Updating of 28 foot yacht - estimated cost ??

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Matt341

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Hi All, OK we currently have a Mirage 28, we love the boat itself, she takes the ground nicely as she is bilge, she doesn't roll around in bad sea and we have had her for a long time so she is part of the family. In the current "climate" it seems boats aren't really selling as well as they used to be, we have the decision to sell her and buy a bigger boat that has more kit, or we update her.

Before we make any decisions we need rough costs. I reckon she would sell for about £14,000 at the moment.

Basically SWMBO has a list of stuff that she would like if we are to use the boat for holidays weekends etc. Personally I am happy with somewhere to sleep but its not upto me /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Anyway I have made up a rough list of stuff that we will would need doing -
1) Fit battery charging system and 12/240 volt lights throughout the boat.
2) Fit pressurised water system with Calorifier and immersion, fit shower in heads.
3) Fit anchor windlass
4) Respray hull (not necessary but something for the future)
5) Replace all upholstery
6) fit fridge (already have a fridge type cupboard but no fittings)
7) Have stackpack and lazy jacks fitted

The problem is, I really don't know how much it will cost to have all this done.

Has anyone ever had a job similar to this done, how much did it cost including labour ?

Any thoughts would be great.

Thanks
Ian
 
To have it done professionally would probably take the boat beyond its maximum value. Most of it you could do yourself, except for the spraypainting, and you could always send your wife on an upholstery course.

On the other hand, if you plan to keep the boat for a long time then resale value is less of a consideration.
 
I will have a punt. Assuming you do the labour.

1) Fit battery charging system and 12/240 volt lights throughout the boat. £250 charger and wiring. £160 Shorepower unit and galvanic isolator. Lights and fittings £150
2) Fit pressurised water system with Calorifier and immersion, fit shower in heads. Calorifier £300. Pipework inc shower £160. Shower head and pump system in c sump and filters and outlet seacock £500 quid.
3) Fit anchor windlass £600 unit £100 quid cables. £80 circuit breaker. No idea on modifying your anchor locker structure.
4) Respray hull (not necessary but something for the future) £4000 for a pprofessional job in Awlgrip. Lots less depending on your required finish and skills.
5) Replace all upholstery £2000 inc headlinings.
6) fit fridge (already have a fridge type cupboard but no fittings)£500
7) Have stackpack and lazy jacks fitted £550

Dont want to put a damper on you, but I think £10k for the boat relaistically at the moment.
 
Just a few thoughts ........

1 - You don't say that there are some electrics and batteries already installed? Why 240v lights? most people run 12v everywhere. 240 is dangerous if nothing else. proper marine cables or stuff that'll last 10 years. Is there room for more / bigger batteries. Type of lighting required. Room for trip switches / fuses etc.

2 - Any water system already in the boat at all? How much tankage? room for more. Does the engine have facility for heating a calorifier. Does fitting a shower include fitting a new sump to the heads room and drain pump? Is the lining of the heads up to being soaked in warm soapy water, will it need refinishing with formica or similar?

3 - Electric windlass? Is there room in the locker or is it going on the deck. Is there a hardpoint for the windlass. Post or drum type?

4 - don't do it if its not necessary. A refinish of some other sort might be a better bet.

5 - how much upholstery. Foam too or just the covers? Quality of upholstery wanted.

6 - By fittings do you mean a compressor, evaporator and thermostat ( figure around £1k for the bits alone ) is the cubpoard well insulated?

7 - should be fairly simple except if you have some weird sailplan.

My immediate feeling is that you are in for a large chunk of change. The showe bit might run into major surgery

The labour costs would be affected by how much you can do yourself. How fast you want it done and where you get it done. lots of variables.

You'd could be adding a couple of hundred kilos of 'stuff' to a 28 foot boat. would that affect her sailing and sea handling abilities?

<edit> My £1k versus full circles £500 for fridge bits comes from the fact that I have just done the same job to my boat. I did fit a keel heat exchanger which bumped the price up. Still feel that £500 is a bit shy though /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif see Frigoboat minimum system £520 excluding tax and delivery
 
It adds up quickly. I think the upholstery is at the top of the list, the headlinings fell down a few years back in places. I glued it back and it has held fine but new ones are necessary. You state £2000 for upholstery and headlinings. We had a quote for £3500 just for the headlinings? Where did you get this figure from ? before we installed the new engine there was a fuel leak in the bilges. All the upholstery now stinks of the stuff.

We have a shower tray on the boat as it was an option when new so it is just the unit that needs fitting.

The boat is 1979 so possibly upgrading to a newer boat would be better all ways.

The engine is 2 years old, Yanmar 2gm20. There are 2x110ah batteries with solar charger. strip lights around the boat but no spots. A water tank with cold feed to the handbasin and kitchen with manual foot and hand pump.

There are a lot of complications.

Thanks
Ian
 
I wouldnt bother with a respray as when you scratch it you will weep, if she is a bit tired looking paint it by hand & eat steak.
I am just embarking on a major refit of an elderly Sabre 27 and that is having, new engine, stern gear, windows, rigging, headlinings, upholstery, rewire etc. I am doing everything myself so i am not counting my labour. We will have little change out of 8 grand for that lot, good job she was cheap to start with!
 
