Refurbing / Refitting an Older boat - Advice and Ideas

[zeehag]

i apprenticed for a short time with one of the good ones in sd--he is awesome---
the survey on this formosa was very 8interesting reading--nothing important was touched u0pon, and ther ewas so much more stuff done to boat to make it undesirable to knowledgeable folks... is fun to fix. i had to start from scratch--i am glad i found her-i LOVE this boat even with her flaws. imagine how far i coulda got by now had i a perfect formosa to sail....LOL

as re noah---he was able to finish so fast because the gods were with him on that project and he had a lot of wood to use--is not so much hanging around anymore..

[CharlieCobra]

Boats, especially wooden boats, are like onions. The more you peel away, the more ya find.

[sabray]

The stumbler I see is how all pieces are connected. Failure in a project comes from not getting the scope and materials involved understood. My current was borderline project. Shot cockpit sole meant pedestal steering removal. Also meant access to motor was improved. A lot of bad wiring was wrapped around all this. The Port fuel tank became very accessible once the engine was pulled. Every hose to every thru hull needed new clamps and hose. Every thru hull needed service and a few were replaced. Batteries were garbage. The panel was out dated and the battery switches were not ideal. These were not items that were going to wait for another day. The refer had to be disconnected so now we are recovering refrigerant and recharging.
Then it's the while I'm here stuff. Like bulkhead tabbing, sound down charging systems. My point there are some things that wont wait and the economy of doing right once rules.

[micah719]

And the tears.....at least they're salty.

[JanetGroene]

Sailvayu is so right. Another big mistake is to paint without proper surface preparation. Take small bites and do each step right. We also do everything with resale in mind. Even if you plan to keep this boat until you die, stuff happens. When we shopped for our first boat, the biggest deal killer was gobs of paint that had been slapped on in hopes of a quick sale. All we saw was layers of crap that would have to be scraped off before our real work could begin.

[zeehag]

i am sooo glad that this boat has (knock wood) good most parts and only needs a lil at a time--makes a difference--and i am glad mine is only less than half wood..LOL fiberglass hulls make a difference...wood is lovely, but.......

[lateral]

Originally Posted by CharlieCobra

Boats, especially wooden boats, are like onions. The more you peel away, the more ya find.

On the money. (Literally) +1
Even the experts have difficulty.
I consulted two very well respected boat builder/designers here on my boat.
Yes, he they said looks fixable. (Worth fixing.)

Several visits later after major boat exploratory surgery he sayes, with a sad empathetic expression; Its kindling.......
For me it was like red rag to a bull.
Encouragement usually come cheap though, even from AC experts as their funds are sourced elsewhere!

You can't just define what is worth doing purely in monetry terms.

[micah719]

I wonder how much of Spray was actually original when Capt Slocum rebuilt her? Perhaps a bit like Grandpa'a favourite knife....only replaced the handle three times and the blade twice.

If I ever find myself in the position to require disposing of my self-built boat for reasons of past use-by, I'd rather see as much recycled as possible. Steel is good for that.

Fibreglass is a little harder. The Trabant cars from the former Commie state of East Germany had a cotton based composite...with the reunification, some bright spark re-engineered a bacterium to digest the fibres in the shredded panels of the former People's Car. Pity he couldn't have made a bacterium to dispose of the pernicious seeds of their ideology as well. We'll be Back to the Future soon....

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by sabray

Then it's the while I'm here stuff. ................My point there are some things that wont wait and the economy of doing right once rules.

Yeah, that where I went wrong? or right? .......well, certainly misunderestimated ......not the actual work or cost involved. nor my skills capability (fairly low - but willing to learn / not afraid to get stuck in)......but the time required for me to do pretty much everything....and the fly in that ointment was not so much a busy life, more me being a lazy bugger (life's curve balls along the way didn't help - but being able to dissapear into the project did help with that, so I call that a score draw ).......with hindsight (foresight?!) I should have outsourced some of the work to other people simply to knock a few years off (would have actually worked out cheaper as well ) - but for me that would have taken away half the purpose (fun?!) of the project.

But the main lesson learnt is that I should have been a lot better organised - I fell firmly into the trap marked "I know what I am doing" . The irony is that professionaly me being very organised is what I major in (albeit the motivation for that is efficiency - the twin brother of laziness ).

Would I do another? Yeah But would have to be something that involved me keeping this boat.........but that one for later.

[Travelnik]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Eelkat,
You want a big project?
Well this is it.
This boat is crying out for a major restoration.
The interior is unique with teak and stained glass panels, but it needs a lot of restoring.


Here is the Yachtworld link...
Do yourself a favour and take a look at the pictures of the interior.

View Boat Photos - YachtWorld.com

This is definitely something I could see my wife and I living on!

Maybe it's time to just sell the house...

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by SimonV

I had A QUOTE to get my topsides spray painted and it just was not going to happen. So I was going to go with the roll and tip. started and a paint guy in the yard, gave me the best advice ever. Just roll on the 2 pac 2 coats 2 days then 2 years do it again and again in 2 years the boat looks good and fresh and you get to enjoy it. after 6 years cut and polish no need to paint. So I have taken this and other advice from tradies in the yard and that is keep on top of maintenance keep up with paint and varnish but don't be to pedantic and enjoy your older boat.

Nice tip. I have a pilothouse that needs repainting and this sounds like the way to go.

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

Noah's Ark replica opens to public (video)

Life-Size Replica of Noah's Ark Open for Visitors - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com

This guy built a 450 ft boat in 4 years. What is taking you guys so long to do a little 'upgrading'?

You didn't count the years he spent arguing with theologians about the length of a cubit.

Rob

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by haiqu

Nice tip. I have a pilothouse that needs repainting and this sounds like the way to go.

Two years ago I painted the cockpit of my boat with Toplac (single part) with roll and tip.

This haulout I am doing the foredeck down to the rub rail. Next haulout I am doing the sides.

The cockpit has worn well and pained in white you can't tell my errors from 10 feet.

I just can't see spending $10,000 (especially in one go) to have a 31 year old boat painted.

I'll post pics in 4 weeks or so.

[zeehag]

rofl--i just learned my consolation prize of formosas has the BOMB deck--mostly fg, hardly any core----f***in-A---lol--i be happy!! the more i find on my formosa the more i LOVE her--is an awesome boat and i am most fortunate to have her.
make sure on your older boats that you do the rebedding of deck top items before rainy season--is only a lil tougher to dry out the wet bits in wet times than dry.

and mast boots--make sure they are sealed tightly and do not allow any water down the mast, dont forget the fitting to which you affix your boot---will save you the work i am currently doing....i think mine was original taiwanese goober....

if i were to do this all over again, i would still own this boat.

[lateral]

I just can't see spending $10,000 (especially in one go) to have a 31 year old boat painted.

Totally agree, but once I start..... the situation, you know how they say in the military, just escalates. Mines 47yro! I pulled my boat for a 3mnth cheap & dirty fix.
Stopped counting at 100k later. Hard space rent = 30k.
But this summer it is going to splash even if it is painted in house paint!

if i were to do this all over again, i would still own this boat.
good to hear Zee, can't say the same, but I ain't bent about it.
Just wasn't smart. At least I won't have to worry about loading the rig any more.