What Happens to Broken Boats ?

[Capt.Fred]

Ya know when I think how hard I worked building a 50 foot sailboat from scratch from 1975 thru August 1977. I found a discarded partial mold lacking a bow and stern. I warped the hull to the shape I liked, added a bow and aft section and layed up a glass hull...phew. Well hell, now-a-days you can find a boat with a little hole in it and with a bit of effort, you have a boat. The problem is that these days most boat are so damn ugly they are very hard to love. A humpback whale is a beautiful creature, but that shape a boat does not make!! I sold my 50 footer in '02 and she is still beautiful and hard at work at 35 years old and never a blister. Fibre glass can be forever if the builder cared... Look at my photo albums. Amen

[Celestialsailor]

I talked to a guy in Texas who either buys sailboats from harbor auctions and fixes them up for sell or guts them for scrap. I inquired if that was at all profitable. He explained if it's lead, it pays his expenses and then crushes the hull with a tractor of some type. Then he granulates the f/g and sells it to a paving company. Apparently it makes the asphalt last longer and better traction. He gets a few pieces of gear (engines, winches) and sells them on ebay.

[bobconnie]

What lots of folks don't understand about a lot of the wrecked boats from Katrina is that there a great amount of them were leaseing space from private partys, some in boat houses some at private docks thruout the area that was shown after the storm was over ! also there were a lot of boats in bucktown which was very close to the city marina ! most all of these boats were owned by out of state owners ! and you can't imagine the mess with boats over a mile away from the marinas !! heck I helped to try and get vin numbers from some of these boats, but many were so badly damaged is wasent possible to find some of them ! and in order to ever get things cleaned up they were moved anyway that was nessary!! I still dont understand why there were not more owners who would even try to find out what happend to there boats !! But I guess they had Ins !! just what I saw and know about the Katrina boats. Heck theres still boats sitting around the Marina and Yacht Club unfixed from the storm today !!

[Capt.Fred]

How sad, that so few of us are left that even have the foggiest recollection of America’s waterfronts, beaches bays, coves, estuaries etc. were like. Since the white man arrived and for centuries forward until the past 50 – 60 years, all waterways were covered with derelicts, marine flotsam and stuff. Every place worldwide was about the same. Marinas were basically private clubs for the hoity toidy and 99% of you used the back door. The world for sailing dreamers was wondrous. I remember knocking abalone off exposed rocks at low tide. Villages were friendly and plentiful. I remember in the little American village of Sausalito, there were actually streets laid out in the bay chocked full floating and/or sunk old wooden cargo ships barges and homemade floating cabins. Some were quite beautiful. On an average foggy night, one could get stoned by just inhaling. I never heard much about crime and such. The Mayor at one time was a famous ex madam. Used bronze boat parts filled every junkyead. Gas was 7 cents and you could drive your $35 car across country and fix most any part with a screw driver, plier or a knuckle buster. Average people worked hard and lived well and modestly. Yea. I had the best century. Edcation and medical help were mostly free and everyone had hope. Yes in those days the Marine Police were just twinkles in their grand pappys eyes.
Wow... just… look… at… us… now!!!

[hummingway]

Every once and a while ...

Some fellows I know are putting an engine in a 1890's packet cutter. It's a remarkable boat that worked these waters in her youth. There isn't much space below decks and in the 50's her engine was removed from the cabin and never replaced, i imagine this is when she stopped working. These aren't the easiest waters to sail without motor but the boat has survived and seems to have landed in the hands of someone with some money. They are installing a 75 hp vetus with hydraulic drive in her which preserves the cabin for human use.

It is wonderful to see a boat like that with years ahead of her yet.

[DSDman]

If someone wanted to set up a rescue fund for those of us that are trying to restore neglected boats back to their former glory I would be willing to accept any and all help.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by DSDman

If someone wanted to set up a rescue fund for those of us that are trying to restore neglected boats back to their former glory I would be willing to accept any and all help.

I'd guess half of the people on this forum would fall into that bracket. At least.

[CnC40sailor]

Originally Posted by minaret

I'd guess half of the people on this forum would fall into that bracket. At least.

Not exactly sure if it would be to the same extent in which he is doing it. I consider myself restoring my boat, but just adding new systems. You could describe what he's doing as rebuilding, almost.

[TomandAnitas34]

Sometimes it's just crazy. I sold my O'Day 25 to a guy who parked it on my spare lot and left it. I mean, the guy paid $1500, painted a new name on the stern, threw a tarp on her and made some attempts to get her moved. Couldn't get the $ to rent a U-Haul to tow it 35 miles so he gave up. Three years later, I called him. He can't even get his act together to sell her. He promised to find the registration and said I could sell her if I wanted to. Anybody want a restored O'Day 25 ?

