repair recommendation

[carbinebo]

Does anyone have any personal recommendations for repair shops (transom, floor, stringers) in the Tampa Bay area?

I can find loads of V20's here but they all need repair.

Thanks,
Bo

[bradford]

Van Wagoner Boats in Pinellas Park, Hammerhead Boat Works,

Be prepared for the sticker shock.

[smokeonthewater]

I can't imagine any financial justification for buying a rotten boat and paying to have it rebuilt... I suggest broadening your search radius. Much cheaper to travel a few hundred miles.

[THEFERMANATOR]

You will be MUCH better off raising your budget, and buying a good to start with hull, then to have somebody fix one for you. Last I seen most shops around here are getting $3500 and up to do a basic transom job from the outside, and this does NOTHING if you have stringer atatchment issues inside the hull. Thats part of the reason when we got our skiff here recently, we raised our budget so much. I got tired of looking for a unicorn in our budget. We decided it was cheaper in the long run to get a good boat to start with, and take care of it instead of buying a fixxer upper that would nickle and dime us over the next 5-10 years. I know theres a few shops around that do them, but plan on spending MORE to have a rotted hull fixxed than you would spend on a 10 year old boat in good shape. Then you're still stuck with older power and rigging. It's one thing to fix up an old boat that you know the history of that has meaning to you, but if you buy one needing work, then they basically need to give it to you to justify the expense.

[carbinebo]

Thanks for the input gentlemen.
I just really like the v20 center console. Would be a perfect Tampa Bay boat.
I've taken some long drives to look at a "solid hull" only to find a softie. I am raising the boat budget for that reason. Considering other manufacturers as well.
Bo

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by carbinebo

Thanks for the input gentlemen.
I just really like the v20 center console. Would be a perfect Tampa Bay boat.
I've taken some long drives to look at a "solid hull" only to find a softie. I am raising the boat budget for that reason. Considering other manufacturers as well. Bo

Truthfully, although you can consider other manufacturers you'll never find another boat in the 20' size that performs as well as the V20. It is, arguably, the best hull design ever produced in that size.

[carbinebo]

I totally agree. Best 20' design ever!I spent a lot of time on my bro-in-laws cuddy digging grouper in Tampa Bay years ago.

That said, I still can't find a solid one and as stated having one repaired is too expensive. I'd like to do it myself but don't have the knowledge and probably not the patience either. As Ferm said I'll just have to up my budget and look for something built in this century which would unfortunately exclude the V20.

Bo

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

Truthfully, although you can consider other manufacturers you'll never find another boat in the 20' size that performs as well as the V20. It is, arguably, the best hull design ever produced in that size.

The DUSKY 203 is a nearly carbon copy of the V20 hull. So the basic hull design still lives on to this day.

[inaforty]

WOW!!


http://www.dusky.com/boat/open-model...open-fisherman

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by inaforty

WOW!!


http://www.dusky.com/boat/open-model...open-fisherman

That used to be called the 203, I guess they are counting the built in bracket as part of the length of the hull now.