I Wish I Never Bought This Boat

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by Tony B

I'm OK with cosmetic surgery, but not the essentials of what makes her go.

Survey and listen to the report you get.

You can fall in love with a woman in a wheelchair but don't expect to take her traditional ballroom dancing.

[dandrews]

Originally Posted by Mark1977

Where do i start?....Three years agoe I had the bright idea to buy a bigger boat, so when I seen a 37 ferro cement boat that i could afford, i thought heres my chance. I had a nice PY23 that I sailed all the time, and took the kids out for weekends. I was able to sell her for the money to buy the ferro boat project.
I was so excited to get this bigger boat I didn't look at what I was taking on. I have worked on the boat since i have owned her, but i see no end to the bits and peices I need and the money to get them.
I have not been sailing since i sold my other boat and don't know when I will again. I am at my wits end. I have had her up for sale for a month so I can go backwards and buy a small boat that i can use, but no luck.
This is just a warning to people thinking of taking on such a project...........
IT WILL DRIVE YOU NUTS...........

RANT OVER.....FOR NOW....

Working a project boat myself. For me it was to go to the bow and complete every thing there before moving aft. I was driving myself crazy jumping around it it looked over whelming now I am back to the engine room and can see everything that I have completed forward. Keeps the spirits up.

Don

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Mark1977

I have not been sailing since i sold my other boat and don't know when I will again. I am at my wits end. I have had her up for sale for a month so I can go backwards and buy a small boat that i can use, but no luck.
This is just a warning to people thinking of taking on such a project...........
IT WILL DRIVE YOU NUTS...........

Mark - Many thanks for sharing. It must be really frustrating.

I always ask the newbies if they want to fix boats or go sailing.

Originally Posted by Tony B

Whenever someone on these type forums says they want to get a project boat, most are very supportive, I am in the minority. For every 'success' story there are hundreds of failures.

The hardest thing to convince people is that they won't really save that much money. A project boat should not be about saving money. It should be about fitting and kitting the boat to the owners specifications "at full price" - any savings from putting in one's own labor should be considered a bonus.

The second factor is time - When you really add up the weekly available man-hours at the boat doing work oneself it is paltry after one has to make a living.

How many threads do we see - "Hey I just saw a 60' boat for $13,000. I really want a big boat but only have $20,000 in the bank. It looks like all it needs is a good washing down. Previous owner says she is "ready to go" bluewater cruising. What $6,000 chartplotter should I buy with my savings?

[SVTatia]

Mark
I'm sorry man and I feel your pain.
There is only one solution: charge it to education, fix it and pass it on. Well that is actually three but you get the drift.
Fix whatever needs to be fixed with two priorities: keep the water out and make it salable.
Do not dwell or feel guilty, &^%$@ happens, you will be able to turn this around and you and your kids will enjoy the next one.
Get to work and advertise it!

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

... The hardest thing to convince people is that they won't really save that much money. A project boat should not be about saving money. It should be about fitting and kitting the boat to the owners specifications "at full price" - any savings from putting in one's own labor should be considered a bonus.

Ex
The best way to describe our motivation... I could not agree more.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

How many threads do we see - "Hey I just saw a 60' boat for $13,000. I really want a big boat but only have $20,000 in the bank. It looks like all it needs is a good washing down. Previous owner says she is "ready to go" bluewater cruising. What $6,000 chartplotter should I buy with my savings?

How many of those threads do we see? Hundreds, literally hundreds.

In the future we should link the dreamers to this thread. Mark will have done them a great service.

The moral of the story is: if you want to get started on project boats, make your first one a 14' lapstrake skiff.

[Greatketch33]

"You will have a difficult time selling a concrete boat with a frozen engine. "

Oh something about the above quote from the previous message sounds odd. Just trying to picture it in my mind.

Anyone else ?

