Mark stanton
New Member
Does anyone know where to get mast and rigging and cushions for a cobra 750? I have acquired one as a project advisor need them. alternative solutions would be welcomed
Cobra 750
- Thread starter Mark stanton
- Start date
Mark stanton
New Member
I am based here in the frozen north near Liverpool
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Cushions are no problem if you can find an upholsterer locally. Just a question of measuring up and making. Mast and rigging much more difficult. Highly unlikely you will find one second hand and new will cost far more than the boat will ever be worth - in fact same with cushions (expect to pay £2k+ for professional although DIY if you have the skills will be much less).
Suggest you contact the Cobra owners at cobraseawolf.webs.com for information on the rig as well as of course on the boat in general.
For new spars and rigging contact zsparsuk.com
Realistically incomplete boats of this type and age are pretty much worthless. See this one for sale in good ready to go condition, reconditioned engine and with dinghy and outboard
Sailing Cruiser 23 Cobra 700 Fin Keel For Sale, 7.00m, 1980
Mast, standing and running rigging and new cushions alone would cost as much as that asking price.
Suggest you contact the Cobra owners at cobraseawolf.webs.com for information on the rig as well as of course on the boat in general.
For new spars and rigging contact zsparsuk.com
Realistically incomplete boats of this type and age are pretty much worthless. See this one for sale in good ready to go condition, reconditioned engine and with dinghy and outboard
Sailing Cruiser 23 Cobra 700 Fin Keel For Sale, 7.00m, 1980
Mast, standing and running rigging and new cushions alone would cost as much as that asking price.
dankilb
Well-Known Member
Maybe it’s time we start treating older, low value, boats a bit like car projects...
Get hold of two and combine the best bits of both to make one usable one?!
Get hold of two and combine the best bits of both to make one usable one?!
peteK
Well-Known Member
Easier and cheaper to buy a complete boat and work on that.
Skylark
Well-Known Member
The best advice I was ever given was to only restore a car that’s already in good condition.
dankilb
Well-Known Member
Sounds like it’s too late for the OP!
Very true... but where’s the fun in that?!
Skylark
Well-Known Member
I know people who have been restoring basket cases for many years. I think that “fun” is no longer in their vocabulary ?Sounds like it’s too late for the OP!
Very true... but where’s the fun in that?!
Of course the smart among us would wait to find a car/boat fully restored by someone else. It’s also often said that to restore a basket case costs in the order of 10x its value.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
The difference with cars (at least some) is that values are rising, unlike boats which are mostly falling. A Bugatti Type 57 came up for auction last week. The owner took it apart in the early 90s because he did not like the noisy gearbox. Still not fully assembled and he died last year. Estimate £4-5 million!
doug748
Well-Known Member
Welcome Mark. Take no notice of the miserable shower of taproom shipwrights we seem to attract on our hallowed site.
1) The upholstery is easy, and can be cheap if you are willing to do stuff yourself. Use standard suppliers of foam and fabric.
2) The mast (unless you don't mind spending a lot) is best fixed by finding a used one that looks right and putting that up. Rooting around boatyards often uncovers usable stuff that nobody has thought about for years. Start a thread on here for Cobra rig sizes, sailmakers can help or you can measure any sails you have for a clue. Failing that find a similar boat to visit and measure.
If you have a damaged mast they can often be fixed unless catastrophic.
As I am sure you may know, the secret with old boats is to lavish time on them and be frugal with the spending.
Good luck.
.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
I do hope you will provide a list of boatyards close to Liverpool that just might happen to have a pile of masts and rigging, some of which suitable for a Cobra lying around. The dimensions for the boat and rigging are on the owners site I linked to .
No doubt good to be frugal with spending, but much more important to be realistic about what is actually achievable.
No doubt good to be frugal with spending, but much more important to be realistic about what is actually achievable.
doug748
Well-Known Member
Hello Tranona welcome back.
I see you continue to miss the point with your usual accuracy.
If you think that telling a newcomer that his sailing project is worthless, is good or helpful; It might be better if you flounced off again.
.
I see you continue to miss the point with your usual accuracy.
If you think that telling a newcomer that his sailing project is worthless, is good or helpful; It might be better if you flounced off again.
