Help me think - 1977 41 Morgan OI Ketch

[a64pilot]

I brought my boat around Fl from Daytona with paper charts and an IPhone. Reason was its database stopped just south of Daytona and I never thought to check that before we left. I dead reckoned from Marathon to Panama City, not perfectly true plotter give give me Lat / Long and COG.
You really don't need ANY electronics, but I would want a good anchor and rode, a good engine with clean fuel in the tank and a good bilge pump / switch.
First couple of years I didn't even have an autopilot, you really don't need this stuff, but it's nice to have


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[Sailingketch]

I'm in a similar position having bought a 36' ketch in January that was made in 1976. It is an Allied Princess. I bought the boat cheap since it wasn't being used and the owner had retired years earlier. I have underestimated the cost of bringing the boat back to life. I originally thought I could do it for $15,000 but now have $25,000 in repairs and still have a long way to go. I think I will have to go to $40,000.

Besides underestimating the cost of the repairs, I underestimated the time it would take to do this. I've had the boat 8 months and think it will take another year to get it to where I want it.

I still haven't addressed changing out frozen seacocks and still need to replace the basic sailing instruments (wind, depth and speed). Basically, none of the electronics worked including engine instruments which has me tending to think the boat had been hit by lightning some time in the past before I bought it.

But, I will say this; I have leaned a LOT by digging into it and taking it one day at a time (actually one weekend and a time) and focusing on one system each visit. I would do it again but I might not buy a 40 yr old boat next time. I've discarded enough old abandoned wiring to fill a truck and wiring it to code has taken a lot of time and money. What has taken time is trying to restore systems that someone in the past jerry-rigged and left no wiring or piping diagrams. After 40 years, a LOT of that took place.

Best of luck to you! This could be your greatest adventure!

Sailingketch

[skipmac]

Been here, done this at least twice and based on my experience I think Sailingketch has summarized the issues quite well.

Originally Posted by Sailingketch

I'm in a similar position having bought a 36' ketch in January that was made in 1976. It is an Allied Princess. I bought the boat cheap since it wasn't being used and the owner had retired years earlier. I have underestimated the cost of bringing the boat back to life. I originally thought I could do it for $15,000 but now have $25,000 in repairs and still have a long way to go. I think I will have to go to $40,000.

Besides underestimating the cost of the repairs, I underestimated the time it would take to do this. I've had the boat 8 months and think it will take another year to get it to where I want it.

Common wisdom, which sounds like a joke but contains much more truth than humor, "Any boat project will take twice as long and cost twice as much as you estimate."

I bought my boat knowing it would be a project and estimated 1 1/2 - 2 years. Launched after 7 1/2 years. A lot of the delays were due to family issues; weddings, long term illnesses, funerals and work related travel but a great deal of the delay was due to a conscious decision to do more of the projects and repairs while the boat was on the hard close to home before launching which puts the boat an hour and a half from home. However, even without the unplanned interruption and change in strategy it would have been at least 3-4 years.

The major costs came in pretty much on budget but when I add up all the nuts and bolts, bits and pieces, hoses and clamps, wires and crimps, odds and ends, this and that I'll bet I did spend close to double my estimate.

Originally Posted by Sailingketch

But, I will say this; I have leaned a LOT by digging into it and taking it one day at a time (actually one weekend and a time) and focusing on one system each visit.

This is a huge benefit to a major DIY boat project. I now know every nook and cranny on my boat, all the plumbing, wires, lockers, (formerly) wet spots with a little soft wood.

Originally Posted by Sailingketch

I've discarded enough old abandoned wiring to fill a truck and wiring it to code has taken a lot of time and money. What has taken time is trying to restore systems that someone in the past jerry-rigged and left no wiring or piping diagrams. After 40 years, a LOT of that took place.

I filled a large trash can with old wiring (including a bunch of lamp cord he used to wire in electronics) and three cans full of old, chaffed, used up pieces of rope. Also three old, corroded faucets stored when the PO replaced them with new (that were also corroded and I replaced so threw away six faucets total), old broken pumps, rotted hose, and the list goes on.

[Hudson Force]

I would want to cruise with reliable sails, rigging, propulsion engine, bilge pump, anchor, VHF, steering and a sound hull along with the required safety equipment.

We cruised for many years without a depth sounder, GPS, refrigeration, water heater, air conditioning, oven, solar panel, auto pilot, heater, anchor windlass, electric anchor light, cabin lights, pressure water, radar, dinghy, and more..... or I guess it's, and less!

I added all these while living aboard and mostly cruising with "do it yourself" alone.
I don't think it is necessary or wise to consider that you need to have everything done before cruising!

[neophyte2015]

Thank you to everyone that posted. I heard the "underestimated costs" statements loudest.

Survey went fine. The only major issue was the fuel tank is the original from 1977.

We added it all up, and as much of a deal as $20k felt like, the costs of adding all the tidbits and replacing the fuel tank made it, as far as we could tell, a $45k boat. Which is probably underestimated. Ultimately, there are 41 morgans, for $40k, and thus, we have passed on this one.

I think we've also learned in the process, that as much as we both are happy to work on, and fix up, and repair... We really don't want to purchase something that we can't enjoy immediately.


We have shopped around some more (I'm really tired of the same day 8 hour travelling back and forth)... We are now onto a very well appointed 36 Hunter.

It's amazing to me how valuable everyone on this forum is. Just, a bottomless pit of people willing to help, advise and help some more. Thank you all for your knowledge.