Hey fellow boaters I have a question regarding the value of my 1976 Sea Ray SRV 200 closed bow 20 foot boat, the thing needs work due to sitting, the lower unit needs servicing with exhaust bellows and water pump impeller along with lube it's the 888 Mercruiser package with the 302 Ford V8 the whole thing needs a good load of maintenance trailer included. Everything is solid.
I think it is one of those things that is worth more to you then a potential buyer. But with that I wouldn't get discouraged. There are a few out the are willing to buy a nice older boat, provided she is truly in good shape. I couldn't tell you what one is worth. But I think they are bad ass boats and look great compared to the newer ones that look "half melted".
I think you're right about that the boat certainly has style compared to the new ones, and yes I think it is worth more to me than on the open market! not really looking to sell but am disgusseded with not being able to do anything with it.
Boat are rarely (if ever) an investment vehicle. Given that, I suggest taking the same amount of money you could comfortably loose in the Las Vegas slots, and put it towards the boat. At least there you will have something to look at when the money is gone. Besides, boating is supposed to be for fun, not making money.
Search "Craigslist" in your area to find out what similar boats have for an "asking" price. My guess would be 1800 to 2500 bucks once it's running. There's a nice looking '74 24 foot hardtop in Albany for $2500.00. Is yours better or not as good as this one? Wish boats were this affordable out here !!!! Good luck.
You got to remember most boats of this vintage have rot issues. There aren't too many without some kind of trouble.
Considering how many boats and RV's you see in peoples back yards it's not surprising the owner's and buy's have a different opinion of there value.In my area length of older boats determines if it is an entry level boat not its make in the buyer's eyes. Unless you are selling to a person that has previous boating experience they don't have a clue what is different between makers of boats. It's hard to put a price on a boat that you have spent quality time on with friends and family so the actual value is never high enough.
As the OP said, there's no such thing as an investment boat. You may just sink money into her to fix her up good enough to spark some interest in selling her, but don't think you will get your money back. You may be just lucky enough to find someone who has the where with all to buy her and finish the restoration. I love older Sea Ray's and I wish you luck. Too bad you can't fix her up yourself, at least that way you would recoup your money from the good times spent aboard the boat yourself. Thats what it is all about anyway, the entire boating experience is what we like and what we spend our hard earned boat dollars doing.
That's where you get one that you truly like, and set your mind on fixing anything wrong with it. That's what I'm doing anyway.
