Makes you want to cry ... classic boat ruined.

[Refueler]

Today I drove across Latvia to go look at a Nauticat 33. Guy was 'honest' in his advert that it was a project ... but hull and engine were good.

Correct .... the Lehman 83hp fired up first touch of button from dead cold ... ran sweet.

Boat had been launched and was dry bilges with no signs of having been mopped out before I got there.

But Oh Dear ...... the decks were 'spongy' and when I put the meter on them to check for water ingress ..... needle was off scale. Even where previous owner had stripped and then GRP'd over ...

The wooden cabin superstructure was obviously GRP'd over to try hold together the rotten plywood structure. Areas had cracked and were flaking off. Windows taped round to try stop leaks.

Fore cabin was ok - not good but usable - obviously guy had used that when sailing her over from Sweden when he bought her as a project.

But galley was stripped out ... aft cabin stripped out ... cabins and pilot house soles were scraps of ply sheet ....

Swedish seller - the masts had gone missing - so had acquired a couple of masts to replace ... slightly taller - but heels were broken and wrong size ...

Generally - the woodwork was in sorry state .... deck rotten core ... superstructure rotten under poorly laid GRP ......

Asking 14500 Euros ............ yes that indicates immediately its a project boat as a decent N33 out here is anywhere from 30 tp 40K depending on gear and year.

My estimate on repairs would most likely run to over 25K .... maybe more. Making it uneconomic to take on ...... shame.

Guy was not surprised at my findings ... he admitted he knew ...

The photos actually show her in better condition than reality !!

TBH - even if I got it for a figure that could create a more realistic total on completion - the amount of work is more than I wish to take on ....

I fear that this boat will now get worse over time and finally join the hulks after being stripped ...

Maybe I can chat with my Boat Yard guy and we consider a restoration deal ... its about only way to do it .... where yard and I are in 50-50 ...... then sell on or sort ownership.

 

[jamie N]

Walk away, and don't look back.

 

[Poignard]

What's the story?

Owner decides on major refit, starts loads of jobs at once, falls ill, can't carry on, and another nice boat ends up forgotten in a corner of a boatyard

 

[Daydream believer]

Today I drove across Latvia to go look at a Nauticat 33. Guy was 'honest' in his advert that it was a project ... but hull and engine were good.

Correct .... the Lehman 83hp fired up first touch of button from dead cold ... ran sweet.

Boat had been launched and was dry bilges with no signs of having been mopped out before I got there.

But Oh Dear ...... the decks were 'spongy' and when I put the meter on them to check for water ingress ..... needle was off scale. Even where previous owner had stripped and then GRP'd over ...

The wooden cabin superstructure was obviously GRP'd over to try hold together the rotten plywood structure. Areas had cracked and were flaking off. Windows taped round to try stop leaks.

Fore cabin was ok - not good but usable - obviously guy had used that when sailing her over from Sweden when he bought her as a project.

But galley was stripped out ... aft cabin stripped out ... cabins and pilot house soles were scraps of ply sheet ....

Swedish seller - the masts had gone missing - so had acquired a couple of masts to replace ... slightly taller - but heels were broken and wrong size ...

Generally - the woodwork was in sorry state .... deck rotten core ... superstructure rotten under poorly laid GRP ......

Asking 14500 Euros ............ yes that indicates immediately its a project boat as a decent N33 out here is anywhere from 30 tp 40K depending on gear and year.

My estimate on repairs would most likely run to over 25K .... maybe more. Making it uneconomic to take on ...... shame.

Guy was not surprised at my findings ... he admitted he knew ...

The photos actually show her in better condition than reality !!

TBH - even if I got it for a figure that could create a more realistic total on completion - the amount of work is more than I wish to take on ....

I fear that this boat will now get worse over time and finally join the hulks after being stripped ...

Maybe I can chat with my Boat Yard guy and we consider a restoration deal ... its about only way to do it .... where yard and I are in 50-50 ...... then sell on or sort ownership.

So what are you sayin Trigger? Another possible for Wansworth to consider?? Side decks look OK for SWMBO,

 

[waynes world]

i would have that, but at that price no chance, maybe half that, its a shell in a way from your description. need gutting and redoing.

still i think you should buy it for me to see wat you do with it

 

[38mess]

How fast can you run.... unless it's free.

