New owner of a 370 sun sport

Hi,

yep agreed with your comments, I know that boat would never reach $80,000 in the US, however one of these boats just sold in the UK for £89,000 which is mad! but to be honest it's not all about the money, its the experience and the fun along the way :), I just need to get it back in the UK first

i will of course keep everyone updated with the progress and keep updating with pictures until she's back in the waters again!
 
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I hope your "rock bottom price" was about $1,000 USD. This boat will cost a minimum of $30K to $40K to refurbish and that is if you can do much of the work. The boat is probably worth Not too much more than that in good condition...
 
Gosh, like Ken do hope your purchase price was good.....really good. My husband and I are originally from the UK and we know how expensive boats and boating is over there, even if you "DIY" like we did our first boat which we used on the River Thames. We have found the larger the boat the less BOAT stands for: Break...Out...Another...Thousand. It's more like BOAFT: Break...Out...Another...Five...Thousand! Buying a boat unseen in the US is risky (risky anywhere else too) but I do hope you get it transported to the UK at a reasonable rate and safely. I know that too can be very expensive and the "red tape" a PITA.

The Marina next to our Yacht Club recently took delivery of a boat in Florida from North Carolina and the minute they lifted it off the low loader all the stringers collapsed and it had to be written off. Are you able or did you get a survey on it prior to buying it? As a fellow Brit would hate to see you spend a fortune transporting it etc., etc. It may not be too late to get a survey done if you do not have one, which may save you some expense in the long run. There is a National Society of Surveyors here who would help if you have not had it done. I wish you well in your endeavor and wondered where in the UK do you plan on cruising her once renovations are done?
 
Wow XP, i hope you are really good at fixing things and have a lot of time on your hands... my boat was in excellent shape and I have not stopped working on it, there is always something to fix... I can't even imagine a project of this scope...lots of hull work, rebuilding the engines everything...
Are you one of those guys that picks up things super quick and is like rebuilding cars and motorbikes all the time , built his own house etc??
Boats in general are a real pain in the butt to maintain, being a self contained floating house with engines basically there are so many systems its crazy... you really will have your hands full! This will be an interesting thread to follow :)
Good on you for going for it and best of luck to you with it all... will be pretty neat to watch you turn that boat into a beauty ! I just hope you realize the cost / time and learning this is going to take lol For some reason everything is just harder on boats and more expensive... Everything works much differently than other things like your sink doesn't just drain overboard, it goes into a sump in your bilge and then is pumped out, so may things i did not expect, i went in blind like you... the electrical work that is going to be needed as well ... you are fearless lol
Go get em tiger!
 
xp3000 said:
Hi,

yep agreed with your comments, I know that boat would never reach $80,000 in the US, however one of these boats just sold in the UK for £89,000 which is mad! but to be honest it's not all about the money, its the experience and the fun along the way :), I just need to get it back in the UK first

i will of course keep everyone updated with the progress and keep updating with pictures until she's back in the waters again!
Click to expand...

Just for reference here's the first one I found. It looks pretty good and I'm sure their asking price is optomistic. http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1991/Sea-Ray-370-Sun-Sport-2270627/Gibralter/MI/United-States
 
Woody: I think he is talking UK prices.... it is amazing how upside down the prices of boats are elsewhere in the world from the USA.. the fact that everyone is now buying boats from the USA and importing them everywhere is also driving down the prices in those countries but the gap is still huge! My boat is worth more than double here what i paid for it, at the time when i was buying it comparable boats were selling for ridiculous amounts here...i saw 36 ft sea rays going at like 400k here, it has since changed somewhat, i would still make a profit now but not anywhere near what it looked like at purchase time.. with the global economy and prices deflating because of boats being bought in the usa and shipped over seas i am sure won't be too long before they even out! I honestly do not believe it is a good investment now buying a boat and counting on it being worth a lot more in your origin country, by the time you get it sold, repaired and pay all duties etc you will probably end up getting what you have spent is just my experience.... I don't believe i will make much of a financial gain when i do decide to sell this boat no matter how good of a shape i keep it in... will have to see...

But the person that started this thread did say it was more about the experience for him than about $$$ value.... I reckon good for him if he's willing to take such a huge project on and the risk its a pretty awesome way to spend your money and fun great experience to boot if you are into boat construction :) he will be an expert by the time this project is done!
 
Seems like a lot of boat for gas engines. Having been there myself on the refit, yes it will cost a lot of money. I've been stem to stern renovating and refurbishing mine and would hate to put the real number on paper for fear of my wife seeing it.

In the end, it's my first boat. I love boating and tinkering so much... I would have spent more and my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. Time and money are a little tighter these days, but I can't think of a better way to waste either.

Edited cuz i spelt sumtin rong ;-)
 
hey, sorry haven't replied been busy over the weekend :(!

