1974 18' Cobalt Trihull

[tkinney]

As for fuel tanks the motor etc. I would be fine refurbishing those.

The problem with fuel tanks, depending on the boat, you practically have to rip the floor apart to replace the tanks. The tanks are placed between the stringers before the floor and the cap are put on during manufacturing. Most boats from the mid 90s on are usually all polyethylene tanks so not as much to worry about them compared to older aluminum and steel tanks.

Out of curiosity, what part of CA are you in?

I live in Seaside (Monterey) , just bought a second home in the Murphys area, so looking at boating New Melones, Don Pedro, Spicer etc.

[Kate]

"kluge" -- Great word!

"I don't know what an A1G1 is."

First generation Alpha One.

Did I read this right? OMC "mounted the engine and sterndrive on the *stringers* of the boat."

So if the stringers go bad or get squishy, you're in a world of trouble?

[Kate]

"Tri hull"

There's a good reason why that design is no longer popular. In choppy water, you get beat to a pulp.

[bruceb58]

"kluge" -- Great word!

"I don't know what an A1G1 is."

First generation Alpha One.

Did I read this right? OMC "mounted the engine and sterndrive on the *stringers* of the boat."

So if the stringers go bad or get squishy, you're in a world of trouble?

Yes...all force goes through the stringers. There is just a boot as the drive goes through the transom.

[Titaniumboy]

Did I read this right? OMC "mounted the engine and sterndrive on the *stringers* of the boat."

So if the stringers go bad or get squishy, you're in a world of trouble?

Yes, if the stringers get rotten then you are in a world of hurt. My stringers had gotten rotten in the 1990’s and my boat shop buddy and I pulled the engine. The fiberglass enclosing the stringers had literally become an empty fiberglass shell. I then took it to a shop that repaired the stringer damage.

There was a small amount of transom rot but I elected to delay that repair because the outdrive imposed no forces on the transom.