Realistic cost to refit a 50ft cruising boat

[wet_dreams]

How much should I realistically expect to spend refitting the major systems on a 50ft sailboat from the 1970s if I did all of the work myself.

New engine
New sails
New rigging
New wiring
New solar system
New autopilot
New ground tackle / windlass

Etc etc etc

[Uncle Bob]

Dude, a shipload of money, not to mention the pain and anguish.

[jt11791]

Originally Posted by wet_dreams

How much should I realistically expect to spend refitting the major systems on a 50ft sailboat from the 1970s if I did all of the work myself.

New engine $25K
New sails $25K
New rigging $20K
New wiring $2K
New solar system $2K
New autopilot $5K
New ground tackle / windlass $5K

Etc etc etc

I get $84K, so round up to $100K.

[gonesail]

everything you have.

[Stingo]

It'll be those pesky "Etc etc etc's" that cost the most.

[Sun and Moon]

Originally Posted by gonesail

everything you have.

Gonesail nailed it

[Fore and Aft]

Wet dream and then when you wake up to yourself you find that you have an old yacht design that is worth half of what it cost you. Not to mention a fair chunk of your life that could have been spent cruising. That's just my experience as a marine surveyor who has surveyed project boats that get passed from one dreamer to the next. Or the occasional completed project boat that is almost given away in relation to what the owner has spent in money and time.
I bet if you look at a more modern 40 footer it will have just as much room as a 1970s 50 footer.
Cheers

[5BTM]

About $320K, over and over again.

By the time you finish the new engine will be seized from lack of use, the new sails will be old sails, new techonogy will make everything worthless and obsolete.

[bgallinger]

Everything you've got plus whatever you can beg, borrow or steal.

[GordMay]

Q: Do you know what square roots of negative numbers, and bargain sailboats, have in common?
A: They're both imaginary.

But, in response to all the negativity, on CF, here is a positive post:

[thomm225]

All the above plus when and if you complete the refit you still will have an old boat with an older less efficient design that will be worth a small percentage of the money and time you have put into it.

Then if you do all that and put huge amounts of money into the boat it may be hard to insure.

I did something similar but on a 27' boat.

Replacement engine for example was a new 2011 5 HP 4 Stroke Mercury Outboard which I bought for $1550.00

Just bought new main and jib. It was around $2500 for both.

Still haven't replaced the rigging but have built the backstay. Price for new rigging which I plan to do will be around $2,000.

Solar: Maybe $500- $600 over 12 years. I did a lot of experimenting with PWM Controllers and MPPT's.

Batteries: 3 sets the last being two 6 volt golf cart batteries 220 AH each in series. Should have bought these day one after the diesel failed and I no longer needed a start battery. $350.

Autopilots: I've had 3 at about $500 each.

Ground tackle. The boat came with 2 sets and with a CQR and one off Bruce anchor. I used the CQR for the first 10 years then recently bought a New Gen Mantus M1 for $300.

Inverters: X2. One 400 Watt and One 1500 watt. $200 total for boat.

Replacement dodger and mainsail cover: $1500.

Raspberry Pi 4 computers, VHF w/AIS for chart plotter, NMEA-USB Adapters: $600

With paint, new shades, cabin lamps, custom settee cushion, etc. over 12 years I have about $14,000 into this boat including the $2,000 purchase price

[michaeld]

We purchased Imagine in 2016 for $35K. She's a 1985 Kaufman 47 Cutter. To date, we have put about another $135K into her. I have personally done most of the refits including standing rigging and chainplates. We still haven't addressed her near end of life teak decking, but she's ready for anything offshore.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by wet_dreams

How much should I realistically expect to spend refitting the major systems on a 50ft sailboat from the 1970s if I did all of the work myself.

New engine
New sails
New rigging
New wiring
New solar system
New autopilot
New ground tackle / windlass

Etc etc etc

My quick wag is $100k so the answer is probably $175k

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by michaeld

We purchased Imagine in 2016 for $35K. She's a 1985 Kaufman 47 Cutter. To date, we have put about another $135K into her. I have personally done most of the refits including standing rigging and chainplates. We still haven't addressed her near end of life teak decking, but she's ready for anything offshore.

135k in almost 40yrs ain't too shabby

edit: on an almost 40 year old 47

[Bowdrie]

Saying "a 50 footer" means nothing.
Make/model/type means a lot when you watch your wallet empty.
"Realistic cost" is likewise an imaginary number, it totally depends upon the fit/finish/equipment standards you'll be satisfied with.
Can you fix-up an old tractor/generator engine, (or a 4-53 Detroit)?
Can you go to a place like "Minney's" in SoCal and get a truckload of stuff, hardware/sails/winches, etc. and be happy?
Putting together a simple boat to go cruising needn't require the GDP of a small country.
If you want to wear a blazer and "wow" people with your "Yacht" then the costs can magnify quite rapidly.