Stuck in marina with no way out

[Debra]

Hi, can you guys help me pls? Any suggestions at all appreciated as I am at a loss as to what to do.

I bought an old 26 ft fibreglass boat nearing the end of season, not knowing much of anything about boats. So, I hired someone to look at the boat after buying it and there’s a whole below the water line in transom, plus there’s water in the oil. Okay, so I have to get rid of boat.

I made arrangements with someone a few weeks ago who said they could tow it across the water and trailer it to the landfill for 2-$300 (I will be paying landfill costs on top of that). The person said it was about 2-3 hrs work and they charged $100 p/h, so they quoted $300 tops. The guy towed the boat to ramp last year and trailered it to a location, plus winterized it for $300 last year for previous owner.

I have been very anxious about getting rid of this boat as I have to keep going an hours away to the marina to check on battery and bilge pump, and I’ve been very nervous that it could sink. But the guy that quoted me told me that he is pulling a lot of boats right now, and he would get to mine prob mid-October, so it is what it is.

The kicker here is that he called me today and said it’s going to cost me $700-$1,000 now because he has to bring his boat in on a second trailer. But he knew this all along, so why wait until the marina is closed up for season and nobody else there that I can hire to do this!! I’m furious, and find it really unethical! Plus, I can’t afford that plus the landfill fees (about $700 as well)!

I am looking all over kijiji and googling; I have found cpl ppl who could trailer it for a decent price, but I can’t find anyone who can pull it across the water. What recourse do I have? Can I use paddles? I’m sure not, but I’m really desperate to get rid of this crushed friggin dream ASAP. Any suggestions please?

 

[Cambo]

Your location may help sorry your dealing with what seems to be a nightmare

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

I'll assume you're in the USA... one potential thing to alleviate the time stress is to purchase this: https://www.amazon.com/Polymeric-Sy...=UTF8&qid=1540335858&sr=8-3&keywords=aquamend

It's a cheap and two part epoxy based putty that you can mix in minutes... assuming you know where the hole is, you can then actually apply it underwater quickly. It will cure underwater and seal the hole. If the water is cold, borrow a wet suit or get someone that has one to go and apply it. If it's accessible from the inside of the boat, then of course, seal it up from there.

If you can do this, your boat will at least stay afloat until you find a solution to get it out of the water on your own terms.

 

[Debra]

Your location may help sorry your dealing with what seems to be a nightmare

@Cambo Yes, it has not been good; next time I will know to get a survey. It was one thing to accept that my dream boat was in fact a POS, but the real nightmare is in trying to get rid of the dang thing!


Also, I couldn’t get insurance on this old boat, so the realization that I could be stuck for the cost of bringing the boat bk up if it did sink, and environmental cleanup costs ~ Arggghh!! lol nobody told me about any of THAT!! Now I know .


Boat is at marina in Peterborough Ontario. Sry, I didn’t even look at what area this forum covers/ just seen it while googling and thought it would be good to at least get it confirmed that I can’t paddle across . And, at best, some suggestions.


Marina is city owned, so I have called there to ask them for advice/help. Hopefully will hear bk from them tomorrow.

 

[Beachbummer]

Best of luck! Sorry too far to help, but the suggestion on the underwater epoxy is a very good one! Best of luck!

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Since you're in Peterborough, here's a link to an equivalent product that can be found at your local Canadian Tire.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/j-b-weld-waterweld-epoxy-putty-2-oz-0383792p.html

Water is definitely cold in Ontario I'm in Ottawa myself. You should find someone with a wet suit... going in the water this time of year with no protection is not a great idea for more than a few seconds. Please be careful and make sure someone is with you if you attempt this.

 

[mdchachi]

How about selling it, or if need be, giving it away? Seems like there's a chance that somebody out there will think they can do something with it and will take it for free. Unfortunately time is short though. As you said your best chance is that somebody associated with the marina can find somebody that can help you. I assume you're contacting somebody here: http://www.peterboroughmarina.ca/Contact_Us.htm
Best of luck.

