Project

[surfski]

Hi All,

I have a very broad question I need some help with. I have been shopping for a ~40' boat (something along the lines of an old Hardin Sea Wolf) that I can work on for about a year to a year and a half to get sea worthy. This will be a fiberglass hull and hopefully a fiberglass deck. I am very savvy as I have been working on smaller motor boats and cars my whole life. So here are my questions

1. I am hoping to spend $30k to $50k...reasonable?
2. Am I going to be spending a ton of money fixing up any boat I come across in this price range?
3. If not is my time table resonable with a team of 3 or 4?
4. What is cheaply fixable with free labor as apposed to spending a lot of money free labor or not?

Thanks a ton,

Matt

[James S]

1. Yes
2. It very much depends on where you do the work, who does the work, and to what standard you work toward.
3. Yes, if its mostly full time, and see #2.
4. Wood refinishing and hull buffing are low material/high labor costs (relatively speaking)

[Boracay]

Not knowing the market my responses would have been:-

1. I am hoping to spend $30k to $50k...reasonable? Yes, but these are getting to be old boats.
2. Am I going to be spending a ton of money fixing up any boat I come across in this price range? Maybe.
3. If not is my time table reasonable with a team of 3 or 4? Yes.
4. What is cheaply fixable with free labor as apposed to spending a lot of money free labor or not? Depends on the free labour.

Its really easy to underestimate the amount of work needed to restore or refit an old boat. Depending on the condition of the boat one could get away with under 2000 hours, or put in over 10,000 hours.

A recent search of the market in response to a 41' Out Island found some in your price range, but these are getting to be old boats now. I had a look for Hardin Sea Wolves and found a few, some quite cheap.

What jumped out at me was that some were wood and some fibreglass. The fibreglass ones may be possible. I would have more reservations about the wooden ones.

Its a lovely old design, a real head turner against the modern Beneteaus et aliae.

I'm of the opinion that much younger boats are more realistic as cruising yachts.