, yours is by far the most informative. Really helped me when I was inspecting my Sea Ray before purchase. Thanks
Thank you for your honest and sharing this horrible experience. Must have been very difficult to do this video. I hope things turn out for the good for you and your family.
Hi there, I rebuilt my 16ft half cab (Nova Craft) back in 2012. Took me a month doing a little bit each day. I used your videos to help me and it turned out pretty great. I sold that boat today and for some reason i'm watching your vids again hahah, Just want to say thankyou for sharing your pain staking rebuild.
I watched yours and gasserglass' videos. It was my manual for restoring a rotten antique fiberglass boat. Great information. I used expanded pvc foam 1/2" sheet for the deck and some other supports, I used many many gallons of seacast for all the stringers, knife, and transom. Your project really helped me tackle mine.
just want to say thanks for posting these videos. im currently doing the exact same thing to my sea ray BW 200.. im a DIY person so i pick this up for a winter project. ive watched all your videos like 100 times haha .. thanks agian
just did this! Bought a boat, 16 ft V and its water loged!! good thing i only paid 2000=] best luck to anyone with a water loged boat, mine still floats, so until it sinks. we are all good!
I'm in the market for a used boat. This video was wildly helpful for me. Thank you so much. Keep up the positive attitude. I WISH I COULD COME HELP YOU FIX IT!!
outside looks great, cant see any topsides, engine is good so go for it strip it out carefully use what take out as templates, make sure what goes back in is all glassed. now the rot has been done by rain water so when u finish, what could be a great project, make sure u have good bilge pump and over winter drainage, and good all over cover. from what i've seen you can have a great boat, GO FOR IT..................next year you'll be feeling great when u drive her................
Man I watched all your videos 10 years ago ! Now I'm back !!! I know you went threw alot but your videos are truly great !! Great info knowledge! And the will to do it ! So I hope all is well with you !
I made the same mistake ! Bought a 1989 16ft open bow Sea Ray and found out part of my deck was rotten and almost all the seat frames. Thanks for posting these videos . It's been helping alot !
Keep your chin up, it is exceptional people like you that make the difference in the world. I empathize with you, I also read, try and gain experience with cars, boats, houses, plumbing, elec. People need to stop watching TV and use their brains more and to see what you have done motivates all of us. Good luck and don't let them grind you down. It is the people that do not give up that make a difference. An Englishman abroad in Sweden.
I am a fiberglass tech at a large boat dealer in Florida. What I can tell you is, it can be fixed, but it's expensive. If you ever buy another boat, buy mid 2000's or newer, and make sure it's a composit hull. Composit hulls will last forever if taken care of. They do not rot, the composite core is designed to deal with moisture periods of time. Any boat that is cored with wood will only last about 10, to 15 years tops, even if taken care of. Whenever I buy a boat, if it has a wood cored hull, I always take a small ball peen hammer, and tap everywhere I can that has core in it. If the core is gone / rotten, it will sound hollow, and the Hammer will seem a bit bouncy.
That is great advice. I'll share this. 5 years ago my wife and I decided we were going to buy a nice boat or have a pool installed. Of course we all know the downside of boat ownership. Anyway I began my quest for a used boat. New boats like we wanted were way to expensive. Having been around boats and the inevitable problems associated with wood, whether part of the stringer system, transom, decks, or seats, I began calling manufacturers to ascertain what year they transitioned from wood to composite. That narrowed my used boat shopping options. Here is something interesting I discovered. I found a nice Grady White for sale. So I called GW to ask about their construction. At that time (5 yeas ago) GW still used wood and defended it. They may have changed by now. I have no reason to care. At the end I was looking for a used Sea Hunt or Key West, both made in South Carolina and both new enough to be absent of wood. But even used nice ones were out of sight monetarily. We abandoned the boat idea as I felt I would have a driveway boat after the new wore off. We did have a pool installed and I am certain we get more use out of it than we would have with a boat.
Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. I purchased a 94 Baja 272 with a rotted out transom and a bad stringer. (Not known at the time of purchase.) Quoted $13,000.00 + to repair. Paid $12,000.00 for the boat. After watching your videos, My Dad and I are going to give it a try. Thanks again.......
That sucks! Good luck with the project. Ive been there, if you have some basic hand tool skills than you will be fine. Get on some forums, read up on marine plywood, adheasives and fiberglass and get it done. Its a project, it sucks but its not impossible and will be worth it in the end.
WOW! Thinking of buying our first boat and figured a used boat was the way to go. After watching your series though, I'm having second thoughts. Maybe a smaller new boat is the way to go. If we do go with a used boat, you really gave me ideas of additional things to check when looking at used boats. For that, I thank you! You have the patience of a saint! I'd have gone ballistic after finding the rot. It helps a little that you are very knowledgeable on boat structure. Thanks for posting your series.
Same thing here actually! Luckily I found this channel because I’m not bothered about a project so that’s alright.. it’s just a nightmare because I haven’t done it that far down so to speak before.. great job! I’ll be coming back for more tips when I’m stuck!
Highly unlikely the previous owner's at fault, who probably had no idea. It's Sea Ray to blame that constructs cheap foam cored boats. We have a Sea Ray bow rider, and the only way to prevent core erosion, apart from avoiding wave bashing, is to install an automatic bilge and hope no water seeps into and saturates the cheap foam. This boat is parked at the dock during the summer, so it's in the water for several months, unlike yours that gets trailer'd in and out per use. Sea Ray, being cheapskates, use bogus foam as cost-saving substitute for fiberglass, which the hull bottom should be made from. It might be too late now, but the best reno is to toss the cheap foam and replace with fiberglass & resin and the stringers with fully waterproofed plywood or 2x structural members. Pretty soon Sea Ray will be known as Sunk Ray. Can't cheap out with hull bottom material strength.
Man alive , you have great patience and strength . You have given me inspiration as i'm sure you have to others . The best of luck to you and safe boating . Thanks .
I am so sorry! Unfortunately the same thing happened to me on a cabin cruiser. Bought a boat off the internet from a preacher who restores boats in FL. Man he saw me coming! I was deployed to Afghanistan and bought it before I got back so I could spend my summer on the lake. I went back to the guy and he said sorry once I paid him that was it and if I didn’t have enough knowledge to throughly inspect the boat at purchase it was my fault. Stringers were rotted and the whole bottom of the boat inside. I paid 20k for a boat that cosmetically looked great. I sold it for $1000 because I was so disgusted. Just reminds you to always, always get a survey. Again I am very sorry.
Love your vids. Had a Seville that went through 2 gimble bearings in 2 seasons... Turns out it was rotted stringers allowing for damaging flex in the drive train.
Sorry to hear about you being lied to in regards to your boat. You should go back and pay a visit to that liar who sold you the boat and beat him to a pulp. I hope you get the boat back in shape. Good luck!
How does such a nice shiny boat get so rotten? Here's my educated guess. You would be shocked by how many people use their nice boats as rain gauges in the off season. To do this, you simply leave the drain plug in for the whole fall/winter/ and spring. This allows the wood and foam to marinate for months in stinky water that should have gone out the transom plug. Instead, the water level rises all year, reaching engine components, submersing batteries etc.. Then one day the owner decides to use the boat and simply says whoopsy and pulls the plug and carries on. The damage is done. It's just a matter of time before it's realized. Like a pretty girl that's shit her pants at the Prom.
I started watching your series of videos on your Sea Ray. I'm on # 24 right now. I just bought an 89 Sea Ray, 19 foot, a 350 that runs and the lower unit is messed up. The interior needs to be completely redone. I got the boat for $650. So I don't think I got hurt. The outside looks practically brand new. So your videos are very helpful and I'm learning a lot.