 

[rkluck]

The marinas down here will pull your boat out. I bet they would take it to the land fill for much lower fee. Most of the marinas have boat repair and thus are used to doing this kind of stuff.

 

[swatski]

I don't know about that epoxy idea guys...
It is likely either gimbal i/o housing (or outboard's mount) that cracked the transom, and there is nothing that can stop water intrusion other than complete transom rebuilt.

I would keep a good bilge pump, that's critical.

--

 

[Debra]

I'll assume you're in the USA... one potential thing to alleviate the time stress is to purchase this: https://www.amazon.com/Polymeric-Sy...=UTF8&qid=1540335858&sr=8-3&keywords=aquamend

It's a cheap and two part epoxy based putty that you can mix in minutes... assuming you know where the hole is, you can then actually apply it underwater quickly. It will cure underwater and seal the hole. If the water is cold, borrow a wet suit or get someone that has one to go and apply it. If it's accessible from the inside of the boat, then of course, seal it up from there.

If you can do this, your boat will at least stay afloat until you find a solution to get it out of the water on your own terms.

I'll assume you're in the USA... one potential thing to alleviate the time stress is to purchase this: https://www.amazon.com/Polymeric-Sy...=UTF8&qid=1540335858&sr=8-3&keywords=aquamend

It's a cheap and two part epoxy based putty that you can mix in minutes... assuming you know where the hole is, you can then actually apply it underwater quickly. It will cure underwater and seal the hole. If the water is cold, borrow a wet suit or get someone that has one to go and apply it. If it's accessible from the inside of the boat, then of course, seal it up from there.

If you can do this, your boat will at least stay afloat until you find a solution to get it out of the water on your own terms.

I'll assume you're in the USA... one potential thing to alleviate the time stress is to purchase this: https://www.amazon.com/Polymeric-Sy...=UTF8&qid=1540335858&sr=8-3&keywords=aquamend

It's a cheap and two part epoxy based putty that you can mix in minutes... assuming you know where the hole is, you can then actually apply it underwater quickly. It will cure underwater and seal the hole. If the water is cold, borrow a wet suit or get someone that has one to go and apply it. If it's accessible from the inside of the boat, then of course, seal it up from there.

If you can do this, your boat will at least stay afloat until you find a solution to get it out of the water on your own terms.

@Luc Lafreniere
Hi. Ok, thank you. Now I know I should have come on forum to ask for help before. But as it is, I am really, really, really hoping that I can deal with getting this boat out of there very quickly, like in the next cpl days, or yesterday.


I wasn’t clear about the problem with the boat filling with water. There is not a hole going through the boat, but I was shown visible rot about the size of a baseball. Apparently there is very thick fibreglass underneath, so it’s thought that it’s fairly secure, just not worth putting the money into having a whole new transom built, plus a new motor, and God knows what else. The marine mechanic did not want to even try to start the motor because he said the force of the (I think he said water) ‘could’ pull the transom right off. There is also a crack on the engine.


The boat stays dry for the most part. But I have had some probs with 1) the bilge pump not working originally so I am still nervous about that, when there are heavy rains, though it seems to do the job for most part now, and 2) the second battery not kicking in when the first battery died cuz it wasn’t turning off (so I keep going up to make sure battery is okay/not mounted securely so at one point huge wire ripped out with motion from wind, which is why boat filled up that time and leaning! Im afraid there is so much else that can happen to sink it/lots wrong with the boat/doing what I can to deal with this responsibly, but I don’t have the money to keep throwing at something that is going to landfill).


I just got a call from someone who says he doesn’t have trailer but has a boat, but when I told him that I had arrangements but wasn’t going with the business because they jacked the price up so much, he said he couldn’t help me. I don’t get it; somebody has a monopoly so thinks they can exploit by gouging because person is in a vulnerable position; to me that’s just plain sleazy, and I feel like I’d rather the boat sink than pay that guy! I think I am right in being outraged, but maybe I should just go ahead and pay money I can’t afford to be done with this boat. Doesn’t seem right at all to me what the guy is doing though. I really would rather paddle if it would work!

