Is Your Boat Due for a Facelift?

Can your boat use a facelift? Are your engines worn out and need to be rebuilt or replaced? Are your electronics out of date? Is your teak deck worn out? Is your paint fading? Do you wish you could add a mezzanine and a Seakeeper? Or maybe even a sonar? Is it time for a refit or a repair?

Important Questions for Boat Owners

Boat owners must be careful when making refit or repair decisions. The cost can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. You need to ask yourself, “Is my boat worth refitting?” “How much will my boat be worth after refitting it?” There is a huge difference between refit and repair.

Boat Refit vs Repair: Making the Right Choice

I would never do a total refit on an older production boat. Chances are you would never come close to recouping the cost of new engines, electronics, generators, paint, teak, etc. However, on an older pedigree custom boat, it could be worth every penny. Would you make money refitting an older pedigree custom boat with new motors, new generators, new paint, all new systems, adding a mezzanine, Seakeeper, and sonar? Probably not, but you should get a lot of your money back when you get ready to sell, considering the time you used it and the maintenance after the refit.

Evaluating Production Boats for Upgrades

Don’t get me wrong on production boats; there are some great ones out there, but you need to be careful how much money you invest in one. If you’re looking to upgrade your boat for more speed or add a mezzanine, compare the cost of installing new engines and other desired systems to your current production boat versus simply repairing it to prepare for sale. Then you can buy a boat with the speed and upgrades you are looking for. Financially, you will be way ahead of the game, not to mention the time it takes to refit a boat! We are talking months in the yard and added expenses that you never even thought about.

Custom Boats: When a Refit is Worth It

I understand that in some situations, money doesn’t matter. You like your old boat and you want what you want, but my personal advice is to repair the production boat; refit the custom low production pedigree boat. There are many variables when it comes to upgrades and repairs on your boat, so do your research, count the cost, and then ask yourself if it’s worth it. The last thing you want is to be financially upside down in an old boat.

About the Author: With over four and a half decades of dedication to the sportfishing world, Capt. Scott Murie has navigated waters from Venezuela to Cape Verde, he’s pursued offshore pelagic species with an unwavering, old-school work ethic. His vast experiences have given him unparalleled expertise. Today, Capt. Murie channels his passion into managing, selling and operating sportfishing boats, in his hometown of Destin, Florida.