[CnC40sailor]

Originally Posted by TomandAnitas34

Sometimes it's just crazy. I sold my O'Day 25 to a guy who parked it on my spare lot and left it. I mean, the guy paid $1500, painted a new name on the stern, threw a tarp on her and made some attempts to get her moved. Couldn't get the $ to rent a U-Haul to tow it 35 miles so he gave up. Three years later, I called him. He can't even get his act together to sell her. He promised to find the registration and said I could sell her if I wanted to. Anybody want a restored O'Day 25 ?

If I sold my boat, and she ended up having an owner like that, any sense of credulity would certainly be gone. For me, I would almost have to buy the boat back. I just couldn't stand and watch all my pride and hardwork go to waste because some guy baught it with the intentions to loiter about. So, I really appreciate the way you are handling that situation. I would have done the same thing,well done!

[europaflyer]

Having read my way through the thread, I'm intrigued. Everyone's talking about great numbers of old yachts which sit abandoned in boatyards or on the water, and get broken up. This is alien to me. One poster commented that this situation didn't exist in Australia. I live in the UK, and I feel exactly the same way.

There are no 'abandoned' boats on the water. As there aren't many moorings to go around, they are rented from around £200 upwards per year. No mooring owner would tolerate a boat sitting on one of their moorings not bringing in the money. If a boat is on the water, it's accounted for.

Are the boatyards full of old yachts? Not that I've seen. I reckon second-hand boats sell for significantly more here - take a look at this site here and see what you think. Even the tiniest keelboat won't come much under £1000 ($1500). The 'Katrina' boats on the previous page? 'Worthless junk' in the US, but in the UK I reckon you could find a buyer for £2000 or more for the Ohlson or Alberg, even in that condition. That's more than the sum of salvageable parts, and a nice cheque for the owner, therefore the yacht lives.

There is no known age limit on GRP yachts, simply because many of the oldest ones are still afloat. Without irreparable damage, no GRP yacht should be cut up. People say the US has a throwaway culture - I hate generalisations, but I'm starting to believe them! Please, prove me wrong!

[DSDman]

Can't prove you wrong, it's true. I live next to a half million dollar house, empty...people that lived in it just up and moved away....stopped paying for it. So there it sits, I cut the grass for almost two years. In this economy people just leave it and move on. Don't care and there seems to be no consequence or any real negative after effects to keep people from continuing to do it.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by europaflyer

Having read my way through the thread, I'm intrigued. Everyone's talking about great numbers of old yachts which sit abandoned in boatyards or on the water, and get broken up. This is alien to me. One poster commented that this situation didn't exist in Australia. I live in the UK, and I feel exactly the same way.

There are no 'abandoned' boats on the water. As there aren't many moorings to go around, they are rented from around £200 upwards per year. No mooring owner would tolerate a boat sitting on one of their moorings not bringing in the money. If a boat is on the water, it's accounted for.

Are the boatyards full of old yachts? Not that I've seen. I reckon second-hand boats sell for significantly more here - take a look at this site here and see what you think. Even the tiniest keelboat won't come much under £1000 ($1500). The 'Katrina' boats on the previous page? 'Worthless junk' in the US, but in the UK I reckon you could find a buyer for £2000 or more for the Ohlson or Alberg, even in that condition. That's more than the sum of salvageable parts, and a nice cheque for the owner, therefore the yacht lives.

There is no known age limit on GRP yachts, simply because many of the oldest ones are still afloat. Without irreparable damage, no GRP yacht should be cut up. People say the US has a throwaway culture - I hate generalisations, but I'm starting to believe them! Please, prove me wrong!

Irreparable damage does happen, or at least damage that the owner can't afford to fix. Many old boats have negative value in that it would cost more to fix them than to buy new. Most of the boats I have knackered were wooden though.

[Ironhorse74]

I have been on the hard in Astoria Oregon longer than I care to admit. Watched a kid buy a 30 foot full keel sailboat that was painted bannana yellow from stem to stern and keel to cabin top. He bought at a port auction for less than 2k. Spent six weeks full time grinding then painting her. Started the diesel set her back in the water. Told me he was going to use her as a liveaboard while he went to college. I think this kid will go far.

[europaflyer]

Originally Posted by minaret

Irreparable damage does happen, or at least damage that the owner can't afford to fix. Many old boats have negative value in that it would cost more to fix them than to buy new.

Oh true, if its got a big hole in the side. Even then, I've seen people work wonders if their only labour cost is their own time.

Originally Posted by Ironhorse74

I have been on the hard in Astoria Oregon longer than I care to admit. Watched a kid buy a 30 foot full keel sailboat that was painted bannana yellow from stem to stern and keel to cabin top. He bought at a port auction for less than 2k. Spent six weeks full time grinding then painting her. Started the diesel set her back in the water. Told me he was going to use her as a liveaboard while he went to college. I think this kid will go far.

Now THAT is what should happen to old boats!