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Fishman_Tx · 04-07-2009, 09:20

"Captain Ron" boat "Wanderer". 1 of 4 used to make the movie. She has some issues but from the info on the website, repairs are underway.

1978 51' Formosa Cutter Rigged Ketch

1978 Formosa Cutter Rigged Ketch Commercial Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com=

CMD84 · 06-07-2009, 08:52

After spending the past three days sailing in Long Island Sound, I can now follow up to my previous post and weigh in on the Formosa 41 as a sailboat, and not just a home. Besides the thrill of sailing ours for the very first time, she was truly a pleasure under sail. Even in a bit of a chop, she was doing 5-6 knots in 10-15 winds under the main, mizzen, and stays'l. She balanced wonderfully under the mizzen and stay, and later we were broad reaching under the jib at 4-5 knots.

In short, we have absolutely no complaints when it comes to our Formosa under sail, especially since we anticipated something more pig-like. As far as single-handing goes, it would be no trouble if you know what you're doing. Much easier if on a mooring of course, since it's a heavy boat to dock (or tie up between pilings like we do) on your own.

Finally, I should add that there's something nice about being one of the better-looking boats on the water. We had our pictures taken countless times this weekend, and someone in a classic wooden boat yelled, "It's great to see another classic out here!" Little did they realize that we had the looks without the headaches of a wooden boat.

Cheechako · 06-07-2009, 09:17

Yep, a real piece of eye candy on the water for sure....

Find Wind Rose · 08-08-2009, 00:07

I am still so in love with my Fathers Formosa 41' 1975 CT Garden Ketch.
When he sold it i cried for weeks.
And now i am also starting to follow my dream of Owning her again.
They have wonderful lines and Details. And when in the open water, going 15-20 knots, she is the most glorious thing I have ever saw!!
Follow your heart.

drivinmenuts · 01-09-2009, 13:29

Anjou, I hope you're still following this thread. This is what I did. My experience is like yours. I grew up on boats, mostly small outboard fishing boats, canoes, speedboats and the like. I had only sailed twice as a kid on small boats. 5 years ago, while recovering from a broken leg, I got it in my head I wanted to move onto a sailboat after my kids were up and grown and head for the horizon. I am a single dad, with custody of my kids, although now I have a fiance who shares my interests. I decided four years ago the ideal boat would be a CT-41 or one of it's sisters. In the year prior to that, I spent the first six months deciding what the logical route to that goal would be, and making a plan.
I figured from alot of homework, the most comfortable boat to live in would be at least 36', and the largest I could probably handle alone would be around 40'. I decided the best way to learn how to handle something like that initially and inexpensively would be to buy the biggest cruiser I could find that was trailerable, and start with that. I found the ideal boat in a MacGregor 25, which I purchased for $3,450 US. It needed no overhauling to get out on the lake and start learning, which I did six months after I started thinking about the whole sailboat thing. Within a year, I was pretty confident in my ability, and cruised weekends regularly with my three sons. My oldest helped with running the boat and my two younger ones just had a huge amount of fun, and we all loved the lifestyle. Six months after buying that boat, I decided on the CT-41 as the ideal concept, and started pricing them and went to Lake Texoma to look at one up for sale just to get some first hand knowledge of them.
After four years of pondering and factoring, and using my Mac 25 as a test bed, I was still looking at the CT, with my only deviation in thought being a steel hull Spray, because they're more whale and container collision resistant. Whichever way I went, I ultimately wanted someone's old neglected boat with obsolete electronics that I could get extremely cheap and then gut to rebuild the way I wanted it. I didn't want to pay for someone else's idea of the ultimate boat.
Last winter, after Hurricane Ike hit, I was looking online to see if there were any deals, as there always are after hurricanes. After some searching the web and a first trip to Kemah Texas to look at a couple of possibilities, but unfortunately no CT-41's or Sprays, I found a CT-41 offered at $7,500 OBO in Kemah. I had actually met the guy who was selling it on my first trip to Kemah and had no idea he had it, just that he had a boat that got clobbered by the storm. I met him while he was looking at the engine in a Pacific Seacraft that was salvaged that he was considering buying to replace his pickled engine.
After talking with him for a while and going through the boat, I wrote him a check for $2,000 US. The boat had gone about 2/3 under and rested on the bottom during the hurricane, and almost everything inside was a write off. Other than a separation on the port side hull/deck seam that can be repaired, the things that I cared about were the masts were there and looked to be ok, the hull was solid with no damage other than scuffing, and the deck was in good shape. The only teak is in the cockpit, so the only redecking that might need to occur is there.
It took about 6 weeks of preparation, planning and coordinating, and about $10,000 US to get it towed across the bay to Clear Lake Shore, hauled out and put on stands, a cradle built, yard and storage fees for a few weeks, masts unstepped, prepped for shipping, and a hydraulic yacht lift truck, along with purchasing stands, and it now sits in my backyard north of Austin Texas.
I've already salvaged over $10,000 of usable equipment, tools, winches, etc. etc. off of it, and will more than recoup the other $2,000 of the original investment from the rest of the salvage.
I had never done any fiberglass work or other boatwork prior to my Mac 25. I have done a fair amount of wood and cabinet work, some home plumbing and electrical work, tile work, and alot of leather work and sewing with a Singer as hobbies and for profit. My biggest project I've done was completely gutting and remodelling my kitchen and my kids' bathroom.
My Mac 25 I bought as a "school ship". I taught myself to sail on it, and now teach others. I have taught myself boat cabinetry, boat plumbing, boat electrical, fiberglass work, rigging, sail making, ice box construction, upholstery, and a host of other useful skills and experiences, such as how to bend an aluminum mast straight after the forestay slips out of your hand while stepping it and watching it collapse onto the fantail and bending it into a boomerang, and how to build a better outboard mount after the $2,000 brand new engine you bought submerges in Corpus Christi bay when the original mount you deemed sufficient snaps in half in 5 foot chop.
There's a difference between dreaming that someday will happen versus logical planning and preparation, with alot of sweat and hands on experience, rebuilding a boat from the ground up so you know every seam and screw and modification and turn in the plumbing and routing of every wire.
Everything I learn on my Mac 25 is in turn put to work on my CT-41. My last project on the Mac was rigging a temporary bowsprit so that I could add a headstay in addition to a forestay, to try out a cutter rig. It was a great success, so I'll be extending the trailer tongue and putting on a permanent bowsprit. The next rigging change will be making a gaff and converting a Cabo Rico 36 mainsail I salvaged from the CT-41 into a gaff mainsail to experiment with, and if it works well, I'll invest in the proper materials and rigging to convert her into a proper gaff cutter. Why? Because I want to convert Dream Ketcher into a staysail gaff ketch.
Why would I salvage the sink and commode out of a 41' yacht and install it into a trailer sailer along with the needed plumbing and tankage? For experience in properly doing it during the restoration and upgrade of the head in the 41.
So far I've completed about 70% of the gutting of the CT-41. By the end of the winter it will be completely gutted and the hull completely clean. Then comes repairing the hull/deck seam along with reinforcing the whole deck with knees and beams, then the rest of the hull work and deck work, then the interior, etc. etc.
Anjou, if you really want it, you go for it. I recommend you start the way I did, and get something in the 25' range dirt cheap to learn on. If you like spending weekends and weeks at a stretch on it, then start playing around with changing it. If you find you like getting dirty in the bilge, figuring out the the wiring sucked in the first place and the stuff you're putting in is better, and realizing you really shouldn't have cut through that stainless steel sheet with your reciprocating saw, but also realizing it taught you a valuable lesson that was worth it, finding satisfaction that you learn you can actually steam bend wood like they talk about in the books and magazines to make your new gally more attractive, then you have what it takes to take on a CT-41 Ketch.

