Free restoration helping hand

[The thespian]

Hello guys I am currently living in miami fl right now and am looking to offer a free helping hand to anyone looking to restore their sailboat to sailing or livable conditions in exchange for a mentorship on restoration and or maintenance. In the years to come I plan on purchasing a used sailboat so I would like to learn as much as I can about restoration since the boats in my budget will need a fair amount of repairs. I have the basic wood working skills and learn fast. Not looking to be part of a sailing crew just want to help with repairs and restoration. Im especially intrested in mechanical, wiring and cosmetic repairs. I am available in the miami dade, fort lauderdale, pomano beach area. If you would like to know more dont hesitate to send me a message.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, thespian.

[The thespian]

Hello and thank you gordmay its a pleasure to be on board

[Jim Cate]

G'day Thespian, and welcome to CF. I'm a looong way from you, and don't need help with restoration, but your offer sounds like a restorers dream... an interested and motivated apprentice/gopher/helping hand. Surely someone will take up your offer, so good luck and learn lots. I applaud your enthusiasm and desire for knowledge.

Jim

[roland stockham]

If only, but I am based in Canada and boat is currently in Panama (country not city). At the same point as you I bought and old 26ft wooden Folkboat and restored it. Good 'learner' project and not to expensive when you make mistakes.

[Dymaxion]

Internship idea would be great, maybe a new item for the classified ads section. Like crew wanted.

[TheThunderbird]

Anyone like you, a
Boat's angel, available in the Med?

I find vacationers only....

[Sojurnr]

Contact Jim Edwards of Vintage Boat Services <http://VintageBoatServices.com>.

Great guy; he and family live aboard one of his current restoration projects a little ways up the Miami River. If he doesn't want your help (but I strongly reckon he will) he may point you in the right direction. In any case, he's someone you'd want to get to know as a person anyway.

Good luck, you'll be living one of my dreams.

[Don C L]

Welcome aboard thespian! I sure wish you were on this coast! Have I got some great training opportunities here!

You might be interested in threads about re-fits too. Here is a good one that shows every step of the process of a total re-fit:
Cruisers & Sailing Forums - refits of note

the first one listed has 3 links to a full layout of photos of a Pearson Rhodes 41 refit. Pretty impressive.

[Mithril Bham]

Wish you were here. My suggestion is to work cheap rather than free.
Good luck.

[jheldatksuedu]

I agree with the cheap instead of free, It's like when I play poker, I enjoy a game where everybody antes up $5 for the night, it's not enough to hurt anyone if the loose, but it sure makes them serious about the game. With no money involved people do stupid things, but make that chip worth a nickel and they get serious real fast. Work for room and board or something to make the person serious. You most likely can find a boat that needs work for nothing, you just need to find a place to keep it for nothing while you work on it. Maybe you can swing some deal for dock or yard space for a boat.

When you don't understand something give a yell out here and many will jump at the chance to help you out. Good luck.

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by The thespian

Hello guys I am currently living in miami fl right now and am looking to offer a free helping hand to anyone looking to restore their sailboat to sailing or livable conditions in exchange for a mentorship on restoration and or maintenance. In the years to come I plan on purchasing a used sailboat so I would like to learn as much as I can about restoration since the boats in my budget will need a fair amount of repairs. I have the basic wood working skills and learn fast. Not looking to be part of a sailing crew just want to help with repairs and restoration. Im especially intrested in mechanical, wiring and cosmetic repairs. I am available in the miami dade, fort lauderdale, pomano beach area. If you would like to know more dont hesitate to send me a message.

Hi Thespian,

I have a 1980 Morgan 462 docked on the New River in Fort Lauderdale. I'm getting her ready over the next 2-3 years to go off extended cruising, and have some interior remodeling to do, along with other upgrades and repairs. Just spent two weeks on the hard doing bottom paint, new prop shaft, coupling, cutless and intermediate bearings, shaft seal, etc. Trying to do as much as possible rather than contracting it out, as there's no better way to learn. If you're interested in my project, perhaps we could get together for a cold beer, take a look at the boat, and chat. Hopefully we can help each other out. I'm no expert, but have learned a lot just by doing. And later I could help you with your boat too.

I'll send you a private message with my contact details.

Regards,
David

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

G'day Thespian, and welcome to CF. I'm a looong way from you, and don't need help with restoration, but your offer sounds like a restorers dream... an interested and motivated apprentice/gopher/helping hand. Surely someone will take up your offer, so good luck and learn lots. I applaud your enthusiasm and desire for knowledge.

Jim

X2

[The thespian]

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your feed back. Its great to be part of the boating community (even if I don't have a boat yet). To those of you who have recently taken a chance on me and trusted me with your boat, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to learn and acquire a skill set that is priceless to anyone who wishes to travel the world and live on a sailboat. It is unbelievable how much maintenance these floating homes require but I cant say it upsets me since I like working with my hands. Plus the pay off of traveling the world and its seas, away from suburbia and 9-10 jobs makes it a journey worth taking. And to those of you who live far away don't worry I will keep you in mind since I will eventually start traveling and Canada and cali are definitely on my list.

Thank you and safe sailing to all.

[Papasail]

Thespian...

I'm handier than a shirt pocket, and if you don't have (any) tools, buy a nice (metal) toolbox, and start your quest to learn more. Ask for tools as Christmas presents from friends and family (and find estate sales).

Must haves:
Needle nose pliers/ get 2
(Original) Vice Grips
You'll wind up collecting too many damned screw drivers, but get the ones with super strong tips.
A short (flat) L-shaped crowbar.
Cheap chisels (a ton of uses).
Get both metric and standard socket sets: get the good ones, you'll thank me later.
A set of standard and metric ratchetting end-wrenches (so good!). A great hammer/ and a small mallet (like a small sledge hammer) and a few hole punches). Fiskar garden shears. A razor knife. Medium sheet metal cutters (spring loaded). Heavy duty pliers that can cut wire. Medium channel lock pliers. X2 medium and large adjustable wrenches.

A (non-battery operated) drill.
An electric vibrating pad sander.
A high-speed grinder (+cutting blades). A 50 foot heavy duty extension cord on a reel (like a fishing reel). A dremel tool: go for the tiny fiberglass high-speed cutoff wheels, some wood boring bits, and go to a specialty store and find drill bits that allow you to mill sideways (milling bits): crazy handy.

Brasso
PB breakfast/ or a small tin of penetrating oil.

Zip ties in all sizes.
Plastic freezer bags for parts.
Seperate box for handiest bolt/nut/washer sizes.

Small butane solder gun/ solder.

Learn (now) the difference between annealing, hardening, and heat tempering metals. Know that by overheating metal you can "work-harden" it, and make your own job 50 times harder (mostly by drilling and getting it too hot)(you might not be able to drill through it ever again). Fat drill bit/ go slow, as the sizes get smaller drill faster: you can't push hard on small bits/ they snap off: let the project cool several times, or apply ice/ wet rag.
Don't harden it!!!

Get serious about your tool collection, and it will reward you the rest of your life!!!!!!!!!!

*will work for tools

Ask handy oldtimers, and they hardly leave home without a toolbox.

Learn to:
Arc weld
Tig weld
Brass braise
Solder
Brad pieces together with brass rod.

That oughta getcha started
Bill