Added Up The Receipts: $48,484

[ArtM]

Thanks, that answers my question. I do understand that some people are more into the project than the boat. I am more into the boat than the project!

So it reinforces the advice that you should buy the best boat you can get rather than trying to take on a project to save money.

[David M]

Still there will be those that come along that think they will save money by doing it all themselves versus purchasing something that is already done. Say good bye to the cash that you effectively throw into that hole in the water because it isn't coming back as equity in the boat.

[btrayfors]

Amen!

BTW, skilled labor on a boat in these parts costs $75 to $100 an hour. So, 4,000 hours equals $300,000 to $400,000.

And, the cost of materials is very high.

The OP's words are golden: if you want a boat to sail, buy one in the best condition you can; if you want a project, buy a project boat.
Bill

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by PamlicoTraveler

She must not be the Quicken Nazi that mine is...every dang thing gets recorded.

Comment wasn't lost

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by ArtM

Thanks, that answers my question. I do understand that some people are more into the project than the boat. I am more into the boat than the project!

So it reinforces the advice that you should buy the best boat you can get rather than trying to take on a project to save money.

The getting of wisdom!

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

Amen!

BTW, skilled labor on a boat in these parts costs $75 to $100 an hour. So, 4,000 hours equals $300,000 to $400,000.

Bill

Sounds like a good reason to do it yourself!

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Panope

Started project with hull and wood interior intact. Added pilot house, new sailing rig and replaced most systems with new components. Did not replace or modify the following: Insulation, Ballast, Windlass, Port lights, Water tanks/pumps, Rudder.

With the exception of the canvas work, all labor by me = Free.

$12,129 – Sails - Carol Hasse - 2 working, 1 Drifter
Steve

That seems pretty expensive. Are they an exotic material?
I say this because I got my working sails, for a 44' cat, for $7500.

[Panope]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

That seems pretty expensive. Are they an exotic material?
I say this because I got my working sails, for a 44' cat, for $7500.

Yes, Carol Hasse Sails (Port Townsend Sails) are expensive. She and her team provide top notch personalized service (with a smile) and produce some of the finest cruising sails available. They are very well built with lots of reinforcements and beautiful hand-stitch work around well thought-out hardware. Think art-work.

Carol built our first set of sails back around 1980. Had I not chosen to modify the rig, I am sure that they would still be working well today.

This is certainly the part of the project where I splurged.

Steve

Port Townsend Sails - new sails and repair for all sailboats

[RabidRabbit]

Hey Steve, great boat!! I'm a builder, welder, fab it myself kinda guy as well. I've noticed here at CF that us builders get the same earfull every time. It's a bummer that this thread will be used to support the buy a new or used junk ass hunter/ benny and go sailing. Maybe sailing is a super, super, tiny, small, not imporant, part of the whole thing. I have an Oday, and it gets no respect. But its cheapness has made it possible for me to alter it without reguard for resale. Pilot house, extended keel 1 foot w/ 1000 lbs, raised mast 2'2". By this forums standards I'm a idiot for putting 50k into a 5k boat. Seems those that dont enjoy the tech & building, make it all about the sailing.

[44'cruisingcat]

I built my entire boat, far more cheaply than it would have cost to buy, and constantly hear how "You can't do it".

I find when most people say "You can't" what they're really saying is "I can't".

[RabidRabbit]

A+ on "You can't" = "I can't"
It's just like a race car, you dont race every day. But every minute working on it, is just as good as track time.
P.S. I do spent 7 months a year on the boat, three years running,and I'm not yet 38. So I'm no armchair sailor, My biggest cruising problem is a lack of people under 65 to hang with.

[Panope]

Originally Posted by RabidRabbit

Hey Steve, great boat!! I'm a builder, welder, fab it myself kinda guy as well. I've noticed here at CF that us builders get the same earfull every time. It's a bummer that this thread will be used to support the buy a new or used junk ass hunter/ benny and go sailing. Maybe sailing is a super, super, tiny, small, not imporant, part of the whole thing. I have an Oday, and it gets no respect. But its cheapness has made it possible for me to alter it without reguard for resale. Pilot house, extended keel 1 foot w/ 1000 lbs, raised mast 2'2". By this forums standards I'm a idiot for putting 50k into a 5k boat. Seems those that dont enjoy the tech & building, make it all about the sailing.

Thanks for the complement on the boat. Sorry to hear about the negative feedback you have received or perceived. So far my experience on this forum has been positive. For many people, an unmodified production boat is a great choice and if someone uses this thread to reach that conclusion, then great. Different strokes for different folks.

Your boat sounds interesting. Got any pics?

Steve

[RabidRabbit]

No not much negative feed back, I just feel some here were quick to jump on your thread to say "see more proof that fixin a project never saves any money". For those of us that would build our own houses, race cars, whatever. The voices of the non-do'rs get annoying after a while. It can be done.
If you put every bolt in, you will always know the condition and location of said bolts.

[ArtM]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I built my entire boat, far more cheaply than it would have cost to buy, and constantly hear how "You can't do it".

I find when most people say "You can't" what they're really saying is "I can't".

Would it be rude to ask how much more cheaply?

I need a big boat on a small-boat budget. That is my scenario. Now I don't want to burn cash on a folly. If the answer is that I need to get more money to get a better boat, then that's what I'll do.

But if I can get a $300k cat for $100k, $150k, $200k, whatever then I really want to know about that too.

Spending $200k on a cat that needs $100k in repairs to match a $300k cat on the water is not really on my wish list -- although I do recognize the value of having had that experience.

[44'cruisingcat]

I'd say I built the boat for a bit less than 1/2 of what it would cost to buy at the time.

Some caveats though - I did everything myself. Only hired a gasfitter to do the gas install, that was compulsory.

We lived on a large block of land, so I could build in the backyard - so no shed rent. Renting a big enough shed would have made a major impact economically.

It did take around 6000 hours of work. So yes, if I was payng myself a million $ per hour, it wouldn't have made sense.

Also, the financial situation is alot different now from then. Boats are much cheaper, so building them is less attractive now.