Continue refit or look for something else?

[lsheaf]

So I’ve been refitting my 1967 30 footer for the past year. I’m over 40k into the boat plus initial purchase. I think I just had an epiphany that everything on the boat needs to be replaced. Engine has been rebuilt plus new transmission (New shaft, prop, coupling) new rigging, replaced some structural bulkheads, repaired large blisters in Hull, all new electrical, the whole works. I woke up to 10-15 swarmer termites on my deck after sanding my bowsprit and heavy rain. That’s really not a good sign considering all of the interior wood work I’ve done. Not a good feeling.
Was refitting for pacific Crossing within 2 years or so.

Should I scrap the boat and look for something more suitable? Or stick with it?
Tough decision.

[tkeithlu]

I can't make the decision for you. I can say that you are in a common trap, a project boat that has gotten out of hand and is preventing your actually sailing.

I guess your decision rides on two major points:
Is the now-projected cost of completing the job, with a factor thrown in for as yet unseen problems, more or less than the cost of purchasing a ready-to-go boat that meets your needs?
Are you exhausted? Do you have the energy to see it through to completion, or do you need to walk away from it? Do you have the time needed?

This wouldn't be a known, common to the forum trap if people did not tend to stay with it beyond the point that they should walk. Our nearby yard is littered with boats that have even had several owners, each seeing an opporunity but then each ultimately failing. You might be the occasional winner who completes the job and happily sails into the sunset, the one who assess the situation carefully and bails out, or among the many who stick with it too long.

Good luck. I hope that you make the decision that is right for you.

[denverd0n]

Tough position for you, and I really hope things work out in the end.


I hope your experience can serve as a cautionary tale for all those out there who think that buying a "project boat" is the cheap and easy way to get a boat. It is not.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by lsheaf

So I’ve been refitting my 1967 30 footer for the past year. I’m over 40k into the boat plus initial purchase. I think I just had an epiphany that everything on the boat needs to be replaced. Engine has been rebuilt plus new transmission (New shaft, prop, coupling) new rigging, replaced some structural bulkheads, repaired large blisters in Hull, all new electrical, the whole works. I woke up to 10-15 swarmer termites on my deck after sanding my bowsprit and heavy rain. That’s really not a good sign considering all of the interior wood work I’ve done. Not a good feeling.
Was refitting for pacific Crossing within 2 years or so.

Should I scrap the boat and look for something more suitable? Or stick with it?
Tough decision.

First, have the boat tented for termites. I've seen it done in the water. That will solve your pest problem. See how you feel a couple weeks after that - this might just be a really low point for you.

Second, If you haven't named your boat, suggest "Pot Committed. It's a term poker players use when they know they should fold but they can't because they have too much money on the table.

Good luck

Peter
(midst of a runaway refit myself, thought I expected it so am calling it a Restoration).

[LittleWing77]

UGH! I am SO SORRY that you are faced with such a decision!

THIS JUST SUCKS.

I think, if it were me, I would ask myself. Does this boat make my heart sing? I've been on many boats over the years - some I've absolutely hated, even as I've sailed them long distances.

Then there were the ones who I would have done anything for and loved them, despite their deficiencies and their quirks.

There's a great article from Good Old Boat a year or two ago called, "A Tartan 34C with PTSD". He ultimately finished the refit and has happily sailed and livedaboard her for the past two years. He's now going back to his cottage in Maine or Vermont and put her up for sale this Spring.

You do, potentially, have two more years for the refit....

Fairest of all fair winds to you and may they help you with this bloody agonizing decision,
LittleWing77

[Chotu]

Or another approach.

You’ve already put in your time. The boat is probably ready to go sailing right now. You are just either being too much of a perfectionist, or you’re scared to take her out. Be honest with yourself. It’s one of those two things.

Get yourself over whichever one it is. Engine was replaced. Why? Did it run? If so, you had an engine and sails. All anyone needs to get going. (As an example)

I know from experience. Awful experience.. exactly how you feel. Investing years of your life into a boat sucks. I’ve done it too. You’re a year and $40k in. Try on 10 years (with lots of year long breaks) and hundreds of thousands.

BUT... I’m betting you have the boat ready to go already for a non-perfectionist. Take a year off. With with the boat or just away from her. The time off has definitely made my project crazy long, but it has realigned my mental state to press on.

You could both sail her a bit and leave her a bit by sailing her to somewhere it snows and leaving her over the winter while you go do something else. Side bonus? ALL THE TERMITES WILL DIE!!


