First Boat, Complete Conversion

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Lil_spring

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Good evening,

I have a bought my first boat to liveaboard. A Fairline 32 Sedan.

I am planning a complete conversion, I will be ripping the interior out and redesigning the whole
layout.

I have attached a picture below, I plan to cut away this moulded seating area due to the redesign, am I able to do this or will I affect any structural parts of the boat? I have had numerous people say it won’t be a problem and numerous say it will.

Please could I get some advice?

Kind regards
 

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Welcome to the forum. Congratulations on buying your first boat.

First bit of advice. Whatever you think a job will cost, you are now dealing with marine priced items so will cost far more than expected.

Second bit of advice. If you alter a layout, then you will probably devalue your boat as it is no longer a standard layout.

Third bit of advice. You have no experience of working on a boat, let alone structural issues. Asking for advice on a forum is no more accurate than the comments you already have, so employ a surveyor or a designer to check any changes are possible.

There is a Fairline Owners Association, so join for lots of specific advice on your boat.
Fairline Owners Club - Home

My advice is based on being involved with sailing boats for over the past 50 years. Currently I am finishing a full renovation of a 32ft Westerly Fulmar yacht and my budget was £12,000 and have now spent over £25,000. This PowerPoint presentation was made 18 months ago and more work has since been completed. https://wiki.westerly-owners.co.uk/images/3/3f/Concerto.pdf

Hope you find these comments helpful.
 
Welcome to the forum

Could not agree more with Concerto. Not a good idea to rip out the interior of an old boat just because you don't like it. All you will do is create a huge amount of work and expenditure which will almost inevitably devalue the boat - if you ever get it finished. Boats are built to appeal to their target buyers and messing about with the layout inevitably shrinks the potential market. If you don't like the layout of the boat, either live with it knowing that you still have a standard as built boat to sell or sell it and buy something that does meet your tastes.

This does not mean you cannot upgrade fittings fixtures and finishes to replace old worn out bits, but don't mess with the structure.
 
And having got it as a live a board, why the fixation on resale value?

Do get a surveyor to advise as Internet forums are like selection boxes, assorts of flavoured sweets but no substance. That is until you have enough experience to sift the good advice from the many armchair experts. However there are many top people on here from whom I’ve had loads of help, so go canny as we say north of the border.
 
Fairline Owners Assoc. - Assoc iations usually have access to builders notes etc.

Boat Yard advice - better than a Surveyor who is usually Jack of All but Master of none.

Why ? Quite often the interior design includes not only design to accommodate you and friends - but also to support the hull. Taking out a bulkhead or major item can remove a support item.

Expert advice is needed.

Think of it like removing a Load Bearing Wall in a house ...
 
Lil_spring said:
Good evening,

I have a bought my first boat to liveaboard. A Fairline 32 Sedan.

I am planning a complete conversion, I will be ripping the interior out and redesigning the whole
layout.

I have attached a picture below, I plan to cut away this moulded seating area due to the redesign, am I able to do this or will I affect any structural parts of the boat? I have had numerous people say it won’t be a problem and numerous say it will.

Please could I get some advice?

Kind regards
Click to expand...
I'd agree with earlier posts. I'm not even seeing a seating area, it looks like a space for a gimballed cooker in the galley area.
 
The photo does not seem to show the standard layout (having looked about half a dozen). That was originally a U shaped dinette with a galley (cooker sink fridge) opposite on the port side. So looks like it has already been messed about. The bulkhead forward will be structural - the other side is a 2 berth forecabin. Aft is the main bulkhead also structural and steps leading up to a deck saloon with inside helm on the starboard side then patio doors to a short cockpit with sterndrive engines under and steps up to flybridge.

Should be possible to take out the dinette area and change to something else, but not a lot of scope for "ripping out and redesigning the whole layout" when it is very clearly cut up into 3 distinct areas by structural bulkheads! Not a bad layout for a one or 2 person liveaboard already though - why mess with it when if it is in good nick there is a steady demand for what was a very popular boat.
 
Lil_spring said:
Good evening,

I have a bought my first boat to liveaboard. A Fairline 32 Sedan.

I am planning a complete conversion, I will be ripping the interior out and redesigning the whole
layout.

I have attached a picture below, I plan to cut away this moulded seating area due to the redesign, am I able to do this or will I affect any structural parts of the boat? I have had numerous people say it won’t be a problem and numerous say it will.

Please could I get some advice?

Kind regards
Click to expand...

Is that the only pic you have? Hard to see what you have to work with.
 
Tranona said:
The photo does not seem to show the standard layout (having looked about half a dozen). That was originally a U shaped dinette with a galley (cooker sink fridge) opposite on the port side. So looks like it has already been messed about. The bulkhead forward will be structural - the other side is a 2 berth forecabin. Aft is the main bulkhead also structural and steps leading up to a deck saloon with inside helm on the starboard side then patio doors to a short cockpit with sterndrive engines under and steps up to flybridge.

Should be possible to take out the dinette area and change to something else, but not a lot of scope for "ripping out and redesigning the whole layout" when it is very clearly cut up into 3 distinct areas by structural bulkheads! Not a bad layout for a one or 2 person liveaboard already though - why mess with it when if it is in good nick there is a steady demand for what was a very popular boat.
Click to expand...

The photo shows the dinette area minus the cushions. The boat is in a fairly neglected state. You can see the broker's listing with lots of photos here - Fairline 32 Sedan AFT DECK! For Sale, 9.80m, 1979
 
Unfortunately without the design brief & drawing, its impossible to give you a proper answer.

However it does look like some of the existing interior has been constructed out of OSB, this is almost certainly not original & is a pretty terrible material for anything going on a boat.
In general with fibreglass boat construction the interior furniture contributes towards the stiffness / strength of the boat, more so on older boats like yours, newer ones tend to have molded in furniture with decorative bits of wood.

- Is the existing structure glassed in place or simply screwed / bolted?
- Do you have the original as built drawings or at least some pictures / layout of how it would be originally?
- What are your intended modifications?
 
As said change as little as possible just fix up what is needed then enjoy and get some experience with living on board and with this particular lay out. ol'will
 
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