50 ft Willard Navy utility boat

[tcul]

1994 Willard

Would this make a fun party boat, dive or fishing platform?

Seems like a lot of boat for $10k

Maybe an RV trailer could be lowered into it and bolted down.

It has flotation built into it. Allegedly, it could be filled to the top with water and not sink.

TC

[tcul]

Here is the official specs and diagram on this boat.

Historic Naval Ships Visitors Guide - Boats of the United States Navy

[S/V Alchemy]

You'd need to see if extensive modifications (like putting in a cabin?) could be done to it without affecting its stability.

It's clearly pretty basic.

[Group9]

Maybe make a good looper?

[boatsail]

awesome boat!
that would be a fun project. I would add a composting head and a big anchor and somewhere to mount a gun.

all joking aside. Sweet deal for whoever gets that boat! Great find. If someone from the forums picks it up, make sure to keep a cool photo thread to show progress of modifications.

[CaptHead]

I know the grandson of Willard. Willard was his first name and my friend said Willard made boats in his yard as a kid. That's a solid hull and it will handle almost anything.

Good luck!

[tcul]

Here's what one bloke did to his:

Waterfall II

Wonder what it cost him?

I wouldn't know where to put it. Mooring on Oahu is a pain. Lahaina is much better, I heard.

I might consider funding a conversion for a share of the profit. The market is pretty poor nowadays, though.

[tcul]

Here are some more photos of another Willard UB:

http://www.unifliteworld.com/gifs/Un...vyUtilBoat.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2593/...135b4d2ba0.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...tanamo_Bay.jpg

[tcul]

I seriously doubt that boat would only use 1.5 GPH at 2500 rpms! In a 30 ft sailboat maybe, but not a 24,000 lbs boat.

Am I mistaken?

[kapnd]

I think 1.5 gph is achievable in lightly loaded calm sea conditions, with the bottom and running gear spotless, and the engine and running gear in perfect condition. Much more likely to happen with the Cummins motor than the DD, and at something below 7 knots speed.
These boats, although obviously heavy built, had no superstructure (wind resistance) and relatively small tankage (weight).
Of course the fuel burn test could be done with just a minimal amount of fuel in the tank and the operator as total load.
Loaded up with amenities, that burn rate is sure to increase.
That being said, one of my favorite fantasies is to convert a Willard 50 into a sportfishing/ island hopper for warm weather use, making extensive use of canvas covered aluminum frames to provide shelter and a raised command platform midships.
The quandry is stability, the roll factor resulting from the rounded stern profile will increase steeply as weight is added above the waterline.
The quick and dirty solution would be bilge keels, but the drag penalty might be steep.

[David M]

Originally Posted by tcul

Here is the official specs and diagram on this boat.

Historic Naval Ships Visitors Guide - Boats of the United States Navy

They listed the wrong engine. The one you are looking at has a Cummins B-Series turbo diesel....which is a better engine especially with only 950 hours on it.

You can get the engines specific fuel consumption from the Cummins website.

That engine throttled back some and a 160 gallon fuel tank will get you quite a distance. There is plenty of room to add a fuel tank or two.

No worries about the stability. It is rated to carry 160 people.

It may have been from the Stark, FFG-31, which was hit by an Exocet missile. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Stark_(FFG-31)

If a liberty launch is what you really want then go for it. I don't think you can lose for $10k.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by tcul

Maybe an RV trailer could be lowered into it and bolted down.

Or a folding caravan? (maybe more a UK thing?)

[tcul]

I'd hate to be the one motoring it from Lahaina Maui to Oahu. Especially through the "Molokai Express".

Yes, I think it was from FFG-31 USS Stark. That ship was homeported in PH. Hmmm, historical value? I remember when it was hit with an Iraqi missile during the Iraq-Iran war. I was a Navy linguist on active duty in Guam.

Yeah, depends on what i want. I'm just a old fart Navy retiree with fancy dreams. I like it on the water. I like to sail and was think along those terms. But this peaked my interest when i saw the ad. It could hold a lot of beers and bikini babes off Waikiki!!

Like I said,where would I put it? Slip cost would be outrageous. Moored in Keehi and the pirates would be on it every night shooting up, barfing...and worse.

There are private slips at a town home complex in Kane-ohe bay owned by individual home owners, many of whom don't have a boat.

[David M]

Maybe keep it original, get it CG inspected and do Pearl Harbor tours. What better to do tours than with an original liberty launch from a ship that used to home port there? The crew could wear their dress whites. I bet a lot of retired Navy veterans would like that. It might bring back a lot of memories. I don't know. Just throwing out a wild idea.

[David_Old_Jersey]

I think you might have the discovered the reason it is asking "only" $10k.......

....not so much about condition - but about WTF does someone actually do with her?! (that doesn't involve spending more money converting her into something that would be better and cheaper to buy good to go - and easier / quicker!).

I like that idea for a tour boat (whether she could meet any commerical regs for passengers for the intended use would need to be looked at before buying).