Helene - Big Decision

[bigjess]

I have a 2003, 21i with 320hrs. It has a soul. We have a house in Lake Lure, NC, much of which was wiped out by Helene.

After we got the boat down, from where it sat upright for 2 days, I let it settle a few days.

There was no water in the oil, I pumped all the fuel out, the dog house / engine did not seem to go under during the storm.

Cosmetically, she has lots of issues, mainly the ski tower and on the port side where it pushed into the gunnel and cracked the glass.

I bought her on a bargain, $9K, and I've put about $4K into it.

Insurance, since it was a named storm with major deductibles, is offering $10K for the boat and they take it away. My girl is gone forever.

Or I can keep the boat, and they will give me $4,500.

It ran okay when I took the boat out of the lake and I've done the winter service.

Keep it and take a $5K chance or take the $10K and start all over trying to find a decent boat?

I'm really torn here as you can tell and have put a lot of sweat into this rig. What would you do?

[h2o-ski]

That really sucks. It is really a toss up. If you can do the fiberglass work yourself, then insurance is basically paying for a new tower. Otherwise a fiberglass shop would probably quote you around that amount or more to repair that.

[D&P Powell]

Well, since you asked... I don't know what your current financial situation is, but if it were me I would take the money and use it towards an upgrade to a newer (to you) 23V or 23VE and turn it into a surf monster! Just my two cents though.

[Vettedrmr]

If you've got the receipts for the upgrades you put into her, I'd take those to the insurance company and see if you could get that extra $3500. Sadly, I think I'd take their best offer; that $4500 won't pay for the glass and tower, plus the other hidden gremlins waiting to party.