Please define 'Grief". Depending on the severity of the damage/neglect, some folks actually like doing "upgrades". A good case in point on one extreme is Yachtsmanbill. The man is incredible both in quality and quantity of work. His perserverance is inspiring to me. His project is much greater than I would ever attempt, even when I was younger but just by following his posts and pictures, it's pretty obvious that there is a man who loves his work.
Most of our boats have something that could probably stand some attention. That's one of the reasons we buy these old girls. Of course since they haven't been built in quite a few years, we don't have much choice but to rebuild or refurbish them.
I do agree with you however that the better financial deal is probably to buy the best one available for a little more money rather than buying the most run down model for a little less up front and spending many boat bucks bringing it back. If you need to pay others to do the upgrades, it's usually a really bad deal.
Walt
Sounds like you took offense, none intended. I have always bought old boats. My current 46C is no different. I knew the boat since new and knew the history, I maintained it for the first 13 years of its life. I do all my own work except for painting on anything other than a small area.
The boat was in very good unmolested condition when I bought it @ 20 yrs old in 2002.
I have done the following:
Replace stbd 8V92 and rebuild gearbox
Rebuild port engine and gear
replace orig 15 kw Onan with new 13.5 kw Onan
installed new Furuno 1942 64 mi radar
install Simrad pilot
replace 2 of the 3 Cruisair units
remove pulpit and replace a 3' x 3' section of deck coring and rebuild the pulpit, install new teak inlay
Install new GM windlass
Install Datamarine log
replace all canvas
repair both Sealand headsso they work properly
Replace copper lines for steering with new copper
replace water heater
clean paint and detail engine room and under aft deck
paint gunnels and deck
repair, fill holes on aft deck and paint
new carpet
new micro
reveneer fwd bulkhead in salon
repair icemaker
replace glass on port side salon window
reveneer cabinet doors on bridge
replace shaft log hoses
replace AC strainer and replace hoses and fittings
install Garmin GPS
and about a million smaller things that I can't think of at the moment.
The engine rebuilds were heavy work and the first one sent me to see the neurosurgeon with a blown disc.
The deck repair was a 3 month job of sitting in the rope locker in August and cutting out the core with a rotozip, then making sure everything was dry.
Then epoxying over your head all the time trying to keep everything else clean. If that is not grief then I do not know what is.
Pulling the shafts was grief for sure.
Hatt bolted the AC units to the platform over the fuel tank, the steel bolts with locknuts were installed then the sole was lowered in place. It was a PITA getting the bolts to snap so I could remove the units.
I could go on but I am sure you get the idea. Oh yeah, I was told that I "stold" the boat when I bought it. I am 100,000 over market value on it right now!! I have the boat in bristol cond and everything works like it should and has been done the best way possible. I also have the scars to prove it.