i'm spending so much money it hurts

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

Anyone who spends $100,000 on a boat should seriously consider how greedy of a person they are and how much they are taking away from the less fortunate people of the world by doing so. Maybe you should give $99,000 to charity and get a $1000 boat and you would have already started cruising 3 years ago.

While I could rail about how I worked 14 hour days, etc. for my money I won't do a thread drift.

What I will do is to explain why I don't just jury rig everything in my boat(s).

Aside from the fact I am a greedy person that sank a lot of money (and time) into my boats, I want to protect me investment and more imporantly, my life and the lives of those that sail with me.

I would not drive my car with bald tires and faulty tires, nor will I sail with a boat in poor repair. If anything, I would think one would keep their boat in better condition, since it can be a long swim to safety.

Having rowed crew in college, I can admire your sculling about, but that is a bit more difficult, if not impossible in a 35 ft (or larger), full keeled boat. Electric motor, forget-about-it. Used sails? I don't know the condition of sails you can get for $50, but I am a cheap bast@rd and I am willing to spend more than that on something my life will depend on.

Each to his own.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by zeehag

rbel heart--in sand ietgo-- fraser boiler will fab ye heat exchanger and repair your old one
chainplates--go across street from downwind marine and tell the guy owns the place karen sent ye and where to find the metal and such for the chainplates, and provide a template. he will do you up right. check your tangs also-- they are also taiwanse stainless. important to do this. the machine shop is awesome for chainplate work and other stainless machining .
shrouds--check tangs as you replace, buy the material and do it yourself cheaper than having rigger do it. even buying th e materials retail and installing yourself is a savings.
good luck.
san diego is worst place i ever saw for trying to get anything done on the cheap--but there are places to go for good workmanship and quality goods.

Great post Zee!

[rognvald]

RebelHeart . . .A few hard earned lessons worth mentioning:
1.) the larger and more complex the vessel, the greater the expenditure
2.) the simpler the vessel, the least expenditure
3.) if it can break, it will at the worst possible time
4.) if you can't fix it yourself, you will be held hostage by incompetent and
unscrupulous people every step along the way
5.) keep a maintenance list and try to address at least one issue a day
6.) the maintenance list is infinite
7.) maintain a well stocked selection of stainless steel hardware (nuts,
bolts, screws, washers, etc. in multiple sizes) as well as spare parts
8.) have a complete set of tools to fix anything on your boat (see #4)
including power tools as well as manuals for everything
9.) a boat is never finished--it is a functional work in progress
10.) Remember the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.
Your frustrations are shared by everyone who has cruised their boat.
Good luck, safe passages and fair winds.

[SunDevil]

I'm sure the answer is $$$, but why aren't these boats, engines, electrical, etc. built better and more ruggedized from the start?

Use mil-spec stuff where possible, liquid-tight conduit for the wiring, stainless steel and hard plastics. Weight might come into play a little too, but the design of the old wood boat interior with a diesel compared to the clean simple and cold look of a futuristic and contemporary boat with an electric motor for harbor maneuvering and would work great for 50 years before needing some inexpensive parts doesn't make sense to me. I build stuff to get used outdoors for long periods of time with no human contact, there is good things to use, and bad things that need to be corrected before next time.

Oh, and I agree about San Diego, there should be a tourist harbor with free anchoring for a week or two.

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

I'm sure the answer is $$$, but why aren't these boats, engines, electrical, etc. built better and more ruggedized from the start?...........

They could be and some are, but the answer is $$$.
If all boats were really well built and made to last a very long time, most of us on here would not be able to afford them, not even used ones.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

I'm sure the answer is $$$, but why aren't these boats, engines, electrical, etc. built better and more ruggedized from the start?

Use mil-spec stuff where possible, liquid-tight conduit for the wiring, stainless steel and hard plastics.

...because the manufacturers know very well that 98% of them are slip queens. The other 2% are a wash for them. So yes...it is about $$$ for the builders on one end and the end user on the other.

[rebel heart]

Regarding the guy, his thousand dollar boat, his 2.5 gallon water jug, and "hunting land animals" for food, more than anything I find it sad that you need to take pot shots at anyone for their life style choice. I honestly try not to judge others because the older I get the more I realize that there are a lot of things going on in this world and it's arrogance to think that you know the one "right" lifestyle. People have different responsibilities, resources, and needs. I'm honestly a little surprised that in your travels you've managed to stay so close minded.

Regarding money:

I'm just kind of venting with this thread. I know it's the right thing to do, but it's hard shifting gears so much. For the last five years we've been fairly frugal, saving up money to do this. Now it's time to spend the money, and it's hard watching one way of doing things (saving) going the other way (spending).

