On Mar 21, 9:19 am, wrote:
Hi,
I have a series of questions that could possibly be served by a chat
with a decent Yacht surveyor but I would like some real life feedback
before starting to engage professionals. Consider me to be
researching.
To set the picture I am based in the UK & I have a hankering for a
wooden Classic, say a 30 to 35 foot yacht for my girlfriend & I to
enjoy for weekend cruising and channel hopping. Old fibre glass yachts
in the same price ranges that friends have or have had don't really
appeal. I am not averse to getting my hands dirty having gutted &
refitted my house myself and I have friends who are carpenters and am
reasonably capable with wood myself.
However, I am not experienced in steaming or fixing frames and more
intricate pieces of wood work I would expect to find during a restore
and have never worked on a wooden yacht.
So, if I were to purchase a wooden yacht of around 30 - 35 foot range
for an initial outlay of say £10 - 20k what kind of pitfalls can I
expect? Please be assured a survey would be undertaken for assesement.
o Can anyone provide an example of costs refitting decks to a similar
wooden vessel? Self-fitted marine-ply + teak or alt. vs a yard fitting
cost? Of course I'm assuming deck supports and knee's to be good.
o Can anyone provide an indication of costs to strip, recaulk and
prime/paint the exterior? Time is a factor here, is it even vaguely
sensible to consider machine use (ie: sandblasting may be an damaging
sacriledge)
o Any rough cost descriptions for replacement of a 15 or 20hp engine?
Assuming a yard to refit here, only estimate I have are engine unit in
the region of 2k. Has anyone good experience in a complete engine
rebuild for significantly less.
o Rough cost descriptions for standing rigging replacement on a cutter
for example, 30 or 35 foot?
o Rough costs for sails for a 35 footer for example? (exampling
cutter, gaff etc if vastly different)
o Rough costs for having keel bolts pulled and replaced?
Of course the inital assumption may be flawed to assume working on a
£15K boat. It may be there are real life examples where that is simply
a false economy. House restoration has taught me that removing layers
reveals more problems but I have no experience in costs in the Classic
wooden yacht world.
Should a basket case be expected for that much or is it a reasonable
figure?
Perhaps someone can example worst case scenarios with real life
pricing guestimates.
Worst case scenario if keel wood/backbone turns out to be soft once
stripped and serious work is required? (ie: hull split and keel and
deadwood replacement)
Worst case if a survey highlighted multiple ribs to be removed and
replaced? Say 50%.
Worst case costs if the floor or parts of the floor must be renewed to
secure ribs to keel?
Worst case costs of the ruddern or attachment points are rotten?
These costs may be capable of being absorbed but equally may just make
it pointless if the end value is less than the sum total of vessel +
repair.
All and any other experiences are valid, I am ignoring the cost of
storage as land is available for long term working but long term
drying raises questions. Is there an opinion on long term land based
storage of a classic while work is carried out? Planks splittings from
drying effect, warping etc once removed from constant immersion.
I'm not sure if I have brain dumped too much so all and any feedback
is gratefully recieved.
Thanks.
Well, I am a Marine Surveyor.
I attended California Maritime Academy and graduated from Chapman's
School of Seamanship, as a surveyor.
So I have been around for awhile.
The thing is, though a know some, I sure would like to know more.
I have two wooden boats that I own. I have a 1949 Chriscraft 33'
Cruiser, and a 1968 34' TollyCraft.
I have done extensive work on both.
The main reason I have kept the Tolly is to try different repair
modes.
I have done the penitrating epoxy route. I have done the BoricAcid/
Boraxo/Antifreeze route.
I have mixed roof tar/terpentine/boiledLinseedOil mixtures.
I have sistered ribs. I have taken the carpet out, and cut the floor
up into hatch sizes, to keep the boats ventilated and
allow sunlight into the holds.
I have glued hardwood floors directly to the plywood floors in the
saloons. I know a ton more about that now. It works well.
And being an old retired Merchant Marine Chief Engineer, I have some
cranky habits. Like always spray painting the engines
Detroit Green. Even if they are gas. Detroit Green is sold under the
name Alpine Green, and for some reason it seems to
keep the engine looking spiffy. Cat sells their paint a little too
dear for my wallet.
I keep both my boats in the water, all the time. The Tolly is a
plywood boat with a fiberglass overlay. They were built that way
original.
One thing I know. I have some knowledge, but compared to how much
knowledge there is about wooden boats, I know a little.
I have a method I tried on one bilge batten. I cross cut it until I
could press it back down along the curve of the bilge. Then I soaked
it in 2 part
pen epoxy. Now that it is all dry, I am going to fill all the cuts
with marine plastic filler. It took forever, and I am not sure if this
is the
best way.
Does anyone else have a sure fire way to re-attach and make those
bilge battens fair again? I was just guessing. And I have more to do.
Stewards Boat Building Manual says to make them 3/8 to 1/2 square. But
the ChrisCraft battens are still solid. They are just sprung.
I believe if you can't DIY then you shouldn't own it. Where I live,
getting an honest affordable answer, to any marine question, is pretty
darn hard
to come by. Most that can answer are so darn busy, you can't catch
them.
My other project is taking a laptop and hooking everything up to it.
Depth, phone, music, navigation, engine readouts etc.
That way, come winter, I just take the laptop home, and my electronics
don't sit in the boat.
Also I can use the same laptop in the car and it does the same thing.
And I take it in the house at night, and there is no stereo to steal!
I am getting the laptop mount like the cops have in their cars.
After all, the Nav systems work for streets AND oceans. You just
switch CD's.