Refurbing / Refitting an Older boat - Advice and Ideas

[LoveMyWoodie]

Originally Posted by Geoduck

I bought a wood boat because I like wood and hate fiberglass. I have built several steel & aluminum boats and dont like them either.
I thought about buying a cement boat because it was so cheap, I could add it to the underwater state park when I was done with my summer fun. I still dive so I could enjoy it for years to come and it wouldnt cost me a dime. I wouldnt have any trouble deep sixing an old worn out steel boat either.
Wood boats are a passion and they are cheap but dont buy one unless you can keep on top of it. But if its cheap enough - sail it to Mexico, have some fun and give it away when you're done with it.
I did this back in 1966. I bought an old 25' folk boat for $250. Sailed down to the Sea of Cortez for 6 months, had a bawl, gave it to a kid and went home before it got too hot. This is what I should do now but I like my old teak ketch too much to get rid of it yet. Maybe next year?

I love wooden boats

-getting the best deal is far more important than getting the right boat-

Every hour spent looking and shopping and waiting...for that special deal,

is like paying yourself a hundred dollars an hour.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Tia Bu

"Perfect" is the enemy of "good".

+1

Took me a while to learn that

The irony is that I like the look of a working boat (bumps, scrapes and imperfections = character ) - but nonetheless am a bit of a perfectionist who is (still ) without all the skills to match, at least often not first time .


The mistakes I made / would do differently (next time? ):-

1) Would have kept the boat in (easily) useable condition - that was the intention, but that kinda slipped away from me.......but I did have a couple of years of use to gather my thoughts.

2) Planned the refurb out a lot more (I do know better ). and got more organised onboard.

3) Bulk bought consumables (i.e. screws / sandpaper / wood etc) from the getgo.

4) have bought a 90 degree cordless drill from the start

5) have bought a sanding disc for the drill early on....bit of a bodger's mate but quick to shift stuff

6) had some small projects that I could finish, so I could feel progress (even if a bit of a self-delusion ).

7) Not nap so much in the afternoons .

[hogfighter]

Thank you all for your insight into this subject. I have been eyeing an older boat that needs much updating. Although she has beautiful lines, there is much that needed to be done to bring her up to snuff.

After reading all of these posts, I've decided to keep looking. It might have been fun to fix up that beautiful old boat, but was I prepared to enter into a project that would have taken me at least 2 years, and at the end I would have lost money? I was not.

Once again, thank you to all who have traveled before me....

[sneuman]

I couldn't agree more with the likes of angloff, jobi and acquarian, among others!

A project boat can be a downer, too. I have my down days. But it also has its rewards. As people stand at the dock and admire my boat (they invariably do), I get to say "I did this and this and this." In fact, I have never hired anyone to do anything on my boat, it's all been my hard work.

In Symbiosis, there's enough of me in her and vice versa to make the name more apropo than I could have imagined when I re-christened her 4.5 years ago.

Yes, I endure the slings and arrows of my friends who bought new boats and go sailing (or at least can talk credibly about leaving the dock), while I am stuck working on mine. So be it. When they have a problem, they call someone and pay $85/hr, the going rate. When they have a problem 5,000 miles from the Chesapeake, there may be no one. That prospect doesn't phase me.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by hogfighter

Thank you all for your insight into this subject. I have been eyeing an older boat that needs much updating. Although she has beautiful lines, there is much that needed to be done to bring her up to snuff.

After reading all of these posts, I've decided to keep looking. It might have been fun to fix up that beautiful old boat, but was I prepared to enter into a project that would have taken me at least 2 years, and at the end I would have lost money? I was not.

Once again, thank you to all who have traveled before me....

There are probably exceptions to this in the current market in the US where a boat can be had for a song but, generally speaking, from what I've seen, heard and experienced, the buyer is going to lose money on a boat and no matter what is purchased will either work on it, pay someone to work on it or watch it slowly rot away.

I have heard enough people say, "I thought it would only take a couple of years to get the rebuild done", who haven't got in the water after ten years to suggest that unless one has the experience of rebuilding a boat in a short period of time and if one wants to be sailing by the end of the period then the boat should be something that can be sailed from the get-go.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by hummingway

There are probably exceptions to this in the current market in the US where a boat can be had for a song but, generally speaking, from what I've seen, heard and experienced, the buyer is going to lose money on a boat and no matter what is purchased will either work on it, pay someone to work on it or watch it slowly rot away.

