moorings

Realistically the current owner should be asking for quotes to remove and scrap that eyesore, rather than conning somebody with the idea that it could somehow be turned into usable boat.
 
+1 to Tranonas's post.

If you can't afford to moor it you can't afford to have it lifted and check the hull plating and then have new plates welded on in the many places it will probably be needed. Than start a lifetime of grinding, filling and painting.......
 
James_Will1,
People do amazing things in order to follow their dreams against the odds, and I think we all respect your spirit and enthusiasm, but we have all seen many, many, failed projects, and a tiny number of successes.
The successes take at least one of: many years, several fully committed people, lots of money.
I hate to say it, but one person, without a few very close friends keen to join in and stay joined in, or very deep pockets, has no realistic prospect of completing the restoration of such a large boat.

I imagine from this thread and your previous posts that you aim to recycle stuff as far as possible, buying unwanted things and refurbishing them, making stuff yourself from low cost/scrap materials etc. You can however only go so far with this, and you will need to spend significant amounts of money from time to time.

Out of interest, have you formed any sort of view of a budget for the whole project?

Cheers,
Alan
 
Ok people. You may think I am stupid.Although am not totaly STUPID may sound it at times,I will give you all that but honest I have listend to you all and have actualy taken in what you have said so will leave that on and maybe look for a grp one just like to mention yes can weld and sorry about punctuations and full stops and that and thanks for calling me a youngan at 50 made my day that one your all great peaple and glad I asked sory only come on a bit at moment as had an op last week to remove a malignant tuma off my back so bit sore at mo for couple off weeks but you all given me some good advice and listend makes a,change for me
 
Still my dream to get a boat grp one now i think though to work on and mabe live on eventualy but most importantly though ask peiple like yourselfs for advice first and maybe help at times if possable
 
It was always full of 'orrible old tore-outs, some of them filled on every tide ... we used to call it dead-boat creek.

used to have a large population of dreamers. You know, disintegrating old hulks whose occupants have shaggy hair .

the graveyard of hopes and dreams.

Wasn't it somewhere thereabouts that the incurable dreamer Shane Acton first lived aboard Shrimpy, getting her up together and saving some money before setting off one and a half times round the world? Mind you, his boat was only 18 foot, in pretty good condition to start with (I got the impression), and he was clearly a very resourceful and determined chap.
 
Wasn't it somewhere thereabouts that the incurable dreamer Shane Acton first lived aboard Shrimpy, getting her up together and saving some money before setting off one and a half times round the world? Mind you, his boat was only 18 foot, in pretty good condition to start with (I got the impression), and he was clearly a very resourceful and determined chap.

Dreams are great, and I would never knock them. I think it's a great shame, though, when dreamers take on projects so huge that progress is impossible and they become disheartened.
 
Ok people. You may think I am stupid.Although am not totaly STUPID may sound it at times,I will give you all that but honest I have listend to you all and have actualy taken in what you have said so will leave that on and maybe look for a grp one just like to mention yes can weld and sorry about punctuations and full stops and that and thanks for calling me a youngan at 50 made my day that one your all great peaple and glad I asked sory only come on a bit at moment as had an op last week to remove a malignant tuma off my back so bit sore at mo for couple off weeks but you all given me some good advice and listend makes a,change for me

Good luck. Solid but scruffy GRP boats in need of some TLC are dirt cheap these days - keep looking at you're bound to find one. Tip: run screaming from anything described as a "project" on eBay. Finding a cheap mooring in your neck of the woods looks like more of a problem.
 
Still my dream to get a boat grp one now i think though to work on and mabe live on eventualy but most importantly though ask peiple like yourselfs for advice first and maybe help at times if possable

Don't give up looking. The wreck you've walked away from may have just been the inspiration to look for the real thing that's waiting for you.

There are lots of cheap boats that should be cheaper and lots of boats with very unrealistic vendors. When you look at a boat that needs s bit of work, don't underestimate the costs and time. (Think of a timescale and multiply by at least four!). I've restored boats (two) and it takes YEARS! The hull is one matter, but fitting out in some sort of seamanlike and strong enough way takes time and money.

If you just want a floating caravan to live in, then that's a different matter.
 
As others have said, it's entirely possible to live on a boat. There are many available according to your budget and level of expertise. GRP is probably the best hull material to look at as it is extremely strong and durable, probably won't need much attention in itself, but if it does is relatively easy to work. But avoid GRP boats where the hull does need attention, as there are plenty that don't. Avoid hard-raced boats, they're usually knackered. Look at as many as you can before you buy. You will need to budget for a mooring. Good luck.
 
would anyone have any idea as to any good sites or links on internet that I can look at old cheap grp,s that may need working on to do up then so can end up with something that could be ok in the end after working on it as I have plenty of my time to spend on it as only me and would give me plenty to do and would enjoy working on it or even you may know of somewere to look. I am hopefully going to move to a flat in millford haven sometime this year so even if found something up that way would atleast have somewere warm to live inbetween doing a boat op
 
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ebay and Apolloduck are the obvious places to look, although be aware that the former is stuffed with real junk as well as the odd gem. Many such boats are not advertised at all because owners are reluctant for many reasons and just sit abandoned up creeks, in yards or at homes.

If you are looking for a reasonable sized boat to live on then it makes sense to buy where you are going to use it and do the work as moving boats to other locations can be extremely expensive, plus actually finding somewhere to keep it can be problematic.

My advice would be to avoid hulks - even GRP and any boat over 30-35'. You can get usable and liveable boats around 30' for well under £10k - see the various threads here from steve yates to get an idea of what is possible on a budget of much less than that. Avoid anything larger than that as a first boat - the work needed is exponentially greater and is unlikely ever to get finished no matter how keen you are, so the boat will be forever that part finished decaying hulk going nowhere.

You should also be aware that not every mooring owner tolerates liveaboards , particularly on boats that look like a cross between a building site and a garden shed and unless you are on a walk ashore berth it is a very spartan way of living, even in the summer months.
 
There is rarely any sense in buying a 'doer upper' with boats.
Boats decline in value, and generally a knackered cheap boat + cost of fixing it will add up to more than just buying a good one.
This applies especially to upgrades- if you spend £5k on a new engine, it does not make your boat automatically worth £5k more.

The only exception is where a boat needs nothing but time spent on it, and everything is actually OK under the surface. But that takes a keen eye to spot, and a very thorough look past the shabbiness.
 
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