Man, my heart has been bleeding for you! I am sitting here in Australia thinking about buying my first boat, and your video came up as Recommended Viewing on RU-vid. I had watched the whole thing before I realised you had posted it 7 years ago, but you have completely transformed my approach. I have been looking at used boats that are anything from 5 to 10 years old, but having watched you repair your boat, I am now terrified of making a mistake, and ending up where you found yourself. So I am starting to think about the cost differential of buying new, and getting guarantees. I don't have your energy, your skills, or your patience, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching you rescue your boat, and I learned a lot about the underlying structure of the boat, that I simply didn't appreciate at all. So well done, a fantastic story, and a great result.
Mate...Steve from Sydney here...I feel like getting on a plane and helping you. If it was me I would be driving it back to the seller and getting my money back. Even for private sales...cars, boats, we have serious consumer protection. The terms are "not merchantible quality, unfit for purpose etc". I though the USA was consumer protection heaven. I guess not.
We are protected when purchasing from a business - private sales are a different matter - it's pretty much 'buyer beware.' When you buy something 'as is' there is not much recourse. You can sue in small clams court - but tough in this case since he's hundreds of miles from the seller.
It's now been 8 years ago today that you started that nightmare of a job. As I type this comment, it is 12:00 A.M EST January 1, 2019. I found this video because I am looking at building my own boat and wanted to learn more about how to fillet stringers to the hull. Thanks for posting these videos, they are extremely informative.
Hey thanks for making this video. I had a very similar situation but I'm just running the boat as is for now even though I know the stringers are shot. I felt pretty dumb as this is about the 20 th boat I've owned but I guess we just live and learn. Good luck and I hope you have an understanding wife.
Dang man. We just got a boat and it turns out the transom is junk. I contacted the seller and he actually gave us back more than HALF the money we spent on the boat. There are good people in this world.
Not a huge screw up, but a huge Eff up! I say that nicely. I'm currently looking for a boat, and people out there are selling CRAP! When I go to look at a boat and I ask questions about this and that, and get answers like this: "Oh, you can clean that up with some simple green and a soft-bristle brush." Well, you know the seller is full of crap. I asked one guy, "What's all that oil doing down under the engine?" He says, "That's from this oil filter on top of the engine. Every time you take it off, some oil gets down there. But YOU can sop that up with some rags." There's that word YOU again. There was about a half-inch of oil under the motor!! People expect you to buy their crap, and spend a month cleaning it up before getting it out on the water. People these days are just unbelievable -- they can't even clean up a boat that they want to sell. I'm wanting to go look at one that is a 3-hour drive away, and I tell the guy, "I'll need you to launch it and put it out on the water for me," and he replies, "I can start it in the driveway for you." I told him he's not going to sell a boat like that, but these imbeciles are just willing to wait for a sucker to come along and buy it from them. Currently waiting on his call to arrange to go out on the water. If he does not call, he can kiss my .... Great videos. Sorry you had to go through all this.
I know this is an old post but I just agree so much with this that I had to say so. I looked at a dozen boats prior to buying the one I did and the crap that people have for sale would embarrass me. Junk. And then they want full book price when she needs a rebuild and refit.
So sorry bud. I have been stung too!! You sound real knowledgeable on repairs. I know its a lot of work but it is beautiful boat. I’m dealing with same on my bayliner right now. You’ll get it!!!!
Sorry for what has happened. Thanks for sharing your experience. I am looking for motor boat,that was good tip for me hope is been fixed now and everything else goes fun.😎
Are boat sales “as is”? Seems like it is a “running boat” just not one in great physical shape. Would a survey have found these defects? I’m new to boats.
