Oddities are for wimps, Project Doom

[solent clown]

Having followed Phil and Greg's "progress" misadventure, and distraction buying other boats, I found myself feeling a tad forlorn, and felt we were not living up to our clown monikers as we should. So you Oddities, have a look at this disaster area we just acquired. Blogging our "progress" should at least take the heat off you guys for a while.
In all seriousness, this is Karen and my dream boat. The right size, room inside, and bilge keeled. In good nick they go for £15-20k.
It has a sad tale of course, slipping it's mooring at Kirby, drifting until it hit some granite sea defences and tore the bow out, before settling, fortunately on a neap tide where it sat for 5 days before it was recovered. A temporary repair was effected the first day after wrecking, but there was not enough water to float it for several days, even with the salvagers attempts to put airbags underneath.
Since then it has sat, been through two owners hands who did nothing with it due to time constraints.
We bought it VERY cheaply.
Damage includes the obvious bow destruction, the rudder spindle is bent, one pane of glass is smashed. Internally it is dirty, but miraculously everything is OK, including all of the woodwork most of the cushions were thrown away. The headlining needs gluing in the heads and a couple of other places (standard westerly) . It has a large suite of sails, all good, Standing rigging etc all good. Wiring is still OK, but I will be replacing to modernise anyway.
There is no engine, it was refurbished so sold by previous owner to recuperate costs. I am not worried about engine, I will find one.
The log has been torn out of the bottom of the boat leaving the through hull fitting open.
To my mind I fix the GRP, and rudder, throw an engine in and go sailing, treating everything else as a rolling (sailing) project.
I am competent with GRP, but fortunately I have expert yacht building help and facilities where I am so doing the hull should be fine.
I reckon once it is back here I can have it done in about three days
By the way it is a Westerly Berwick (Longbow with bilge keels) 31ft. They are not the prettiest, or the fastest, but as a floating cruising caravan they tick all our boxes. I am also a sucker for a project. It is going to cost us a lot to move the boat from Kirby to southampton, more than we paid for the boat, but we are still confident of having it all done for a tiny fraction of the price of buying one up together. Honest guvn'r.
P_20180727_100040 by mark punksteel, on Flickr

P_20180727_100014 by mark punksteel, on Flickr

P_20180727_095913 by mark punksteel, on Flickr

P_20180727_093947 by mark punksteel, on Flickr

P_20180727_093320 by mark punksteel, on Flickr


bilges full of rusty rainwater courtesy of old tools rotting away
P_20180727_093210 by mark punksteel, on Flickr


Heads headlining
P_20180727_093053 by mark punksteel, on Flickr

P_20180727_093048 by mark punksteel, on Flickr

P_20180727_093040 by mark punksteel, on Flickr

 

[sarabande]

What an incredibly supportive SWMBO you have !

Yep, good boat, and with your skills and ambition, she should be back on the water in a few* days. Have a good look at the splay of the keels; I can see a line at the point of attachment starboard side. The rest is just cosmetic

Best of luck


* 'few' equals 10 days full time work, with another 20 for contingencies.

 

[solent clown]

What an incredibly supportive SWMBO you have !

Yep, good boat, and with your skills and ambition, she should be back on the water in a few* days. Have a good look at the splay of the keels; I can see a line at the point of attachment starboard side. The rest is just cosmetic

Best of luck


* 'few' equals 10 days full time work, with another 20 for contingencies.

Karen isnt supportive, she is the prime mover! As for time to fix, I am realistic really. I know we could do the work on the hull quickly, but I am in no rush, I want to strip the front out and get it all dry and clean before fixing. Your "few" is probably 'bout right :encouragement:

 

[Stemar]

Yer mad!

I suspect you're going to get to know Trafalgar Marine in Fareham quite well as they seem to be the main repository of bits for old Westerlies. They had some rudder posts when I was there the other day and, while I didn't pay any real attention, I think one might have been for a Bewick.

 

[solent clown]

Yer mad!

I suspect you're going to get to know Trafalgar Marine in Fareham quite well as they seem to be the main repository of bits for old Westerlies. They had some rudder posts when I was there the other day and, while I didn't pay any real attention, I think one might have been for a Bewick.

wow,m thanks for the heads up, we feel a road trip coming on!

 

[solent clown]

£1350 for the rudder from trafalger... We didnt pay half that for the whole boat! Good job I can fabricate....

