Look before you leap...
Check out your local library for books about surveying old sailboats. A restoration project can be a wonderful and interesting experience, but it more often is a nightmare. If you have major delamination, and/or soft spots in the fiberglass, and/or major cracks from impact damage, you may be looking at a bigger job than you can handle (or afford). My son was thrilled when my dad gave him his old van. He was going to fix it up, completely restore it. He didn't have the tools, or the know-how, or the money, or the time, or even the inclination. That "free" van cost him several thousand $$$ in repairs, and it ended up rusting away in a back yard; he finally sold it for a few hundred $$$. That van would have been worth $3,000 or $4,000 to the right person, if it was restored. But it would have cost $5,000 or $6,000 and a lot of sweat equity. I hope your project doesn't turn out like that, but be warned: sometimes a boat is sold because it will cost the owner too much to fix, and maybe some of the repairs will require the trained people and tools of a professional shop.