Check for any rot in the stringers (if you can), this can be accomplished by knocking sharply on the bottom of the hull where the stringers are along the whole length of the boat. There should be some flex t should be a sharp noise like knocking two blocks of lumber together, it is a sound that you will know when you hear it. If it sounds low-pitched and will make a "THUD", the stringers may have some rot. Make sure to check the gel-coat for any scratches, chips, etc. Check the transom by knocking on the inside and outside, and it should make about the same noise as the stringers. Bring a Phillips head screwdriver and if there is exposed wood poke it a little bit, not super hard. Good wood should be hard to push into and should leave a mark where the tip of the driver was, rotten wood will poke easily and will puff back into place a bit, like a sponge. Check the deck, walk over it, feeling EVERY spot with your foot, usually every few inches, if you feel any sponginess, there is probably rot. Check the foam it you can, you should be able to pinch foam from the very bottom of the hull (if you can access it), if the foam is dry no water should come out, if water does come out, then there is some waterlogged foam in the boat and that will need to be replaced. Check every little crack, crevice, locker, storage area, etc. that you can reach for mold, mildew, etc. This usually means that the boat hasn't been properly vented after use and a solid scrubbing with a dehumidifier will remove it and keep it off. Make sure to check the engine(s) and make sure it/they run smoothly. There will be a bit of smoke on first start up for most engines that haven't been given a good solid run in a bit or with older 2-stroke engines. The engine should have a nice purr to it, it shouldn't stutter, no knocking, and when you slip it into gear (which you should; while running of course) and it should do so smoothly, it shouldn't struggle to find gear and the throttle should activate smoothly and should engage quickly. Make sure to check the bottom of the hull for cracks or spidering (a series of cracks in a shape similar to a spiderweb). Make sure to crawl under the boat and make sure nothing is wrong with the bottom of the hull. Check the leaf springs on the trailer as well as the axle for rust and more. That is just for fiberglass boats. With aluminum check all the stuff but skip the foam check, stringer check, and anything else related to fiberglass boats, just check for corrosion. What type of boat is it? Fill me in if you get it and good luck! Feel free to ask me any questions you have.
Not a problem! Did you end up getting it?! Glastrons were built pretty well but check the hull carefully. After the years, if exposed to fairly regular cold snaps or constant cold in general, they can develop cracks in the hull.
Your wife has patience of a saint what a project bro firing make sure gun shy you never know what to believe you definitely can't go on how shiny the boat is keep them coming great videos
Why would anyone move into an area that has a HOA? You buy a home and then pay a group of people who tell you what you can and cannot do at your own freaking home. Where I live, I can paint my house any color I want. I can also build any type of structure I need to repair my boat. Tear all the wood out and use seacast. It's far stronger than wood and will never rot.
I really enjoy the rebuild of sea ray im in the same situation as you were with a Larson 190 I’m watching and studying your videos Thank you for your sharing
Sorry you got nailed so bad by what appears to be a scammer selling a rotten boat. BTW buying a house that is within a home owners association (HOA) is also another hidden financial disaster waiting to be discovered.
6 лет назад
Pileits sank in a hurricane, then dumped it on someone.
Wow beautiful boat i just bought a 1986 bayliner capri and it has a 5.0 that i have to rebuild my son and i in 2 day removed all paneles seats carpet and cut out the floor its a heck of a lot of work oh man
That's a good idea but it doesn't always help. I paid a boat surveror in Huntsville AL $450.00 and he missed/ignored so many really bad things about the boat that if he would have pointed out most of them I would never have considered buying the boat. Just saying.
So the guy that sold it to you actually thought he was having the boat redone paid that kind of money and he was screwed but nobody knew it until he sold it to you? Too bad you ripped the whole thing up you could have taken it back to the original repair shop. He might have been held responsible. I would definitely put the repair shop all over social media. Because if they did it to your boat they did it to others. Unless owner was aware of the whole thing from the beginning. It's a shame my friend.
I'm afraid your right!!! Why did he not that??? I would go fucking burn down his house if any cheated me so I guaran-fucking-tee!!! BUT when you buy boats as expensive, you always have a professional mechanic with you there can do a good check, I really don't understand why you did not have a better check of the boat. But I guess he never buys another boat without being careful... ALL good experience sadly only grow out from the bad decisions you made. How else would you learn? Life is not just make-believe...
