Robertsons Golly for sale

[Stemar]

You're mad, of course, but it takes a certain kind of insanity to take on a project like that, and it's a kind of insanity that I respect. I think the boat's worth saving, and I'm glad someone's doing it, but a lot gladder that it's not me

Best of luck to you - do keep us updated

 

[Flynnbarr]

Good luck to you both…..
Life is not all about money….
There is nothing better than wasting money on boats….
Enjoy…..and please let us all know how you get on

 

[doug748]

Hey folks, I'm the new owner of the Robertsons Golly, bought her at the yard yesterday.

I didn't realize this boat had such an extensive history until I stumbled on this post and now I'm going down the rabbit hole learning everything I can about her.

Thought I'd give an update on my plans since there seems to be some interest. As surmised by others in the post, I'm fairly young (or I like to think so) and I'll be reviving the golly with my brother. We've got the funds and the time to do the work that needs doing.

I am going to rename her. I think I have the perfect name that maintains her prestigious history while acknowledging how.. spicy it is and how much work it's going to be. I introduce to you Robertsons Folly.

So far on my to do list I've got:

- Source a 25-30hp engine (Perkins is top of my list but it fluctuates)
- Standing and running rigging
- Hull work & paint
- Plumbing (some pipes burst in winter at some point)
- Sea toilet
- Shower
- Anchor
- Resealing everything I can get my hands on
- Redo the wiring
- Upholstery
- Guard rails and netting
- 400w solar setup
- deep clean
- undecided on a wind-vane
- rudder need re-laminating
- interior needs panelling in the master berth and some of the living space
- and there's almost certainly more I'm missing right now

Most of the work will be done by me and my brother minus some of the more intricate work that we're not adequately prepared for such as fitting the engine and the standing rigging, but with a (limited) background in yacht repairs and general contractor work we have a fairly solid idea of the scope of work and can handle pretty much everything else and will work on it close to full time.

We'll be doing whatever we can to retain all her best features & history while modernizing her and making her a comfortable and reliable live aboard boat for blue water cruising. If you've got questions or suggestions please fire away.

Great news.

Most of the sad stories of failed, expensive and endless restorations are due to unrealistic expectations. You have to decide at the outset if you want to have a boat in new condition or better - or of you want to get sailing ASAP. If the latter, don't shy away from secondhand equipment, quick fixes and leaving out unnecessary things like hull painting and fancy electronics.

I see no reason why you would strain your budget if you choose sensibly. The two items you mentioned: engine fitting and standing rigging are not a problem for fit and reasonably practical people and doing them yourself could well save you £3000 right there. It's a similar story with engine size, do you want to drive the boat at hull speed against a 25 kt headwind - or do you enjoy sailing for the sake of it and view the engine as a convenience for getting out of port?
My Contessa 32 had a 12hp engine which I doubt was ever capable of making 9 and I probably never asked it to produce more than 7, yet I once motored from Roscoff to Plymouth ok..... in flat conditions.

Best of luck with your re-fit, keep us up to date.

.

 

[Tranona]

No need to be sorry for sounding negative. It's fair feedback tinged with personal experience. It's appreciated and I agree that I'm going to hit countless roadblocks along the way and probably end up spending more than I'd like.

How about I come back to you in a couple of months and let you know how it's going, rather than making any (probably woefully incorrect) grand statements now.

Yes, keep posting. In the first year of my refit I kept a reasonably accurate record of how time was spent. it was a shock, even to me with experience of having built 2 smaller boats and refitted a smaller version of my current boat (which included removing and modifying keel and rudder plus rebuilding and extending the coachroof and a new engine) how little time was actually spent on "doing things". Less than 40%. Rest is planning, deciding how to do things, sourcing components and liaising with contractors. I live only 20 minutes drive from the boat and just about everything I needed was available close by or on line. Obviously with 2 of you working on it that %age will rise (but likely fall a bit owing to discussions/disagreements!).

The most time consuming job was rewiring as well as being the one where actual cost was way more than budget. My system is very basic, much simpler than you will need if you really do want to go serious cruising with modern comforts such as fridge, hot water, electric windlass and modern electronics. Just planning where to locate all the gizmos and connect them up is a challenge before you even decide what sort of batteries you need or making your distribution panels. You may be able to re-use some of the existing gear, but I doubt it - most will be rubbish by today's standards and many people do what I did - rip the whole lot out and start again. The photos show my distribution panel and the wiring behind it. Unfortunately the guy who made the panel for me is no longer in business, and a custom panel to that standard would not leave any change out of £500. You can build panels yourself either from scratch or using modules of fused switches but that just adds to the time. If you have never planned a system and installed it you will find it probably the most challenging job on the boat. Just connecting the panel up took 2 days solid work.

