Buying an affordable boat is not a difficult task. There are several boat dealers that specialize in affordable boats. They sell anything from old wood boats in need of general repairs to brand new boats with five year warranties.
Just the other day, I sold a boat for a friend of mine. It was a 1957 Youngquist Viking 23 foot cabin cruiser. Another business friend of mine saw the ad on CraigsList.com and gave me a call. By the time we got out to meet him, he was already hooking the trailer up to the truck and he handed my friend a roll of cash.
He says it will be a couple years before he starts working on it because he has other projects ahead in line. But he fell in love with the lines of the old wood boat and he is determined to restore it. I'm sure he will: he restored a Craig Craft just a few years ago.
Was it affordable? He bought it for a few thousand, but I'm sure he will put more than that into the restoration.
Tell us about your boat and we will post it on this site.