Holy crap ! Im sorry to hear about your new project. I have the exact same thing. My son wanted a boat so since I have work on boats my entire life I was the advisor. I checked the boat I thought completely and after we got it home its probably worse than yours, complete floor, stringers, cross sections, foam & transom and it was saposta have had a new floor installed. I didn’t want another project much less on my sons nickel. So i am rebuilding it completely for him. Good luck on your project & let us know how it works out please.
I really feel for you, I was there once. 10 years ago, I fell in love with this pretty looking red and white sportboat, similar size, 454, Bravo, etc. Found out after the fact it had all the same problems yours does, I was sick. I just kept going back and forth on how to solve the problem- repair rot, buy donor hull, sell, etc. In the end, I just sold it at a loss on ebay the with listed defects, then purchased current boat only after having it surveyed. It was expensive, but worth every penny.
Had the same problem. waited till the next season and took it out. I didn't come back with it. I sank it in the NJ Inlet and collected the insurance. You can also have an engine fire pretty easily too. Grab receipts from onlinereceiptes.com to show you just purchased all brand new electronics. Make some cash. I started with a row boat in 1955..43 boats later, I'm now getting a WallyBoat. GoodLuck.
Wow. You my friend are the reason why everyone else's insurance keeps going up. Your not screwing the insurance company, your screwing all other boater's
I paid for a marine surveyor last year to look at a 21ft celebrity cuddy, all said and done paid him he said it was good and solid. last ride in the summer before storage, the water was a little rough bounced around quite abit. fast forward to now, had the heater in it all winter long and covered it. I went to turn it off because it was a nice sunny day and thought I would de winterize it. I smelled gas, looked in the hull and there was at least a liter of fuel. after humming and hawing. I pulled the tank, the tank just rested on the hull no strapping, nothing, lots of sand to rub against. all the stringers decking around the seats and bulkheads are rotten and full of water, at least 2 inches with no drain holes. even under the helm, now I have to check the battery tray and go from there. glad I found this channel couple of years ago. Im not as intimidated to tackle this so thanks.. oh and you cant sue the surveyor there's a clause they give you in the contract that they don't tell you in person for "unforeseen damage" they are a waste of money.
First off I know it’s been four years since you made this video but I still wanted to say sorry to hear about your mom and what you and your dad and your family had to go through. Second sorry that the boat happen the way it did when you bought it but you were happy at the end. It could have been a blessing in disguise for your father to be there To preoccupy it’s time during the hard times. Now you have a perfect boat and memories to share. Your mom will always be a part of this boat keeping you guys safe.
Man Jay I can hear the depression in your voice! But in the end, your boat is better than new. Thanks for your posts as its helped me big time with my rebuilds! I love your Sea Ray, especially with the swim platform. Great job!!
Hey man, I want to thank you for the video titled “my big mistake”. I have just found out that I have as well with an 86’ Mach1. Everything you expressed in your video is exactly what I am feeling right effing now. However I watched you fix it! I don’t think I can sell the boat without taking a huge loss so I will need to jump in with both feet. She’s a beautiful boat and at least this way I will know all the way through what I have. Well I’d better start cutting this shit out of here. Thank you for taking the time to post these vids. You’ve given me hope.
I purchased my '81 Galaxy about 16 years ago for $2500. Last year the impeller went. I thought it was a simple $250 repair. They found the engine had sunk from a rotten floor and it needed $3000+ in repairs. Well, partially in thanks to you I did the repairs my self and only spent about $150 in parts. I love my boat and hope to get another 18 years from it!
A floor isn't THAT hard . . . He shoulda said how much he saved over a brand-new one and what the repairs ran and the boat's "book" value. This video gave no monetary info at all.