.
geem
Well-Known Member
A friend did just that in the Caribbean. He bought a fire damaged Ben 50. The damage was limited to the deck. Apparently the fire was caused by an electric winch fault. He bought it for very little money. He hung on to it for over a year as he hadnt got time to do anything with it. A hurricane went through the Caribbean and all of a sudden he was getting offers of £15k for his mast! He resisted selling. As part of the hurricane damage he bought a sunken Ben 50. Hull was badly damaged but deck was perfect. He swapped the deck over and got himself a tidy Ben 50 for next to no cost except his labour
jwilson
Well-Known Member
As others have said you really need a secondhand mast from a roughly similar type and size of boat: doesn't need to be a Cobra 750. The cost of a brand new mast and rigging will horrify you. Depending on how good at and well equipped for joinery you are you could make a glued hollow timber mast and boom a lot cheaper than buying a new alloy one.
I do know someone who bought cheaply two tired/damaged Westerly Centaur 26 footers and built one good boat out of the two.
Much the same look for secondhand idea applies to sails, but to a lesser extent. There is a small commercial market in S/H sails, so much easier to find than used masts and booms. As people do break masts and booms every now and then there are not that many used ones available. Sails though tend to be sold on when someone wants new crisp ones for racing, and many used sails are perfectly sound.
I do know someone who bought cheaply two tired/damaged Westerly Centaur 26 footers and built one good boat out of the two.
Much the same look for secondhand idea applies to sails, but to a lesser extent. There is a small commercial market in S/H sails, so much easier to find than used masts and booms. As people do break masts and booms every now and then there are not that many used ones available. Sails though tend to be sold on when someone wants new crisp ones for racing, and many used sails are perfectly sound.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Good to see that you still wilfully misread and misunderstand advice that is given while making sweeping assertions about about how it all so easy and just needs a bit of time and "frugal spending" when all the evidence from those who go round boatyards see this is not the case. I just love the concept that it is somehow a "secret" which you are graciously revealing! But then I see that you are now claiming proprietorial rights over the forum so I guess you would want to ban anything that does not accord with your view of the world.
I would suggest that if the OP in his first post knew what was involved in finding and fitting a rig or about how to buy or make cushions (all 11 of them in this boat, each unique) he would not be asking on here. I hope that if he does make his own cushions he uses the correct fire retardant materials, rather than thinking "standard" suppliers whatever they are may be somehow cheaper.
As to what the boat is worth in its current state without a mast and rigging, suggest a listing on ebay will see what bids it attracts, if any.
It is good that people wanting to undertake boat renovations ask for advice from those who have actually done it so they get a feel for the challenge involved and not get misled by flippant comments about ignoring that advice .
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dankilb
Well-Known Member
It’s not going to be easy to find a ready-to-go mast, admittedly...
But as we’re in Liverpool too, here goes...
BluePoint (Liverpool Marina) have just lifted out a couple of similar sized boats that can only be destined for scrap. There are also at least a couple more abandoned ones in the marina. Can’t hurt to ask (although you might end up with the whole thing!).
In our club yard there’s also a few contenders, but I know the owners won’t admit defeat quite yet. But many, if not most, yards have abandoned/scrap boats around that size.
It’ll involve hunting around and potentially some considerable modifications to fit.
OTOH, no harm in being realistic with what you’ve acquired. If it was cheap/free it may well be a false economy. You can always keep the decent bits... but scrapping a GRP hull is no joke and could cost you big time. Less if you can chop it up and skip it yourself.
Then again, if genuinely all it needs is a rig and upholstery, and there’s some ‘good bits’, it could certainly be worse!
dankilb
Well-Known Member
...and these guys are excellent for foam cut to size, inc. complex jobs (boats, caravans, compete lounge suites...)
Clomac Ltd
0151 734 5400
Clomac Ltd · 4 Wellington Rd, Wavertree, Liverpool L15 4JN
Ignore the online pricing and take them in some templates (or ideally the old ones, if you have them) and haggle!
Reckon the whole boat would be £200 odd. Much less if you just take stock sheets and cut it yourself. But that’s just the foam, mind (it’s not as cheap as it used to be!), the upholstery itself is more complex/skilled of course.
Clomac Ltd
0151 734 5400
Clomac Ltd · 4 Wellington Rd, Wavertree, Liverpool L15 4JN
Ignore the online pricing and take them in some templates (or ideally the old ones, if you have them) and haggle!
Reckon the whole boat would be £200 odd. Much less if you just take stock sheets and cut it yourself. But that’s just the foam, mind (it’s not as cheap as it used to be!), the upholstery itself is more complex/skilled of course.
Laysula
Well-Known Member
What happened to all the boats that sank in Holyhead a couple of years back?
davidpbo
Well-Known Member
Don't forget the cost of transporting a single mast on its own.
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