I'm sure this is nothing new. but over on rec.boats , Chuck gould made
a post about the Homer Hughs ALLWEATHER boat.

http://www.jamescstevens.com/index.html

After looking it over, I thought it lookes sort of like a three way
cross between a tug, a trawler and a sailboat.

then I got to thinking after watching some sailboats on my local big
lake "Lake Carlyle" Illinois, that there are several people that have
sailboats with no mast or rigging. and on the weekends they come over
from St. Louis with there bags and coolers, and load on a sailless boat
and go "camping" in the middle of the lake for a weekend. to me that
seems kind of boring but whatever floats.... (insert pun)

But I thought. hmmm. this could be interesting. I've seen some cool
looking sailboats that have been neglected but seemed like they needed
anything from little refurbishing to a total restore, go cheap

One I saw was a Pearson 34' that wasn't in bad shape, but had been
stripped down to the walls, and all that was left was the steering ,
the Atomic-4 and drive train. it went for less than a $1000.00 and
ran!

After looking at the Hughs design, i was wondering if a person could
convert a sailboat into a power cruiser, but using the same or go
diesel, remove all rigging and since there is no mast , to cut off, or
downsize the keel skeg so a person could go in shallower water and
reduceing the weight and drop of the Keel.

I was imagining something like this so i could take the wife and
daughter on a river cruise either down the Mississippi, Illinois or the
Ohio. and with comfort and decent (diesel) economy. Speed is not of any
real importance. But I was thinking it would be nice to have a craft
that would glide through the water with ease, and not ahve to plow or
suck up 10 gph.


I know somebody has done this or attempted it. And possibly some of you
boat builders have done so, or had requests for such modification.

Can you give me some ideas on if it's worth it?

pros cons etc.

just curious.
THANKS!

wrote:
I'm sure this is nothing new.

I've seen two sailboats made into "motor" boats. If you can get them
cheep enough why not?

West coast:
Calkins Bar Tender
Pacific City Salmon Dory

East coast:
Lobsta boat

Think flat bottom. Why? You can get/make easy cheep trailor and put the
boat on the beach.

Or how about a stack of 1/2" CDX and 2"x4" studs. A little epoxy......
no? Make a barge.

I was sitting in a marina way up the Columbia River one winter. As I
heard that sizzle comming through the hull I thought what was an
outboard doing at 11Pm in Febrary on the river? Stuck my head out the
hatch. A guy was in an aluminum 18' skiff. He was "homless" and had
been living only in his skiff for two years. He was just motor around.
There are lots of ways to have a cheep time on the water.

Thanks for the reply, Bob,
But, I was looking for a bit of conversion info. Granted, i know it can
be done.
I was simply wanting to ask how hard, easy, practical, perfomance etc.

questions.



Bob wrote:
wrote:
I'm sure this is nothing new.

I've seen two sailboats made into "motor" boats. If you can get them
cheep enough why not?

West coast:
Calkins Bar Tender
Pacific City Salmon Dory

East coast:
Lobsta boat

Think flat bottom. Why? You can get/make easy cheep trailor and put the
boat on the beach.

Or how about a stack of 1/2" CDX and 2"x4" studs. A little epoxy......
no? Make a barge.

I was sitting in a marina way up the Columbia River one winter. As I
heard that sizzle comming through the hull I thought what was an
outboard doing at 11Pm in Febrary on the river? Stuck my head out the
hatch. A guy was in an aluminum 18' skiff. He was "homless" and had
been living only in his skiff for two years. He was just motor around.
There are lots of ways to have a cheep time on the water.

wrote:
Thanks for the reply, Bob,

In the 70s every once in a while I would run into a "free spirit" water
hippy who was attempting to convert an aluminum life boat for
sail/commercial fishing/etc.

I have seen two in the last five years. Both overgrown with
blackberries stuck way off in some cow pasture. Don't go there.

how easy it is to convert a sail boat into motor boat? Lets see........
one saws-al and a few blades shoud bring the rig down. Once all that
extra stuff is off the boat go have fun.
Bob

LOL! Thanks Bob....


Bob wrote:
wrote:
Thanks for the reply, Bob,

In the 70s every once in a while I would run into a "free spirit" water
hippy who was attempting to convert an aluminum life boat for
sail/commercial fishing/etc.

I have seen two in the last five years. Both overgrown with
blackberries stuck way off in some cow pasture. Don't go there.

how easy it is to convert a sail boat into motor boat? Lets see........
one saws-al and a few blades shoud bring the rig down. Once all that
extra stuff is off the boat go have fun.
Bob