I've seen that same result with trailer-ed boats and the bilge plugged. They just sit there year after year filling with water, rotting from the inside out.. and its very easy to conceal!!
I learned this same lesson on the first boat I ever bought. After repairing it all it was a good boat but I’ll never buy a used boat again! Just bought a brand new 2020, I want to play on the water on the weekends not work on my boat!
In our experience we found most boaters of 24 to 50+ footers who cruised semi-regularly to be honest and conscientious in their treatment of fellow boaters, especially in most boating clubs of serious boaters. We had a 31' express cruiser and loved it. But too many casual boaters with smaller boats, say below 24' (no scientific proof just experience) are not guaranteed trustworthy. Really sorry you got screwed, but your repair work is amazing, and your sense of accomplishment will be off the charts great. Well done sir!
Please forgive me..... But i would sue SHIT OUTA that freak. YOU ONLY NEED ONE WITNESS TO A TRANSACTION to prove it occurred so even if you didn't get the fact that the floor should be new in Writing you should be covered. It will be interesting to see how the seller handles this.
Damnnnnnnnnnn I just finished my boat it took me a year to re do transom stringers and floor added a fish box and in hull gas tank too good luck hope the best for you. Now you know what to look for when buying a boat
I am a DIY guy myself. My dad and I were looking for another project....so I scored a 21' Renken with a galvanized trailer (excellent shape) and a Volvo Penta 270 4 cylinder (looks to be in good shape) and the boat for $500!!! I knew getting into this, I would be doing an over haul on the deck and engine....your videos are very imformative and nicely done. Thanks for the insight and I will probably start picking your brain if I get stuck!
Brian Gillespie Aluminum boats have wooden stringers and they rot just as good as the rest. My engine mounts were lag bolted to wooden stringers under the deck. When they rotted, the motor was no longer secured to anything. Good times.
I have 2 aluminum boats with no wood (except transom). 1967 Starcraft and 95 lowe roughneck. Aluminum is better than fiberglass boats any day of the week. Fiberglass you can walk around and fall right through the bottom of boat.
@@briangillespie4160 Eh, aluminum is susceptible to electrolysis and corrosion.... there is no getting around wear and damage. Just wait until your vintage boats start popping rivets, warping and getting tiny corrosion holes in them.... and your claim of "falling right through the bottom of a fiberglass boat"..... I'll take "Something that never happens" for $500 Alex. Clearly you know nothing about fiberglass.
@@battlegroupmedia3662 The roughneck is all weld aluminum with no rivets. The 67 has rivets but are easily replaced in just seconds..., FACT - No fiberglass boat is going to outlast an aluminum boat. FACT - Fiberglass boats are costly and time consuming to repair and buying a used one is a huge risk because you have no idea what you're buying. (a fiberglass boat may look brand new but be completely rotted and water logged on the inside, truth is, you'll never know till you go out on the water and sink it.)
You are a legend and will save many the disappointment dejection and depression you have just felt. Take solas out of the good work you have done to help others maybe one day someone will do you a good turn in return
Wow, congrats on the redone. I am in the middle of going from single inboard to twin yamaha 150s. I have not rot but have to redo alot including the transom and make a new splash well. I feel your pain. Only 1/3rd way through. Wish me luck.
I had the same thing happen to me with a 86 Sea Ray that had a new engine and out drive But I was fortionate to get it from a freind for free. I ripped out the complete inside and replaced all the stringers and deck and new foam so I feel your pain it is alot of work but rewarding when you see your family enjoying the fruits of your labor!
power boats have a very hard life. Engine and drive line under constant max load, always wet, usually very little care given compared to what a boat needs. They are disposable after 5-10 years.
Just did the same thing with a BayLiner Capri Outboard model. Fortunately we didn't over pay by too much but the floor is rotten, I'm guessing stringers too and foam. If that is all rotten then of course the transom will be rotten. You're an inspriration Thanks for taking the extra time to document the process for all the other boat owners losing sleep at night.
