Free Boat !

[s/v Beth]

I would never try to raise a boat from the mud. I would however, look at a boat in the boatyard if-
It had been drained/kept dry inside, and basic structure was still strong. I bought a Catalina 27 that way- learned a lot but basic structure gone, and another- at 60 k later I had a great boat. I agree with above, buying a building is very tough to do and make it pay.

[rebel heart]

There was a guy in my marina with a little cheoy lee cadet that he was trying to sell. Had a few people come by and check it out, lowered the price from a few grand to one grand and then eventually he was trying to give it away. Nice little boat; you can find some in situations like that.

There a lot of pieces of crap out there though.

[MarkJ]

They are not free. You are taking over a liability. The fisrt thing you are responsible for is its removal. That could be thou=sands of dollars.
The current marina will certainly not want it left there while you ponder sand paper. They will want it OUT pronto! And what marina will want it> None. If you can get it lifted to a workyard thats fine but you pay every day. Junkers like that could take years of work and you pay the yard fee, with the responsibility to get rid of it if you fail.


I can't think of a quicker way to bankruptcy .

[anjou]

Careful what you wish for

Last year I viewed several boats. One catalac was advertised at £25000. I decided that even if it was given free of charge, it would cost a bomb to put right.

Its the main reason im building my own and not buying one thats for sale.

[NYCSavage]

Thanks anjou, what kit are you using to build it? I wish I could go down that option, but living in a built up area and no garage kinda makes it difficult lol

Mark, hi, I understand about the liability, the only one I have found so far have offered 4 months free mooring to get the boat moved, but I think it would take longer than that to actually get it shipshape!

P.S. Mark, I'm the one who offered you a non-pom-bashing bud in Liverpool via email! Nice to see you in here! lol

[w1651]

Originally Posted by RedBellies

I can tell you that the economy is taking a serious toll on pleasure boaters as well as small scale commercial fisherman here on the Chesapeake Bay.

In the last 10 months I have acquired free of charge:

1970 Albin Vega 27
1965 Grampian Classic 31 Ketch
197? Coronado 23
196? Bristol Caravelle 22
196? Cal Jensen 29
1974 Mull Ranger 26
1965 Pearson Vanguard
196? Pearson Ensign
197? Pearson 28 motor yacht.

Got one of them over 25 ft you wanna get rid of?

[RedBellies]

The Grampian I'm keeping, the Ensign is gone, the Vanguard is waiting for transport to the Eastern shore. The Mull is getting some deckwork and sails, we'll be sailing it Wed nights here on the bay then it will be for sale. And I'll likely be living in the Pearson Motor Yacht by Summer's end. I can let the Cal Jensen go now if you tow immediately, and the Albin next year maybe, but at market value since she will be painted and have new electric, new electronics and a new beam under the mast.

But read this thread. People are correct that these boats are worth exactly what I paid for them.

[RedBellies]

I'm not sure what that means. There will be plenty more by seasons end.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by RedBellies

The Grampian I'm keeping, the Ensign is gone, the Vanguard is waiting for transport to the Eastern shore. The Mull is getting some deckwork and sails, we'll be sailing it Wed nights here on the bay then it will be for sale. And I'll likely be living in the Pearson Motor Yacht by Summer's end. I can let the Cal Jensen go now if you tow immediately, and the Albin next year maybe, but at market value since she will be painted and have new electric, new electronics and a new beam under the mast.

But read this thread. People are correct that these boats are worth exactly what I paid for them.

Can you send me some pics of the cal 29? How do you use email on this site?

[JordanRHughes]

Where do you find these free boats? I've found a few sites, but nothing to brag about.

Just wondering if there is a primary site that you guys are referring to.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers.

Jordan.

[RedBellies]

You know, I wrote out two paragraphs outlining how to get a free sailboat. Then I realized that I'm already overworked in a highly competitive market and sales are currently crap.

So let me simplify: You knock on a door and ask if you may have it.

[hellosailor]

MarkJ, I'm with you on this one and Rebellies experience seems to back it up. Yet Osiris' friends apparently are able to make a profitable business out of it. I don't know, I've always kept an eye out for an underdog but in all the years I've never seen one that was worth the match to burn her. (Pardon the mixed metaphors.)

[RedBellies]

Yes and no. It's really a toss of the dice. This was my first freebie.


It was a hell of a learning curve. On the surface she needed her sails cleaned and a bottom paint. Maybe cushion covers. Then we discovered there were titling issues going back to the 1980s. Then we discovered that the she had yawed aground hard enough to crack the inside of the swing keel bay. That spoke volumes for the iron keel which didn't bend and the keel pivot which didn't break. She was cut up for salvage. And I immediately took another C-22 which I sail regularly.

Since then I've taken over a dozen boats, some that I comfortably sailed home from their moorings. You just have to do your due diligence. If you take a piece of crap, you have to dispose (LEGALLY) of said piece of crap.

But it's always an adventure and it's always one fewer eyesore blocking up the Chesapeake. I love sailing and sailboats and I needed something to do so these were my goals from the beginning.

[hellosailor]

"and it's always one fewer eyesore blocking up the Chesapeake. "
There ya go! Form a not-for-profit corporation that cleans up the eyesores, and then even if it winds up being a net loss most of the time, there are ways to make it into profit. Ergh, success. When and if some of the eyesores can in fact be sold.
What I find incredible is that so many people let so many boats rot beyond recovery, rather than take what they can before it gets that far.

[RedBellies]

I tried to attach myself to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation thinking I could get volunteers to help me, turn boats around a lot quicker, give all the proceeds to the foundation and yes, eventually pay myself a salary to run it as a not-for-profit. They didn't even want to talk to me. Oh well.