You mention doing work afloat. If it is in a marina or alongside then that is little different from on shore - less climbing up and own ladders but maybe more walking to and fro carrying bits of gear. However if on a mooring then your productive time will shrink, replaced by the logistics of getting you and stuff to the boat. Some jobs, like installing the engine and repairing the rudder can only be done ashore. Rigging is another area which will cost far more than you think. You can save money by having stays made up and fitting them yourself, but almost certainly as you work through you will find many other jobs need doing (such as replacing the wiring to the masthead), plus costs of stepping the mast and setting up the rigging. You don't say anything about the running rigging and sails, but you will get a shock if you need to replace these.

Others have mentioned expectations - there is a huge difference between getting a boat that is essentially complete back into service at a basic level and your aim of a reliable bluewater cruiser. That is why I suggested you think carefully before you commit. I realise that you have the boat and maybe can't get out of it, but take a deep breath and do some hard thinking about what the goal is.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Iit all sounds great to me. Inspired name change, and take comfort that Noah was the only man ever to launch his boat on schedule.

 

[YachtGoblin]

Great news.

Most of the sad stories of failed, expensive and endless restorations are due to unrealistic expectations. You have to decide at the outset if you want to have a boat in new condition or better - or of you want to get sailing ASAP. If the latter, don't shy away from secondhand equipment, quick fixes and leaving out unnecessary things like hull painting and fancy electronics.

I see no reason why you would strain your budget if you choose sensibly. The two items you mentioned: engine fitting and standing rigging are not a problem for fit and reasonably practical people and doing them yourself could well save you £3000 right there. It's a similar story with engine size, do you want to drive the boat at hull speed against a 25 kt headwind - or do you enjoy sailing for the sake of it and view the engine as a convenience for getting out of port?
My Contessa 32 had a 12hp engine which I doubt was ever capable of making 9 and I probably never asked it to produce more than 7, yet I once motored from Roscoff to Plymouth ok..... in flat conditions.

Best of luck with your re-fit, keep us up to date.

.

I really appreciate this, good food for thought. I am leaning more and more towards doing a fair amount of that work myself, not just for the cost saving factor but also to make myself more competent and less in need of external assistance in whatever situation may come up.

I'm certainly leaning towards getting her on the water ASAP so I can live aboard while completing the work that can be done outside of a yard. I'm going to be starting work on her properly next weekend and the goals are cleaning, hull work, sea toilet and a couple other bits that are harder once the engine is in. Then I'll get the engine in followed by the mast and the rigging and then I'll get her back in the water and complete the rest of the work while moored up.

Just went to visit her again today to check over everything and I'm more optimistic about it all now than I was when I bought her. You're right about needed to decide between perfect and good enough. I am certainly going for the latter. I do not need (or even want) her to be perfect, I just want to get her back to good health so to speak.

 

[YachtGoblin]

Yes, keep posting. In the first year of my refit I kept a reasonably accurate record of how time was spent. it was a shock, even to me with experience of having built 2 smaller boats and refitted a smaller version of my current boat (which included removing and modifying keel and rudder plus rebuilding and extending the coachroof and a new engine) how little time was actually spent on "doing things". Less than 40%. Rest is planning, deciding how to do things, sourcing components and liaising with contractors. I live only 20 minutes drive from the boat and just about everything I needed was available close by or on line. Obviously with 2 of you working on it that %age will rise (but likely fall a bit owing to discussions/disagreements!).

The most time consuming job was rewiring as well as being the one where actual cost was way more than budget. My system is very basic, much simpler than you will need if you really do want to go serious cruising with modern comforts such as fridge, hot water, electric windlass and modern electronics. Just planning where to locate all the gizmos and connect them up is a challenge before you even decide what sort of batteries you need or making your distribution panels. You may be able to re-use some of the existing gear, but I doubt it - most will be rubbish by today's standards and many people do what I did - rip the whole lot out and start again. The photos show my distribution panel and the wiring behind it. Unfortunately the guy who made the panel for me is no longer in business, and a custom panel to that standard would not leave any change out of £500. You can build panels yourself either from scratch or using modules of fused switches but that just adds to the time. If you have never planned a system and installed it you will find it probably the most challenging job on the boat. Just connecting the panel up took 2 days solid work.

