A proper Mobo

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chrusty 1
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A wooden boat that size should be viewed as a liability rather than as an asset.

DIY ownership is not really viable long term on something that big, so it requires the depth of pockets to have it yard maintained.

Its a lovely boat, built by a good yard.

Nice summary Ben. Beautiful boat best owned by someone else so we can admire at a distance.
 
Nice summary Ben. Beautiful boat best owned by someone else so we can admire at a distance.

I can tell you from a decade of experience, that DIY maintaining a 28ft wooden boat is very hard work, a boat over twice the length, twice the beam abd twice the height is 8 times more boat...

I love that kind of gentleman's motoryacht, but for me it would have to be steel and epoxy coated.
 
Many moons ago a friend owned an immaculate 45' Bates Starcraft and he employed someone virtually full time to keep it that way. He only had it about a year and sold it as the cost far exceeded the enjoyment he was getting out of it.
 
Stunning looking ship, very Nelsony at first glance, but as others have already alluded to, a nightmare on yer wallet, but the fuel burn is mighty impressive for a craft twice my length and nearly 3 times my displacement:-

"On a recent trial, one engine at 1400 rpm achieving 7 + knots consumed approx 8 litres per hour and a range therefore of 1,750 miles."
 
A wooden boat that size should be viewed as a liability rather than as an asset.

Well, it doesn't take that size for a wooden boat to be a liability. Mine is almost 20' shorter, but she surely qualifies for such title... :)
Though tbh I've yet to see a pleasure boat which you could really call an asset, regardless of how she's built!

Back to the OP question, in spite of the fact that I'm one of those few "someone else" stupid enough to own and keep afloat a wooden vessel, I must say that I'm not intrigued by this specific boat.
First of all, I think sarabande is right in his guess about the roll. Or better said, he's actually wrong, because I bet that she rolls like a pig, rather than just "a bit".
Secondly, for that size of MoBo I would want MUCH more internal space than what she seems to offer, and also a proper large upper deck.
Last but not least, back in those years, this boat was surely built for speed rather than comfort - just look at her very low displacement and tankage. Which means that by today standards, she (obviously) isn't a fast boat anymore, but she's not as comfy while cruising as normally vintage boats are.
Bottom line, a great boat to look at, but not so appealing to own - even assuming that maintenance cost is not a problem.
 
I realise there is a penchant for the plastic fantastic on this forum, but this raggie thinks that this mobo is the dogs danglies! A proper little ship in fact.

http://www.sandemanyachtcompany.co....displacement-Motor-Yacht-1948/yacht-for-sale/

That vessel is clearly in distress.

The flag (St.Vincent & the Grenadines) on her stern is being flown upside down ! :eek:

NewMainMar11.jpg
 
That vessel is clearly in distress.

The flag (St.Vincent & the Grenadines) on her stern is being flown upside down ! :eek:

NewMainMar11.jpg

Well spotted that man!:) I expect it's her owners who are in distress having just paid their yard bill!:D
 
Smaller+plastic does have a few weight advantages
Agreed for "smaller" of course, but re. wood vs. plastic, you would be hard pressed to find a GRP 70 footer with as low as a 24T displacement.
And even if such thing exists, I'm not sure I would trust her to afford some proper waves without falling apart... :eek:
 
Agreed for "smaller" of course, but re. wood vs. plastic, you would be hard pressed to find a GRP 70 footer with as low as a 24T displacement.
And even if such thing exists, I'm not sure I would trust her to afford some proper waves without falling apart... :eek:

You surprise me... Whilst I've lifted a 16' bare GRP hull with a friend onto a trailer, I'm not sure we could a wooden one... Not that I've tried, so happy to be proved wrong :D Given the weight of an an old rowing boat that 4 of us carried from a car park to a local river many years back however, I assumed wooden hulls were considerably more substantial than GRP?? (It was a long time ago, but I'm sure it was only about 10' - and pretty heavy!... :o)
 
I assumed wooden hulls were considerably more substantial than GRP??
Oh yes, they are, generally speaking.
My previous comment was related to this specific boat, which is amazingly light, as I also mentioned in post #25.
Mine is 25% shorter and 40% heavier, just to give an idea...
 
