Supply of old boats

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Wansworth

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Probably in the history of yachting have there been so many old abandoned boats lying in godforsaken boatyards up and down the land which with a bit of work can be go going again.In the 60 and 70 the occasional wooden gem could be found and restored but the modern impecunious boatee can find a gem and with the use of a blast cleaner be on the road to yacht ownership
 
I think you will find the cost of refurbishing a tired old boat will be much higher than getting your hands on a well-looked after, ready-to-sail example.

Sails, engines and even things like wood are just so expensive to replace.
 
Lakesailor said:
I think you will find the cost of refurbishing a tired old boat will be much higher than getting your hands on a well-looked after, ready-to-sail example.

Sails, engines and even things like wood are just so expensive to replace.
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.....To my knowledge in one little yard an intelligent man with adequate bodging skills got himself afloat for a small outlay
 
I take your point .Even so bodging an old 40 year old grp tore out gets you afloat its a foot on the ladder and afoads harmless fun and hands on learning .../
 
Wansworth said:
I take your point .Even so bodging an old 40 year old grp tore out gets you afloat its a foot on the ladder and afoads harmless fun and hands on learning .../
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I agree. I am just helping my French brother restore a 35 year old Atlante 28. Its a french design in grp about 3000kg with similar profile to folk boat which he purchased for 4000€.
The boat had been stood on the hard looking derelict in Camaret for 10 years. We looked it over and realized the hull was in really good condition mast was very good and it had a new Sole diesel fitted with only 50hrs. Interior tatty and whole boat filthy. Traced the owner who had lost interest and did the deal over the phone.
After a couple of months work this summer the boat is now in the water looking really smart. Everyone is saying what a great bargain he got yet they had all walked past it day after day for years. Sailing the boat to Bordeaux for the winter and final jobs before leaving next may or June for circumnavigation by way of Cape Horn. I will go with him as far as canaries to make sure everything ok.
Total cost including good refit will be less than 8000€
 
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Nice to hear that some are still taking the small/cheap route into sailing. All too often we hear newbies saying 'I'm getting a 45 footer as a first boat' and everyone cheering them on. Starting lower down the ladder not only lets the younger and hard-up into the sport but gives them a better grounding in boat handling and maintenance skills. Sadly a 35 ft AWB seems to be the minimum requirement for many.
 
basic said:
I agree. I am just helping my French brother restore a 35 year old Atlante 28. Its a french design in grp about 3000kg with similar profile to folk boat which he purchased for 4000€.
The boat had been stood on the hard looking derelict in Camaret for 10 years. We looked it over and realized the hull was in really good condition mast was very good and it had a new Sole diesel fitted with only 50hrs. Interior tatty and whole boat filthy. Traced the owner who had lost interest and did the deal over the phone.
After a couple of months work this summer the boat is now in the water looking really smart. Everyone is saying what a great bargain he got yet they had all walked past it day after day for years. Sailing the boat to Bordeaux for the winter and final jobs before leaving next may or June for circumnavigation by way of Cape Horn. I will go with him as far as canaries to make sure everything ok.
Total cost including good refit will be less than 8000€
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There will always be boats that are worth restoring, in this case the boat had a nearly new engine. You have to pick your boat carefully, if everything has to be replaced then it's going to cost you and it is better to buy a well maintained model and pay the cost up front. Of course it also depends if you like doing boat projects or going sailing!
 
Less than 12 months ago my lil yacht was full of smelly water behind a shed in a scaffolders yard. All the brightwork was floating inside slimy and black and all the deck fittings, screws etc had to be picked out of the sludge at the bottom of the boat. Everything cleaned up and with a lick of paint and a service of the rigging it's all looking superb, just needed to buy Perspex and rubber for the windows, some paint and Sikaflex. Very satisfying.

Whenever I buy second hand cars/boats/toys I always strip them down (to a varying extent) and rebuild, things that look okay are often a bodge. There's no point in paying for something that looks okay when I'm going to pull it apart anyway... I'll take the **** one at the back.
 
Lakesailor said:
I like a boat to be safe. I am just restoring a non-boat project which has had five years of adequate bodging skills applied. It has several issues which need proper attention.
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Bodge does not mean bad, often means looking outside the box and being creative.... So what if the repair is a little heavier but as strong if not stronger, if the halyards stretch a little more than they should and the mooring lines are not new and maybe of a cheaper material...

SWMBO paid more for the anchor on my present boat then I did on my first boat when I was married...

