60 ft on the Chesapeake - It Begins !

[DSDman]

Thanks for the encouraging words, every little bit helps in some way. I just went to that buc value link from another thread and that also made me feel a little better about all the time and money I'm putting into it. I'll be back at it this weekend. Been sewing cushions tonight and manufacturing custom bits to remount the dingy stantions.

[DSDman]

Sort of relaxed day on the boat. kids played with the dink, I finally got the davits squared away. Back at it tomorrow working on finishing up odds and ends from all the different projects. Still got a pesky leak from chain plates I can't solve, and it sure does pour in when it rains hard. Dangit...

[DeepFrz]

Keep in mind that the leak could be someplace other than the chainplate. Try a hose on different fittings and see if the leak shows up.

[DSDman]

Finally back up where it belongs!



Another nice day on the boat. Feels good to actually finish something.

[shamrock]

Looks Great! Nice job on the decks

[DSDman]

Thanks, just to be clear it's only the aft deck. I think this winter I will be grinding and fiberglassing the front decks. When the PO did those they didn't do it right so I will be redoing them all again. It looks like they just pulled up the teak and then put a thick antiskid down. Well that is all starting to fail and i'm back to a deck with ten ten thousand holes in it! At least I have some practice now!

[DSDman]

Surprise today. Got the cushions back. They look great! All done for less than a boat buck!

[tankersteve]

Really impressive. The sheer amount of work accomplished, with the grinding, bedding, etc is blowing me away.

Tankersteve

[DSDman]

Bacchus is present tonight and the wine is flowing! So as we sit in and among the assorted destruction of a sail boat my friends and I are having a heated debate about the benefits of refurburing an older boat. There seems to be two camps. one says hey you are having some fun and this is an adventure so press on, the other says since you are not on any timeline just sell the thing and save your money for the next ten years and buy a new boat. I don't know how to set up a poll and probably cant do it from a smart phone anyway. My only point of argument is that I have not found another boat out there, new or used, as salty as these nautical developments. I'm afraid I'll never find another like it in the future...just not economical to build them like this anymore. I don't think the assembled guest here appreciate the reality of modern sailboat construction. So I put it to the world of self proclaimed opinionated sailors. What do you think? Buy what you like cheap and fix it up over the years or save all that money and buy something new when you are ready to leave. The constant variable here is, for the sake of discussion, a ten year time frame from either purchase date to launch or start saving date to launch. Salude!

[minaret]

Originally Posted by DSDman

....I have not found another boat out there, new or used, as salty as these nautical developments. I'm afraid I'll never find another like it in the future...just not economical to build them like this anymore.

That was exactly my reasoning in purchasing and refurbing my present boat. I feel pretty vindicated too, when I see new versions of the same boat which I don't like as much as mine, and also "new" designs that look remarkably similar to my 30 yr. old boat, all for four times what I will have into mine when all is said and done. And they are not as well built for my purposes either...

[S/V Antares]

True inspiration... I am babysitting a 60 refit and you have truly made my day. So...after all this work do you need a job? I need some help!

I have done similar projects but I have never seen this amount of work done so well so quick. Hope to see you on the water!

[DSDman]

Haha thanks for the kind words! After I finish the other 9000 things on the list I would be happy to help. So as I count it thats 2 votes for get it now and just work on it. 0 for saving up and buying new. This winter promises to be interesting. We are now debating on, to haul out for the winter or leave in, which would be better/easier. but thats for another thread I suppose.

[S/V Antares]

I think this thread will accomodate the winter concept.

I hate ladders so if all the underwater stuff is done... launch. However it all depends where and how far down the dock it is. Nice puling the truck/car up to the boat and land vs water storage. I had a great winter on land under a cover once. Got a lot done. Had a girfriend with a land based house so that helped.

You can be a cruiser and do the same work in different places.

[ShaunJ]

My vote would be leave it in for the winter, we don't get enough ice that the bubblers can't handle it. Plus you can be on your boat all year and sail more than most on the Chesapeake Bay.

[DeepFrz]

And just think how well you will know your boat when you do get it done. Oh, wait, its a boat. You never get it done.

But you will know it well, have the skills and the confidence to keep it going and it will all be so much less stressful later on.

I admire the work that you have done...