At My Wits End

[boatman61]

A trick to get you home if its the fuel...
get a 25L fuel container and fill at a garage... rig a syphon with some dinghy fuel hose with a squeeze pump in the middle. Stick one end into the tank and the other onto your engine filter intake... make sure the filters good... not sure what your consumption is but you can top up on the move if you carry extra.. just make sure everything is well secured... including the fuel line.
The head sail is all you'll need.. when its on the nose motor sail the tacks.. don't hammer it.. 4-5kts is good if its choppy

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Chopper1973

Thank you for your possitive imput, Jim. I'm sure things will turn out fine. We see this as an experience more than an ordeal. We fully expected to run into problems. We just didn't think they would hit all at once. We've met quite a few interesting people and what little sailing we did was definately worth experiencing. Here's to many more miles on the water.

Good attitude man. I had my mast and standing rigging off for over a year and a half as a shitty yard had the whole thing hostage. Living on a sail-less sailboat that looked like dogshit for so long can really make you question whether or not there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

But I think the more you talk to people who've stuck it out in the sailing game for a long period of time the more you'll hear people going through insanely long ordeals.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by Chopper1973

The sails that came with the boat seem to be the original sails and appeared to be in fair condition. The jib still looks ok but the entire foot of the mainsail in ripped.

If the foot is the only damaged part of the main you can use it with a reef (or perhaps two) in it.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by boatman61

A trick to get you home if its the fuel...
get a 25L fuel container and fill at a garage... rig a syphon with some dinghy fuel hose with a squeeze pump in the middle. Stick one end into the tank and the other onto your engine filter intake... make sure the filters good... not sure what your consumption is but you can top up on the move if you carry extra.. just make sure everything is well secured... including the fuel line.
The head sail is all you'll need.. when its on the nose motor sail the tacks.. don't hammer it.. 4-5kts is good if its choppy

I still have my crappy little 12 gallon fuel tank when my 100 rusted and leaked. It's a pain in the ass using a safety siphon to dump fuel in underway from cans but we've probably logged ~2000 miles with it now and in total it's been less work than doing a "real" repair would have been.

It's not ideal by any means but it sure beats sitting on the dock.

[rgscpat]

To be kind to the seller, the boat may have been okay at one point, but could have deteriorated while sitting idle for sale. There are some great threads about how to self-survey or pre-survey a boat that you can probably urge any other prospective boat owners to study.

There are used sail sellers (Minneys, Bacon's, etc.) where you can get decent used sails for a third or so the cost of new.

[Cheechako]

Sounds like you need to get stable somewhere, get used to living on the boat, earn some money so you can fix things. First , fix the engine. You can get from point A to Point B with a good engine and no sails. I am a bit worried that you have a boat that may need a lot of things.... it was probably a bargain, or seemed to be. Good sails dont rip very easy from most the normal winds seen in florida. My guess is it was rotten... just too old. Boats take a lot of money to get in shape and keep in shape, that is why most people work on their own boats, are you ready for that? How long since that boat was out of the water?

[Tim R.]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

To be kind to the seller, the boat may have been okay at one point, but could have deteriorated while sitting idle for sale...

BS. The owner is still responsible for the upkeep and maintenance or the communication to the new buyer that it worked fine when laid up x years ago.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Tim R.

BS. The owner is still responsible for the upkeep and maintenance or the communication to the new buyer that it worked fine when laid up x years ago.

What? Is this some kind of new rule?

I think the old rule was "Buyer beware", and I think it still stands.

Most people selling boats think higher of their baby than reality should indicate. They think back to that "new" piece of electronics they just added -- in 2007! No need to trash the prior owner, since they really may have had no idea. Certainly, it's up to the purchaser to determine the condition of the boat, including such basics as motor and sails.

Some sailors are pretty good at telling you the actual condition of their boat, but you can usually identify them fairly quickly.

[Tim R.]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

What? Is this some kind of new rule?

I think the old rule was "Buyer beware", and I think it still stands.