No this is Littleship

http://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/advert.phtml?id=245053

Lovely boat, nice size, nice maintenance costs, nice price ;)
And the current owner is a a forumite!

Mal

Yes I know of little ship, if he is the one in Wales??? I might have him confused with somebody else though? Anyway, his boat is very nice, I quite like trawler style mobos, Even that Benny 42 has something about it.

I am surprised at some of the reactions and comments so far about the Laurent Giles, I just think she is really nice. I take the point someone made about the white painted areas down below, I think those areas would look much nicer if they were varnished wood panels, but maybe the owner felt that a white finish would give more light below?

It's all a matter of conjecture of course, but in my opinion, I don't think she would have excessive roll, I had an old motor yacht many years ago, (built 1910) and she was 5-1 ratio, but she was not all that deep draughted 4'6" if I remember correctly, and she didn't roll very badly, and she was a round bilged displacement boat.

Ah well, maybe if I won the biggun I would buy her, and cruise sedately around the western isles:) Pigs fuelled up and ready to fly!:D
 
What are you doing here? You know it's all tories here and the only thing socialists do on this forum is serve the G & Ts. Btw, that boat you're so taken with was once owned by Maggie Thatcher's husband, Dennis:D
 
What are you doing here? You know it's all tories here and the only thing socialists do on this forum is serve the G & Ts. Btw, that boat you're so taken with was once owned by Maggie Thatcher's husband, Dennis:D

That's not the boats fault! Though the poor old girl probably hangs her bows in shame at the memory!:D

G&Ts?........Git's & Tw@ts?:p:D
 
No this is Littleship

http://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/advert.phtml?id=245053

Lovely boat, nice size, nice maintenance costs, nice price ;)
And the current owner is a a forumite!

Mal

Mal
I'll let you have 2 mins in the fun box. :)

Chrusty

Yes thats me in North Wales.....Thanks for the compliments.

On the subject of the motor Yacht........... It would have to be yard maintained it's far too much for one person to keep in top notch condition, but then.... even a plastic one that size would be.

I can never understand why people shy away from (Good) wood boats, they have many advantages over plastic and steel but do need TLC to keep them well. What I will say is many spend more time having to polish their plastic than I do painting my wood, and I would hazard a guess that I do loads more time on the water than 90% of the plastic boats. :) If I had the money ...I could be tempted.

Tom
 
Mal
I'll let you have 2 mins in the fun box. :)

Chrusty

Yes thats me in North Wales.....Thanks for the compliments.

On the subject of the motor Yacht........... It would have to be yard maintained it's far too much for one person to keep in top notch condition, but then.... even a plastic one that size would be.

I can never understand why people shy away from (Good) wood boats, they have many advantages over plastic and steel but do need TLC to keep them well. What I will say is many spend more time having to polish their plastic than I do painting my wood, and I would hazard a guess that I do loads more time on the water than 90% of the plastic boats. :) If I had the money ...I could be tempted.

Tom

Hi Tom, yes agree with all that, if one gets a good wood boat to start with that has been properly looked after, then the maintenance is not all that irksome, but a 70 footer like the one I posted about would be more than I could sensibly manage. My health alone would be enough to bugger things. If I was thirty years younger, well that might be a different matter, I have the skills, but not the stamina.:)

Regardless of the few negative comments, I still think she is an absolute stunner! Though as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and to younger eyes than mine she probably looks very dated? But then I think modern mobos look pretty awful, so maybe it is just an age thing?

If I had the money to slosh out on a dream mobo, it would have to be a Nordhavn, about 50 foot, maybe a bit longer. I am not very interested in planing speed, but a comfortable all weather passage maker like that would tick me boxes. I do like the bigger Hardy's and the Nelsons as well mind.

For now though, I will stick with me little 22 foot raggie boat, she is more than enough for me to cope with.:D

C.
 
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