Boat restoration advice

[Benmarsh]

Hi there,

I'm looking to buy this boat as a restoration project.
It is £350 and it comes with mast but no sails or trailer & I'm guessing the inboard engine is not working.
I will be able to moor it nearby at no extra cost.

I'm wondering what questions I should be asking the owner to check whether it is worth buying.

Many thanks in advance,

Ben

 

[C08]

By the time you have bought sails and fixed the engine you will be looking at a cost of minimum £1000 if you are lucky. Unless you want the experience of working on a boat to understand how they are constructed and have plenty of time and enjoy tinkering you would be better off buying a boat £1-2K that is readty to sail. A boat of that ilk would still need some money spending and TLC but would give you a better starting point at about the same cost. I do not think that the boat is a bargain, even at £350 or free!

 

[Reel Time]

My advice would be to buy something that was complete with all the fittings like the mast. Outboards can be a better bet for spares and moving to other boats. Finding suitable mast and rigging won’t be cheap and you have no pattern to work from. That said, welcome to forum and it looks like it could be a nice boat with the right budget and skills.


CO8. got in there whilst I was typing, I agree with the points made.

 

[pvb]

Yes, welcome to the forums!

There isn't an easy way to say this, but you should walk away from that boat. The work involved to get it sailing, and the cost, make it effectively worthless. As the others have said, it would be much better to buy a boat which is ready to use (even if it needs some TLC), and it would no doubt work out cheaper.

 

[jwilson]

If you want a shore-based hobby for a year or two, then some sailing, after some expense, yes. If you just want a boat to sail, no.

Not quite sure what it is, at first glance thought a GRP Caprice Mk III or IV, but it's not that. The inboard is clearly low power judging by the prop, could be a Watermota 7 hp that was popular as in inboard engine/drive package in the 1960s/ early 70s. If so it's a bit of an antique with very dubious parts availability, and the fact that there looks like outboard mount parts on the transom may indicate that it's a non-runner. If the engine is more recent, eg a Yanmar QM or 1GM then it may be OK or fixable.

It looks like a perfectly decent little small cruiser, but look carefully at engine and interior - if interior timber rotten with rainwater it's a substantial fix job. You can almost certainly find adequate cheap sails from a bigger racing dinghy.

 

[Reel Time]

Not mine and no connection with seller- if you’re budget is small this type of thing would be better but still lots of work Vivacity 20

 

[Fantasie 19]

Not mine and no connection with seller- if you’re budget is small this type of thing would be better but still lots of work Vivacity 20

Hurley 20 I think - rare to see them with an inboard though I have seen one before..

I echo the statements of the others.. the inboard can be forgotten (if it's not working then it will taken significant amounts to get it working), replacement sails cheaper if you can find them second hand but still 3 or 400 (if you can find them), standing rigging will almost certainly need replacing another couple of hundred, outboard engine four or five hundred for a decent one.. the boat should be free....

 

[Benmarsh]

Thanks for all the input folks.

To clarify, I'm looking for a long-term project & hopefully some sailing at the end of it.
I will check with the seller what inboard it has and what condition the interior is in.

 

[Jim@sea]

My advice would be to buy something that was complete with all the fittings like the mast. Outboards can be a better bet for spares and moving to other boats. Finding suitable mast and rigging won’t be cheap and you have no pattern to work from. That said, welcome to forum and it looks like it could be a nice boat with the right budget and skills.


CO8. got in there whilst I was typing, I agree with the points made.

I would second that, I was thinking of buying an Achillese 24 which had a Volvo inboard diesel which dosent run, and you cant get spares, so I want to buy one with a outboard as I can always buy a newer one Any one know of one for sale, bilge or tripple keel .

 

[V1701]

Unfortunately this is about as bad as it gets in terms of restoration projects, by which I mean the things that need sorting are the ones that require money rather than time (sails, engine of some description, standing rigging, means to move it). I would suggest either look for a project where the basics are there and your main investment is in time rather than money (however be under no illusion - all projects will need some financial investment). Either that or get yourself an extra part time job, save up a couple of grand and you'll be able to find a nice small cruiser that's good to go. Good luck...

 

[Reel Time]

I would second that, I was thinking of buying an Achillese 24 which had a Volvo inboard diesel which dosen't run, and you cant get spares, so I want to buy one with a outboard as I can always buy a newer one Any one know of one for sale, bilge or triple keel .

Far easier to source a secondhand outboard and see it running prior to purchase than mess about with an inboard and have to line it up with a gearbox, shaft and gearbox. In addition I have an aversion to the smell of diesel.

 

[davesparkes]

I think she's a Hurley 18; a decent little boat in her day and in good condition still worthwhile these days.
As the posts above have pointed out, you could very easily spend more than she is worth getting her on the water.
But, if you are in no rush then you can cheaply find the items you are likely to need on ebay, gumtree and suchlike.
If your labour is considered to be free and you keep an eye on your spending then what's to lose?
Or, you could spend those hours working/saving to buy something in better condition/needing less work...
Unfortunately boats in the condition she is in are basically worthless, due to the time and expense to get her sorted.
But how much satisfaction is there in saving a boat, transforming her into a smart little vessel, and having some cheap fun?
There's plenty of help and support available in forums and youtube etc if you need it.
I'm afraid that you pays your money and takes your choice; many people start large projects with the best of intentions and then stall along the way, but a H18 shouldn't be too daunting...

Good luck - and let us all know how you get on!

Cheers,
Dave

 

[peteK]

I remember the last owner antifouling this boat at Heswall you will notice the marsh there covered in boats the the owners have abandoned after getting fed up with there restoration projects,as others have said you would he better paying a bit more and get a complete boat as the existing owner has found out.

 

[MrB18]

From the photos the hull appears good, but only a close up inspection will tell.
The bottom line is, is it what you want?
I wouldn't expect much more than you think you are getting for the money, but could be a nice project, depends on your budget and availability of your time. Good luck

 

[duncan99210]

Whatever she might be, she’s not a Hurley 18. This is my Hurley 18, quite different lines and I don’t think they made a bilge keel version.

 

[PetiteFleur]

This one looks ok - in Eastbourne - 25 foot sailing boat ‘quartet’ - Project boat | eBay seems to be complete

 

[peteK]

A fin keel boat is not suitable for the area the op wants to sail in.

 

[V1701]

This one looks ok - in Eastbourne - 25 foot sailing boat ‘quartet’ - Project boat | eBay seems to be complete

The berthing contract expires in 10 days time so best case scenario that'll be about £250 per month (assuming the marina will pro rata the annual berthing and not charge you the summer or visitor rate!) to keep it where it is until you can go get it out. I don't think anybody in their right mind would take that on right now..

(Nice pair of self-tailing winches on there which are probably worth more than what it'll go for...)

 

[William_H]

There is a world of difference between 18ft and 25ft. The bigger boat is much bigger especially in terms of speed and comfort both inside and in a rough sea. IMHO an 18fter should be a trailer sailer with those advantages to offset small size. ol'will

 

[rotrax]

Check an earlier post " Caravella 25 needs new home "

All there, bloody good boat.