I Wish I Never Bought This Boat

[Auzzee]

I would take everything off her of any value and start selling the bits on eBay. The hull, which I am sure is strong and well built, is worth very little. I would either take it home, and do as the scandinavians used to do and use it as a roof for a hut with sturdy walls, or offer it to the local fishing club to sink as an artificial reef. The only other thing I would consider is offering it as a direct trade for a motorcycle or older car which you would be more able to sell quickly.

The sooner you quit the boat, the sooner you can renew your interest in practical sailing.

[s/v Beth]

Don't feel bad. Many of us have parted out a boat we have gotten overhead in. And I see boats torn down every year at the yard. It just happens.

[lateral]

I am eight years into a project boat/complete rebuild. Its kinda like a marathon; You just can't stop. Wanted to pull the pin many times but I had a good mate to share the frustration with. Some years we didn't do a stroke.
The hardest thing is working to pay the bills then find the energy to get to the boat. Then there is the money for the boat.......catch 22. I have seen more than a few people fail. You just gotta recognise the point where you must cut your losses.
'cept I can't.
That is not much help. but at least you know you aint alone.

2012-07-30 | Slideshow

[Wand]

This thread shows again the gulf between those who enjoy working on their boats, playing with materials and wrestling with the tantalising problems that watercraft throw up, and those who just want to lounge barefoot with a frosty glass under a sail on a gentle sea.

Mark77 needs to work out which group he belongs to. If it's the former, keep the ferro and if it's the latter, sell it and get plastic.

[SurferShane]

Mark, thanks for sharing. Hopefully a lot of those people who want to run out and buy a big boat will take heed!

[rolandgilbert99]

Originally Posted by ArtM

I think you're talking about a complete boat. I'm talking about a "hull" - a floating chunk of formed fiberglass with no equipment or cabinetry installed.

You may get a complete used boat the size and construction of a Corbin 39 built in the 80's for $120K, and you could get a brend new hull the size and quality of the same size for AT LEAST $120K, assuming some company will still build with those specifications! Shop around and see by yourself!

[rtbates]

what's the old saying about the most expensive boat being a FREE one...

[flo617]

Those are words I repeat to myself everytime I go to the boat to work on it so at least twice a week. I try to keep it sailable though and it can still handle the SF bay slot aparently so I guess I should not feel so bad after all.

The boat doesn't look so bad on the listing. If it's just because of the engine, you might be able to find a used one for a fair price.

But if you hate your boat and feel like you will never be able to trust it, then indeed. get rid of it.

I feel your pain although I'm not there... yet

Florent

[lateral]

"But if you hate your boat and feel like you will never be able to trust it, then indeed. get rid of it."

Once you can't trust your boat your fate is sealed. I may as well of burnt the money I paid the surveyor. POS masquerading as a surveyor. Don't need one now...eight yrs down the traps.
My advice to anyone during a sea trial, is, sail it HARD. Load it up. Immediately after it go over with fine tooth comb.
If the owner objects, walk away. This procedure would have changed my journey.
Hindsight.......

My first boat, the owner took me for a sea trial in 20, gusting thirty knots+, I wanted to postpone but he was adamant and only 1 reef & #2. "You wanta find out about the boat"?
Basturd had me on the foredeck changing headsils.Neerly lost some fingers...amonst other things.
I thinking he was trying me out, not me trying his boat. We got knocked flat twice. He had this maniacal grin on his face & I was a noob.
I should have twigged from the bragging of dents in the coach roof from tuning turtle in the pacific.
Truth in his logic tho'. Guys a squillinaire now. He had attitude!

[Danibug]

Originally Posted by Mark1977

\
This is just a warning to people thinking of taking on such a project...........
IT WILL DRIVE YOU NUTS...........

For me it would depend on how much of a Project boat it is and if you have any help. We bought our boat cheap knowing it needed alot of work, I actually have LOVED working on our boat and hated sitting around all summer waiting for the temp to decrease to start again.

I call her my labor of love. Of course I have a wonderful husband who is technically proficient and we work well together, MOST of the time. Just now I am redoing the interior teak wood and painting some and even though I estimate 100 hours in total labor, maybe more I can't wait to do more.

I think this is because I can actually see a difference when we work on our boat. We replaced the engine, fuel system, electrical, cleaned painted repaired leaks and are now tackling the rigging, so now the boat has been sailable and much better than before.

I don't know if I'd be so enthutiastic if we had been working on our boat for 3 year without seeing any real improvements or it being sailable. I also don't know If I could do it all by myself. Sure I can scrub teak, paint, and fix leaks...but most things are WAYY better with two people.

