This took place in an area where you can't swing a cat without hitting a boat and 15 people that own boats. I believe no malice was intended.

Well my friend, If you are seriously thinking about buying this boat, you either need to have someone look at it that knows what they are doing or spend some money on a decent survey.. If you dont, you most likely will either start a thread about some marine shop bending you over, taking forever and charging 3 times what they said to fix it or you will start a 47 page restoration thread,asking a ton of questions then doing everything the way everybody told you not to because its easier and cheaper. Of course you will spend a whole lot more than you thought, the little woman will get pissed, and you will get two thirds of the way done, get burnt out and give up.

I would have broke his arm and told him that he should go see a doctor. Ha !

I grew up where you don't touch other people's property unless you get permission. You even lean up against my car or truck, even if it's old, you are going to get an earful from me.

I had a used Parasail boat I was borrowing that had some time on it.

Noticed one day the bilge pump was running an awful lot. Pulled the boat out and bounced on the drive.

The whole lower half of transom plate was trying to go through the transom . It was prying out from the top where the transom was good yet and pushing in on the lower where they all start to rot down by the drain plug.

And the guy I had borrowed it from said he had just put a new coupler in it.

Glass Dave's assumption about 1/2 the boats out there having rotten transoms and stringers is spot on I think.

Especially in the non performance world where people don't take that good of care of them.

I bet I know the boat admirers story...

Your at the gas station with the sales guy for the boat you may buy. The admirer notices this and realizes that's the company that screwed him or a friend once. So over he comes and the rest is history.

phragle - I hear ya. with respect to seeking out a boat, I have a number of irons in the fire following up on the possibility of getting an AT in need of some glass work is just one. I also have an sr-1 lined up that I absolutely love but pre-purchase enhancements have dragged the availability of that boat from this may until potentially next may so I am very quickly pursuing options to help me determine if I should wait till next year or change plans. Yet another reason why so many questions from me recently.

Back to the AT. I am going in expecting the worst. This is why I have reached out to a highly respected glass man on OSO for feedback on transom & stringer replacement efforts and duration. I've had some conversations with members that have had personal interaction with the boat. If pursuing this is what I chose to do, funds to fix this would be reserved and factored into this equation (and I have been given numbers on what this would cost). I also have the engine builder i have used in the past liked up to make an assessment there. Boat shop is lined up and I may even chase down a surveyor (and I have done enough of these to be both impressed and terribly disappointed by the work done - I also find it odd there is no certification process for a surveyor, anybody can declare themselves one). Back to the glass, if I am being told that even the best guy cannot properly replace a transom and stringers, I missed that.

In the interest of following all wisdom being conveyed, have I missed anything?

Interesting, I believe some comments have been removed from this thread?

... and especially on the ones that either sit in the water, or sit in the driveway on the trailer with the plug in and a torn up cover on the boat. After all, it is a boat, right? It's meant to get wet!

I didn't have time to read all the responses so maybe it has been said.

First thing I would do is get a second opinion and not take the "random guy at gas station's" opinion. That's just me.

And why does it take 40 minutes to pump gas???

40 min to pump gas - 2 - 100g tanks (one of which has a sensitive overflow and gas can't be fed in full bore), potty breaks, snacks, lunch ideas, ice, coolers filled, running into folks ya know....it's easy to burn 40 in there

You know you're pumping gas slow when you need to stop to take potty breaks.