Cost to Restore - Blog

[night0wl]

Hey All,

So, I'm in good position to haul home a free sailboat. A 1978 Hunter 27 which is in pretty rough shape. So, in order to figure out what I've gotten myself into, I was hoping that someone has a good blog that shows the process and particularly *COSTS* that someone took on to restore an older weekending sailboat.

On a sidenote, is it even worth trying to restore this one? Or better to scuttle it offshore Fort Lauderdale and create a new "reef" for people to enjoy

[never monday]

That series of Hunters also called Cherebuni Hunters were some of the beter built ones. Check out hunterowners.com. They have some good info and voracious owners that love their boats.
If the engine and rig are salvageable your better off. The boat could be worth 9-12k restored.

[rebel heart]

I'd have it surveyed. Maybe $300, and it's going to tell you an incredible amount about the vessel. You'll have a fairly real world estimate of what you have to fix. A shot engine and a rotten deck is a lot more pricey than a new paint job.

[Weyalan]

If you have
i) Space (on dry land)
ii) Tools (and the skills required to use them)
iii) Spare time (and plenty of it)
iv) Plenty of money (all boats are cash sinks, "free" boats especially)
Then, sure, go for it... but remember; ain't no such thing as "free"

[night0wl]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

If you have
i) Space (on dry land)
ii) Tools (and the skills required to use them)
iii) Spare time (and plenty of it)
iv) Plenty of money (all boats are cash sinks, "free" boats especially)
Then, sure, go for it... but remember; ain't no such thing as "free"

Hmm,

i) I have space on the canal behind my home...and a driveway. Dont know how I'd get it on dry land outside a marina
ii) I have all the tools required to work on my car plus drills/saws/etc. Need to get a sander/grinder
iii) Got the weekends...and vacations?
iv) Hmmm, in short supply.

What would a boat like this have cost in good/decent shape? Will the costs to get it to that point exceed cost of purchase it in that condition?

[never monday]

Originally Posted by never monday

That series of Hunters also called Cherebuni Hunters were some of the beter built ones. Check out hunterowners.com. They have some good info and voracious owners that love their boats.
If the engine and rig are salvageable your better off. The boat could be worth 9-12k restored.

see above...I just turned down one with a bad engine and history of a flood for 1500.

what will it cost, depends on what deals you can find and what's wrong with it. some pictures would help alot.

[Ex-Calif]

Three killers

1/ Mast and rig - a cracked mast or other issue could be worth more than the boat
2/ Serious osmosis or rot - Although "anything" can be fix, this one would be a deal breaker for me if extensive
3/ Engine overhaul - again a wasted engine may cost more than the boat is worth

Possibly sails but used sails can be had and I view them as a "consumable" anyway.

[easterly]

I would figure 9k to 12k to restore it.

[night0wl]

I'll try and get some pictures...the costs are beginning to get scary though. $12k is a good chunk on a good old boat...well, 1/7th of the way for my original budget for a big boat.

[Drexel Engineer]

Hey there,

I too took on a project a while back. You can build it for fairly cheap if you already have the tools. Materials can be expensive depending on what you buy. I opted for the cheapest boards around and rely on many many coats of spar urethane to protect from the elements. I spent a significant amount of cash buying countless wood working tools. The money part so far is about 1000. I exepect to sink another 1500 to finish it.

With all that said, time time time. When I first joined this forum some wise sailor said to me 'take how long you think it will take and multiply by five'. Well he was correct. In fact, given your land situation and tool roster try multiply by ten. Not to be negative though. I think you should do it. This project keeps me occupied and the money I spend on a long term durable good, as opposed to mindless cash expenditures. I look forward to your pics. Ill be posting my progress this weekend to show you my starting conditions.

Goodluck!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Drexel Engineer

I too took on a project a while back.

Was wondering how you were getting on. Will be interested to see the photos......very often one hears the start of a story, but not always the conclusion.