Is it Worth the Effort ?

[Hillbillylad]

I'm looking at this motor sailer on ebay and am considering putting an offer in.
Does it look from the pics like it has been flooded or is it just me?
I was considering offering around 2k for it. I know it needs a lot of work to be Bahamas worthy, but as a poor war pensioner it's about my price range plus elbow grease.
Any issues with these boats i should be aware of? Or should I just start running from it anyway?
I know a lot of folk on here consider anything less than 50k a wreck but I also know many on here are as frugal and destitute as I am lol. That aside, I consider opinions on here honest and sincere.
The plan is to work on it until winter and hopefully have it fit to cross the gulf by then. If I get that far I have no intentions of coming back.

1971 HALMATIC 880 TWIN KEEL DIESEL MS RESTORE PROJECT - eBay (item 190487975676 end time Jan-14-11 11:22:50 PST)

[James S]

I do see what looks like a water line on the intereior, about a foot above the sole.
That's about the only comment I'm qualified to make.

[chadlaroche]

thats alot of project...... you looked at craigslist in your area? I saw a 30'grampian for sale in tampa ,running and sailing for 3500 just last week

[David M]

I would say it has definitely flooded about a foot above the cabin deck. How much damage it has caused can only be determined by looking at the boat in person.

[colortec]

Hi there.

Looking at your questions, about the boat on E BAY.

I are also retired and have an BAD Swedish pension.
Have byed an old boat from 1975, and start to resturate this one, slowly when I have same money extra..

You don,t need to have the boat READY in one week or months.
You can still sail with a boat, who need restauration, and works, the important are TO SAIL !!!

The most important are naturally as the:

HULL ARE INTACT AND STRONG.
THE RIGGING AND MAST ARE OK AND NOT NEED REPLACEMENT IN FEW YEAR
THE ENGINE ARE OK, AND IN GOOD CONDITION ( can see you have an diesel engine, safe even if it,s old)
Can you get spare parts for this engine, and transmission ?

The sail you can always firn on E Bay cheap, it,s not important to bye new sails, as many do.

There are on web a lot of used sail for sale, if you looking.

I have find out the cost for SLIP, are the most problematic, and very high in many states.
I find a cheap slip and pay only 150 $ per months for an 35 feet ( old ) sailboat.

Don,t give up your idea,s my friend !

I are 65 year and have several operations behind me, and also other seriosly sickness, who I don,t speak about or think about.

I will sail this summer, before i to old for this.

Happy Sailing

[Hillbillylad]

Thanks for the replies all. I emailed the seller and he says it was rainwater in the cabin at one time and the hull is half inch thick with no osmosis.
I'm still looking, and will have another look on craigslist too ty.
As far as doing it goes Colortec, good on yer. I agree, the restoration can take as long as it takes I'm not worried about winning a beauty contest but it will need to be seaworthy for my plans. Once I buy it, both myself and fiancee will have to move onto it to live. With that in mind, it's a commitment with no turning back so I need to be sure. On the face of it , it looks a huge job but most of that gunge will come off with a pressure hose in a couple of hours.
Still looking though and thanks all for the input.

[callmecrazy]

Hi,

I've seen this boat on ebay for a few months now. It has definitely been flooded and the water sat for a good period of time. That doesn't mean it can't be fixed, but it is a very bad sign. this is pretty much a project boat, even if it had never been flooded. For the price it's at right now, you could do much, much, better. For this price (around $5000) you should be in a boat that is ready to sail and motor. Unless you really love this boat and are wanting to restore it (for some ungodly reason), then it is not worth the money at all.

I count at least 15 other boats listed on ebay right now that are similar size and price range that are in substantially better condition.

Just my humble opinion

[Hillbillylad]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

Hi,

I've seen this boat on ebay for a few months now. It has definitely been flooded and the water sat for a good period of time. That doesn't mean it can't be fixed, but it is a very bad sign. this is pretty much a project boat, even if it had never been flooded. For the price it's at right now, you could do much, much, better. For this price (around $5000) you should be in a boat that is ready to sail and motor. Unless you really love this boat and are wanting to restore it (for some ungodly reason), then it is not worth the money at all.

I count at least 15 other boats listed on ebay right now that are similar size and price range that are in substantially better condition.

Just my humble opinion

i was going to offer 2000. I had seen it on there before and he has it listed with some other boats. My main problem is I'm sat in the mountains of West virginia or i'd be down Florida looking at them for real. The boat itself looks one step away from being abandoned lol. I'll take a reality check and keep looking for something better I guess, though I do like the idea of a motor sailer I had one when I was back in England and loved it. Just desperate to get the hell out of this place and start a new life in sunnier climes. The clock is against me as I am quite ill so I don't want to waste a minute just gazing at pictures.

[Wand]

If, as the seller says, it has no osmosis, then it would be a great pickup. Rain water in glass boats matters not one iota. With glass, a polish and scrub and a quick paint and it will look remarkably better. Then you can tackle anything more difficult with a good start behind you. Remember, you don't have to get it all right before you start sailing; do it slowly and it'll bring a lot of pleasure and you'll really have something good at the end. Put it this way, if it was in my local waters, I couldn't resist...

PS: crazily overpowered though...

[John A]

If it was flooded, then draw a chalk line around the high water mark and replace everything below the line. Everything in the engine compartment for starts plus all electrical wiring. Figure $10,000 to $15,000 for a two year project.

Your choice, but I'd keep looking.