Regarding the heat exchanger contact, thanks for that, I'll definitely look that up if a new one is recommended over just cleaning up the old. It's the housing, not the tubes; not sure if you're talking about the housing itself.

[rossad]

Everyone on any boat have these questions to answer
What are my needs?
What are my wants?
And if you can reach it honestly your a lucky boat owner.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Regarding money:

I'm just kind of venting with this thread. I know it's the right thing to do, but it's hard shifting gears so much. For the last five years we've been fairly frugal, saving up money to do this. Now it's time to spend the money, and it's hard watching one way of doing things (saving) going the other way (spending).

Regarding the heat exchanger contact, thanks for that, I'll definitely look that up if a new one is recommended over just cleaning up the old. It's the housing, not the tubes; not sure if you're talking about the housing itself.

I think this is a great thread RH, it shows a lot of people the REAL cost of owning a boat, and what it takes to go.

Many people think they can buy a boat and cast off into the sunset, and live on $500/month.

Little do they realize that even a rebuild kit for a water pump can cost a large portion of their cruising kitty. I got that lesson recently when I want to replumb my boat and add a stern shower with hotwater. Each thread I pulled seemed to loosen 4 more.

Somehow I seem to forget all those unpleasant times when I'm on the hook, enjoying a cold one and nice sunset.

[Hudson Force]

As some have already said, there is a huge difference between cost of repair by choosing the process. A few years ago our transmission failed in the Chesapeake. We sailed to a place where we could anchor securely and I removed the transmission and hoisted it into my dinghy with the mizzen halyard. On shore I had it trucked to a transmission rebuilding shop. When it was repaired I took it back in my dinghy and installed it. If I had been towed to a repair yard and asked for the job to be completed I believe the cost would have been many times what I paid. At Elizabeth's Dock in the Dismal Swamp Canal I witnessed an owner pay $300 to have a mechanic come from Norfolk to replace the impeller in his generator. This job can be completed for the cost of the $18 part that should be in your spare parts locker. I'm about to replace my headstay for a fraction of the cost of asking a boatyard's rigger to do the job. I'll take it off; send it out to be remade; pick it up and refit it in place. I'm not suggesting that "Rebel Heart" is just offering an open wallet, but I've seen many who pay far more than necessary.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

Anyone who spends $100,000 on a boat should seriously consider how greedy of a person they are and how much they are taking away from the less fortunate people of the world by doing so. Maybe you should give $99,000 to charity and get a $1000 boat and you would have already started cruising 3 years ago.

You are so alturistic. Boat envy it is called.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Khagan1227

......................I got that lesson recently when I want to replumb my boat and add a stern shower with hotwater. Each thread I pulled seemed to loosen 4 more.

Somehow I seem to forget all those unpleasant times when I'm on the hook, enjoying a cold one and nice sunset.

Man I'm such a miser! I had an image of myself enjoying a "cold one" and a nice sunset; however, my "cold one" was bathing from a cold water bucket on the stern because I'm not spending the money for a hot stern shower! 'still cruised more miles than the US dollars I paid for my boat.

[Rearsteer]

You have a nice solid boat that will take good care of you and your family. Have fun and injoy your cruise! Diesel will be less down south at least.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

I'm sure the answer is $$$, but why aren't these boats, engines, electrical, etc. built better and more ruggedized from the start?

But to be fair, often as much to do with the maintanence (or lack of!) undertaken by the PO(s)......both intentionally and not.

There is a reason why s/h boats tend to cost less than the new equivalents.....and why the "bargains" (size for size) appear better the older the boat gets.

But I agree with the idea of getting stuff sorted now (before leaving "home"), as whilst nowhere near extensively as boat travelled as many others here have nonetheless done my bit of fixing stuff in foreign ports - which is no biggie if you have the time, the tools and the bits needed. IME it's the bits needed that is usually the PITA and can get expensive .

[Cheechako]

Spending extra money on a boat may get you a better built basic hull, but essentially everything else like pumps, rigging etc goes bad at a similar rate, and usually is the same products.... I'm not sure I'd want conduits on a boat.... Boats are not rigid, if the conduits are... then something's gotta give. I think electrical has improved a lot over the years, especially since the advent of tinned wire... so I guess it's evolutionary. Some things change slowly, I worked on a Fed Govt boat contract that specified mil spec wire (low smoke etc). It was not available in Tinned wire, but was more expensive.....These were smallish open boats, so the wire's going to go bad pretty fast, and breathing the wire coating if it was burning.... well.... you better already be swimming by then!