Iain C
Well-Known Member
Walk. Away.
Sunk vivacity 20
- Thread starter Quicky
- Start date
William_H
Well-Known Member
People have in this post talked about the cost of getting it up to scratch. Including painting and antifoul. I wonder when anyone bought an old cheap boat ostensibly a going concern who did not then spend a lot of time and money on it. IMHO a boat is a continual and ongoing refurbishment. All advice given is good advice but ultimately the OP needs to decide what suits him. I hope he does not take the plain negative advisors at their word. Yet they are not necessarily wrong. On the other hand there will be a lot of work involved. Work that can be very satisfying. I would certainly advocate he get a trailer for it and take it home to work on it there at his leisure. good luck olewill
Quicky
Member
Hello
I thought i would update you, I have decided to give it a go and i am now a proud owner of a Vivacity 20
She is on a mooring waiting for a good clean and alot of TLC .
Lets hope she will stay away from the bottom of the river in the future.
I thought i would update you, I have decided to give it a go and i am now a proud owner of a Vivacity 20
She is on a mooring waiting for a good clean and alot of TLC .
Lets hope she will stay away from the bottom of the river in the future.
dylanwinter
Well-Known Member
good for you dude
you are now a yacht owner and the doors of any fancy club open to you
have fun
start a blog
take lots of pix
D
Quicky
Member
Power washed her today and she is sound as a pound.
She isn't looking bad seeing she has been sunk for 3 years.
She isn't looking bad seeing she has been sunk for 3 years.
Reptile Smile
Well-Known Member
Good on you. Good luck. You're one of us now, not one of them.
Bear in mind there are plenty of corners you can cut to save money and some you REALLY don't want to cut. I've never bought any other battery other than a car battery from my local scrappers for a tenner.
On the other hand, don't scrimp on anything like rigging. Mast failures are no good for anything other than stories in the pub afterwards...
Keep the photos coming!
Bear in mind there are plenty of corners you can cut to save money and some you REALLY don't want to cut. I've never bought any other battery other than a car battery from my local scrappers for a tenner.
On the other hand, don't scrimp on anything like rigging. Mast failures are no good for anything other than stories in the pub afterwards...
Keep the photos coming!
dylanwinter
Well-Known Member
goodonya
did you get sails, mast, rudder with this little gem
D
did you get sails, mast, rudder with this little gem
D
Seagreen
Well-Known Member
Given that:
A) you can pump the boat out easily between tides and B) you can put a temporary patch over the holes in the window and coachroof, it seems like a no-brainer.
However, make sure that there are no outstanding debts against the boat, ie., harbour and mooring charges, and that the previous owner had not taken out a marine mortgage to buy the boat, in which case the lender would now own the boat.
I'm also assuming you can get the boat onto a trailer and take her home to do any repair work needed. If not, once you become the owner of the boat - and you will need to see some proof of ownership from the bloke who's giving her away - you will be liable for any subsequent and outstanding debts including disposal of the wreck.
The GRP hull ought to be ok, but the boat wasn't designed to sit full of water on a receding tide and it may have put some horrible strains on the hull in places. The only way to be sure is to pump out and clean the hull with either a pressure washer inside and out to get rid of the mud to check the inside of the hull. However, to get insurance on your restored pride and joy, the boat will have to pass a survey - more expense.
Don't let this put you off, though. It could be a fun and enjoyable project. A keen shipwright pulled a real wreck of a 30' bawley ( Victorious) off a mudbank, and rebuilt her completely from the inside. Fantastic job.
All I'll say is have space at home to do the work in your garden, and a trailer to get her there, and the rest is just hard work.
However, having just seen the image of her, I suggest you find a cheap boat if the same size in full working order. Walk away from this one. Do not pay £100 unless the owner is willing to pay you £100. And even then, walk away.
A) you can pump the boat out easily between tides and B) you can put a temporary patch over the holes in the window and coachroof, it seems like a no-brainer.
