Can AI almost always be fixed by someone really handy?

Hello Friends,

I was on this forum many moons back....I think maybe even before these tris were popular. I've sailed quite a few of the Recreational Hobbies and also have a love affair with tris....owned a Corsair Sprint, a little Windrider, etc.

I spend 5 months in the Sarasota Area and the rest up north in MA - we have ponds and lakes here, but nothing really large.

I noticed some old AI's for sale at great prices - also noted the various cracks talked about here and elsewhere.

My question is this - would it be safe to say that cracks as noted (most due to foot-drive or mast?) can be repaired by someone who is very handy mechanically? I noted one YT video where some folks overseas replaced the entire mast plate...

I know there is a reason old boats cost less...and am not worried about working on them (in fact, I enjoy that)....whether making up new metal parts or doing some of the welding/gluing/ stitching (ss wire), I'm up to the task.

What I don't want is to have something which is not usable no matter what. Oh, I'd never be taking the boat out for longer than two hours so it wouldn't have to be in "Everglade Challenge" condition.

(I'm seeing some AI ads....under 2K)...no cracks, but one never knows.

A "sub-question" is...if I am willing not to have the mirage drive, does that - in theory - make an old boat easier to patch and resurrect? My thinking is that this might take a lot of stress off the boat (to not have it).

Thanks for any insights. For my #3 boat it's gonna be either an AI or a Windrider 16 (not too many WR's around!).

Be aware:
In the early days the hull only was sold as an AI,
Aka’s and ama’s mast and sail was sold separed
Later the renamed the hull only in revolution and the complete boat including everything AI
The AI has allways a mirage-drive

Iff someone is technical realy handy he or she can repare most things on/at the AI, but the miragedrive some things you just have to replace, i take the miragedrive each year out part by part, clean it and grease it (propellorshaft grease) in 8 years i had to replace only one chain because the cable at the end off the chain was splitting and i can’t repare that

The bungies you can replace/fabricate yourself
Rudder lines/up or down lines 2015 or newer you can repare/fabricate yourself, older AI’s diffrent rudder system, i don’t know

Cracks in the hull you have the soldering-iron (no flame) hobie has welding rods in color(i use milk containers)