I Built a 45' cat, sailed a bit, Now What?

[NowAndZen]

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...rxisnLLtxaypFR

Hi girls and guys. We are looking for advice about what to do next;
From 2004 to 2007, I built a 45 foot catamaran in 3 years; 7000 hours, $40,000 in materials.
We went to the keys and the Bahamas in 2009
Since then we had to go back up North and work, the boat has been anchored for 12 years in the Tampa Bay area and needs lots of TLC. Our vacations are all about caring for our boat.
We are a little confused about what's next for our big baby; selling it to the right person would be nice but difficult, it would require a very handy owner looking for a big project.
Keeping it would be nice too to escape from the Canadian cold winters.
I would then like to make it a solar boat; scrap a lot of weight and make a solar canopy; even thinking about converting Prius parts for power. My engineering mind has too many projects for one life...

Looking for some enlightenment; Any wise advice would be appreciated

[Woodland Hills]

Take off the rig, cover it with solar and turn it into a houseboat/float home. Use it as an Airbnb when you aren’t using it as a vacation home. When you get tired of vacationing in the same place every year try to sell it for dimes on the dollar or haul it and scrap it. Your labor to build is essentially worth zero, so it only owes you $40k.

[ejlindahl]

I get a 404 error on that link

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

Take off the rig, cover it with solar and turn it into a houseboat/float home. Use it as an Airbnb when you aren’t using it as a vacation home. When you get tired of vacationing in the same place every year try to sell it for dimes on the dollar or haul it and scrap it. Your labor to build is essentially worth zero, so it only owes you $40k.

In this boating business, as in much in life, there are havers and doers. You sound like a doer.

For a doer the ambition for a new project is the nature of the project, novelty being a big driver. Taking building a water maker for instance. The doer has to decide the capacity, power sources, complexity, etc, etc, etc. The haver only needs to decide which size and brand to purchase.

From a doers viewpoint I'd be inclined to keep the old boat and plan a few more projects with it.

[Redreuben]

Sounds to me like you are more a builder than a sailor, otherwise the boat would have been around the world rather than sit for 12 years. Nothing wrong with that.
Sell it and move on to your next project, if you want a solar power boat then build one, cannibalising a sailing hull won't give you the best result.
Link didn't work for me either.

[donradcliffe]

Depends on what needs the most attention. You might consider converting it to a power cat and selling it to a Great Looper.

[NowAndZen]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/d12CrF9xvRwY3C7J7

Does this link work?

Thanks for your comments and advices. It helps.
You guys are right. I am a doer before anything else. I built a few solar houses. All kinds of trailers and things. Always tinkering with some new project.
Now will be a question of what to do with my (and my patient wife) time, money and energy...

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by NowAndZen

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...rxisnLLtxaypFR

Hi girls and guys. We are looking for advice about what to do next;
From 2004 to 2007, I built a 45 foot catamaran in 3 years; 7000 hours, $40,000 in materials.
We went to the keys and the Bahamas in 2009
Since then we had to go back up North and work, the boat has been anchored for 12 years in the Tampa Bay area and needs lots of TLC. Our vacations are all about caring for our boat.
We are a little confused about what's next for our big baby; selling it to the right person would be nice but difficult, it would require a very handy owner looking for a big project.
Keeping it would be nice too to escape from the Canadian cold winters.
I would then like to make it a solar boat; scrap a lot of weight and make a solar canopy; even thinking about converting Prius parts for power. My engineering mind has too many projects for one life...

Looking for some enlightenment; Any wise advice would be appreciated

I have no idea about Canadian taxes. In the US you could donate it to a nonprofit and take a tax write off. See if it would work for you.

[Scaramanga F25]

You cannot rake a Canadian tax break on an American donation.
and revenue must be significant to be worthwhile when even possible.

Sell it cheap as is or fix it over a year and lose a year's salary/revenue.
Sorry, the hard reality. You have missed your sales opportunity 10 years ago.

[Cadence]

You may give it away just to get out from under it as a liability. Sell it for a dollar with a bill of sale, just to cover your ass. Frame the dollar.

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by Cadence

You may give it away just to get out from under it as a liability. Sell it for a dollar with a bill of sale, just to cover your ass. Frame the dollar.

Now that I have seen the photo, I agree with this posted above. It is a liability, not an asset. You need to get out from under this, if only to be able to fund your next project.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by NowAndZen

https://photos.app.goo.gl/d12CrF9xvRwY3C7J7

Does this link work?

Thanks for your comments and advices. It helps.
You guys are right. I am a doer before anything else. I built a few solar houses. All kinds of trailers and things. Always tinkering with some new project.
Now will be a question of what to do with my (and my patient wife) time, money and energy...

If you just don't use it anymore, give it a quick clean and sell it before it just rots and save yourself the slip fees and insurance. There's seems to be a fairly strong market right now for larger Cats (not too sure about "one offs"). You didn't mention what you built it out of - if it's Grp you should have no problem unloading it. Plywood would probably be more iffy even though it isn't that old and apparently doesn't have a lot of sea miles on it.

[Morgali]

View Profile: Sunsetslim is in the market for a new boat. Reach out to them. They are the crew of the S/V Zingaro that broke in heavy seas approaching hawaii.

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by joelhemington

If you just don't use it anymore, give it a quick clean and sell it before it just rots and save yourself the slip fees and insurance. There's seems to be a fairly strong market right now for larger Cats (not too sure about "one offs"). You didn't mention what you built it out of - if it's Grp you should have no problem unloading it. Plywood would probably be more iffy even though it isn't that old and apparently doesn't have a lot of sea miles on it.

Very good advice. If I knew a little more about your hull construction it would help but if you cleaned up the deck and interior and assuming you did a decent job on the hulls I would guess you could get something in the ten to fifteen thousand range for what you have. Lots of naysayers on CF but if you look on the classified page you will see a number of people looking for an inexpensive way to get into a catamaran. Tons of people looking for Hurricane damaged hulls, on and on. Raise the mast, get that plastic off of the cabin. You are going to have a tough time selling it looking like that.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by Morgali

View Profile: Sunsetslim is in the market for a new boat. Reach out to them. They are the crew of the S/V Zingaro that broke in heavy seas approaching hawaii.

Yep, James would be a good bet as long as it isn't plywood - I think he's done with that type of construction. I'm sure he'd be up for an interior upgrade as long as the boat is Grp. He'll be needing some projects going forward as nobody wants to watch him doing Macrame on deck (even if it is Dyneema)