I'm in a Dilemma.

[burgundyben]

I\'m in a Dilemma.

Its a long story.

I have my boat. the Huntsman 28, its a boat I am very happy with, the only boat I wanted and just right for my kind of use. To keep well on top of the condition takes about 100 hours a year which I am ok with and enjoy doing, there is more I could do, but in general she's well kept (IMHO).

About 2 years ago I fell for a 23 foot launch by Hubert Scott Paine, 1930's speed boasts are a rarity, the boat had been rebuilt to a very high standard, hull replanked, new deck, very pretty, no engine or steering or tank etc. I bought it, not a huge amount of money. I've not made much progress as I've been working on the restoration of an old car.

Then another Hubert Scott Paine speed boat came along. 20 foot, similar but with really nice flush deck with oval cockpits. Hull ok but deck wrecked, no engine, needs a full on major rebuild.

Then I have the old car, body work done, engine done, needs paint and putting together, plus some spanner work on the suspension, steering and brakes.

My other old car which is fully restored, (not by me) dropped a big end, so I'm in the middle of an engine rebuild and want it finished for early November to go see the London Brighton Run arrive.

As if all the above is less than 15 years of work....which its not...and dont ask about the house...

I had planed to finish the 23 foot Scott Paine boat, sell the huntsman, finish the 20 foot Scott Paine boat and sell the 23, then just hang onto the 20 footer.

Then...

A couple of years ago I popped into Freebody's yard to see a boat I grew up with, its falling into disrepair. 1936 built 32 footer, French, very pretty hull, quite fast and lots of history (straffed in WW2). I wrote 'Please look after Merlin' in the visitor book, they called a few weeks ago, need space in the yard, I can have her for free if I take her away.

I'm not going to do all this ever in a month of sundays, I cant afford to!!!

I have no idea what to do at all. Am at a loss.

So many boats so little time...

 

[cliffordpope]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

Take it! Even if you do nothing more than store it and put a decent cover over it, it will help ensure its possible survival until someone else comes along.

 

[aztec]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

let's get together and do all the boats/cars.

i fancy a change of career.

any small boatyards for sale in the hamble??

 

[Capn Pugwash]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

I know the feeling! My wife and I have (almost) finished cleaning up and refurbishing an old Folkboat. Nearly bought another wooden boat I saw for sale but SWMBO mutinied. Upshot is I must sell one before embarking on the next project - can't get it out of my mind though - maybe she wouldn't mind really!

 

[Mirelle]

My name is Andrew and I am addicted to boats

As of this Spring I had

- a 37 ft teak gaff cutter which I have owned for 22 years and am finally on top of

- a 16ft clinker launch

- a Firefly dinghy

- a 9ft Nutshell tender

Out of the blue, a friend made me an offer for the launch, so after much dithering I said "yes".

I have not regretted it...

...but...

...a friend is offering me a 17ft clinker sailing dayboat, circa 1910, in need of a new sheerstrake, etc due to being clobbered on a mooring... his wife won't let him take it on as he has a 30ft 1939 sloop, a Drascome, a 9ft Nutshell... and a 1929 Riley...

My advice is...

...found a museum...

no, really, I have not got a clue...

oh well, try this for common sense...

1. Sell the Huntsman. That way, you have to finish the 23 footer to get afloat.

2. Get both cars on the road, and sell the one that sells easier. One old car is enough!

3. Finish the 23 footer, over the winter, take her to a rally or two, write article for CB, and then if someone makes you an offer you could sell her. Don't worry about the correct engine - she's not your rebuild.

4. Rebuild the 20 footer. Worry about the correct engine. Take time. This is your pet project.

5. Find somewhere cheap to put "Merlin", under a cover, and just think about her occasionally until the 20 foot Scott Paine is done.

Not necessarily what I would actually DO, of course. I should not have even tried to keep a biggish gaff cutter with two small children and a non-working wife...but we did and now the family won't let me part with her!

 

[Sixpence]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

why not take it and offer it as 'free to good home' in the for sale forum if you really haven't got the time

 

[Kristal]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

Ben, as a newish boatowner and a former old car nut, I completely sympathise - at one point I owned 6 cars, none of which actually went. Now, I've only got the one boat and I still can't keep up. However, if there is a boatyard-buying scheme afoot, count me in. I am being made voluntarily redundant in less than a month's time.

