I bought an old Steel River Queen Houseboat about 20 years ago, in that same PO 'expired' situation...The coroner's sticker was still on the door - CREEPY...but such a deal!
I hauled it to work, propped it up on some oil drums and completely rebuilt it...Sand blasted, bottom repair, rebuilt engine, etc., etc...it was a great river boat when all spruced up with new stuff and a fresh paint job!...
Erle Stanley Gardner, author of the Perry Mason series owned a couple of these house boats up here in the Sacto Delta area and wrote three books about his adventures...He used to bring his 'people' along and wrote some of his TV show scripts while out in the Delta backwaters...
Recycling old stuff can be fun (and challenging) sometimes...Did it again with our 78 Ambassador!...