Didn't Last Long . . .

[troppo]

My stint at boat ownership looks like coming to an end. Didn't last long .

When I bought my 27 footer last October I intended to sail it down the coast from Townsville to Rockhampton, Qld Australia. It did not happen. A series of problems with the boat not obvious on inspection started to emerge. For example, a fuel bleed screw on the motor had been badly stripped then simply glued back in with locktite. It did not stop the motor from working, I found it after I had done a service. Not having parts on hand meant I had to leave the boat and go back to Rockhampton. I did a few trips up and down (1,600 km round trip), each time thinking that this time I would be able to set sail. But no. Then the two cyclones came over, Yasi being the big one. My boat was fine in its hidey-hole mooring but the weather kept me away from any ideas of sailing it down.

Now I have made another trip up to Townsville . . . and back with no more success in getting the boat going. This time, I found no compression in the motor. Seems like the exhaust elbow was allowing water to get into the exhaust port on the head. Even though I had drained the water from the system before leaving it, the exhaust valve got rust on it. The valves are being re-done and I will need to make another trip up to put the motor back together.

But, I think I will sell instead of sail. The cost of the extra travel plus the cost of the unexpected problems has become a stumbling block. I knew there would be repairs to do but I had based my estimates on having the boat local where it would be easily and cheaply accessible.

I am upset at the way it is turning out, but I will get over it. In retrospect, my original plan for the boat hinged on getting it home to do the work on it and my key mistake was thinking the boat was practically ready to sail when it turned out not to be ready. The motor looked good, everyone said it was good, but that did not stop hidden problems emerging. I overlooked how difficult and costly it can become trying to fix a boat from a long distance, especially when problems keep arising which require ordering in parts. Ah well, it has been an amazing learning experience.

[Pete7]

That is a shame, can it not be trucked nearer home?

Pete

[pillum]

Tough breaks Troppo, I'm sorry it isn't working out for you. Don't give up hope though, there will always be other opportunities.

[boatman61]

Tropo... bummer mate... don't suppose you could hang an O/B on the back to get you round....

[Steve Thompson]

Troppo
Townesville to Rocky isn't that far. Hire a large car trailer ,make a quick cradle .head home . Have a wander around local boat yards or marinas you may find a trailer suitable for hire .Once home you have time to sort things out . If you put it up for sale now with a problem motor your likely to loose too much money
cheers Steve

[Wotname]

Yes, its tough when a plan doesn't work out but remember, it was just a plan.

Lets see if I understand your problem; you have a boat in Townsville and you want it in Rocky. Because of various engine problems, you are unable to sail it to Rocky and you have run out of patience (and possibly money) to get the boat to Rocky.

OK, my first question, do you still want to own a boat?

If not, the answer is easy, sell the boat.

If yes, then would you like to own this boat or another one?

If this one, then the ONLY problem you have is how to get it home.

There are only two ways, one by water, the other by road. If by road, then call a couple of trucking companies and get some quotes and see if you can afford to move that way; if by water, then work what else can be done with the way the motor is.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[Johnathon123]

My endeavor had a dodgy donk.

Get an outboard bracket, bolt it on the transom and away you go.

We had a long shaft tohatsu.

If you are going to truck it, she is small, so should be able to backload.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Johnathon123

My endeavor had a dodgy donk.

Get an outboard bracket, bolt it on the transom and away you go.

We had a long shaft tohatsu.

If you are going to truck it, she is small, so should be able to backload.

Its what I ended up doing to deliver a Waquiez 37 last month... the Westerbeake was stuffed... so mounted a bracket with a Suzuki 8hp LS.... pushed her at 5kts... did the 50miles from Seville to the sea in one tide...
Job Done...

[Reefmagnet]

Troppo, you should stick it on a truck. There are specialist truck transport mobs that run up and down the coast all the time and you won't need a cradle for transport. If you are in no hurry they should do a backload rate as well. Obviously you need to lift it on or off, but a Franna crane can do a 27 footer on it's ear.

[Sabbatical II]

Troppo, she looks a nice little boat. I've recently sold my first boat for another. It cost me heaps in repairs and even more in depreciation since the GFC etc. However I didn't really care because the first boat's always a learning experience. If you can find a way to hang in there it will be well worth it. Trucking back to Townsville shouldn't be too bad as it shouldn't even need an escort vehicle with that size yacht. If not, it should be a nice sail if you can find someone to go with you.

Greg

[Khagan1227]

Real bummer.

You have a hard decision ahead of you and I don't envy you a bit. The months of frustration don't help a bit. Don't know what the market is like there, but if it is anything like the market in the states... ugh.

Looks like you already have a lot of advice, so I won't give my two cents worth.

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Yes, its tough when a plan doesn't work out but remember, it was just a plan.

Lets see if I understand your problem; you have a boat in Townsville and you want it in Rocky. Because of various engine problems, you are unable to sail it to Rocky and you have run out of patience (and possibly money) to get the boat to Rocky.

OK, my first question, do you still want to own a boat?

If not, the answer is easy, sell the boat.

If yes, then would you like to own this boat or another one?

If this one, then the ONLY problem you have is how to get it home.

There are only two ways, one by water, the other by road. If by road, then call a couple of trucking companies and get some quotes and see if you can afford to move that way; if by water, then work what else can be done with the way the motor is.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Agree whole-heartedly. Add my 2 cents to the shipping fund.
Non-legitimus Non-carborundum.

[MarkJ]

Its probably not a bummer at all, but a great decision.

If they are the sort of things going wrong now it may be far better to sell it at a small loss and get it off your hands so you can start saving for the next one.

Take those lessons as learned and next time you buy a boat and have it surveyed also have the Yanmar man come and do an inspection too.

The trip down to Rocky is only fun if you feel safe.


Mark

[MarkJ]

Moving a boat by road in Australia would be crazy expensive, I would think.

What is cheap and affordable in the USA isn't necessarily so in Aus.

But check the prices anyway...

[Reefmagnet]

I had one moved from Brisbane to Mackay which is about the same distance as Townsville to Rocky a couple of years ago on specialist boat transport. Cost around $2000 not including lift on and off.