Noob questions

[Max_Florida]

Hi everyone. I've been reading the forums for a few days now. A little about myself... I live in Florida. My buddy and I spearfish and we are looking to buy a boat to take out of the Tampa/Sarasota area. Together we are going to have about a $4000 budget. We want to buy a fixer upper and do whatever work is needed ourselves.

I know nothing about boats, other than they are supposed to float. I am very mechanically inclined(taught myself how to fix cars, to include engine/tranny swaps) and am willing to learn whatever is necessary. We aren't planning on actually buying the boat until September or October. So between now and then I plan to read, read, read.

My primary question is... is $4000 a reasonable budget to purchase a 23' Tsunami/Scepter OB in decent condition, and get it sea worthy if we do all of the work ourselves?

My second question is... can anyone recommend some good books with the information I'll need to undertake this project?

I also plan on taking boating safety classes and learning about boat handling and anything else I can. We are probably going to be 9+ miles offshore and I would rather not end up a statistic.

I know this question has probably been asked before, and I have tried searching, but have been unable to find anything. Apologies if my search skills are lacking.