GreatKetch33

[zUrchin]

Ditto.the saving money part by taking on a project boat is usually an illusion. The perfect situation is being able to get a sailable, safe, boat that fits your purpose and finances and break even when you turn around to sell her for the next one. Out the 7 boats over the years that I've been sailing, that has happened to me only once and luck has mostly to do with it more than anything.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Greatketch33

"You will have a difficult time selling a concrete boat with a frozen engine. "

Oh something about the above quote from the previous message sounds odd. Just trying to picture it in my mind.

Anyone else ?

GreatKetch33

Ferrocement is sometimes referred to as "Ferroconcrete."
Ferrocement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Bash

How many of those threads do we see? Hundreds, literally hundreds.

In the future we should link the dreamers to this thread. Mark will have done them a great service.

The moral of the story is: if you want to get started on project boats, make your first one a 14' lapstrake skiff.

I don't know if I would go 14' but the point is well taken.

I personally like 25-30 foot "starter" boats. They will have systems that are similar to big boats and one can learn maintenance and upgrades at a significant discount from a 40+ foot boat.

Also mistakes can pretty easily be rectified. If you can upgrade and maintain a 27 foot boat for 3-5 years you definitely will have a better perspective when going north of 40.

The second point about starter boats is picking one that is pretty common. Many "cool looking" blue water capable "old" boats are almost "one of a kinds" these days. Fixing certain things ends up requiring intimate friendships with fabricators to make one of a kind parts...

[hpeer]

The guy I bought my boat from had finished the interior from a bare hull. Basically did the same thing with his house.

He rehabbed my boat before deciding to sell, then bought a bigger power steel trawler he stripped to bare metal and restored.

God I love that man!

[bobconnie]

Theres projects and theres projects! To me if the riggings sound and the sails are useable, and the engine runs well, then the rest is just WORK ! But if she don't run well, and wont sail, the its not a project that most cant deal with!! The boat that Connie and I just bought is a project, in that she needs cleaning and paint, but she has a low hour engine that runs better then good! The genny works, and the fuel tanks are full (need filtering, and cleaning) All the Old Electronics work, but most would replace them as soon as possible!(not me LOL) The rigging is sound but needs tuneing. I expect to put some money into her ! But she would leave the dock tommrow if ya used the engine with clean fuel! to me thats all the project boat I want !! I don't mind the outside looks as I don't have to see tham as much as others do !!LOL But the type of project the POs talking about is way beyond the most of us ! Ferro boats can be fine boats, if they are properly made to start with ! and theres not to many of those around !! So unless your a marine worker with a yard to work in stay away from major projects cus your just gonna waste a bunch of money and time ! and that do not measure the heart ache that ya go thru ! Ive seen a lot of that over the years, and have helped a few folks try to fix them up !! Very few have really done it ! Just sayin be carefull when ya buy !!

[resilientg]

Don't take this the wrong way, and sorry that im not wiping your tears, but Simply,

"If you had of looked at it before you bought it" you may not be where you are now, so who's fault is that.

Secondly, if you didn't waste time moaning because you now own it, but just kept your head down and finished working on it then you would have a finished boat.

Lastly, if are really out of your depth with the project, then just scrap it, give it away, crush it and send it to the tip, at least you wont have it to in your face and then you wont need to moan about it and can get on with your life.

Reality hurts sometimes, but Life is simple, people just like to complicate it

Matthew

[Tony B]

Brokers use different words to describe the amount of work a boat needs. A project boat is usually one that may or may not run but the hull and all else is pretty much shot. Basically 1 step from the grave yard.
I think the boat Bob is describing fits more into the category of "Needs TLC". Thats the kind I usually end up with. It will sail and motor very well and the integrity of the structure and machinery are fine. Just needs a lot of work to make her pretty again.

[Auzzee]

Originally Posted by resilientg

Don't take this the wrong way, and sorry that im not wiping your tears, but Simply,

"If you had of looked at it before you bought it" you may not be where you are now, so who's fault is that.

Secondly, if you didn't waste time moaning because you now own it

Blah, blah, blah....Very helpful Matthew.

This poor bugger has made it clear he understands what he did wrong and now he is humbling himself, trying to provide a salient lesson to the hundreds of others, some of whom he may dissuade by his humility, who otherwise may make the same blunder.