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Next you'll be telling us that you plan to sail it this year.........

ps. I've always thought that those bow fenders were a bit of a waste of time. I was right.

 

[Stemar]

£1350 for the rudder from trafalger... We didnt pay half that for the whole boat! Good job I can fabricate....

Ouch! I could see paying that for one for a newish boat, but...????

That's how so many projects turn from dream to nightmare!

 

[solent clown]

Next you'll be telling us that you plan to sail it this year.........

ps. I've always thought that those bow fenders were a bit of a waste of time. I was right.

yes we will be sailing it this year. I hope that is not an unrealistic target. Engine will take a few hours. GRP work many hours/days. Everything else is serviceable enough to be going on with.

 

[Tranona]

£1350 for the rudder from trafalger... We didnt pay half that for the whole boat! Good job I can fabricate....

This illustrates perfectly why such boats are money pits unless you can do everything yourself and scavenge bits. a new boat that size would be £100k+ so the rudder actually sounds cheap at £1350. Having made a rudder of similar size and type i can tell you it is not as easy or quick as it looks as you are doing a one off and learning on the way.

You may well find splitting the rudder and straightening the stock possible.

The big advantage over oddity is that you have most of the (expensive) bits that make it work as a sailing boat.

PS they don't sell for anything like the money you suggest - even in tip top condition.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I wish you every bit of luck with what looks like a very long- term-project, I would have thought you have months of hard graft to get her ship shape. We have found from bitter experience that if you adopt a multiplication factor of about 8 to the original time you have allowed to complete a job on any boat you will have a roughly accurate timescale for finishing.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Well good luck, I hope it works out for you , I not saying any thing , but please report back as you go alone .
And really good luck .

 

[sailaboutvic]

This illustrates perfectly why such boats are money pits unless you can do everything yourself and scavenge bits. a new boat that size would be £100k+ so the rudder actually sounds cheap at £1350. Having made a rudder of similar size and type i can tell you it is not as easy or quick as it looks as you are doing a one off and learning on the way.

You may well find splitting the rudder and straightening the stock possible.

The big advantage over oddity is that you have most of the (expensive) bits that make it work as a sailing boat.

PS they don't sell for anything like the money you suggest - even in tip top condition.

I don't know T but I think I rather a new shell what guys have , I just think they going about it all wrong , I think I could make that work.
We taken on some project in my time , and it's a lot easier to work with something almost new even if it was left in a mess then one that repairing bits before you even start .
Agree I be temped to buy the rudder them make a new one from scratch.

 

[Pete7]

I spent a week sailing alongside a chap called Roy from Portchester Sailing Club a couple of years ago. He had done a similar project on his Longbow variant including decks and dropping a Ford 1600cc engine in it with Lancing marinising parts. Bit over the top but started and moved well. He even made his own try-radial genoa and mainsail in the club one winter, they looked really good and I wouldn't have known if he hadn't told me. We averaged 5-51/2 knots sailing comfortable cruising to the West Country and back.

What I really liked about his Longbow is the companion way is only a short step down into the saloon rather than the more normal flight of steps in many yachts. When you have climbed up and down 2 dozen times in a day refitting the yacht you will appreciate this. Good choice for some of the quieter out of the way places in the Solent but big enough to travel in some comfort.

About 5 years ago there was a blog of a chap doing a Centaur rebuild more as a labour of love and a fun thing to do, he even extended the keels to make them deeper. Would be worth finding the blog.

Okay, found the blog and his pictures are deffinitely worth seeing:

http://www.agentlemansyacht.com/2009/

https://plus.google.com/collection/oYgiPE

 

[solent clown]

This illustrates perfectly why such boats are money pits unless you can do everything yourself and scavenge bits. a new boat that size would be £100k+ so the rudder actually sounds cheap at £1350. Having made a rudder of similar size and type i can tell you it is not as easy or quick as it looks as you are doing a one off and learning on the way.

You may well find splitting the rudder and straightening the stock possible.

The big advantage over oddity is that you have most of the (expensive) bits that make it work as a sailing boat.

PS they don't sell for anything like the money you suggest - even in tip top condition.

This is where we are fortunate to be able to do everything ourselves, and have the expertise and facilities of a grp yacht builder right here. The rudder stock is metal, so that is my department, either fix as you say, and tube is my business so if it can be done safely i will, or replace. If we have to replace I am going to make a mould of the rudder
And yes, Oddity is an Odyssey, At least with this thing it is all there apart from an engine and some fibre glass.

