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Old 11-07-2011, 16:19   #31
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ShayW View Post
Now fuel tanks are built in with no inspection ports and would take a torch to remove.
This would be enough to scupper the deal for me. I get a feeling that your heart's in this boat and you will not be deterred. Good luck, keep us informed as to how the project goes.
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Old 11-07-2011, 18:47   #32
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

Yes, the tanks are a concern for me. And even tho there is a lot to like we are not in love with this boat yet. But then again I wouldn't put so much effort into a boat I didn't like. We'll have to decide this week. We are thinking that since our lives already are filled with projects taking on another huge one might not be wise. We do want to be successful at fulfilling our dream.
Thanks for everyone's thoughts!
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Old 11-07-2011, 19:00   #33
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

My 2 cents:

Take MarkJ and a few other's advice posted before me. Take a holiday, fly to the BVIs, and boat shop. Stay on the hard, look for obvious problems, narrow your choices to 3 or 4 boats in your price range, but INSIST on a test sail of the boats you REALLY like.

The test sail will tell you if that particular boat "talks to you". The rest is up to you, but most likely you'll be ready to sail away for about the same money.
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Old 11-07-2011, 19:02   #34
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

Ready set go!!!!

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...url=&imc=pg-fs
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Old 11-07-2011, 19:42   #35
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

I'm familiar with the Endurance 35... had a couple build one next door to me in the PNW back in the late 70's. They are a solid, seaworthy boat but it sounds like the one you are looking at is in need of major work just to make her seaworthy again.
You can take $70K and buy a really solid cruiser that is well fitted out but may need some cosmetic work you can handle yourself. The problem IMHO is, you might get half way through the rebuild and lose interest, energy, $ or whatever. Then you are stuck trying to unload a boat that might be pretty unsaleable.
If I were you, I'd probably walk before I got into something that I couldn't sail within a couple of months... good luck... it ain't an easy decision... Capt Phil
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Old 11-07-2011, 20:21   #36
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

That looks like a perfect boat for you Salty!
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Old 11-07-2011, 21:24   #37
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

Looks more like Ready Set SLOW.
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Old 11-07-2011, 22:41   #38
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Old 12-07-2011, 05:02   #39
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

Shay, I can't say whether you would be getting in over your head without knowing more about your skills and capabilities for doing the work that is required yourself. What kinds of tools do you already own, for example?

Here is my list of how to prioritize boat projects:

0) Make sure you are starting with the right boat -- a quality design originally built by a quality builder, that will be well suited to your ultimate purposes.

1) Make sure the boat is not going to sink -- pay attention to your thru hulls, seacocks, and plumbing, etc...

2) Make sure the keel is going to stay on.

3) Make sure the mast is going to stay up -- replace standing rigging, chainplates, etc...

4) Make sure the water stays out -- repair deck coring, repaint deck and redo non-skid, rebed hardware, etc..

5) Make sure the boat will not catch fire -- redo electrical wiring, etc...

6) go sailing!

Stuff like fresh awlgrip on the hull topsides, a nicely finished interior, etc... -- things that are more cosmetic -- can probably wait.

But you need to sort out for yourself what NEEDS to be done vs. what would be nice to do -- your goals and envisioned use of the boat that will determine this.

I am not familiar with the Endurance 35 and whether or not it meets my priority 0...

Also, I agree with the advice to offer less -- assuming 20K is the seller's asking price, offer, say, 12... With used boats, especially one's needing any extensive work, it really is a buyer's market.

FWIW, I bought a 34-foot project boat 6 years ago for $8K that I spent about 18 months overhauling (as documented at this link), with continued ongoing improvement projects since. We've been racing and cruising the boat extensively over the last 4 years, doing quite well with it, and just had a blast racing to Bermuda and back. So just to offer a counterpoint to the naysayers, it can be done successfully (but you've got to have skill, capability, knowledge, perseverance and willpower....)
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Old 12-07-2011, 14:21   #40
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

Thanks Catamount for the great advice. Today we are leaning towards walking away. We really don't want to make our lives miserable for a year or more. Perhaps if we had all our projects at our home and rentals finished taking on such a project wouldn't feel so overwhelming. And considering that we will need to put in $40k just to make her seaworthy is hard to get excited about.
We'll see what happens...
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Old 12-07-2011, 14:45   #41
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

ShayW;
A final note to nail the coffin closed....
We are completing a refit on a 52' Kanter; 1997 vintage, really nice boat which I owned for 5 years before I could retire and get away...
We are 53 and 58 yrs old, both professionals and have money... extremely experienced (been boating for 35 yrs) and extremely hands on mechanically skilled....
We estimated it would take three months and $75K to finish the boat to perfection; with us doing some of the work....
We are just finishing, 18 months later, and I stopped totalling the financial spreadsheet when I exceeded $150K.....

I will tell you that we are on the east coast of FL and should have oodles of skilled marine craftsmen to choose from, but they are few and far between. Many times we ended up doing or redoing a job because we were not happy with the results, or ended up doing it ourselves because of the price.

I know our scale is much larger than your scale, but I will also tell you that age plays a factor. I refit a 43' cutter in my 30's and it was much easier than climbing a 16' ladder 20 times a day in the FL heat in my 50's....

We are very happy with the results, but it has taken a toll. I understand that no boat is "turnkey", but look for the least amount of refit possible. The truth is that, if someone else has done the work, you are paying less to buy it than it cost to do it, particularly in this economy. Every project costs more and takes more time than you estimate; not to mention the "add on evils" encountered during the process.

Wishing you the best of luck.
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Old 12-07-2011, 15:06   #42
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

Theres a Corbin 39 for sale near me for 79k, She returned from a multi year circum nav. She is sweeeeeeeeeet. If the draft were a tad shallower I would have made an offer.
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Old 12-07-2011, 15:54   #43
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

Great deal if ur happy that's all that matters
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Old 12-07-2011, 19:55   #44
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

In the words of my buddy who flies CF-188s......

Eject, Eject, Eject.

If you are getting long in the tooth as I am, don't do it. Save your money, look around a bit longer and get one that's turn key or near turn key. I ended up buying the boat of my dreams and got a turkey instead. So be it, I'm committed and must stay the course.

You, on the other hand, have been given good advice and can profit by it.


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Old 12-07-2011, 20:24   #45
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Re: Are We in Over Our Heads, or Just Ignorant About What it Takes to Refit ?

I've done three re-fits, swore I'd never do another after number two. The basic problem I see with this is that you have a long list of projects that you know of, but that list will grow exponentially as you dig into things (and the cost will multiply as well). The poster above that is into month 18 of a 3 month re-fit really says it all, and I think that is fairly typical from my experiences.
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