Should we refurbish the Haines or sell her and upgrade?

[Pazz01]

Hey Everyone

Just after some advice as regards to a situation my family and I have found ourselves in. Whether we should sell our existing boat and upgrade to a newer secondhand one, or refurbish our old girl to its former glory.

Our present boat is a 1988 Haines Hunter 635L with a 97 200 Mercury on the back 500 hours. We’ve had this boat since 1995 and redone the transom, floor, electronics and interior. But it is getting to the age that it needs more money spent on it if we are to keep it.

Realistically, to get it up to speed and to be able to survive the next 20 odd years we need to spend approximately $30 - $40k on it. This would include new paint, new outboard, canopy, trailer (eventually) and some new electronics.

But we are not sure if we should sell it as it is, and put the money we would have spent towards a newer model boat that may have a little more fishing room but be of equivalent sea handling and comfort for the old fella. So we would be upgrading from a 20 year old boat to maybe a 5 year old boat and motor that still suits our needs. As with every boat it has its positives and negative in regards to design and layout. The major flaws in this boat would be it’s fishing room and its high sides (they are up to the top of your hip).

Don’t get me wrong, we love the old girl, but not sure if the value is there to be spending this amount on her. We are in no rush, it might not take place for another 12 – 18 months if we do go ahead with it at all, but I’d love to get some other peoples input as to whether or not this would be a good idea or if we should keep the old girl

If we were to go newer, it would be fibreglass of around the same size 21-22ft and preferable from the same Marker as Dad has a history with Haines for 30 years. After looking around on the net I have the following few in mind if people have had any experience in them and have feedback to that might assist or might know of an equivalent:

Haines Hunter 620sf
Haines Hunter 650 – might be a little to high in price
Haines Signature 650F
Haines Signature 630F

I’m not after a slanging match between makes of boat, rather some advice.

Thanks

Pazz

[ozscott]

Mate - I love old boats and I like re-furbs when done well...why dont you post some pics up inside and out so we can get an idea of the project.

Cheers

[ozbee]

noel ferguson in ayr is always doing up haines . if you do not want to keep it he would probably buy it off you .there's a lot of 30year haines running around that look better than the new ones

[krazyfisher]

I would stick with it... spend the money and get it all new. it will be like a new boat but cheaper and you know how it handles. a 5 yr old boat will still needs money spent like sounders etc and in 5yrs you have a 10yr old boat.

just my thoughts

[deckie]

If she's in very sound condition i'd also be doing her up rather than simply picking up another one that will soon need sprucing up anyway.
But hey..i much prefer the look and feel of the older hull and dont see any advantage in the newer ones. All are money pits..its simply a matter of spending the least to get exactly what u want. Besides...i consider a very well refurbed 635 to be a brand new boat and u get to do it exactly the way u always wanted.

[Steeler]

With ozscott on this one,i am too stuck in a time warp and appreciate older hulls and outboards for that matter that have had a freshen up.

Treat the old Haines to a new frock and be proud to take her to the ball.

Steve

[wrxhoon]

Sell it and buy a newer boat, it will be cheaper in the long run.

[White Pointer]

G'day,

You are proposing buying another 2nd hand boat, if you sell your's, and this is sound thinking in an oversupplied 2nd hand market. But the problem is that you have to sell your's into that same market. That might be hard with lots of quality going pretty cheap.

Your boat might have a residual value of around $10K in current condition. Refurbished you will spend (say) $15K and get half of that back if you sell it - say $17K all up unless you put a brand new motor on the back - in which case you will get back 75% of what you paid for the motor even if you never get it wet.

So it sounds to me that if you are happy with your hull and the layout suits your needs and the car can handle the load and your really want to see it looking like new again, I've just provided the economic justification against selling it.

I can't provide the economic justification for a new or near new boat - because there probably isn't one. And in your case I think this is about the heart. You really want this back like a new one.

Do it.

Regards,

White Pointer

[Jarrah Jack]

A brand new four stroke would look good on a newly dolled up 635L. My heart would always say to go with a refurb but I would really be doing some solid number work to see how both options stack up.

How much do you think you will get for the old girl as is and how much would you be paying for an update. Keep doing a check on boatpoint and ebay completed listings for a start. You may get lucky and find a newer boat at a bargain price. If nothing comes up then the fallback position could be a slow refurb.

[ozscott]

Mate if the hull inc' transom is rock solid, why not a new 4 banger on the arse end, new canopy and carpet or whatever and do it all the way you want from sratch - including say new wiring and bus bars, switch gear and the whole shebang...you will get better than anything 5 years old that you are likely to come accross and second hand outboards are always a little risky. If you dont use the boat as much or noise is not an issue you could always go a 200/225 optimax.

I have done up 2 boats from sratch the latest being the Vagabond in the avatar and I love the excitment of the planning and then execution myself of the re-furb. I didnt do a re-paint and mate I would counsel against that unless she really needs it cause 2 pac is never as strong as the original gel coat.

Cheers

[boatboy50]

Hey,

Keep the classic.

Any of the boats you mentioned are going to be between 30-50k, and still not be as good as a cleaned up 635L.

You'd be surprised what $$ your 635 would bring now, let alone dressed up well.

Darren

[dodgyone]

635l are a great boat. Easily handles as well as anything around that might be newer. I would definately be doing up the old on but then I am an old haines tragic....

