Need some measurements please for a older Seafarer Hardtop

FLWhaler

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Had a hardtop for my 232 made in NW FL cost me 10K with rigging and everything.
 

Norcoastal

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Actually, 60" is not right. I found some pics, where I was making the boat cover, and I wrote down that the fiberglass is 64X84 to the inside of the down turn.
That is very helpful. Thank you
 

Mustang65fbk

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They are all so expensive
That's exactly the reason why I bought a boat with a hardtop already installed on it because the cost or price of the hardtop is factored into the purchase price. When you have a hardtop, canvas or anything else "custom built" it usually adds on several 0's rather quickly to the overall price and I didn't want the added expenses. Instead, I was patient, bought a boat with a hardtop on it with a good, dependable used motor which was more important to me than having something brand new. You mentioned before that you probably have $30k into your boat and another $10k for a hardtop would put you at over $40k. I'd honestly still give the idea of selling what you've got and upgrading to something else as a consideration. Especially if you think you can only get maybe $20k for your boat.
 

Mustang65fbk

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I'd be calling this guy tomorrow and telling him you want the hardtop. Says in the ad that they'll piece out the boat individually.

 

Mustang65fbk

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They are all so expensive
Here's what appears to be a factory hardtop on the exact same year boat as yours. I'd buy the boat, motor and trailer for $6k, take off the hardtop and sell the rest of it. I'd be willing to bet you could come close to breaking even or you might be out a couple grand. Either way, you'd have a factory style hardtop for little to no money at all, along with the isinglass curtains, a helm/cockpit cover, newer aluminum trailer and so forth. Deals are out there, you just have to find them as well as follow through with them and I don't think anything is just going to fall into your lap without lifting a finger. Also, I don't know if you've mentioned but what is your location? That would also be helpful...

 

Norcoastal

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If I had $6,000, I’d have one made. This is an extreme budget build. I may have found one off of a 240 Offshore. I’m working on it now.
 
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Don Davis

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Here's what appears to be a factory hardtop on the exact same year boat as yours. I'd buy the boat, motor and trailer for $6k, take off the hardtop and sell the rest of it. I'd be willing to bet you could come close to breaking even or you might be out a couple grand. Either way, you'd have a factory style hardtop for little to no money at all, along with the isinglass curtains, a helm/cockpit cover, newer aluminum trailer and so forth. Deals are out there, you just have to find them as well as follow through with them and I don't think anything is just going to fall into your lap without lifting a finger. Also, I don't know if you've mentioned but what is your location? That would also be helpful...

The trailer is worth $6000 alone, as long as it’s not a scam.
 
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Mustang65fbk

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If I had $6,000, I’d have one made. This is an extreme budget build. I may have found one off of a 240 Offshore. I’m working on it now.
Did you call the guy in the first Craigslist ad that I posted? He had the whole boat I believe for $5-$6k and was willing to part it out. Which I'm thinking you probably could've gotten the hardtop for less than $2k-$3k. I'm not sure what year of the 240 Offshore you're looking at but it has an 8'3" beam compared to a 228 Seafarer at only 8', and I'm thinking you'll be spinning your wheels on it trying to make it fit just like with the 232 Gulfstream hardtop you mentioned in your first comment. I'd be contacting one or both of the guys above and see what you could get the hardtop off their boat for, even if you needed to take a loan out.
 

Mustang65fbk

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The trailer is worth $6000 alone, as long as it’s not a scam.
I think it would be if the trailer was brand new, though it says it's a 2004 trailer, but it looks to be in decent shape from the pictures. I'd be all over that setup, even if it was just to get the hardtop, and depending on what trailer you currently have, maybe swap out trailers as well. If it is a legit ad, I see more than $6k worth of parts and pieces in the pictures. Depending on the condition of the boat/hull, the OP could even swap his current outboard onto it if it's in better shape compared to his current boat. I think the ad is legit as it has a Florida registration number on the side of the boat and the trailer has a Florida license plate on it as well. Obviously those aren't for sure indicators, but there is also a phone number on the ad with a "941" area code, which is also for Florida state. For anyone wanting a hardtop for a 228 Seafarer of that vintage, I'd be all over it.
 

Norcoastal

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Did you call the guy in the first Craigslist ad that I posted? He had the whole boat I believe for $5-$6k and was willing to part it out. Which I'm thinking you probably could've gotten the hardtop for less than $2k-$3k. I'm not sure what year of the 240 Offshore you're looking at but it has an 8'3" beam compared to a 228 Seafarer at only 8', and I'm thinking you'll be spinning your wheels on it trying to make it fit just like with the 232 Gulfstream hardtop you mentioned in your first comment. I'd be contacting one or both of the guys above and see what you could get the hardtop off their boat for, even if you needed to take a loan out.
I actually did contact him and he didn’t want to sell the top. He said if it doesn’t sell whole, he’s putting it on eBay. I did find another one in Florida that I’m talking to now. They’re out there. I think I’ve contacted every Seafarer and Offshore boat under $6,000 and asked them if they would sell the top only. Almost always a no, but this guy is a maybe. But I keep trying.
 

Mustang65fbk

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I actually did contact him and he didn’t want to sell the top. He said if it doesn’t sell whole, he’s putting it on eBay. I did find another one in Florida that I’m talking to now. They’re out there. I think I’ve contacted every Seafarer and Offshore boat under $6,000 and asked them if they would sell the top only. Almost always a no, but this guy is a maybe. But I keep trying.
As mentioned above, I'd check with the second guy and even if he won't sell the hardtop separately... I'd buy the whole thing, maybe keep the trailer depending on the condition of your current trailer, and then sell everything else off. I can't imagine you'd lose money on the deal, and even if you did lose $1k-$2k total, that's less than you'd spend on just getting a hardtop or having one made for you from a local shop...
 

Norcoastal

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As mentioned above, I'd check with the second guy and even if he won't sell the hardtop separately... I'd buy the whole thing, maybe keep the trailer depending on the condition of your current trailer, and then sell everything else off. I can't imagine you'd lose money on the deal, and even if you did lose $1k-$2k total, that's less than you'd spend on just getting a hardtop or having one made for you from a local shop...
That boat is gone. No longer on Craigslist and like I said, I don’t happen to have $6,000
 

Mustang65fbk

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It's so easy to spend other peoples' money.
Well... when the OP is talking about buying or adding a hardtop to his boat and has been for some time, the idea of spending money will inevitably come up at some point. Unless he's somehow able to find one for free, which at that point I'm guessing it'll be more likely to see Bigfoot riding on a unicorn.
 

Mustang65fbk

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That boat is gone. No longer on Craigslist and like I said, I don’t happen to have $6,000
You're referring to the boat in the below link as being sold and no longer on Craigslist? Because it's still showing up for me. Also, if you don't have the $5k-$6k then I guess I'm not sure why you'd make a post about purchasing or adding a hardtop to your current boat. Unless you get extremely lucky and respond quickly to something similar to the two postings that I added from Craigslist, you probably aren't going to find a hardtop for less than that $5k-$6k range. Which would make the topic at hand a rather moot point if you don't have the money to buy what you're looking for in the first place. You might be able to find something generic that'll be close for a couple grand, but then I'm thinking you'll probably spend another couple grand modifying it to make it fit and look decent. Either way, I posted the first CL ad over 3 weeks ago now, of which if you're serious about this, you need to be looking everyday, have the money or funds in hand and be willing to jump when you need to. Good luck with whatever it is that you decide on doing, or don't do.

 
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