However, make sure that there are no outstanding debts against the boat, ie., harbour and mooring charges, and that the previous owner had not taken out a marine mortgage to buy the boat, in which case the lender would now own the boat.
I'm also assuming you can get the boat onto a trailer and take her home to do any repair work needed. If not, once you become the owner of the boat - and you will need to see some proof of ownership from the bloke who's giving her away - you will be liable for any subsequent and outstanding debts including disposal of the wreck.
The GRP hull ought to be ok, but the boat wasn't designed to sit full of water on a receding tide and it may have put some horrible strains on the hull in places. The only way to be sure is to pump out and clean the hull with either a pressure washer inside and out to get rid of the mud to check the inside of the hull. However, to get insurance on your restored pride and joy, the boat will have to pass a survey - more expense.
Don't let this put you off, though. It could be a fun and enjoyable project. A keen shipwright pulled a real wreck of a 30' bawley ( Victorious) off a mudbank, and rebuilt her completely from the inside. Fantastic job.
All I'll say is have space at home to do the work in your garden, and a trailer to get her there, and the rest is just hard work.
However, having just seen the image of her, I suggest you find a cheap boat if the same size in full working order. Walk away from this one. Do not pay £100 unless the owner is willing to pay you £100. And even then, walk away.
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BAtoo
Well-Known Member
WRONG! RUN as fast as your little legs will carry you................
capetown
Well-Known Member
Well done Quicky,
Pm me if you need anything, I'll have a look in the shed.
Your profile doesn't say where you are?
Pm me if you need anything, I'll have a look in the shed.
Your profile doesn't say where you are?
paulm299
Well-Known Member
Sandpiper
As I said I have an Alacrity but if you need any specs contact me or go to the Hurley Owners website . I replaced the standing rigging on mine and it cost 1/2 the price of the boat . As has been said , Check there are no liens against the boat and good luck with it . If my Alacrity is anything anything to go by it will be a stable boat but does not sail to windward that well .
Paul
As I said I have an Alacrity but if you need any specs contact me or go to the Hurley Owners website . I replaced the standing rigging on mine and it cost 1/2 the price of the boat . As has been said , Check there are no liens against the boat and good luck with it . If my Alacrity is anything anything to go by it will be a stable boat but does not sail to windward that well .
Paul
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mikhalis
Active Member
Good on you Quicky. A powerwash always makes the task seem a little less daunting. Sure you'll get a load of fun out of rescuing what looks to be a perfectly salvageable boat. Your posts even prompted me to set about my Alacrity project - stripping out and ferrying rotten plywood to the tip.
Looks to be peaceful mooring you've got. My advice would just be to spend a night onboard as soon as you can. Don't go anywhere, just think of it as a tent on the water for a weekend and then it will all make sense and you'll know that taking it on was the right decision. Fair winds and happy sailing.
Looks to be peaceful mooring you've got. My advice would just be to spend a night onboard as soon as you can. Don't go anywhere, just think of it as a tent on the water for a weekend and then it will all make sense and you'll know that taking it on was the right decision. Fair winds and happy sailing.
Bru
Well-Known Member
Hmm, I'd be casting suspicious looks at your rig or sails (or perhaps expectations?) then in that case 'cos our Islander, which to all intents and purposes is just an Alacrity on steroids, goes to windward astonishingly well given what she is. OK, she's never in a million years going to keep up with a tuned up fin keeler of a similar size but when I get the rig tension right (which isn't always I will confess) and with nice new sails she sails very well indeed close hauled
Even with the old knackered sails, which I suspect were never that good even when new, some tweaking and twiddling would pay dividends on how high she'd point and how well she'd go. With the new sails from Crusader she's a joy to sail and (ludicrously you might suggest and I'd be hard put to disagree but so it seems to me) is now happiest hard on the wind
42.9 miles from Eastbourne to Selsey Bill in 9hrs 50 mins at an average speed of 4.35kts close hauled all the way once round Beachy Head (albeit with a fair tide to help us on our way) isn't too shabby for a little old 1960's twin keeler.