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by Hillbillylad

i was going to offer 2000. I had seen it on there before and he has it listed with some other boats. My main problem is I'm sat in the mountains of West virginia or i'd be down Florida looking at them for real. The boat itself looks one step away from being abandoned lol. I'll take a reality check and keep looking for something better I guess, though I do like the idea of a motor sailer I had one when I was back in England and loved it. Just desperate to get the hell out of this place and start a new life in sunnier climes. The clock is against me as I am quite ill so I don't want to waste a minute just gazing at pictures.

Yeah dude, take your time...
There are two Albin Vega's on ebay right now that are great offshore boats and worth restoring (if you must restore something). You gotta realize (and I'm learning this the hard way) that older boats, even in good condition, need craploads of money to get them ready to "go". So you really want to start with as much as possible. Look for boats that have been upgraded, updated, and actually sailed. boats that have been sitting for years, or look as if they were abandoned are not worth anything unless you are a collector or a boat boat builder. Don't worry too much about design and all that, just get something in good condition that fits you and your fiancee well enough.... that's going to require seeing them in person for sure. try looking at whatever is available as close to you as possible, without regard to price or condition....just get out there and look at boats in person. then you'll get a really good idea of what to look for somewhere else (like ebay or Florida).

Originally Posted by At sea

If, as the seller says, it has no osmosis, then it would be a great pickup. Rain water in glass boats matters not one iota. With glass, a polish and scrub and a quick paint and it will look remarkably better. Then you can tackle anything more difficult with a good start behind you. Remember, you don't have to get it all right before you start sailing; do it slowly and it'll bring a lot of pleasure and you'll really have something good at the end. Put it this way, if it was in my local waters, I couldn't resist...

I'm only saying these things because I just spent the last few months actively shopping for a boat, and probably 3 years prior doing research and shopping online. Trust me when I say, it does not matter what the owner says. You must see it in person or figure out your own way of judging the general condition of boats. Water sitting in a boat may be easily repairable, but its also a sure sign (and in this case an admitted detail) that the boat has been completely neglected. Which will mean its a complete "project" boat.

You want a boat with a good motor, good sails, and a sound hull. You can alway replace rigging, sleep without cushions and cook on a camp stove... but you gotta start with a solid foundation.

(edit) sorry, I missed that... quite ill??? dude, you definitely don't want a project boat! pick a price, then get anything available that both sails and motors. just go....

[speakeasy]

Originally Posted by colortec

Hi there.

Looking at your questions, about the boat on E BAY.

I are also retired and have an BAD Swedish pension.
Have byed an old boat from 1975, and start to resturate this one, slowly when I have same money extra..

You don,t need to have the boat READY in one week or months.
You can still sail with a boat, who need restauration, and works, the important are TO SAIL !!!

The most important are naturally as the:

HULL ARE INTACT AND STRONG.
THE RIGGING AND MAST ARE OK AND NOT NEED REPLACEMENT IN FEW YEAR
THE ENGINE ARE OK, AND IN GOOD CONDITION ( can see you have an diesel engine, safe even if it,s old)
Can you get spare parts for this engine, and transmission ?

The sail you can always firn on E Bay cheap, it,s not important to bye new sails, as many do.

There are on web a lot of used sail for sale, if you looking.

I have find out the cost for SLIP, are the most problematic, and very high in many states.
I find a cheap slip and pay only 150 $ per months for an 35 feet ( old ) sailboat.

Don,t give up your idea,s my friend !

I are 65 year and have several operations behind me, and also other seriosly sickness, who I don,t speak about or think about.

I will sail this summer, before i to old for this.

Happy Sailing

Welcome to CF and the best of luck to you as you search through and repair your old boat and get about the business of living past the age of descent, 65, which I achieved today. Despite, I might add, the prediction of a few who knew me well that I'd be dead by 30. Ho Ho. I've outlasted a few of those predictors. But be warned, you must find good advice and give yourself to the restoration until the boat can do what you want it to do.

To the OP, well, the boat appears to be a treasure trove of disfunctional items to repair. Unless you love that specific boat, I'd look for a really strong boat with good systems that goes begging for love because of the awful economy. There are real bargains to be had if you look closely, and have the discipline to walk away from the disasters. Good luck!

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by speakeasy

To the OP, well, the boat appears to be a treasure trove of disfunctional items to repair.

That made me chuckle

Sorry but this boat needs to go a a young student who doesn't mind hours of back braking work cleaning this up and working long hours in a gas station to pay for the refit. Once that is done its not going to be the worlds greatest sailing yacht and its resale value will be .............

An up and running Albin Vega for similar money? hmm that's better.

Pete

[ncarter]

Hillbilly, If your are in WestVirginia, then you arent that far from Annapolis. Check the Craigslist here regularly...there are always free boats listed.

[David_Old_Jersey]

I nearly bought one a few years back. A few over here as with the bilge keels can dry out easily.

Had a good crawl over her a few times, but fell down on price and hull was a bit suspect on Osmosis (didn't put me off - just wanted that in the price ). My take was that fundamentally as well built as you are going to get - but age and lack of tlc will affect any boat. The one in the link could be a good basis if you have the time & cash (and I would suggest settling on workmanlike finish rather than boatshow).......and know exactly what you are getting into before hand.

Sailing wise she won't be winning any races (and a boat where you would want to be relying on the engine to power you off a lee shore), really about majoring on accomadation. Having said that, I would be happy to take her pretty much anywhere - even if not always happy to be on her. But depending on use could be ideal.

I still like that cockpit............

Not sure if you are come accross this link.

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