Sorry to hear you have had such a hard time. I hope you can get it sold and get back to something meaningful and fulfilling.

[Danibug]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

The hardest thing to convince people is that they won't really save that much money. A project boat should not be about saving money. It should be about fitting and kitting the boat to the owners specifications "at full price" - any savings from putting in one's own labor should be considered a bonus.

LOL, isn't that the truth. We bought our Westsail 32 for $30k thinking it would only cost $30k more to make her ocean ready, when other Westsails in the best shape ready to go with equipment were going for $80k (could probably get one for $65k or $70k).

Of course we didn't have $65k or $80k right up front but we could do $30k, plus we hadn't ever owned a sailbot before or done any work on one.

Now as it stands 3 years later I estimate we'll have spent $90k including boat price and thousands of man hours fixing her up. Now I don't regret it, but I will admit I thought we would have saved money buying a "project boat" even though I had read that hardly ever ends up being the case before we actually bought her. I thought maybe we could estimate well, overestimate even but still we are way over where we thought we would be.

However now I know the boat inside and out and have fallen in love with her. It's kind of like a marriage...all the hard work, money and time spent to make it what you want is a big commitment. I'm not sure Tate and I will ever sell this boat. Maybe we'll just go on our sailing trip, then live in coastal areas and work when we get back, living on her forever.

Oh the things we tell ourselves to rationalize our decisions.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by rtbates

what's the old saying about the most expensive boat being a FREE one...

Yep.... I've had emotional/romantic notions of wanting a cheap boat many times, but the reality is..... you can almost always buy one that's not a project for the same price, or less, than rebuilding one. But you dont have to spend years before you go sailing. There are always fun projects to do on a boat without rebuilding the whole thing. Vintage cars are the same way pretty much, Somebody's 90% done project will cost you half of what he's put into it!

[lateral]

Originally Posted by Danibug

LOL, isn't that the truth. We bought our S34 for $30k thinking it would only cost $30k more to make her ocean ready, when other S34's in the best shape ready to go with equipment were going for $80k (could probably get one for $65k or $70k).

Of course we didn't have $65k or $80k right up front but we could do $30k, plus we hadn't ever owned a sailbot before or done any work on one.

Now as it stands 8 years later I estimate we'll have spent $120k including boat price and 4 thousand + of man hours rebuilding her. Now I don't regret it, but I will admit I thought we would have saved money buying a "complete rebuild boat" even though I had read that hardly ever ends up being the case before we actually bought her. I thought maybe we could estimate well, overestimate even but still we are way over where we thought we would be.

However now I know the boat inside and out and have fallen in love with her. It's kind of like a marriage...all the hard work, money and time spent to make it what you want is a big commitment. I'm not sure and I will ever sell this boat. Maybe we'll just go on our sailing trip, then live in coastal areas and work when we get back, living on her forever.

Oh the things we tell ourselves to rationalize our decisions.

Deja vue! Never a truer word! And once you start you are committed and a lesser person ( in your own mind) if you fail. (cut your losses). Maybe that just me (Being older & all).

[Danibug]

Originally Posted by lateral

Deja vue! Never a truer word! And once you start you are committed and a lesser person ( in your own mind) if you fail. (cut your losses). Maybe that just me (Being older & all).

This one had me laughing. I'm glad we're not alone in this process. I imagine it happens quite a bit. Maybe so much we could call it normal.

Either way at the end of the day I'm the happiest I've ever been and it always seems to get better.

[Mike OReilly]

The myth of the cheap boat is kinda like believing in the fable of Santa Claus, or honest politicians . It's nice to hope they are true, but sadly they have no basis in reality.

As someone who has never had a lot of money, I've viewed my boat buying options as either:

#1. Use the bank's money to buy the boat I want now, then slave away at the "job" for many years to pay the bank back.

OR

#2. Buy the bones of the boat I want now, and slave on the boat for many years to build it up to what I want.

I'm into my second cruising boat now, and both times I've gone with option #2. I certainly don't save any money doing it this way -- the boat costs what the boat costs. But by building the boat slowly, I'm not beholden to anyone. I work on my terms (not the "boss' "), and I get to learn all these wonderful skills, like:

• fibreglassing,
• diesel mechanic,
• plumbing
• electrician
• rigger
• etc.

Add to this the joys of:

• shortening my life from breathing all manner of chemical fumes,
• learning new yoga moves as I defy physics by squeezing my bulk into impossible spaces and contortions, and
• getting to know the local Emergency room while they stitch me up from yet another self-inflicted slice or dice.

So really, the choice is clear ... I think .