Hey Everyone,

Long time lurker here, tons of great info and inspiration on this site!

Got into the power boat scene a few years ago with some recommendations here to get something I can learn on. I picked up a 26' wellcraft nova II with twin 260hp 5.7s and alpha drives. Last season we found several things start to fall apart due to previous owners lack of maintenance and care. As it stands right now the boat needs 1 new transom assembly, the motors need to be gone through as it turns out they are mis-matched in years & style (1 is a vortech and the other is not) and finally the transom and engine compartment stringers need to be replaced.

My thoughts are to either embark on this en-devour and begin the repairs when the weather breaks, building 2 matching motors and replacing the transom and stringers (I already picked up a clean freshwater transom assembly in the fall). Another option is since I have to replace the transom, convert the boat to a single big block/bravo set up (I am curious how this will handle with the weight and balance change). Obviously the last option is to ditch the boat all together and find something in a similar range within budget.

Right now, estimating costs, it looks like I'll be putting 8-10k into this boat to get it where it needs to be to water ready again. I have the ability and comfort level to do all the repairs, and I know areas where I might have questions the great folks here can walk me through it!

If I am replacing the boat, things I need to consider are the current use for the boat which is family fun days with the wife and kid, poker runs with some friends and just enjoying cruising and floating on the water...don't need to have the fastest boat out there (although a little faster than the nova would be OK) but it needs to be a comfortable ride when the wife and kid are on board.

I welcome all the feedback and suggestions you guys have, and thanks in advance for your help!

-Josh

a transome and stringers isnt the previous owner..its just wellcraft... If both engines are running fine, dont mess with them... unless you want to improve, if so, a couple 350~400 hp 383s would make the boat happy and the alphas might just live if you dont drive like i do.....

most of us put more money in our boats than we should.it sounds like you need to spend a lot to bring your boat to seaworthy again.it,s a tough call to make and only you can decide where to go from here but you have to remember that the boat is only worth x amount of dollars when completed,the real question is weather or not to put more money in it than the total amount the boat is worth.sometimes it,s better to part out an older boat than to fix it.good luck no matter what direction you go.

If you do keep the boat, I would keep it a twin setup. Those boats are balanced pretty good with small blocks and should run close to 60

Some real good advise rite there.

thank you.

If you decide to keep the boat and fix it, I would keep it a twin small block boat.

You need to double that budget and add a year to your expected timeframe. Not trying to bust your balls but that's just how these projects go.

Having done something similar in the past, I would see what else is on the market in the price range that you will have after parting out your current boat and adding on what it will have cost (plus 50% because it's going to nickle and dime you once you get into it) to fix it.

So say you can get $5000 out of parting out your current boat as-is, plus another say $10,000 you have budgeted for repairs, what can you find out there for sale for $15,000?

Also keep in mind the hours you are going to spend cutting/grinding/glassing and NOT out boating with your family and friends. That part of the rebuild sucks, spending nice sunny Saturday and Sundays in your garage instead of out having fun.

Flip side is after you do it you will have a solid boat that is like new.

I personally would never do it again on my primary boat, it was miserable having a boat torn apart in the middle of summer because the project grew exponentially once I started. I might consider doing it on a secondary boat while I still have my primary to escape on, but never on a primary boat again.

Cut you losses before they start .Part it out or sell take the money and put it with your budget for the rebuild.You might have to put a little to it and move on with another boat.Your going to miss at least one year of boating season.Life is to short I would move on. I have two projects now that started small and are still not done.They also say you can't count your time BUT is time you used up not boating.My 2 cents JOHN SR

If you think you can handle the transom and stringers...do it and keep it twins....a single big block will not move it t
like the power and torque from the twins.

Also think about what Fenderjack says.

Remember what Mickey Rourke said to William Hurt in "Body Heat"...."Counselor...this is a serious crime and there are 100 ways you can screw up...and if your a genius you will figure out 50 of them....and you ain't no genius!!"