You mention doing work afloat. If it is in a marina or alongside then that is little different from on shore - less climbing up and own ladders but maybe more walking to and fro carrying bits of gear. However if on a mooring then your productive time will shrink, replaced by the logistics of getting you and stuff to the boat. Some jobs, like installing the engine and repairing the rudder can only be done ashore. Rigging is another area which will cost far more than you think. You can save money by having stays made up and fitting them yourself, but almost certainly as you work through you will find many other jobs need doing (such as replacing the wiring to the masthead), plus costs of stepping the mast and setting up the rigging. You don't say anything about the running rigging and sails, but you will get a shock if you need to replace these.

Others have mentioned expectations - there is a huge difference between getting a boat that is essentially complete back into service at a basic level and your aim of a reliable bluewater cruiser. That is why I suggested you think carefully before you commit. I realise that you have the boat and maybe can't get out of it, but take a deep breath and do some hard thinking about what the goal is.

So the wiring might actually be one of the only components in the boat that has been recently fitted and seems to be good quality. I want to relocate some switches, get solar panels and lifepo4 batteries hooked into the system, but it actually already has a 1000w inverter (which I will eventually swap out for a higher capacity) and is setup to work with modern systems and has good marine grade cabling for the most part. The panel / systems wiring also seems to be in good general order with some exceptions.

When I work afloat it'll be at a marina, potentially even the one attached to the yard she's currently standing in, but may also motor her up to Portsmouth or Southampton. And for sure, I've got a list of work that needs to be done in each phase, the components that'll be needed, costs, potential causes of increased costs, what these increased costs could look like, etc.

I didn't mention the running rigging as I intend to handle that myself. It is present on the boat and I need to fully assess it and see what state it's in, but that's a tomorrow problem y'know. It is what it is, if I need to buy it, I'll buy it. The sails are present (including spares as far as I can tell without having unpacked them all just yet). The primary set seem to be in good condition though I suspect they may need a good cleaning. If they need work they need work.

I know you're maybe worried about this turning into a bigger situation than I am prepared for, but it's genuinely not a concern. I'm financially secure (and this boat won't change that), I have as much time as needed, and I am mostly doing it for the thrill of bringing something back to life that otherwise would have been left to rot. If I can squeeze it out at £15k for the full fitting, great. If it costs 3x that, that's fine too. I get to build it out to my own personal specs, I will learn every system inside and out, and one day, it might even be a nice place to be. But I'm content with it being a project that takes time, effort, and money.

As someone else mentioned above, it takes a certain kind of insanity to do this, my cup runneth over.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Congratulations and good luck.

I do wonder slightly if your schedule for getting her back in the water allows enough time to properly check out the mast step & chainplates.

My only real regrets so far from my own boat renovation (smaller than yours!) are not doing that mast step and the coachroof fittings first... and not aggressively emptying the boat into a storage unit before I started. Working around stuff was fiddlier and more annoying. (I mean, there are other things I wish had been different, but they're all "wish I'd done that myself instead of hiring the particular help that I did", which is not transferable).

 

[RunAgroundHard]

My advise, focus on integrity first: seacocks, shaft seals, windows, deck fittings, hatches, chain plates, other stuff where water gets in. Once that is done, move onto the rest. Living or working on board, alongside, shore power, solar would not be a priority. Separate needs from wants, deal with the needs first, then your wants; of course it’s not always as black and white as I suggest.

I refitted a 41’ boat, got fed up with a boat that looked like a workshop, then bit the bullet and moved the boat to my home town, to an industrial estate, corner of a yard of a local business and finished 3 years later.

All the best with your refit.

 

[Blueboatman]

In some ways of the four boats I have owned ( and “ improved”) the wee Corribee which I bought for one summers use only was the very simplest and perhaps most used..
I removed :
A toilet
A kitchen sink ( and plumbing)
An inboard engine ( and plumbing and tank and exhaust system, cables controls, electrics , stuff, more stuff.. )
Three through hulls
That was enough
It had a junk rig so no standing rigging to replace- and they all go the same speed on a reach or downwind .
No furler to maintain and no wet sails to stow down below.

Bilge keels so the minimum , outboardless inflatable Avon dinghy sufficed.
And easy to park in any harbour or creek affordably and/ or dry out or dive to scrub off regularly

Maintenance in exotic places -and elsewhere- was minimal really and it was all so simple and without weight ..

