BEST thing a previous owner did to your boat

[markpj23]

Fair & balanced... that's me

So as I was resolving the bilge disaster (see my rant in the other thread) I came across an ingenious way to mount the bilge pump float switch.

The PO got a long piece of flat nylon stock - like from an old batten - and mounted a standard float switch to one end. At the top end he drilled a hole and through-bolted it to solid structure near the deck plate framework.

So, when that float switch fails I don't have to dive all the way to the bottom of the bilge and struggle with mounting. I just remove the wing nut, pull the nylon 'stick' out of the bilge and replace the switch. All while standing upright / sitting in comfort.

Others have to have discovered some 'good' things or neat tricks done to their boats by previous owners. Tell us about it!

[David M]

The previous owner of my boat was Tom Watson Jr of IBM, who has now passed away. He left some items behind which I think are pretty cool.

If you remember IBM"s motto from years past it is "THINK". Well, there is a sign onboard that say "THINK"...and in tiny little letters below it, it says, "or thwim".

He also left on board a very old oil painting of an old salt, which really goes well with the boat that is still mounted on the collision bulkhead forward.

The boat is a custom designed Sparkman & Stephens power boat which is rather rare. Watson had a number of S&S sailboats designed for him over his lifetime.

The boat was built in Maine and the guys who built the boat signed the inside of a wood panel that I only discovered when I had to replace the rubrail (thru-bolted through the aluminum hull)....over thirty years later from when the boat was constructed.

I also have the boats original log with Watson's entries.

The boats original name is "Come on Daddy" because his kids frequently wanted to go out on this boat and they would ask "Come on Daddy, we want to go out on the boat"..so I have been told by a special person who would know.

[GordMay]

The best thing many P.O.s could have done is NOTHING.
The absence of amateurish “upgrades” and fixes , can be a huge head start for the new (next) owner, who doesn’t have to “undo” them.

[Pura Vida]

Left the wheel OFF. My boat was delivered from the C&C factory prepared to have a wheel installed by the delivering dealer. Fortunately the original owner realzed what a mistake that would be for this boat and never finished the install.

[CharlieCobra]

Let's see, quite a few owners in 46 years but.... The owners that had her from the late 70's till 2002 or so did a lot of good things. Sails, complete resto (nicely done), bowsprit and boomkin (mahogany and bronze), sail covers and bimini's, dodger, forestay and staysail. The 4-108 Perkins was an improvement over the original Gray Marine engine. The Lewmar ST bronze winches are nice too. The jury is still out on the C-Flex job, though it was done really well.

[stoupidmonkey]

I have to second the "did nothing" post. The owner, who passed away, never really did anything as far as upgrades go. It hadnt been painted, varnished, anything. The engine, though, had its oil changed and serviced by a mechanic and rebuilt 5 years before my purchasing of it. All the systems are 35 years old, but are still running. Hot water heater on down to the blower system. Columbia was a very good builder, as far as Im concerned. The worst thing I have found, thus far, is that the bilge pump switch was ghetto-wired with aweful wire, not even taped around the connection and dipping into the water in the bilge. Short circuit to say the least. Luckily, I dont have to sand down old paint and varnish to repaint her and do a restoration.

[Alan Wheeler]

Best thing PO did? Sell it!.

[imagine2frolic]

Alan,

I have to agree with that, and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time with the right amount of money.....LOLOLOLOL

[Joli]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Best thing PO did? Sell it!.

Thats funny. Ditto that also for us.

[Charlie]

After making an offer on my current boat and it had been accepted I found out that the boat was an effective lein sale. The owner was in FL had a Chicago address and the builder and broker were doing a refit in Vancouver BC. The PO told the yard to do all this work -- pull the mast check all spars, remove the deck and replace all soft core, rewire all under wired items and the list goes on. Well the yard bill was approaching $100k and the PO didn't have the money. It sat in the yard for close to two years. I made a low offer. The yard/broker convinced the owner that he should accept my offer and the yard lowered their bill by $60k. I didn't get everything fixed on the boat but I got it for $50k under the typical selling price for equivalent boats. Sunk most of that money back in. If I ever buy another boat I will buy one that is in really good shape and just keep it up rather than buy a fixer.

[S/V Elusive]

I had such a twit for a PO. He didn't even know that he had a Maxi-prop!!! Boy was I pleasantly surprised when I did a haul-and-hang for the surveryor to plunk away on the hull (no, none, zip & nada blisters too!).

[Alan Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler
Best thing PO did? Sell it!.
Thats funny. Ditto that also for us.

Well it's a simple case of, some people shouldn't be allowed near boats. Our PO had no clue and I really mean no clue. He bought it cause it looked good to have a boat parked out in front on his mooring I think.

[ksmith]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

Alan,

I have to agree with that, and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time with the right amount of money.....LOLOLOLOL

Amen to that.

[rebel heart]

Dropped a brand new Yanmar engine in, in late 2000. It's still running like a champ.

The worst thing he did was make everything engine powered. The damn thing worked like an RV when I picked it up; I think he was expecting to run the engine pretty much all the time. His care of sailing items was non existent: you can't even make a full revolution of the main sheet without hitting the dodger.