I have heard enough people say, "I thought it would only take a couple of years to get the rebuild done", who haven't got in the water after ten years to suggest that unless one has the experience of rebuilding a boat in a short period of time and if one wants to be sailing by the end of the period then the boat should be something that can be sailed from the get-go.

I think it's less about experience and more about psychology. Many people haven't the stamina or the attention span for a project that takes a few hours, let alone a few years. That's one of the reasons there are so many derilect boats in the first place.

If you happen to be one of those people described above, don't attempt this at home, as they say.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by sneuman

I think it's less about experience and more about psychology. Many people haven't the stamina or the attention span for a project that takes a few hours, let alone a few years. That's one of the reasons there are so many derilect boats in the first place.

If you happen to be one of those people described above, don't attempt this at home, as they say.

That's what I meant by experience; unless you know you're the sort of person who can do it, your better avoiding it. I imagine most of the people who get into it and get lost figured they were the type who could do it though.

[delmarrey]

And for the PCer's who are into saving the environment . Rebuilding is recycling and the old materials haven't gone to waste.

For what I paid for my boat at the start up wouldn't even pay for the materials to build the hull nowadays. And I've put three times that in on new gear, which is what would be on a new boat anyway. But complete, for half of what I would have paid for an equal boat. It's just my labors that would total out to the full cost, that I could have put in on a job I didn't like, or put in on the boat, which I prefer.
In the end it really all comes out about the same. I just prefer it this way because I'm a Craftsman. And this is what Craftsmen do!

[SVNeko]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

In the end it really all comes out about the same.

Not really. This way you know your boat much better than someone who paid cash for the sweat equity you put in. That pays dividends down the road.

[hogfighter]

From what I am gathering, it's more than simply about skill. It sounds like those that make their own flies to go fly-fishing. If you are doing it to save money on flies, you won't. If you enjoy making the flies, then go for it.

Same for rebuilding a "barn find". You (most likely) won't save money. It will take you much longer than you think. But if you enjoy the work, then do it.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by hogfighter

From what I am gathering, it's more than simply about skill. It sounds like those that make their own flies to go fly-fishing. If you are doing it to save money on flies, you won't. If you enjoy making the flies, then go for it.

Same for rebuilding a "barn find". You (most likely) won't save money. It will take you much longer than you think. But if you enjoy the work, then do it.

No, no. Not true. Including what I've put into my boat $$$-wise, I still have a boat that cost approximately half as much as new. I could buy a different boat for what I have in this one, but it wouldn't be a boat I'd want to go cruising in.

[w1651]

Look a new boat runs in the hundreds of thousands right now. A good old boat for less then half that.
And some of you are saying: Where's the savings?
I can refurbish my boat to the hilt on less then 10,000 and I intend to. But I can do all the work myself.I live on board and work at my own shop.
I have a one thing a week policy.
Right now it's all about varnishing things in a week. I am breaking the inside into pieces and in a week I do this piece, then that piece next week. I have locker doors that are being varnished and next week it'll be the port side locker frame, shelving,chain plates and the bulk head.
Everything in it's own time and Rome wasn't built in a day.
Go get your supplies and start working on it packing away money for the next project and sooner then later it will all be done.

[goboatingnow]

In my experience, there are "boat builder" types and " boat sailor" types. the first enjoys the whole prospect of the build and doesn't really care about actually sailing. The second should just buy a boat and go.

Dave

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

In my experience, there are "boat builder" types and " boat sailor" types. the first enjoys the whole prospect of the build and doesn't really care about actually sailing. The second should just buy a boat and go.

Dave

I think it's 50/50 for a lot of us. Too much sailing can be boring and too much work/maintenance can be weary. For me it has to be a compromise. I enjoy both.

[hummingway]

It isn't just a comparison between new and old though. It's also between old but reasonable fit and doesn't float or floats but that's about all you can say. I think this is where you can say, it might be cheaper to by an older well loved boat then an older boat that has been neglected and fix everything.

Of course, not all experiences will be the same.