On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 03:33:03 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

In article ,
Rosalie B. wrote:

You should only spend years building a boat IMHO if your dream is
boat building. If your dream is sailing, the buy a boat and sail.


Oh, this deserves special note, as it's easily observable truth.

Agreed, but I would make a side observation that I've found has
real-life application.

If a home builder of some skill (say a professional welder working
from a Bruce Roberts kit) gets to the 90% complete mark in finishing a
cruiser (say, temporary "plywood and bench" interior, but with engine,
mast(s) and all hull work finished), and then decides to give it up
due to a host of reasons (age, illness, loss of interest in cruising
offshore), you can purchase the equivalent of a $150,000 vessel for a
small percentage, and then have it custom-finished to your
specifications.

I have looked at several such boats, ranging from "hopelessly rusting
empty hulls" to "just add teak", and it is very surprising just how
finished an unfinished and "hard to sell" boat can be.

Obviously, competant and focussed surveying is essential in such
cases, as is a willingness to shell out to a decent carpenter/boatyard
to get the thing complete. This, however, can be a real opportunity
and can save tens of thousands of dollars if done right.

There are a lot of "stillborn" boats out there, but some can be
successfully revived.

This has to be offset by the availability of decent used boats in your
area, price point, etc., but I've seen some half-finished interiors
that have allowed me to peer at absolutely top-notch gear and systems
that will never see the ocean when a capable home builder falls ill,
gives up or dies.

A tad ghoulish, but there it is. Better the boat gets used than not.

R.