/<

 

[jhughes]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

"Not necessarily what I would actually DO, of course. I should not have even tried to keep a biggish gaff cutter with two small children and a non-working wife...but we did and now the family won't let me part with her!"

Is that the non-working wife or the gaff cutter? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[kds]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

Je....ez - and I thought I had problems !
Ken

 

[hannahman]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

Makes me feel I'm not alone now!

My last new years' resolution was to keep the one boat and reduce the car collection from three to two... it didn't work. I now have five cars, and still the one boat. I've been good though, one of the cars goes to a new home on Thursday /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Doug

 

[Shuggy]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

Know what you mean! My old Land Rover is on the road after a number of years but needs a ton of work on the engine, exhaust and body. My boat needs loads of tlc over the winter (I have a pink ticket from my wife to do this!); our barn is falling down and I need to rebuild it from the ground up, and I was tempted by a lovely 35' wooden boat that 'just needs rescuing'. And I'm trying to grow a business. I've given up sleeping and my wife says we can buy the rescue boat if the kids don't starve. I think I'm going to have to give it a miss... But if you start a wooden boatyard with integrated old car workshop give me shout /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Mirelle]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I might incriminate myself!" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Kristal]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

By the sounds of it, the traditional boatyard with integral classic car workshop sounds like we'd have plenty of attendants even if we had no form of income. Perhaps we could run it like the Amish in "The Witness", putting up huge great boatsheds communally with ropes and wives making sandwiches.

Just one fundamental question: south coast, east coast, Scotland or Wales?

/<

 

[Peterduck]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

I have a friend who owns a boatyard which has been in his family since 1863. He specialises in wooden boats, and tries to run it as a commercial business. He largely succeeds because he doesn't have a lavish lifestyle, not because the boatyard is a little Gold Mine. The yard seems to attract the "Can't pay-ers", the "Won't payers", and the "will-pay-sooners". You don't have to set out to make a boatyard a non-profit concern; others will do it for you.
Peter.

 

[aztec]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

come on Ben....

you know you want to.

cars, boats... it's all coming together.

steve.

 

[milltech]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

Hell! Raise a new mortgage, get Freebodies to do the lot, get out on the water!

 

[nyx2k]

Re: I\'m in a Dilemma.

ive been reading the classic forums for a while and had to post on this thread..

you people seem so much more down to earth and friendly towards each other and newcomers than the other forums, who just seem to want to antagonise each other.

if this boat yard thing was a real goer i'd certainly join in as head gofer and bottle washer. no money tho unfortunatly as have a young family. it would be a honour to spend time in the company of such people.

 

[Mirelle]

Delighted you can join us!

One reason we are nicer is that most of us (most definitely including me) are skint!

Earlier this week I scrounged most of a tin of primer off Kristal in exchange for most of a lot of epoxy!

Another is that each of us already knows that he or she has got the nicest boat anywhere, so there's no rivalry!

Do join in!

 

[nyx2k]

Re: Delighted you can join us!

i have just a small 12ft boat and a little engine. mostly used for fishing in the estuary anfd trips around the local area.
ive always wanted an old classic boat. preferably motor as i know nothing about sailing but could learn i suppose.
i love reading on this forum as you are all so proud of your boats and dont try to out do each other all the time.

 

[aztec]

Re: Delighted you can join us!

"i have just a small 12ft boat and a little engine"

it's a boat init??

been building mine ...(was suposed to be a simple repair job!!)... 4 -5 years ago... as Mirelle says, we're all skint... if we didn't work together borrow/steal/deal we wouldn't get half of it done.

and i agree that our boats arn't really "compared" to anything else... we love 'em 'cos we're the custodians.

by the way... since iv'e been working on my boat (s) my only working example has been a 12' Yak Tabur 3 with a yamaha 2hp on the back... still gets me out to where i'm happiest... on the water.... not sat in my office arguing the toss about risk assessment or buying bloody toasters.

old boats are great, they lie around waiting for someone to resue them, and reward you by spending all of your money and taking all of your time... but the important thing is you can say "I DID THAT"

steve.