I've arranged for the transport and shipping of the boat now, they're wrapping the boat on wednesday then taking it to the port ready to be shipped to southampton, I cant wait to get my hands onto it :), myself i'm only 22 years old and hense why i want to do this as a project and gain as much experience as i can rather then making a quick buck.

o and by the way I'm talking UK prices, its insane how different the price's are for boats in the UK

what did you mean by the comment "Seems like a lot of boat for gas engines"? I'm thinking of replacing both engines for two diesel engines, as this would put the value of the boat up in the UK.
 
If you don't mind me asking what price did you get it shipped for in the end? We had a quote for about $5,000 to send our previous boat we sold, which was a 2005 27' Crownline to the UK from Fort Lauderdale. In the end the buyer decided he did not want to pay shipping and import taxes to the UK so we sold it here. Good luck and I hope everything works out okay. Keep us posted! Whereabouts in the UK are you?
 
xp3000 said:
what did you mean by the comment "Seems like a lot of boat for gas engines"? I'm thinking of replacing both engines for two diesel engines, as this would put the value of the boat up in the UK.
Click to expand...

37' is a lot of boat for gas engines and that specific boat would certainly benefit from the torque of diesel engines, especially in tight quarters. I can't imagine my boat with gas engines, it would be a pig.

A re-power of this boat to diesel would likely cost a fair bit more than the boat can be bought for. Work on the stringers & mounts, shaft logs, shafts, props, struts, cutlass bearings, wiring harness, gauges, fuel system, bigger sea strainers... the list goes on and on.
 
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yeah sure the shipping costs came in at $12,000 and thats into southampton this also includes wrapping and insurance, I'm from Bath, near bristol do you know where that is? I'd love to move to bournemouth or Poole tho!

Yeah I know the engines will lack the torque of the diesel engines, but I can get diesel engines quite cheap this is the spec sheet of the engines fitted to the boat at the moment:

1990
370SS
MERC 454 MAG
T-350


MERC 454 MAG: T-350
TRANSMISSION/GEAR: BRAVO I
{2} SHAFT (DIAxLENGTH):
PROP SIZE (DIAxPITCH): 19 MIRAGE (C=CUPPED, S=STRAIGHT)
GEAR REDUCTION RATIO: 1.50:1

{3} RPM @ CRUISE: 3500
{4} SPEED @ CRUISE:
{4} SPEED @ CRUISE:
{5} FUEL USAGE @ CRUISE: 28.2 GPH
W.O.T. RPM: 5000
{4} W.O.T. SPEED: 44 - 48 MPH
{4} W.O.T. SPEED: 38.7 - 42.2 KNOTS
{5} FUEL USAGE @ W.O.T.: 64.8 GPH
 
Yes, I know Bath nice area but so is Dorset too. My husband and I were supposed to live in that area at one time when he worked for the Ministry of Defense. He worked in their central London HQ for several years and we were slated to move to Bristol......he opted to leave and we moved to Florida instead :) Would not want to move back to the UK, too damp for me :) Let us know when you get her delivered and how it goes. Good luck!
 
hey all!

hope everyone is doing well!

I just thought i'd give you all a quick update, the boat has been collected and is currently sitting in the docks awaiting to be put on the ship on the 17th of November, here are some of the pictures not great but its almost in my hands lol...


370_Searay_1.jpg


370_Searay_2.jpg


370_Searay_3.jpg


370_Searay_4.jpg



370_Searay_5.jpg


370_Searay_6.jpg
 
OMG. I really hope that you know what you got yourself into... from first looks you have more work then I would be willing to do... if you paid over $100 for it profit is going to be tough... good luck and keep us posted...
 
I like the way the guts are hanging out of the spot light, almost like its tongue. She is lucky to have someone to bring her back to life. I'll be watching your progress. Have fun with it!
 
I've seen 370EC sell from £100,000 to £145,000...
 
Looks as if, in the imortal words of "Del Boy" from "Only Fools and Horses" (The best BBC comedy ever, as I am sure you know) that you may have a "good little earner going on here then." Or, we could even go into partnership I scout out the older SeaRay's over here, have 'em surveyed then shipped from Fort Lauderdale to you for improvement and sale ........the possiblilties are endless, FL is full of SeaRays. I even have a good contact for boat transporting for pick-up and dock delivery, fully licensed and insured. And, as Del Boy would say, "good deal for cash on the hip, and we'll split the profits straight down the middle 60/40, no income tax, no VAT....... This time next year we'll be millionaires!"

Seriously, you no doubt have your work cut out but I am sure that the British bull dog tenacious spirit is not dead and that you will have a great time restoring it and we will all be amazed at the finished product..........keep us posted. Good luck!
 
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hi there brit, I'm always to open to new business ideas :)! on a serious note if you want to discuss this over email please send me an email to: james.little @ dreamservers.uk.com or drop me a PM and we could start talking :thumbsup:

only fools and horses is brilliant!
 
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