My free 76 cobalt bowrider

[Itllfloat]

I recently acquired a free... yes free 1976 bowrider 19' with a 302 engine. The engine seems in good shape and only needs a tune up. The floor however is rotting. Do you think its worth my time to redo the floor or should I sell it off and get something diffrent? The trailer came with it as well. Ill include photos of course. The hull seems solid and it was last registered in 2014.

[jhnmdahl]

It's a LOT of work to bring something like this back to nice condition - only you can answer whether you'll find it sufficiently rewarding to do all the work, or would rather just be out on the lake. I'm sure others will chime in with their own experiences, too.

[Kate]

". . . last registered in 2014."

I owned and renovated one very similar. Answering your question is tricky, and that registration date is why.

That Ford engine is solid. The floor damage you can see and figure out the cost of repair. The danger is what you can't see -- components that have been eroded and corroded from sitting for 12 years. You need to inspect those carefully.

One warning: That looks like an OMC stringer outdrive. Those are prone to all sorts of problems and are a nightmare to repair.