The biggest objection to running a boat cheap these days is mooring and storage costs.... Plus the costs of gear chandlers are all set up for the boys who are prepared to pay silly money for the best, you have to work hard to get hold of the cheap but good stuff...

The other thing is old wooden boats rotted and burned when they where passed it GRP means they sit around longer....

Presently looking to get a motor bike on a budget... Asking on a motor bike forum the advise I am getting for what is a much more dangerous past time:

Helmet:- whatever you can afford check sharp ratings here http://sharp.direct.gov.uk (helmets are tested and rated)
Trousers and jacket can be picked up for £50 secondhand
Gloves:- £50 again can be picked up cheaper but just remember they're the first thing that lands on the road!
Boots:- £20 secondhand

So you could easily get on the road if you shop smart.

None of this you must buy new and must have, sensible advise....
 
The stock of clearance boats is getting classier as well.

In a yard I visit in the West, Cornwall there is only room for about 30 boats. I noticed the other day there are:

o- Two Westerlies going very green, 32 - 33 foot style, looking like long term fixtures.

o- One GK 29 which has been around for the best part of 10 years with the asking price gradually falling. It will probably never sell above 5k now.

o- One larger Rival with a lot of nice gear but needing a bit of cosmetics and TLC, which will probably go for 10k or less.

Ironically the wooden boats are doing very well, all nicely cared for, as the working boats styles are becoming very popular in this neck of the woods (sic -) )
 
Lakesailor said:
I think you will find the cost of refurbishing a tired old boat will be much higher than getting your hands on a well-looked after, ready-to-sail example.

Sails, engines and even things like wood are just so expensive to replace.
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That depends if the previous owner is realistic about the value of the boat that needs refurbishment... I faced this very dilemma when buying Phoenix, and have spent/will spend the best part of 4 years getting her into a fit state... but, and its a big but, I did pay the right price for her... if the previous owner had been pipe dreaming about what she was worth, it would not have been worthwhile.

I also feel, that the smaller the boat, the harder it is to make this equation work.
 
Definitely.
Most of the boats lurking in yards and on moorings that have absent owners will be of the smaller type.
Even if you get a bargain 25' boat for under £1500 and new main and genoa, couple of winches, possibly engine work and maybe work on the keel (if it's a lifter).
Most running rigging, possibly standing rigging, any woodwork, especially if it has hrdwood pads to mount blocks and winches.
Then there is all the domestic services and trim.
I was offered a 28' grp yacht for nothing. But the sums just didn't add up.
It's very much like restoring cars. You will work very hard to make a scruffy one smart again. And probably be well out of pocket compared to buying a good one wisely.
 
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You also need to decide what costs are attributable to a refurb and what aren't. For example, I would consider a new engine as a refurb cost, but not neccessarily new sails. A lot of my costs have been little in financial terms, but heavy in terms of time, such as a complete revarnish of the interior... not hugely expensive, but hundreds of hours.
 
Haven't got the mag in front of me but from memory the PBO restoration of Hantu Birtu cost around £8k, not including the time of various staff members assigned to the project, storage space etc, so not such an ebay bargain.

Give me an in commission sail-away every time. Even with an immaculate example, buying a boat is to step on a never ending treadmill of repair, maintenance and renewals, so to start with something that needs a years worth of work to get afloat is madness. Unless you are rich.
 
Well I guess its about the sort of person you are and your circumstances.I know of several people who have got afloat without such expense.If you can pick up an abandoned boat cheaply and spend your free time putting it to rights and your happy to do so you will end up with a boat a.Obviously you can save up till you can afford one, depends on your individual choice
 
obmij said:
Haven't got the mag in front of me but from memory the PBO restoration of Hantu Birtu cost around £8k, not including the time of various staff members assigned to the project, storage space etc, so not such an ebay bargain.

Give me an in commission sail-away every time. Even with an immaculate example, buying a boat is to step on a never ending treadmill of repair, maintenance and renewals, so to start with something that needs a years worth of work to get afloat is madness. Unless you are rich.
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Well, if I discount spend on non essential things (like a new plotter) then I will have most definitely come out on the right side of the equation... and i'm most definitely not rich!!!!
 
Reminds me I posted these images a few months back.

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Also, if you do a search for project boats.......currently £1.20
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/sailing-b...ng_Goods_Sailing_Boats_ET&hash=item33964f5bf1
 
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There is the proposition of doing something because you enjoy doing it, and refurbishing things falls into that category. However it can still be a bloody expensive way of doing things.
 
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