anjou · 01-09-2009, 14:32

Im very impressed with your vision and determination. Im glad ive learned a few things about me and one is, ive done my time with long term projects and whilst i dont mind cosmetic repairs and remodels, im not going to get involved again in projects which take years to complete. Too many other things happen in life and ive seen guys who build boats and planes start projects as single young men, get married, have kids, change jobs several times, move home, get divorced and end up still single with a half built boat in the back yard or a fusilage on tressles in the back of a hangar. So if im to do it, I need something more achievable in the short to medium term. Time is ticking for us all and the whole idea is to get on the water, but this must be ballanced against cost and money is the biggest problem which im not in a position to do much about right now. Sounds like you have a great boat and have found a good plan to live the dream.

drivinmenuts · 01-09-2009, 14:44

You understand living aboard a sailboat, particularly if you plan on leaving the dock, is an ongoing process of boat maintenance, yes? If you're single handing, that means figuring out why your toilet won't function anymore and how to fix it in the middle of nowhere, and how to track down the culprit when the electricity ceases in half/whole/some of your boat. Capiche? The only way to avoid these things is to never leave the dock. Whoops, let me correct that, you will not avoid these problems, even tied to a dock. The only difference is you can leave the boat and go get help at the dock. Not being able to fix your watermaker in the middle of the Pacific/Atlantic by yourself can mean death unless you get lucky enough to hit ongoing squalls.

Cheechako · 01-09-2009, 15:35

Anjou, very astute thinking on your part! (have you gone goth on us?)

anjou · 01-09-2009, 15:46

No, not gone Goth, it was a bank holiday weekend and as per usual on a holiday weekend in uk, it was peeing down with rain and although I got out most days to do a lot of hill walking, I also got fed up making blackberry and apple pies, Chillie and watching DVDs, so I played makeup and took some pix. Its just a phase im going through and Im trying to upload the rest of the pix but they dont want to go. Grrrrr

drivinmenuts · 02-09-2009, 06:28

Anjou, I think I mistook your initial post that started this thread. Were you not looking for a formosa to move onto?

anjou · 02-09-2009, 07:26

Yeah your right and im changing my mind as the months go by as my circumstances and ideas develop and change. Im just not sure what im looking for at the moment. Woden ketches look great but im not sure how practical they are from a maintenence cost and time perspective and I realy dont think I wanna be living aboard through the damp cold UK winters, which then means its better to move to sunny climes which then makes sense to keep moving rather than settle in one place. Add to that, ive tried photocopying money and its just not realistic, so I need to earn a bit more, which means staying shoreside. All in all, im about stuffed.

Fishman_Tx · 02-09-2009, 07:36

I bet if you'ld go and get some of that sunshine and take a break from the dreary weather of the UK winters, you'ld feel better. And for that you need a boat (or a plane!). Heck, go to Florida for a week during the winter. I bet you won't want to leave!

anjou · 02-09-2009, 07:51

Your right, if I found the sun, I wouldnt want to leave. ( make me an offer I cant refuse )Today it is only 14 celcius, light rain and mist on the hills. The forcast for later and tomorrow is heavy rain and gale force winds, ............just for a change. Bye bye summer, your a distant memory, all of 5 days back at the end of June. Oh well, theres always next year i spose. Ive come home for lunch and cant be assed to go back. Maybe walk downtown and get a massage and sauna to cheer me up.