Boat id and a little advice.

[robsbots]

Hi all.

My self and my next door neighbour have found ourselves an 18 ft ply hulled sailing boat. We are currently converting her into a boat to fish from. We are both new to boats and boat repair.

What we really would like to know is what sort of boat is she. We know she was a sailing boat of some sort but thats it.

Follow the like to see a couple of galleries of the boat as we found her and her current state.

Pics here and here

We would also like to know what size outboard we would need or the information we would need to calculate that.

Thanks for your time and any help you can give.

Rob n Phil.

 

[Peterduck]

Yes, well you have tidy bit of work there, haven't you? There is a suggestion in one photo of a sinuous sheer, which is a dead give-away to a Silhouette, Mark 1. Poor ol' boat looks like it's been through a cyclone, travelling from Falmouth to Birmingham by air without the benefit of an aeroplane.
Peter.

 

[sarabande]

you lucky chaps - that looks like a lot of fun and rewards !

There's no point in trying to stuff a big outboard on the boat; the shape of the hull means that it's not designed to plane like a speedboat. I'd suggest around 10 hp maximum.

You will need to think about adding some ballast to stop the boat rocking quickly from side to side when at anchor.

Would it be worth you spending an hour or two chatting to some practical person at a nearby sailing club ? They could point you in the direction of lots of tips, such as the best sort of ply / glue / paint / epoxy to use. The club might also run some training courses on boat handling and safety, so that you could be confident that you have the right sort of kit and skills when you get her launched again.

There's also usually a good second-hand notice board area for anchors, chain, and outboards.

I wish you well in the project - the learning curve is pretty steep, but fun.

Oh yes, a book on basic boat-building and repair would be a good idea to help you prioritise the tasks.