Refurbing / Refitting an Older boat - Advice and Ideas

[mitiempo]

You can use whatever foam you wish - it should be close celled foam though. It's purpose is to create a small gap so the tabbing carries all the load and there are not any hard spots against the hull. You can do it properly without foam as well. The way to do this is to use plastic spacers and install the tabbing on one side. After it has set remove the spacers and tab the other side. This is the method Morris Yachts uses.

When I installed the partial bulkhead for my stove I used Ethafoam cut in a trapezoid with the wider section against the hull for the tabbing to follow instead of filling the corner space created totally with thickened epoxy.

[woodguy]

Back in the late 1970s my first wife died of cancer at age 32. Within a year I had bought a Southern Cross 31 hull and deck with the idea I would finish it off and sail the world. The effort was part of the grieving process and gave me something to focus on outside of my job which I didn't much like at the time. I found a small boatyard in an industrial area with indoor space to work for a reasonable price. As a bonus, a much older fellow and his wife were already there building their own boat. He was an engineer and a genius. Over time they became my best friends. He also became my teacher. From him, I learned more about boat building and engineering and life than I ever would have from any school. Over the next decade and a half we never finished our boats but we had some great times at 'the yard' punctuated by some terrific parties! Alas, the boats got sold, eventually. None of us ever sailed off into the sunset. Do I have regrets? Well, I miss sailing and may buy a small boat someday to use on one of the small nearby lakes in southern Wisconsin. Would I do it again? YES, in a heartbeat. It got me through a very difficult emotional time and I made the best friends ever! And, I learned a lot of good stuff which has served me well since. These are rewards I never anticipated but were more than worth every penny I spent on the boat.

[Cheechako]

Great post!

[aquarian]

Originally Posted by woodguy

Back in the late 1970s my first wife died of cancer at age 32. Within a year I had bought a Southern Cross 31 hull and deck with the idea I would finish it off and sail the world. The effort was part of the grieving process and gave me something to focus on outside of my job which I didn't much like at the time. I found a small boatyard in an industrial area with indoor space to work for a reasonable price. As a bonus, a much older fellow and his wife were already there building their own boat. He was an engineer and a genius. Over time they became my best friends. He also became my teacher. From him, I learned more about boat building and engineering and life than I ever would have from any school. Over the next decade and a half we never finished our boats but we had some great times at 'the yard' punctuated by some terrific parties! Alas, the boats got sold, eventually. None of us ever sailed off into the sunset. Do I have regrets? Well, I miss sailing and may buy a small boat someday to use on one of the small nearby lakes in southern Wisconsin. Would I do it again? YES, in a heartbeat. It got me through a very difficult emotional time and I made the best friends ever! And, I learned a lot of good stuff which has served me well since. These are rewards I never anticipated but were more than worth every penny I spent on the boat.

Well said!!! This is what living in the moment is all about!

[lifeofreilly57]

Originally Posted by woodguy

Back in the late 1970s my first wife died of cancer at age 32. Within a year I had bought a Southern Cross 31 hull and deck with the idea I would finish it off and sail the world. The effort was part of the grieving process and gave me something to focus on outside of my job which I didn't much like at the time. I found a small boatyard in an industrial area with indoor space to work for a reasonable price. As a bonus, a much older fellow and his wife were already there building their own boat. He was an engineer and a genius. Over time they became my best friends. He also became my teacher. From him, I learned more about boat building and engineering and life than I ever would have from any school. Over the next decade and a half we never finished our boats but we had some great times at 'the yard' punctuated by some terrific parties! Alas, the boats got sold, eventually. None of us ever sailed off into the sunset. Do I have regrets? Well, I miss sailing and may buy a small boat someday to use on one of the small nearby lakes in southern Wisconsin. Would I do it again? YES, in a heartbeat. It got me through a very difficult emotional time and I made the best friends ever! And, I learned a lot of good stuff which has served me well since. These are rewards I never anticipated but were more than worth every penny I spent on the boat.

Cheers, well put and straight to the heart of it.
Sometimes I think I like working on my boats as well as sailing them, it gives you purpose and keeps you in the learning curve, it also gives you time with good people who are willing to lend a hand and share the knowledge they posses.
Through all of lifes trials and tribulations it provides a steady pursuit of passion. After the breakup of my first marriage I used the time to refurb auction boats to pay for my daughters college education as well as a pursuit that kept me from doing those embarrassing things some middle age guys do.
It's part therapy, part learning experience.
On a side note, I knew I had met the right one when my now wife, who was my girlfriend then, was right there with me scraping the hull of the boat I had at the time to get the bottom back down to the gelcoat.
Cheers, glad you found such enrichment in your pursuit.

[jefjo]

Love this thread! Going to binge read the whole thing today!!

[delmarrey]

It's been awhile since the last post but a few things have changed over the years.
You'll have to make sure your refit passes an insurance Survey. So that you can get insurance, so you can get a slip. Most marina's now require a minimum of insurance to cover damages to others, and environmental spills.

As well, the USCG has gotten more aggressive about inspections.

[Capt Phil]

Having had several boats over my lifetime, refurbing a boat never ends. I bought one in pristine condition to live aboard several years ago. I kept working on her until the day I sold her. My guess is it was in about the same condition as the day I bought her and moved aboard.
Be prepared for a lifetime of refurbishment regardless of the condition or price of what you acquired!
Phil

[liquidice]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

It's been awhile since the last post but a few things have changed over the years.

I agree and thanks to you and others for highlighting this old thread. I’m sailing a 40 year old boat with a 30 year old motor and 10 year old sails, so a five year old thread ought to be just the thing!