 

[Refueler]

For that money I can buy a nice Jeanneau Rush ... Maxi 95 ..... etc.

Ready to go with no work to do .....

If I was to take the N33 on .. it would have to be a 'freebie' and then stood in my barn for slow work over a long period ...

Just for interest as I have been asked by friends what I would do if I took it on :

1. Cut off the Pilot House.
2. Cut off the cabin superstructure fwd of the aft steerage deck.
3. Rip up the decks
4. Re stringer / frame the decks and make new ply decks.
5. I would not core the deck but resin whole deck to seal and create water barrier.
6. Use old superstructure as template to cut and fashion new ply panels
7. Pilot house use as template.
8. Once superstructure is back in place - planked deck ... due to costs and lack of Teak here - I would consider impregnated pine or similar. Possibly TekTeak synthetics.

I would consider to return the superstructure and deck back to the wood style ......

All wood rails and strakes would be removed ... sanded back ... impregnated with resin and clamped to close up where lamination has opened up.

Windows bedded in properly to the structure

Once exterior is put to a reasonable state - then start on internal. Again use of ply and templates of the old. Mixed with some clean white and red Pine to create a lighter cabin style. Present based on the old dark wood feels cramped .....

But its all fantasy at present .... as I am not going to buy at sort of price guy is asking.

 

[Refueler]

What's the story?

Owner decides on major refit, starts loads of jobs at once, falls ill, can't carry on, and another nice boat ends up forgotten in a corner of a boatyard

Not quite.

Its actually sitting on his private pontoon ... same as my situation at bottom of his garden. He bought the boat couple years ago in Sweden with view to renovate. He motored her across Baltic - so she's saeworthy.
He acquired various gear to fit ... new hydraulics for steering ... new fuel tank ... etc.
Masts are from a Marieholm 33 so need modification but usuable.
He'd started a bit of work - but his business then left little time to do more.

As many find - as he started a job - he found he was 'chasing' rot further back into structure ...

Previous Swedish owner had stupidly tried to arrest failure of superstructure by GRP all over as a skin ... but of course the ply structure under just carried on rotting and now GRP skin is not smooth / level ... is cracked and peeling in places.
He also tried GRP'g the deck .. but that is still rotting under.

The Latvian Guy who bought then of course found out all this once he got it back and spent time on it...

I passed my Protimeter over decks and structure and it was banging max scale for water in core everywhere .... but my Skipper showed hull to be very good and dry.

 

[Jim@sea]

In 1982 I bought a Nauticat 33. It was made in 1973 and found that some of the structural timber in the anchor locker was "soft" i.e you could push a penknife blade in about 1/4 of an inch.
Presumably the teak deck had leaked water through.
Too much work to do, a long job, you will end up spending £50,000 and lose 5 years of your life.
Buy a smaller boat you can sail.

 

[Refueler]

In 1982 I bought a Nauticat 33. It was made in 1973 and found that some of the structural timber in the anchor locker was "soft" i.e you could push a penknife blade in about 1/4 of an inch.
Presumably the teak deck had leaked water through.
Too much work to do, a long job, you will end up spending £50,000 and lose 5 years of your life.
Buy a smaller boat you can sail.

Appreciated your post.

FYI - I am actually a qualified Surveyor ... not one of the so-called that trot about UK ....

Its a real shame as the hull / engine / general gear is good .... its just that the years have taken toll on the wood structures - and previous Swedish owner failed to secure properly. From a moderate job - its just gone down hill to a serious problem.

My estimate if I do work myself and take time ... is about 25000 euros + ..... but the amount of work is something that at my age now ? Not something I really want to get into.

My 25ft Motor sailer ... Sunrider 25 ... will be out of yard very soon and back doing what she does best ... cruising Baltic ... so I am not land-locked !!

The idea was to keep SR25 on the River at back of house - I have 30 - 35kms of deep wide river to play in.
The N33 could have been other side of the 3 bridges in the Town YC for Baltic Sea ...

I am now looking at other boats ... with an eye on a nice Maxi 95 in East Germany .....

 

[Tranona]

Think of a number (money or time) double it and then add 50% contingency. By then you will arrive at a cost for a boat in 5 years time that would exceed the cost of a far superior all GRP 331 - NOW.