Most people selling boats think higher of their baby than reality should indicate. They think back to that "new" piece of electronics they just added -- in 2007! No need to trash the prior owner, since they really may have had no idea. Certainly, it's up to the purchaser to determine the condition of the boat, including such basics as motor and sails.

Some sailors are pretty good at telling you the actual condition of their boat, but you can usually identify them fairly quickly.

Not a new rule. It is called maintaining your boat properly. The idea has been around for quite some time although ignored by some owners especially when they decide to sell.

I agree that buyers should beware but I could not sleep if I misrepresented anything I sell to the new owner.

[Paul Annapolis]

Well, at the risk of pretty much pissing off everyone, I am going to take a wild guess that the sailor who pursued his dream was trying to save dollars and cut corners everywhere. It's an educated guess, but you have risked your wife and two small children along with this as well. You tried to make it somewhere --out of an inlet? under a bridge? on a 37' boat without engine>>>?????

Did you have the boat surveyed? It's an older boat--was possibly in charter and likely in the tropics--was probably for sale real cheap and your eyes got real wide yes? If I am totally out of line--tell me, but I suspect I may be on to something. Plus you were undercapitalized to begin with. You did not wish to spend money to properly survey the boat or engine or hire a professional to advise you or go through a broker or help you sail the boat either? I could be totally wrong. Sailors do like to help each other as is evidenced in your experience and with replies online here, but sometimes you simply have to pay to play. Now you have to figure how to proceed--at least with the boat you have a home. Stay put, get work, save some money..or get everyone to the Keys and take your job, cut your losses, get the boat on the hard and have a "fire" sale....As a professional captain and sailing consultant, I find I lose business all the time to people who are trying to do this sailing thing as cheaply as possible. People who would otherwise never cut corners with a car, a house or any other investment or business or in hiring a lawyer, accountant or doctor but with sailing think it can be done on the cheap. It can...but you need to know what you are doing so the choice is to either learn from your own experience--as you are doing--and risk great and serious problems and challenges or learn from the experience of another who you are willing to pay for that. Provide more details about the boat and the mechanical problems and your options and maybe we old crusty sailors can perhaps offer more advice. Just make a list of all your options and be prepared to make a tough decision and maybe lose your savings....how much did you send on this Morgan 37???? that was prbably at least what--30 years old???

[ty.gregory]

Chopper, I cringed reading your post and I cringed reading the responses as most all seemed to say that what happened to you is somewhat of a "common problem". I have nothing to offer in the way of advice because I am in the market for my first real boat.

I can't help you, but perhaps you can help me avoid whatever mistakes you might have made regarding boat purchase...

Was the price you paid considered a great deal at the time?

How old is your boat?

Did you get a profesional surveryor to look it over prior to purchase?

Do you have any (hard earned) advice you can now pass on to other future boat buyers?

Thank you in advance. Please keep us posted on how this all plays out for you and your family. We are rooting for you!

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Tim R.

Not a new rule. It is called maintaining your boat properly. The idea has been around for quite some time although ignored by some owners especially when they decide to sell.

I agree that buyers should beware but I could not sleep if I misrepresented anything I sell to the new owner.

Let me know if you ever want to sell your boat.

[Chopper1973]

Paul. You pretty much hit the nail on the head. Inexperience, lack of money, and an appearent good deal. Once out of the inlet my sailing was good. I could point it faily well. A storm just off of Jupiter inlet, and a healthy unexpected gust in the night was the final straw for the sail which was probably less than perfect. The boat is a 1976 with original sails, engine, generator...

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by ty.gregory

Chopper, I cringed reading your post and I cringed reading the responses as most all seemed to say that what happened to you is somewhat of a "common problem". I have nothing to offer in the way of advice because I am in the market for my first real boat.

I've noticed a distinct trend among boat sellers. When they stop USING a boat, they also tend to stop MAINTAINING it.

Then they want to get out of it the sum total of what they put into it.

The problem is that boats are depreciating assets that require maintenance even to keep their current value, in addition to slip fees.

[Chopper1973]

And I agree. "buyer be ware".