Note: please forward my own post to me in a year or two when I’m feeling like crap about trying to get my cat finished. Lol

[LittleWing77]

P.S. I think Peter's idea of tenting for termites is brilliant!

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

P.S. I think Peter's idea of tenting for termites is brilliant!

I had termites on my previous catamaran. They were those tropical ones that fly in and make galleries in your interior woodwork.

I had looked at bombs and tenting. There was a chance of survival with bombs and I couldn’t get anyone to tent a boat. You know how that is. They’re all ready to deliver the exact service you are looking for but the minute you mention boat they suddenly say “we can’t do it, you need a marine exterminator “. LOL

I took it to Maine over the winter and killed them by leaving the boat for 2 weeks.

There were no survivors.

[mvweebles]

15 years ago I moved from San Francisco to St Pete FL. I am a management consultant so up until 2-years ago, I traveled every week. I planned to go to SF very regularly and stay on my boat. Well, SF is a long way from Florida and I didn't get there often, and my boat slowly deteriorated, including some termites which is why I suggested the OP tent his boat.

We've owned our Willard 36 for over 20-years. Both my wife and I are drawn to classic designs, so a Wm Garden designed trawler really tugs at our heart strings (sistership pic attached). But the refit would be expensive - buying her all over again. The best boat for us would be a Willard 40 as it has a second stateroom and a bigger engine room. It's a great looking boat, but not our W36. Plus it would be difficult to sell the W36 in the condition she was in, and we have a slip on the ICW near St Pete that barely fits a 36-footer let alone a 40-footer. So we decided to take the plunge on a remodel/restoration project. We took her down to Ensenada MX (75 nms south of San Diego, and 500 nms south of SF). We have some decent savings and can basically do something frivolous at this level once in our lifetimes.

I am nearing the end of an 18-month refit. I don't know how to categorize cost over-runs as many were simply decisions to do something more, not unexpected expenses - the latter of which have been relatively minor. Would I do it again? I go back and forth on that. I see some boats for sale that are similar price-points to what I've spent and realize how much I've gone overboard. But having a dedicated slip with no expense is huge. Plus, Weebles really is a fantastic boat for a couple. And she will be more or less brand new when done - stripped to the hull for the most part.

To the OP - good luck on your refit.

Peter

[rslifkin]

In my mind, the decision to refit or replace comes down to a big question: For what you'll spend on the refit, could you buy a different boat that you'd be at least as happy with? If the answer is yes, it's probably new boat time. If the answer is no, you'll be happier in the long run with the refit. Even more so if you can break it into chunks so you don't go years without use of the boat.

[mvweebles]

rslifkin: while I agree with your calculus on buy vs refit, a major factor for me was getting rid of the old boat. Not like they are liquid assets. Could take a year to unload.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

rslifkin: while I agree with your calculus on buy vs refit, a major factor for me was getting rid of the old boat. Not like they are liquid assets. Could take a year to unload.

Yes, that too. That's why I tell myself that if I have the money at some point, I'll probably spend the massive amount of $$$ to do some refitting on my own boat and repower it with a nice pair of diesels. It's got a good bit of sentimental value and being older, decent size, and gas powered, it wouldn't be quick or easy to sell either. And anything that would be a real upgrade would only be a little cheaper (including sale of my boat) vs repowering what I have.

[Adelie]

I assume you are on the west coast. What make and model boat do you have?

While implied it was not actually said outright that this was a project boat when you got it. Was it a project boat when you started, or was it that you wanted to make it bullet-proof and perfect?

If you want to make the primary systems bullet proof, won't ever happen, not even with a newer boat. Better to go for redundancy that a single point failure can't screw you. Some things you won't be able to fit or afford redundancy, then beef up that system. Keep in mind critical systems vs nice to have or even very nice to have.

Another thing to consider is that if you finish your refit you will intimately know all about the boat and how to fix it. This is a significant when things go wrong in exotic locations.

I would suggest you put your boat type and your approximate location in your profile. This info shows under your Username on every post and saves people constantly asking the question and you needing to answer. A lot of answers are boat or location dependant.

[Tellie]

I would think for 40k plus whatever you bought it for that there are a lot of 30 footers out there to look at.

[Cheechako]

That's tough. There is nothing more expensive than a Project boat. I have fallen into that trap before. It's a shame. There are some nice boats out there you could have been sailing all this time.
If the boat is sound at this point, once you rid of the termites. maybe just sail it a bit and see what you think. Everything doesn't have to be perfect. At this point do you even know if you like cruising? Offshore sailing?