Ian,
we made our own cushions for a 23 footer,- material and foam was around 500 quid. We bought the headlining and put it up ourselves in one bit. Quite a job. Again, I think we spent about 150 quid on all materials.

PM eastcoastbernie for a full quote, she is the forum whizz on upholstery.

Also, and one to note, your boat will be out of commission for a season doing that lot. No sailing. None. Nada.

Worth it?

I agree that I wouldn't paint the boat professionally. My Seal 22 is in Brightside hand applied with a brush. Dont get close with a magnifying glass, but admire it from the shore instead.
 
Depends on the headlinings. Not expensive if you DIY with ply panels, vinyl cover and screw them up . More expensive if you have suspended type headlining. If there is any shape in the upholstery and you need new foam then £2.5k min with good quality material. Windlass is minimum £1k. Hot water nearer £1k - calorifier (22 litres) now well over £400 plus pipes, pump accummulator and taps. Charger and mains only worth it of you have regular access to shorepower and you can get kits of bits from suppliers such as Merlin or Barden for safe installation.

However, little of this will add real value to selling price of boat - only worth it if you are looking to keep her for several years. Think like others £10k net more realistic. Trick is to buy new boat that has had all the things done by somebody else!
 
Sounds like you need to spend some time planning, a few nights on the 'net pricing out the hardware and then decide on what you can do yourself and what you need to pay someone to do. Then make a decision on whether to sell and upgrade. It is a buyers market but since you are selling you are in a swings and roundabouts catch 22.

I did a browse around Apolloduck and there was a 32' bilge keeler for 19k. A lot less hassle than all that work.

14k plus 10k would give you a huge supply of boats to chose from
 
Have just purchased South Pacific VS600 windlass and bits and pieces for wiring etc for our 28 footer. Cost (no labour as II will install it) about £550. New chain (42 meters 8mm, calibrated, tested) £136.21 and anchor (10kg original Delta) £98.67. Cost of installation will depend on existing chain locker/fore deck arrangement. Have installed this winter a frig unit in our Ice Box, cost of Unit (Isotherm Compact Classic GE80) £299, wiring etc £30. I had an Adverc battery charging system on my last boat which worked very well, hope to fit one on present boat next winter.Hope this helps.
 
I have done some of these things in the last 5 years on a 31 footer. Usually doing all the work myself and often buying the kit from ebay new or nearly new. The following are actual costs from my spreadsheet;
Shorepower £120 most parts from screwfix, cable from a skip !
Windlass and all fittings £472 ( not a simple job, all parts and cables bought new from ebay)
Fridge £320, but also fitted an extra battery £75, and more insulation circa £20
Sterling battery charger £100 (second hand but unused)
All Upholstery replaced professionally £1200

Haven't tried the other things yet!

Regards
 
IMHO If I were in your position, I'd sell the Mirage now and buy the bigger boat with the gear you want already fitted. It's a buyers market, with prices low the cost to change should be less.
If you keep the Mirage and do all the work you propose, you may still want that bigger boat in a few years. You will never recoup the money spent if you sell in a couple of years.
I should imagine there must be some bargains around at the moment. The looking is the best part.

3 years ago I sold my 25 footer and bought a tired 33' cruiser/racer for not a lot more money.
The point is that we have the boat we want NOW and are happy to spend a good amount of money each year doing her up. I recon we should have her refurbished by the end of this winter. She is the first boat I've owned and not thought "what boat would I like next".
 
Thank you all for your replies. There is something playing at the back of my mind - there is a southerly 100 for sale locally for £30,000. She needs slight work doing, the wood is a bit shabby, the kitchen could do with a bit of TLC and she could do with a good clean. BUT, say we spend £1,000 doing her up a bit. She will be equal to these southerlys that are £45,000+ and we will have a boat that has all the kit, shower, wheel house, fridge etc.

It is surprising how much stuff is. I never realised fridges were so much. Also calorifiers seem a lot as well.

Ian
 
At the end of the day you can easily spend 10k on the boat and you will have a very well spec'ed 28 footer that won't be worth any more but might sell quicker. If you have the vaguest inkling that you might want a different boat in the next five years you are better off hanging tough, using the boat as it is whislt putting it on the market and spend you money on a boat you really want that you'll keep for a long time.

I am not sure all that list of kit will necessary make holidays much better! For that amount of cash you could get a nice couple of weeks charter for a few years somewhere hot AND keep your boat :-)
 
You also have to be aware of what you find as you go along. Removing one bit can lead you onto another which leads to something else....
 
[ QUOTE ]
You also have to be aware of what you find as you go along. Removing one bit can lead you onto another which leads to something else....

[/ QUOTE ]

Tell me about it /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
All of your list comprises of things that fall within the realm of DIY, if you have to have it done by profesionals in a yard , you have the wrong boat, buy a newer s/h bendytoy instead, it'll be cheaper.

If you do the work yourself as said before, upholstery could be well less than £500 with new foam and quality material, and buying a sewing machine. It should take no more than a couple of weekends to re-upholster.

If you do the work yourself you'll learn something about your boat, know the job is done right, and feel a lot better for it.
 
I would only spend the money if you were absolutely certain that you'd be happy with the result and keep the boat for long enough afterwards to recoup the money by way of enjoying the improvements.

It sounds like your heart is set on a bigger boat anyway?
 
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