Lots of good info here. Thanks for the reply's. First on the Diesel/Gas issue. The 454 Crusaders especially the water cooled version has been around a looonnngg time and is much cheaper to work on/replace than a diesel not to mention the initial purchase price is 8 to 10K more. I know offroad diesel is a bit cheaper than gas but in the long run is it worth the additional expenses of running a diesel? How much fuel would I have to buy to make up the 10K difference in purchase price? I'm not buying this boat to redo. I will shop around until I find something that is in good shape. However, if/when I need to work on it gas is WAY cheaper to work on than diesel.
About Haul outs. Anything you own that is in the water should be hauled out. That was my problem with buying a Steel hull houseboat or even building a steel hull camp. How many times have you seen a steel hulled houseboat listing, sunk or pulled up on land because the hull is bad? People build them and think they don't ever have to pull them out, WRONG. I get an older fiberglass hull sport fisher it would be WAY easier to have hauled and worked on than a house boat or a camp becuse they are made much more durable and designed to be hauled out and maintance done. Every 4 or 5 years have the hull hauled to clean and paint the bottom and inspect annodes, thru hulls wheels, rudder etc. If nothing is needed besides bottom paint I'm thinking I'll spend $500 every time. What ya'll think? That's reasonable.
What other kind of maintance should I require I wonder. I will keep the boat behind my inlaws in the Bayou Teche in Patterson in fresh water. That well help alot with the bottom issues. What other upkeep issues do you guy's think I will have to deal with other than normal maint? I would have the same things to do with a house boat or camp wouldn't I? Any ideas are welcome. Maybe I'm missing something here. It just makes to much sense to me and that can get expensive. LOL
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