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bobberboy

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Location
Minneapolis, Minnesota
I am wondering what people think about the idea of buying, modifying and selling small boats (as projects, not as money-making ventures). Is there a market for modified small boats or are all you guys doing this because you like the challenge? I really enjoyed the work I did to mine, as simple as that was, but it's done now and what am I supposed to do when the fishing season is over? It made we wonder if I got another project boat and fixed it up if I could sell it. Looking at all the different approaches people take to fixing up their boats makes me think that modifying a boat is a very personal thing - people want things to work in a certain way so they do it for themselves. I also wonder though whether there are people out there who, for one reason or another, would like a modified boat but can't do it themselves. I guess one measure of this is if any of you have sold boats you have modified and if so, has that been hard? Any comments?
 
I think it depends on where you are, what you pay for the project boat and what you pay for the materials. Find a steal on a boat and a little fixing up & some paint and you can double your money easily. Even if you dont get a steal, you can probably break even.
With the economy the way it is, but a few steals now & work on them. Them sell when things turn around.
 
There are a lot of people here in Georgia that want to buy already modified boats - so there is definitely a market for it. I've passed one guy off to bassboy1 and he's back to him for more business. This site actually made that guy contact me after he saw my first mod.

You really have to buy a junk boat because 9 times out of 10 your not going to make but maybe $100-200 off a job once you put in all the wood, aluminum or whatever other material you use.
 
Fishing season is over??????????????????????????????????????????????


It never ends - you just change places, baits and locations

Go catch muskie through the ice there in MN
 
I've done some piddlin' around on boats for other people, but never bought one and flipped it like you are talking about tryin'. But I have thought of it. Since it is a pretty personal thing; everyone wants it set up 'their' way, I was thinking about buying a blank boat and then advertising on Craigslist for a fully modded boat built to 'their' specs. I would use pictures from my previous builds to get sell the idea. This way someone could get a boat 'their' way and not need to build it themselves; and you get to build another boat. It would be a factory tinny with a custom layout based on input from the final buyer. 50% up front no refund, serious buyers only :)!

BTW, I will never do this; but if I did this is what I would try.

I work on these because I like to, I don't want to turn it into a J-O-B and my friends know it may take me longer than a boat shop and are willing to put up with that.

I think there is definitely a niche market for this, I have gotten asking price for every Jon I ever sold that had been modded.
 
Captain Ahab said:
Fishing season is over??????????????????????????????????????????????


It never ends - you just change places, baits and locations

Go catch muskie through the ice there in MN

Right, tip-up fishing for slimers!! or umm, I suppose those pesky hybrid jumbo perch (read walleye).

Actually, if you want a project then why not build yourself a spear house? You could be out spearing slimers instead. Nothing gets the heart racing like a 35+" pike that floats up to your decoy sucker minnow while your staring down at him.
 
danmyersmn said:
Captain Ahab said:
Fishing season is over??????????????????????????????????????????????


It never ends - you just change places, baits and locations

Go catch muskie through the ice there in MN

Right, tip-up fishing for slimers!! or umm, I suppose those pesky hybrid jumbo perch (read walleye).

Actually, if you want a project then why not build yourself a spear house? You could be out spearing slimers instead. Nothing gets the heart racing like a 35+" pike that floats up to your decoy sucker minnow while your staring down at him.


I think that it would be hard to make $ on a boat build. Honestly I consider boats and trailers as freebies. All the $ is in the motor at the level of rigs we are talking about. Its hard to find great deals on motors that don't need more $ spent on them. The market for a boat or a boat and trailer is small compared to a full rig-boat,motor,trailer.
 
Ok, ok...I guess I didn't actually mean over. Man, you fisherman are an excitable bunch.
What I meant is that the boating season (as opposed to the fishing season) will be over at some point here. For all you guys in the south, the water here is solid from (sometimes) as early as late November to (sometimes) as late as March or early April depending on where you live - actually in northern MN it might be later but I'm not sure. Anyway, being an avowed fair-weather type _ read sissy _ I am content to stay indoors and do anything to avoid being cold. My idea of winter fishing is to go to Belize where it's nice and hot and fish for barracuda (I've been scraping together some frequent flier miles and a little dough to do that in March). The idea about fixing up the boat is not really to make money, just to break even and enjoy the project and not, I repeat not make a job out of it. That would spoil it. I suppose danmyersmn is right that there isn't much money in the boat itself, it's just that it's the part I like doing best. Working on the motor is fine but it's not the thing that actually interests me. I don't want to spoil it by trying to make a buck on it, just have the projects to do. Anyway, thanks for the input and sorry for the scare, fishing season isn't really over.
 
danmyersmn said:
I think that it would be hard to make $ on a boat build. Honestly I consider boats and trailers as freebies...

