I don't know about the rest of you, but so far it's been my experience that the safest way to accurately calculate the potential cost of a repair done by a professional (as opposed to by me) is to take the estimate and double it. While not every job we've had done on our boat has come in at double the cost, they have NEVER come in at the initial estimate with the exception of a deck re-seaming where the shipwright gave me a firm bid. As it was, he spent more time on the job than he had calculated it would take, but he held to his initial bid. So even though all the problems on this particular Hatteras LRC can be fixed, the cost, at least to have the repairs done by outside help, could be pretty staggering. Like cars, there are lots of boats out there. While I can see how it could be very hard to walk away from a particular boat you thought would meet your requirements to a T, there is some comfort in the fact that there are a zillion other boats out there for sale. If you don't elect to take on the challenge of bringing this boat up to your specifications, I suspect that you will go on to find a boat that is more in keeping with your requirements, and will be a boat you will be very happy with. Easier advice to give than follow, I realize, but the important thing, regardless of which route you take, is to know exactly what you're getting into and are comfortable with your choice. A boat, even a brand new one, is a pretty much continuous source of problems. Some big, some small, but it's an ongoing thing. As someone on this list said, a boat is always a work in progress. You just don't want it to be more work than you're willing to undertake. ______________________________ C. Marin Faure GB36-403 "La Perouse" Bellingham, Washington