 

[Debra]

How about selling it, or if need be, giving it away? Seems like there's a chance that somebody out there will think they can do something with it and will take it for free. Unfortunately time is short though. As you said your best chance is that somebody associated with the marina can find somebody that can help you. I assume you're contacting somebody here: http://www.peterboroughmarina.ca/Contact_Us.htm
Best of luck.

@mdchachi Thank you for the best wishes; I need a change of luck with this boat. I would not sell it; I was an ignorant buyer who fell in love with the sliding patio doors and the awesome fly bridge! I would not wish the headache of this boat on my even my enemy. I had some naive idea that I could get it fixed over time, have a new motor put in etc (I did put some work into it), but according to anyone I’ve talked to the boat has had it (‘83 Reinell cabin cruiser), so I doubt that person exists that knows what they’re doing and wants to overhaul it. More likely, it would be someone like me who has no clue what they’re getting into.

 

[Debra]

The marinas down here will pull your boat out. I bet they would take it to the land fill for much lower fee. Most of the marinas have boat repair and thus are used to doing this kind of stuff.

The marinas down here will pull your boat out. I bet they would take it to the land fill for much lower fee. Most of the marinas have boat repair and thus are used to doing this kind of stuff.

 

[Debra]

@rkluck The marina has closed for the season, but this was my first try. They used to pull boats but they said they can’t anymore because marina is owned by city, and the city does not want to be liable in the event that something should happen. I do wonder what you said about the city marina perhaps having lower costs for the landfill, and I will def ask them about this when they return my call. Can’t hurt. Also, though it’s their policy not to pull boats out, I would think that they would need to have some sort of contingency plan in place to deal with an urgent situation, right?! I have not a clue what could happen if I physically can’t get the boat moved!

 

[Debra]

I don't know about that epoxy idea guys...
It is likely either gimbal i/o housing (or outboard's mount) that cracked the transom, and there is nothing that can stop water intrusion other than complete transom rebuilt.

I would keep a good bilge pump, that's critical.

--

@swatski yes inboard/outboard. Bilge pump working was #1 priority . But I’m still nervous. Whatever happens, getting rid of this boat will be the best money ever spent (and yet still a very tiny part of me loves this particular boat so much, and still wants to hold on; I had such dreams of waking up in the morning sun etc etc I’m sure you prob know that dream. Anyway, I’m just telling that part of me to shaddup and deal with th reality: boat is garbage and hopefully soon to be fibreglass dust of sorts).

 

[robert843]

I agree with the give it away theory post an add on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace boat free you have to come get it and tow it out this week. I bet someone bites and it costs you nothing. Before they begin towing it you will want to sign over ownership so you are not responsible for anything that happens next and I would only do this when they are coming to move it out of the marina.

 

[Debra]

@robert843 Okay, I am thinking about it. As long as I am being transparent about the boat, maybe I am ok with giving it a try. Someone who works on motors and boats themselves might find it worth doing. Preference is to take it to landfill but I don’t know how that’s going to happen. Thx for adding your opinion, and the process for signing it over, if it works out that way.

 

[Wisefam22]

Check out boat owners United on Facebook. Post picture of boat, explain the known issues and your location and offer it as free. Almost guarantee someone will contact you within 24hr.

 

[McMark]

Can you get someone with a rollback and just drag it up onto that from the ramp?

 

[Debra]

Check out boat owners United on Facebook. Post picture of boat, explain the known issues and your location and offer it as free. Almost guarantee someone will contact you within 24hr.

@Wisefam22 Thx for fb group suggestion; going to post particulars this morning.

 

[Debra]

Can you get someone with a rollback and just drag it up onto that from the ramp?

@McMark I think I can get someone with a trailer to pull it out at the ramp. The problem is that the ramp is across the lake, and I don’t know how I’m going to get the boat across to it.