 

[solent clown]

I wish you every bit of luck with what looks like a very long- term-project, I would have thought you have months of hard graft to get her ship shape. We have found from bitter experience that if you adopt a multiplication factor of about 8 to the original time you have allowed to complete a job on any boat you will have a roughly accurate timescale for finishing.

yes, this is the fourth boat in the last 11 months we have got up and running, including one that was sunk last year. Theory about hours needed, finding the hours in real life, then contingency for the unexpected always knocks thing sideways. that is why I have budgeted 4 days when I am actually saying three...
Of course each day will be preceeded by a night with a full moon

 

[solent clown]

I spent a week sailing alongside a chap called Roy from Portchester Sailing Club a couple of years ago. He had done a similar project on his Longbow variant including decks and dropping a Ford 1600cc engine in it with Lancing marinising parts. Bit over the top but started and moved well. He even made his own try-radial genoa and mainsail in the club one winter, they looked really good and I wouldn't have known if he hadn't told me. We averaged 5-51/2 knots sailing comfortable cruising to the West Country and back.

What I really liked about his Longbow is the companion way is only a short step down into the saloon rather than the more normal flight of steps in many yachts. When you have climbed up and down 2 dozen times in a day refitting the yacht you will appreciate this. Good choice for some of the quieter out of the way places in the Solent but big enough to travel in some comfort.

About 5 years ago there was a blog of a chap doing a Centaur rebuild more as a labour of love and a fun thing to do, he even extended the keels to make them deeper. Would be worth finding the blog.

Okay, found the blog and his pictures are deffinitely worth seeing:

http://www.agentlemansyacht.com/2009/

https://plus.google.com/collection/oYgiPE

fascinating, thanks for that.

 

[Mister E]

I am sure that you will get this new (to you) boat sailing again in a lot less time than the rest of us.

It is pleasing when the boss likes and wants the same thing to happen and I am certain she will give you no slack to get it sailing. Does she already have adventures planned for a few weeks time?
I am looking forward to the updates.

 

[solent clown]

we got this boat for a few hundred pounds. The previous owner was quoted over 4K to fix the bow alone. We can fix that for somewhere in the very low hundreds ex stock. I am not applying labour to the project costs, as this will be done in my own time, and the project work is a "hobby" I will also not include storage during repair, though I will show what that did cost, as that would be incurred in ownership regardless. It may serve as an honest account of what dooing something like this costs. I will put what the grp etc would have cost us (had we not had full boatbuilding facilities here) and the same with what I would have charged for the metal repair/fabrication involved in the rudder, the cost of having an engine fitted by an engineer, the hull being painted etc by boatbuilders.
I think it make interesting reading. Of course I am utterly realistic in knowing I am in a very fortunate position to have facilities and expertise to hand that should cost a fortune, That is not the case for many. The budget with any project is a time/ money balance. If you have time, you spend less money as you add your own labour. Trouble is if you have time, you generally have less money so there is a struggle with resourcing! Same the other way, if you have money, it is easier to pay someone else than waste your precious free time.
I have spent 40 years in engineering, restoring vehicles and machines, building one offs, and messing with my own projects. I have had my share of projects I did not finish and sold on for a song. These were almost always because i bought something cheap without thinking of the end cost - with classic cars there are some items you cant cut corners on, metal is easy, but interior arts and trim cost what they cost, no way around it.
I went into this one with eyes wide open. if the hull was sound and rudder ok this would sail tomorrow. if it had an engine it would be good enough for us as a project to sail a couple of times a week (yes we do sail that often) and work on inbetween to gert up together and sorted to stay on.
I am more than happy to take Greg style bets on the timeframe - and happy to get it wrong, as long as the starting gun is when it gets delivered to our boatyard.

 

[solent clown]

I am sure that you will get this new (to you) boat sailing again in a lot less time than the rest of us.

It is pleasing when the boss likes and wants the same thing to happen and I am certain she will give you no slack to get it sailing. Does she already have adventures planned for a few weeks time?
I am looking forward to the updates.

yes she does. If it was not 250 miles away i would have spent today making formers for the bow repair. I do love a project, and this one is not too big of one. But if we had the money would would have just bought one finished as it were. As it is this was our only way financially to manage it right now. That would not work for a lot of people but it does for us