Turning a Sailboat Into a Motor Cruiser

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by FL Dan

Here's a link to a fellow who's done it, cruised it, lived aboard it, etc. His conversion was beautifully executed. He'd be a great guy to contact for real world experience.

Winnie the Pooh, sailboat to trawler conversion - Trawlers & Trawlering

+1

Well worth a read - very honest (albeit to my mind mostly about why not to!).

With a budget of $112k then lots of choice in the Motor Cruiser / Trawler market.........and spend the conversion money in tweaking her for you.

[ohdrinkboy]

$112 sounds on the high side for a morgan 41.

[ElGatoGordo]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

One could probably sail from San Francisco to Hawaii round trip 3 to 5 times .

Now you're just being silly to make your point or you've no idea about sailing (I'm sure you'll explain how you've sailed the seven seas )

But back to the subject, while I support the idea 100% based on the OP, the idea of spending >$100K on a sailboat then strip it down to a motor boat seems crazy. The OP said "cheap" that ain't cheap!

[Oogie]

no no no ifin i pay fer dat damm boat i ainta stripping nothing but my clothes off when i go to bed yall. i happened to be looking at a cheap boat, and some guy was listening to me and invited me to gor out sailing wit him. now he is a member of these forums and jest dont want me bringing his name up. cause he says he aint a real active member but keeps up tp date on any post he think might be relevant to him. anyway i i i jest kind of fell in love wit the boat and his wife , ( he siad she dont go wit the boat) which my wife repeated. man the BOAT ! i cant say enough, this dude has it laid out bettern a high strung filly. anyway dudes peace! i have really been trying to learn that sometimes the i see something in my head aint always what i really want. and no i jest dont want a trawler, and still dont know what im a going to do, im jest an ole farmer trying for a total life style change, i may be ignorant about some things but i aint never been stupid about the money i spend or i wouldnt have enough now. right?, this country boy used to think iwas smart till i joined these forums,

actually i wish i could back up and redo the original post, being me, there are things i could have worded alot clearer, ive looked at everything from motors to every thing i might need, im not comfortable using used stuff, and so i was seeing cost that still skyrocketed above what i originally estimated. this boat is 4 months from this superduper fancy bottom job. to new sails and etc... etc... etc... and again i have typed to many words ina row and my mind is getting discombobulated again. i thought i was smart being able to retire at 56 years old , and now i see i aint... geee my head is hurting now

[Oogie]

see i do learn , just read the winnie the pooh thingy, 4.5 years ? nah! i need a faster way. and check out his total cost, it is not that far from my prices now, but that picture is exactly what i had in mind, for converting one

[Astral Blue]

Originally Posted by ElGatoGordo

That's one of those "sorta true" things. There are a lot of different ideas on sailboat costs and maintenance. I am at the WAY low end of cheap, and you couldn't buy or operate a jetski over a 5 year period for what I spend/have spent!

I see your point. But in the long run, money needs to be spent on replacing/refurbishing critical parts -- whether on a sailboat or powerboat. Being on the cheap on the front end usually ends up costing more on the back end. Just my two cents.

[ElGatoGordo]

Originally Posted by Astral Blue

I see your point. But in the long run, money needs to be spent on replacing/refurbishing critical parts -- whether on a sailboat or powerboat. Being on the cheap on the front end usually ends up costing more on the back end. Just my two cents.

I am way different than the "normal" sailor. As a sole bread earner for a family of 5, I have to do it different. I don't know how one could ever do a real comparison, I suspect we'd all find a way to justify our choice. But if I motored every where, I'd still only spend $15 per day on my 9.8HP 4 stroke (6hrs per day)

[Uricanejack]

For some reason I see lots of "Stick boats"

they are odd things. They look like sail boats. They don't have or use sails. They are actualy moter boats with a big stick in the middle.

[GrowleyMonster]

The best fuel economy will be with a sailboat.

SAILING.

You can get new sails for a sloop for half what a new beta diesel costs. Get some 7 x 19 wire and learn to splice, and do your own rigging cheap. Reef early and take it easy on the rig and it wont cost diddly to maintain. If you pass under low fixed bridges, build a tabernacle for the mast. What you want to do might be appropriate for some homeless guy with a couple hudred left over from his disability check but you can afford a couple grand for a boat that can be sailed. And you will enjoy it a lot more than a franken-trawler.

[ElGatoGordo]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

The best fuel economy will be with a sailboat.

SAILING.

And you will enjoy it a lot more than a franken-trawler.

The OP made it clear he didn't WANT to sail.

Back to the topic

[Oogie]

you are absolutely right ELgato,,, after sailing on that boat like last weekend, ive had like a wow factor, but do i not have the right to , uh , learn that what i thought i wanted so bad might not be the quickest or cheapest or the best or the smartest way for me? . ,,, i am admitting there was some error on my part. or alot. i didnt get where im at by not listening to people who know more than i do, and still i am amazed at the quality of post int these forums,

[Astral Blue]

Originally Posted by Oogie

you are absolutely right ELgato,,, after sailing on that boat like last weekend, ive had like a wow factor, but do i not have the right to , uh , learn that what i thought i wanted so bad might not be the quickest or cheapest or the best or the smartest way for me? . ,,, i am admitting there was some error on my part. or alot. i didnt get where im at by not listening to people who know more than i do, and still i am amazed at the quality of post int these forums,

You had a very legitimate question/scenario in your first post and received a wide variety of opinions. That's the great thing about this forum. The number of opinions are high, but so is the quality of them.

Glad you posted. The discussions here have been helpful to everyone.

[malbert73]

Agree. I think the thread has a great premise. If you want a slow speed trawler, and interior space is not as important, a cruising sailboat sans rig would be a very economical way to do it, provided

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by malbert73

Agree. I think the thread has a great premise. If you want a slow speed trawler, and interior space is not as important, a cruising sailboat sans rig would be a very economical way to do it, provided

You have skills to do the work yourself. Sailboat hulls are generally more easily driven....

[ElGatoGordo]

Originally Posted by Oogie

you are absolutely right ELgato,,, after sailing on that boat like last weekend, ive had like a wow factor, but do i not have the right to , uh , learn that what i thought i wanted so bad might not be the quickest or cheapest or the best or the smartest way for me? . ,,, i am admitting there was some error on my part. or alot. i didnt get where im at by not listening to people who know more than i do, and still i am amazed at the quality of post int these forums,

GOOD!!!! I've NEVER said it was a great idea, just supported your desire to do so. I'm a sailor, I'd much sooner loose the engine than the sails! Get a decent sailboat and sail when the conditions are right, motor when they are not!