You had it right in post#7. Get it for beer money and you have a very superior garden shed in which to potter and dream for the rest of your life!

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Today I drove across Latvia to go look at a Nauticat 33. Guy was 'honest' in his advert that it was a project ... but hull and engine were good.

Correct .... the Lehman 83hp fired up first touch of button from dead cold ... ran sweet.

Boat had been launched and was dry bilges with no signs of having been mopped out before I got there.

But Oh Dear ...... the decks were 'spongy' and when I put the meter on them to check for water ingress ..... needle was off scale. Even where previous owner had stripped and then GRP'd over ...

The wooden cabin superstructure was obviously GRP'd over to try hold together the rotten plywood structure. Areas had cracked and were flaking off. Windows taped round to try stop leaks.

Fore cabin was ok - not good but usable - obviously guy had used that when sailing her over from Sweden when he bought her as a project.

But galley was stripped out ... aft cabin stripped out ... cabins and pilot house soles were scraps of ply sheet ....

Swedish seller - the masts had gone missing - so had acquired a couple of masts to replace ... slightly taller - but heels were broken and wrong size ...

Generally - the woodwork was in sorry state .... deck rotten core ... superstructure rotten under poorly laid GRP ......

Asking 14500 Euros ............ yes that indicates immediately its a project boat as a decent N33 out here is anywhere from 30 tp 40K depending on gear and year.

My estimate on repairs would most likely run to over 25K .... maybe more. Making it uneconomic to take on ...... shame.

Guy was not surprised at my findings ... he admitted he knew ...

The photos actually show her in better condition than reality !!

TBH - even if I got it for a figure that could create a more realistic total on completion - the amount of work is more than I wish to take on ....

I fear that this boat will now get worse over time and finally join the hulks after being stripped ...

Maybe I can chat with my Boat Yard guy and we consider a restoration deal ... its about only way to do it .... where yard and I are in 50-50 ...... then sell on or sort ownership.

So did you get an independent professional surveyor’s report ?

 

[Refueler]

So did you get an independent professional surveyor’s report ?

Pardon ???

I am a Professional Surveyor ..... Not only as actual on site for more years than I care to remember - but owner of Survey Co's previously in UK and then Baltics.

I closed UK due to becoming resident in Baltics in mid 90's

Baltic's - actually have a more 'rounded' view of the matter ... not so many call for surveys ... but I still carry out odd ones here and there. My primary business is the 'real shipping' world that has been backbone of my time since leaving sea many years ago.

Unlike majority of Yacht Surveyors who only carry Hull Meters which is often the crappy Sovereign or similar .... I carry two models ... one that is designed to tell me moisture / water content of such as wood or composite decks - Protimeter ... as well as the Tramex Skipper for Hull checking.

 

[dac31]

A friendly surveyor on here good to know!

 

[Refueler]

A friendly surveyor on here good to know!

I can think of a couple here who may not agree !!

 

[Wansworth]

So what are you sayin Trigger? Another possible for Wansworth to consider?? Side decks look OK for SWMBO,

If I had a barge pole I wouldn’t touch it

 

[Daydream believer]

Unlike majority of Yacht Surveyors who only carry Hull Meters which is often the crappy Sovereign or similar .... I carry two models ... one that is designed to tell me moisture / water content of such as wood or composite decks - Protimeter ... as well as the Tramex Skipper for Hull checking.

It is one thing having a meter, but another knowing how to use it

 

[Refueler]

It is one thing having a meter, but another knowing how to use it

I will take that as a joke ... and then ignore.

 

[Supertramp]

If it was being given away.....
If I had somewhere covered to work on it......
If I had the skills to do it well......

And even then it would be unlikely to match the appearance and price of the original.

But it would make an interesting conversion back to being a fishing or workboat where function outweighs appearance and fancy fittings (assuming it's the long keel not fin and skeg model).

Could be the first reverse MFV conversion?

 

[Daydream believer]

I will take that as a joke ... and then ignore.

It was not meant as an insult. Just a general observation, for those who may wish to use one ;thinking it is just a case of plonking it on a surface . But I have seem some arrive with Protimeters etc & still have no idea of the calibration for different substrates etc.
(I am a chartered surveyor, for what that is worth)