In fact, the conditions that suit her least are light airs from abeam to astern (anywhere from a reach to a run) in a quartering or following swell. Every time she rolls, which she does with alacrity (did you see what I did there? good eh?!), it knocks the wind out of the sails and everything starts crashing and banging before they fill again with more crashing and banging and then the next swell rolls in and so on. I start to see visions of soggy £20 notes flying off on the breeze to pay for the wear and tear it's putting on the rig and I've now decided that rather than get stressed about it I'll accept that sometimes it's going to be less stressfull to concede defeat and hit the motor in those conditions
graham
Well-Known Member
I owned an Alacrity for a few years and sailed a friends Vivacvity, both sail really well for what they are.
Good Luck to the o.p. you wont make any money on the project in fact I guarantee you will spend more than it will ever be worth but you will get a great sense of achievment when you get it back in commision again.
Good Luck to the o.p. you wont make any money on the project in fact I guarantee you will spend more than it will ever be worth but you will get a great sense of achievment when you get it back in commision again.
Seagreen
Well-Known Member
It seems that all the hard stuff has been done. Apart from GRP repairs and a repaint & polish, it should be all plain sailing.
Start a blog - people will donate stuff to you.
Start a blog - people will donate stuff to you.
Quicky
Member
Thank you for all your comments.
I have the mast and sails at home, they need a clean, like the boat but what do you expect for £100
She has been sanded and is ready for the primer coat, I will be using Zinsser BIN Primer-Sealer because I have some in my shed.
For the top coat on the hull I will be using http://www.firstsolutiononline.co.uk/view_product.php?category_id=248&product_id=217 not sure if it any good but I also have this in my shed to use up.
I am from Saltash in Cornwall if you would like to donate stuff to me, red antifoul is on my list and something to clean stained sails would be good .
Mike
I have the mast and sails at home, they need a clean, like the boat but what do you expect for £100
She has been sanded and is ready for the primer coat, I will be using Zinsser BIN Primer-Sealer because I have some in my shed.
For the top coat on the hull I will be using http://www.firstsolutiononline.co.uk/view_product.php?category_id=248&product_id=217 not sure if it any good but I also have this in my shed to use up.
I am from Saltash in Cornwall if you would like to donate stuff to me, red antifoul is on my list and something to clean stained sails would be good .
Mike
Seajet
...
Hi Mike,
well done on rescuing the boat, I'm sure she'll bring you lots of fun both in the refit and sailing.
One thing in case you aren't aware, whatever you do don't use bleach or detergent on the sails, it can knobble them in a big way; warm water is about the most powerful thing I've heard recommended, then put up with any permanent stains while keeping an eye out for replacements.
Have fun !
well done on rescuing the boat, I'm sure she'll bring you lots of fun both in the refit and sailing.
One thing in case you aren't aware, whatever you do don't use bleach or detergent on the sails, it can knobble them in a big way; warm water is about the most powerful thing I've heard recommended, then put up with any permanent stains while keeping an eye out for replacements.
Have fun !
Quicky
Member
Update. Rub rails removed waiting for new ones to be made. Sanded deck and above the waterline hull and painted with BIN primer.
Mast & boom has been cleaned ready to be fitted.
Cleaned the mud out of the inside and cleaned
( nasty job)
Tomorrow I will be building a new rudder and if I have time prime below waterline.
What it looked like 3 weeks ago .
Mast & boom has been cleaned ready to be fitted.
Cleaned the mud out of the inside and cleaned
( nasty job)Tomorrow I will be building a new rudder and if I have time prime below waterline.
What it looked like 3 weeks ago .
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Seajet
...
Quicky,
thanks, please keep us posted on your progress.
thanks, please keep us posted on your progress.
bitbaltic
Well-Known Member
Brilliant. Keep it up and get a beautiful boat sailing again.
Very best of luck to you and as Seajet says keep us up to date.
Cheers
Very best of luck to you and as Seajet says keep us up to date.
Cheers