A boat that good.
Well. Of course I didn’t sell it after one year.
And it owed me not one cent when finally passed on.

So to the OP
I gently suggest you don’t need all the bells and whistles
You do need a rig that will stay up.
And a solid 100% reliable engine.

And a phone with gps and a bucket or simple loo
But fancy sails electronics paint shiny anchors etc are Christmas presents once you’ve got her up and sailing and learning the boat
What fun!

 

[DownWest]

Try S3i for a standing rigging quote or Jimmy Green. I have had good service from the former.

 

[Hermit]

I would also contact Clare Francis and let her know what you are up to.

I presume you have seen this?
Golly Corner: Voyage in The Robertson's Golly Yacht - 2006

 

[Tranona]

So to the OP
I gently suggest you don’t need all the bells and whistles
You do need a rig that will stay up.
And a solid 100% reliable engine.

And a phone with gps and a bucket or simple loo
But fancy sails electronics paint shiny anchors etc are Christmas presents once you’ve got her up and sailing and learning the boat
What fun!

But his declared aim is a reliable bluewater cruiser.

 

[[194497]]

But his declared aim is a reliable bluewater cruiser.

I think people cruise long-term with a very wide range of levels of cost, equipment and sophistication.

 

[Tranona]

I think people cruise long-term with a very wide range of levels of cost, equipment and sophistication.

They do indeed, but suggest you look at the list of things to do which does not suggest a minimalist approach!

 

[Blueboatman]

I hope we’re not managing to put the OP off before he even gets the boat in the water.
Go
Go now
But do go!

The one thing you cannot buy is more time on this earth in full health

You can buy toilets and solar panels and varnish and all sorts of Must Haves all over the world I believe .

And possibly without 20% vat on top too

 

[Tranona]

I hope we’re not managing to put the OP off before he even gets the boat in the water.
Go
Go now
But do go!

The one thing you cannot buy is more time on this earth in full health

You can buy toilets and solar panels and varnish and all sorts of Must Haves all over the world I believe .

And possibly without 20% vat on top too

Don't think the boat is ready to go anywhere except maybe in the water as it is stripped out, needs an engine and new rigging - plus all the other things the buyer has listed as needing doing to get it to a basic usable sailing condition.

However that is exactly what I suggested - spend the money on a functioning boat and improve it rather than an abandoned project where the owner has given up probably in part because of the enormity of the task ahead.

 

[Mark-1]

I hope we’re not managing to put the OP off before he even gets the boat in the water.
Go
Go now
But do go!

The one thing you cannot buy is more time on this earth in full health

You can buy toilets and solar panels and varnish and all sorts of Must Haves all over the world I believe .

And possibly without 20% vat on top too

I sense the OP knows exactly what they are doing and isn't going to be deterred by internet chat, but yeah, all true.

 

[Blueboatman]

Don't think the boat is ready to go anywhere except maybe in the water as it is stripped out, needs an engine and new rigging - plus all the other things the buyer has listed as needing doing to get it to a basic usable sailing condition.

However that is exactly what I suggested - spend the money on a functioning boat and improve it rather than an abandoned project where the owner has given up probably in part because of the enormity of the task ahead.

Sure.
I’m sure we both have experience of working on and sailing boats and enjoy doing both

Reading what the OP wrote -and that’s all we can really know at this stage.
He has bought the boat
He has a plan
And a Wish List
And a brother to help
And is solvent
Sounds a pretty good start to me.

No plan survives encounter with the gritty grimy reality of working on an old boat does it?
I hope he continues to refine that plan but keep the end in sight.

There are far worse projects than an old Tyler mouldings Olson 38 around to trap the starry eyed and naive.I think !

And there are ex world girdlers offered with all the kit and all the stories but it’s all knackered.

 

[KevinV]

There are far worse projects than an old Tyler mouldings Olson 38 around to trap the starry eyed and naive.I think !

Quite - I'm watching my neighbour in the yard pour vast amounts of time, effort and money - with ever diminishing enthusiasm - into a boat that I wouldn't have if you paid me. A scene I've seen across too many boatyards in too many countries. If the "cheapness" of the purchase is the reason you got a project then you're on a hiding to nothing - you really have to have your eyes wide open, and really really want the end product.

This boat at least has potential to be lovely again with surmountable amounts of time/ effort/ money. I'm really glad someone else has taken it on - I was very tempted.