Back to that old saying, "A boat is a hole in the water you throw money into". But I love my little hole in the water.

Bufford
 
it would all depend on how much you are picking up the boat for.

my thought is if you can pick up a nice 14-16' semi V (popular around here) for well under $1000. Spend the $100 on tune up, carb rebuild and impeller for the Johhny/rude hanging on the back, toss a flat floor, some storage, rod holders and two swivel seats on it, new bearings, paint and lights on the trailer and you may be able to make a dollar or two on it. If you can find a Fish finder or trolling motor at a garage sale forcheap that will just sweeten the deal.

If you keep the modding on the simple/inexpensive side you might come out on the deal.

I see the best return on the dollar to be in the trailer and outboard. Like I said if it has a Johhny/rude a full once over will be around $100 and if its a trailer without brakes a full once over will be under $100 as well. a "brand new" trailer and an outboard that is ready to rock (keep recipts for proof) will be a great selling point.
 
I live in minnesota and understand the need for a project over a very long winter.
Like you said, you enjoy doing it. With that said, I would just pick up the cheapest tinnie with potential
and use it as a winter project. Don't go too spendy, but make it nice and lake ready.
Maybe you make a little come spring or maybe just break even. In any case
you had the joy of making it into something more useful. If you and your kid(s)
can work on it together, even better. You can't put a price on that! :D
 
bobberboy,
I think I found your next project. maybe a too small though?

cheapboat-1.jpg


what about this one?

cheapboat2.jpg
 
I have made a couple thousand buying and reselling jon boats in the past few years. I'm not going to go into details with everything, but I will say I make more money taking mods out of the boat then I do modding the boat.

Like Russ010 said, in the summer, I modded a 1436 for a guy, and made reasonable money off that. Not as much as I could make in other ways, but it is money I wouldn't have had otherwise. But, I built it to his plans exactly. I see a lot of freshly completed mods on Craigslist that never sell, because someone would rather build their own, or have their own built, than conform to someone else's idea of a good layout.

I am looking to do a few more of these rigs in the near future. I am very fluent with both wood and aluminum boat mods, and steel trailer building/repairing. (wink wink :wink: ).
 
thats exactly why I made the comments about the money on the trailer and outboard being money well spent.

most of the boats I see around here are your average 14' Lund, 2 swivel seats put in, some cheapie rod holders and maybe a flat floor. Keep in mind that most guys who are going to want fancy will NOT be looking for a little boat. they are in the Bass boat and or specialty fishing boat catagory. you need to be focused on the average Joe Fisherman with a limited budget.
 
yea, I guess I'm the joe fisherman type.
I do enjoy seeing the beautiful work you guys do here, but
I can't see paying a lot for a hull.
As long as it's in decent shape, no leaks and fairly light weight.
A good reliable motor is more important to me.

But back to the topic. I think Bobberboy made it clear he is thinking about
moding boats for enjoyment or a hobby, i.e. not to make money. I say go for it!
And Isn't that what this forum is about?
 
Average Joe Boat Riggers

Now get your boat rigged just like the big boys! You know, to take it a different step, you might find a good way to actually make $ back on the boat is to take a boat or boat & trailer and do a proper strip & paint on them. Using something like Rustoleum Marine to give it a nice coatnig inside and out that will hold up but is not the top of the line marine paint that would bust the project. Maybe gluv-it the seams on the inside before hand. Then you can sell the boat fully ready to be rigged. Trailer could could be stripped and painted, bearing packed, wiring checked. etc. So you would be selling a "freshend" boat ready to be used or rigged. Offering your services for rigging to the buyer of course. :wink: Take that $100 John that was for sale in that ad posted a few back. If that was being sold as "sealed and painted, this boat is ready to go" $500.00. It would sell easy I bet. You would have maybe $200 into paint so you would make a decent enough profit on it, yet it is cheap enough you could sit on it until it sells.
 
There is something hard about making 200.00 bux on a strip and paint tho, it is some serious work, and then the haggle of meeting 10 different people to sell it... I take stuff all the way to what i want then sell, that way i can use it etc and sell it when the time warrants... I haven't made any money, but i have a garage full of crap from trading, Eventually the crap will turn to cash as i only trade when it benefits me... :) Usually...
 
Yea I'd do it, for a hobby that made you a few bucks.

I enjoyed my build.

I think two or three a year would be nice to do.
 
One thing I find myself doing is checking out other guys boats similar to mine. If I see a guy with a John or small tinny I always try to strike up a conversation. then I check out what he has done. Hundreds of ideas and you can also pick up common things that most guys are going to want.

Seating, rod storage, comfort, lights and misc gear storage are top on my list.
 

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