[Axl]

Upgrade its only money and the banks have plenty of it.

[jake0]

All I can think of is......Mutton dressed up as lamb if you go the rebuild..
Get rid of the ol girl and get something a little younger ;D ;D :P

[ozscott]

All I can think of is......Mutton dressed up as lamb if you go the rebuild..
Get rid of the ol girl and get something a little younger ;D ;D :P

This is what is interesting I reckon...glass boats have not come a long way in many instances, and certainly canot be compared to motor cars. What has come a long way is motor tech and that is what you can slap on the back. As for many (not all by far) of the old hulls, they are hard to beat even though they didnt have computer cad cam - the old Haines were all good.

If you cook mutton long enough it is tender and tasty...

Cheers

[death_ship]

a refurb is a lot of work and money and the new hulls have better resale value but you will be outlaying alot more than 40k to get one even second hand, they arent built as solid as the old hulls but u get the extras like floor storage, kill tanks, bait tank, side pockets, bigger anchor wells, etc. go new 2nd hand if u have the money

[Xahn1960]

Hey Everyone

Just after some advice as regards to a situation my family and I have found ourselves in. Whether we should sell our existing boat and upgrade to a newer secondhand one, or refurbish our old girl to its former glory.

Our present boat is a 1988 Haines Hunter 635L with a 97 200 Mercury on the back 500 hours. We’ve had this boat since 1995 and redone the transom, floor, electronics and interior. But it is getting to the age that it needs more money spent on it if we are to keep it.

Realistically, to get it up to speed and to be able to survive the next 20 odd years we need to spend approximately $30 - $40k on it. This would include new paint, new outboard, canopy, trailer (eventually) and some new electronics.

But we are not sure if we should sell it as it is, and put the money we would have spent towards a newer model boat that may have a little more fishing room but be of equivalent sea handling and comfort for the old fella. So we would be upgrading from a 20 year old boat to maybe a 5 year old boat and motor that still suits our needs. As with every boat it has its positives and negative in regards to design and layout. The major flaws in this boat would be it’s fishing room and its high sides (they are up to the top of your hip).

Don’t get me wrong, we love the old girl, but not sure if the value is there to be spending this amount on her. We are in no rush, it might not take place for another 12 – 18 months if we do go ahead with it at all, but I’d love to get some other peoples input as to whether or not this would be a good idea or if we should keep the old girl

If we were to go newer, it would be fibreglass of around the same size 21-22ft and preferable from the same Marker as Dad has a history with Haines for 30 years. After looking around on the net I have the following few in mind if people have had any experience in them and have feedback to that might assist or might know of an equivalent:

Haines Hunter 620sf
Haines Hunter 650 – might be a little to high in price
Haines Signature 650F
Haines Signature 630F

I’m not after a slanging match between makes of boat, rather some advice.

Thanks

Pazz

Keep the old girl, I know exactly how you feel, I have a 213c and spent many nights agonizing over wether or not its worth doining her up or going for something newer.... In all honesty I have yet to find anything that feels as strong or as safe as what I allready have so this year she gets her overhaul and in my opinion, worth it !!

Bill.

[littlemac]

hey pazz,

pm me as i might have hh suited to your needs.

cheers

brett

[Pazz01]

Hey guys,

Thanks very much for your opinions, they have all been taken into account. Attached is the exterior of the old girl. The outside is not too bad really, the gunnel looks a little worse for wear, but there are no major stratches on her. Its the inside that looks sh*thouse. But it is a fishing boat, with blood and guts going everywhere.

My family and I have had a few discussions and we are thinking we might keep it at this staged and slowly do a few things up as we go.

I'll take a few more photos of the inside to get some input from everyone.

Thanks

Pazz

[wilcara]

They are a bloody nice boat. Can't see how you could spend 40K on a dress up. So I would fall into teh "keep her and do her up" camp.

[krazyfisher]

Pazz

I redid the inside of my boat for under $1000
new seats, carpet, cushions, side pockets and gunnel pads

[dreemon]

like Wilcara says, where would you put 40 g's ?

thats a great looking boat ! ! ! might just need some air freashiners inside to hide the lost fish bits, but seriosly some people just don't like older stuff and only new will do,

I'd have a 1969 ss chev camaro at the drop of a hat anyday,
keep your classic ride8-)

[Pazz01]

like Wilcara says, where would you put 40 g's ?

thats a great looking boat ! ! ! might just need some air freashiners inside to hide the lost fish bits, but seriosly some people just don't like older stuff and only new will do,

I'd have a 1969 ss chev camaro at the drop of a hat anyday,
keep your classic ride8-)

Money doesn't go real far unfortunately:-[

Depending on if you go a 2 stroke or 4 stroke 200 - 225 your looking at between $20k-$25k, if you paint it would be a minimum of $5k (provided you do all the prep work yourself) and for a new trailer canopy etc you can go through $40k pretty quick. But we won't be doing it all in one go. Maybe a bit a time. Maybe a bit of a work in progress.

We like the old girl, it wasn't about not liking older stuff - she's been old ever since we've had it. So that's not a the issue, it's whether or not we would get back some of what we put into it.

I went to my formal in SS camaro, not sure of model tho, 73 I think. And that is a sweet ride.

Pazz