Ever hit a salvage yard score?

[RECESS]

I feel I did alright last week while on spring break at Clearwater. Took a stroll through Don's Marine Salvage and looked through darn near everything. Really wanted a good fold down swim ladder but was only finding solid ladders. I really do not like my hang on ladder. The rubber feet shift when I climb it and I about have a stroke when it is shifting on my boat. Went for a stroll in the bone yard and found what I wanted. It needs a little polishing (aluminum) but all in all $35 somolians was not bad. I think I got that price because it was a little time consuming to take it apart to remove it from the stern of the boat in the pic, but that set me up with all the mounting hardware for the inside too.

May not be the greatest bone yard score, but I was very happy to hit just what I was after.

So what was your happy find?

 

[rardiH36]

There are no salvage yards that I know of in the SF Bay area. But several years ago, when my boat was on the hard for a few months while I was refurbishing it, another boat came in whose boom had cracked/bent. The owner decided to install a new boom rather than repair. I arrived the next morning at the yard and the boom with all of its attachments was hanging over the edge of the dumpster. Checking first with the yard manager about dumpster diving etiquette (he said "go for it"), I scored big with more than a few nice blocks and four boom bails which I later put to good use when I added a vang to my vangless boat.

 

[woodster]

hummmmmmmmmm i got a 20 gallon holding tank there about three weeks ago that just fits my settee ....i like both don's salvage and sailors exchange in st augustine...and still looking for other yards as well ...and belive it or not you can find some cool deals on ebay if you shop wisely and dont get in a hurry .....

regards

woody

 

[Tim C350 April IV]

I got two locking winch handles at a garage sale for 50cents. They didn't even know what they were. I didn't have the heart to tell them what they "were" (they "were" $42 each at WestM.)

Tim Brogan
April IV C350 #68
Seattle

 

[kenn]

Hello, my name is Ken, and I am a dumpster-dive-aholic.

(scattered applause, encouragement)

My main weakness is curbside audio gear, radios and computers, but at last year's nautical flea markets, I bought a damaged but repairable Airmar speed transducer for $5, and a couple of old but working speedometers for about $1 each. I put them together with a bit of glue logic, and I now have a working speedometer or log that I will calibrate just as soon as the season starts up here.

 

[Old Skool Neil]

The grief of some is opportunity for others. Whenever there's a serious hurricane, boat salvage bargains follow.

Off a Catalina 30 victim of hurricane Charlie I picked up a complete Edson pedestal steering system including all brackets, conduits, radial drive, compass, binnacle guard, engine control, wheel brake, instrument pods and cockpit table hardware. Price including shipping - $400.00

From the same boat I also got 2 Lewmar 30 self tailing winches and 2 locking winch handles for another $400.00

As my boat is also a Catalina 30 the steering system was a perfect fit. For shipping, the salvor cut out the section of cockpit sole the pedestal was mounted to, duct taped the whole business to a chunk of 3/8" plywood and threw it on a Greyhound bus.

 

[Joe]

Oh yeah, Minney's in Newport Beach... scored a complete rebuild kit for my old "headmate" msd..... included a joker valve, flapper valve and all the little springs, nuts and washers. WM price $68. Minney's $4.00!!!

Went looking for a new outboard and stumbled into Allison marine across the highway from Minney's. They sell large trailerable sport and fishing boats. In the back I found a Tohatsu 9.9 2 cycle, electric start, remote control.. only 2 years old.. taken off a Mac 26x for trade-in on a 50 hp... Got if for $700 because these guys don't have many 10 hp customers. A new one will run about $2500. Lucky is not the word. Motor has run like a dream for the past 10 years.

I love that stuff... when I lived in Orange County I went by Minney's a couple times a month.... I wish I could find a place like that in San Diego. Anybody?

 

[kloudie1]

Marine Score

Had been looking for a 6 HP two stroke since the 4 HP won't plane the dink.. Found a 1967 6 HP Johnson that wouldn't run .. $50. Broken gearshift handle..
Sunk about $125 in it and of course a lot of free labor .. She runs FINE .. tight gears, no leaks, no corrosion..

 

[jimmcgee]

Found two really beat up Taylor Made fenders in the dumpster at my old marina. Took them right over to West Marine and exchanged for two brand new fenders. Taylor Made has a lifetime warranty.

 

[jimmcgee]

BTW, does anyone know of a boat salvage yard in New Jersey or on the Chesapeake Bay?

 

[RECESS]

hummmmmmmmmm i got a 20 gallon holding tank there about three weeks ago that just fits my settee ....i like both don's salvage and sailors exchange in st augustine...and still looking for other yards as well ...and belive it or not you can find some cool deals on ebay if you shop wisely and dont get in a hurry .....

regards

woody

I have never ventured through Sailor's Exchange in St. Augustine. I have been past the building but thought it was a store front operation and not a part salvage business. We make the trip to St. Augustine about 6 times a year so my wife is happy about any reason for a trip there. I spent so much time at Don's I was really not in the mood the next day to do a walk through of Horne's Salvage in Sarasota. I should have taken 30 minutes and done a quick walk through thou, we were down there to go to Venice beach.

 

[larryw]

When I first bought my previous boat, a C-30, the winches were not ST. Found a set of Barients, brand new but out of production, at Minney's. One of the first things I did to the boat. Other than that, never had much luck there. Most of the stuff appears to have come off old work boats, old 60ft schooners, old something or other. Interesting place to spend an hour or two, though.

 

[PaulK]

We replaced our stanchions with 316 stainless that had been pulled from a hospital rebuild. It still had the specs marked on it, as new! We had to cut the lengths, but $2.50/lb was much better than $125 each. Now working on a bimini...