Derelict Boats - Not Florida

[capta]

When I saw those pics, I too thought "what nice lines".
I sincerely doubt that she could be brought back for as little as some of you think, unless someone could do all the work themselves and even then??? It is very likely she'll need a considerable amount of replating and unless you can put her in someone's back yard (quite often a death knell for older boats in itself) and have the time to get it done reasonably quickly, it would be a pretty hefty yard bill.
That said and of course I haven't seen her personally, I would love to see this one brought back and I think she'd make a very nice cruiser.

[SunDevil]

Originally Posted by Dennis.G

Get serious- If the owner of the boat was going to fix it up, might have done something in the last 4 years.

Crap like this is clogging up anchorages in every port. The more it happens, the more rules and regulations are created to make life hard for those who use their boats in a responsible manner.

San Diego had a nice free anchorage. Got taken over by bums with derelict boats. I considered moving my boat there years ago, and spoke with some of the boat owners. "Why ya have 3 boats?"..."Well when one sinks I have 2 left... get them free so what the hell?". Decided that free anchorage was not worth the price! San Diego closed the anchorage and created rules, rules, and more rules. Big pain in the ass to anchor anywhere in San Diego now thanks to the legacy left by those bums and their derelict boats.

Yes, I agree that it is a problem, and I think that the 'rules' should be that any boat has to meet certain appearance rules or they can move on (or be active in a repair of it). I like free anchorages, at least for travelers who aren't staying more than 3-4 weeks.

My house has to have the grass mowed in front of it, and can't be run down in my city. There are a lot of other zoning and building codes that have good and bad parts to them as well.

It will be a long time before I tackle another project that would take that much effort. Especially since I have a job and can work for a year or two and save every penny and buy a decent boat that can set sail within a few days.

[sailorchic34]

If it were me, I'd find a cheep yard, haul, remove all the junk on the inside, sandblast the hull inside and outside, prime and pain, Order a spool or two of wire. Its a ketch so the cost goes up, though the mizzen has what look like zinc primer on it. Had not though about hull needing replating here and there. There goes that budget.

Was figuring getting the hull, "Used" engine and standing rigging done in yard, then finish the inside at a easygoing marina somewhere. But not next to Dons boat ;-)

Your right, if you don't have the time to do it all yourself and pretty quickly then the yard bill will start hurting.

It was a pretty boat at some time in the past...

[haiqu]

To me that thing is an eyesore, but then beauty is in the eye of the beerholder after all.

I watched in amazement yesterday as an eBay auction for a 32' Warwick Hood design moored in Sydney's Parramatta River - about 2km from my mooring - closed at $308.98 and even if the boat was neglected the value of stuff on board was far higher than that. The owner must have had some financial woes and just wanted to get rid of it.

She had taken on some water and the starter motor had seized, then the harbour authority required it be moved to a marina due to regulations. It had masts, rigging, sails, jib furler, good instruments and an engine that wouldn't have taken much work to get running again.

Neglecting a boat is stupid, if you aren't using it then sell it. The old owner can now move on, and the new owner has a dream to fulfill. But he has to move it TODAY and start paying $300/month rent and working on it immediately, thus the cheap sale price. Not many people are prepared to jump when such bargains come along.

I should also note that the owner has also had two non-paying bidders since 26 August, and this is the third time it sold. Lots of deadbeats out there.

[bobconnie]

WOW !! I guess that our boat might be a bad looking boat to some !! altho it's Clean and has no rust !! But it could use a nice pretty Paint job but the paint on it is just faded ! not dirty or flakeing !! Folks who very seldom use thier boats but can pay for someone to buff it and stuff like that give me a PITA !! I wash my boat every week and touch up paint when needed ! But some might say it looks rough to them! I mean it had No Bright work, anywhere but below decks !!LOL and thats the way I like it !! some of you folks have more money then common sense!! Sailorchick see's what some of us see, a well made, but in need of repair, REAL Cruiser, if she was fixed up I would be proud to share a anchorage with her ! but then I look at substance not shine !! Just my 2 cents

[haiqu]

Here's a photo of that bargain:

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Just so everyone knows, derelict boats are not a problem for just Florida. The attached boat is anchored right in the middle of the mooring field in Provincetown Ma in a great spot behind the breakwater. Since it is anchored to something it has enough swing room around it for at least 4 moorings. Meanwhile I was rocking and rolling out in the open the other day.

This boat has been there at least 4 years. I guess as a plus it floats still, but what happens and who pays when it finally sinks right wher it is?

There was another "boat" there at anchor that at night was just a seagull nesting area. But I guess it doesn't count as I saw someone on it last week.

Don...Is that a steel boat rusting or a cement boat with it's internal wire gassing off?

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Looks like a great handymans special. Gee a little sanding and painting and the steel hull should be good as new. Clean the water and stuff from the interior, New interior, etc.etc. throw in a good used engine, rerig and new sails and it would be a nice boat.

Sits well on its lines for being neglected. Any takers???

...You first...we'll watch!...

[sailorchic34]

Its a steel boat with lots of flaky paint and a wee bit of rust.. (I downloaded and zoomed in on the photo's.). If it was in the bay, I'd have to think about getting it pretty hard. As it is, i always wanted an east coast boat...

Still pondering it.

[markpierce]

Got'em plenty here. Just an example:

[DeepFrz]

Someone's dream turned into a nightmare.

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

If it were me, I'd find a cheep yard

Aye, and therein lies the rub. Lots of boats I'd have bought if they were near a cheap yard and didn't look like sinking before they got to it.

I've spent months looking for yard prices that would make a repair viable, and even looked at renting a house with a river at back. No way, no how. If it can't be done while the yacht is still afloat it's out of my budget range.

I'm not talking here about simply slipping a yacht for a repaint. If there's hull damage then all bets are off, it could take months.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by haiqu

Here's a photo of that bargain:

That is a nice boat for sure. Though mine is about the same vintage but a us model...

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by markpierce

Got'em plenty here. Just an example:

HA had my Eye on that tug too. Pitty it went aground by the sugar mill. Saw it then too.. Its on a sand bar in the photo, its not quite as bad as it looked

There was a fella liveaboard it when it was anchored in the napa river across from mare Island.

Not enough sails for my taste though....

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by haiqu

I'm not talking here about simply slipping a yacht for a repaint. If there's hull damage then all bets are off, it could take months.

I'm thinking the OP cover boat would be a three month yard bill at a minimum, but thats only $3-$3.5K. Well at some places anyway...

[Dennis.G]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Gee from some yachties standpoint, I'm one of the Boat bums, Well boat bum-ette, on a derelict, anchored in the waterways. Oh its not that bad, but my boat could stand a coat of sears weather beater :-)

Sorry looks like I hit a nerve there.

Please, I do not consider for a second that you are a bum or bum-ette. My issue is with people who have no intention of fixing their boat, know that it will eventually sink, and figure that at that point they will move on and it becomes someone else's (i.e., taxpayer's) problem. When that happens again and again, you get the reaction you got in San Diego, and then just try to anchor out in your boat.

Used to be ports would have a few boats abandoned, and they would just let them sink. Now with more and more derelict boats, and with the existing EPA regulations and concerns about the toxic waste represented by these sunken boats, they have become huge financial burdens on the ports. Results in many cases are that legitimate boat owners and cruisers get screwed with anchorage closures, high fees, and lengthy restrictions.