Old boats

[rgranger]

Hear, hear Captn Scotty. It's a shame that everyone's first instinct is to throw away and replace something the instant there is any wear or trouble with it at all. That said, it's also tough to justify spending $20 for a replacement part when you can buy a new unit for $25, as I recently found when trying to repair my coffee maker. But I agree, there is value in knowing how to repair things versus throwing it away and buying another.

So speaking of fixing up something vs. tossing it out... and the cost differential...here is a repair job that I'm very proud of.... First two are before... next two are after... When I sold the boat, I got $3,500 more for it than what I paid... I figure I made about $0.5/hour..... whooo hooo... hard to justify unless you are having fun doing it.

 

[pateco]

Wow! @pateco That is very nice. If that is the same sail... please tell me how you got it clean.

That main sail was totally rotten from UV. Boat was abandoned without a sail cover. The roller furling jib was nothing but a flag of streamers. Both sails in the 2nd picture were bought used off the web. One from TX and one from SC.

 

[Solarfry]

I believe the problem starts with a delusional owner no longer interested in his boat. Boat was abandoned and no longer maintained, seller expected to get what he paid for it after 10 yrs of neglect, screw holes leak into hull. Hull coring is destroyed by constant leaking. It shows on pictures of the overhead with water stains all over. The first indication of a bad deal..

You should shop used boats to see the wrecks people are selling for top dollar.

No wonder they untie them and let them float with the tide and wind.

 

[SOCAL C50]

Here's a couple ... disregard the foreground on this first one

View attachment 129733
This one was sunk for a long time.
View attachment 129734

They raised that sunk boat and I learned it was a fast race boat back in the day. Our area is known as the place where old boats go to die... and some newer ones too.

 

[marke14]

Well, I salvaged this one abandoned in a boat yard in New York for 15 years, hauled to Texas and redone. Now approaching 12,000 miles cruising since restore

TSBB, I intended to reply to one of your recent replies on a separate thread yesterday (and forgot after getting lost in Google re: Rhodes Meridian 25) to say, "what a cool early fiberglass boat!"

Please allow me to pay that compliment today belatedly, and to add, "HOLY S**T MAN, great job!!!"

I would have run away from the "before" picture, as fast and far as possible! Kudos, that is truly amazing.

So what does the message say? "sailing is for old people only? With old boat?" This is horrible marketing.

I think it's more like expressing that same romantic / fun in retirement vibe using the mystical aspects that appeal to some of the uninitiated masses.

Though what can I say, I love sailing.

 

[jleblanc31]

I am currently restoring a Ranger 33 I bought off craigs list 2 months ago . the owner bought it in 2008 and never did anything with it. wood rotten, engine not working, all lines rotted, there were water marks all inside where it had filled up at least a foot of water before it was pumped out. Than it still had 3 inches of water when I originally looked at it .you can find my thread here its "My Grand Adventure with Philter" all of my sail boats were neglected dreams. my Phantom was neglected for 20 years in a guys back yard under bamboo, a few bamboo stalks had grown through the dock line he tied on the front of the boat and I had to cut the bamboo to get the boat out. My 79 Macgregor venture 25 in my avatar sat on the side of a fellas moms house long enough for the trailer to rot away from under it . I think the biggest problem with the derelict boats is the DYI guy is disappearing and only the wealthy can afford someone to repair there vessel for them . Also when someone asks on forums about getting a neglected boat most of the time when people replying to the post they tell them to run before even asking what there capabilities are . I have felt this first hand asking about various boats in the past. just my 2 cents I have more thoughts but on the subject but my post could get a little long . here is a couple of pics two months ago and now.

 

[Captn Scotty]

Big congratulations to all of you that have taken someone else's neglect and turned it into an avenue for your adventures! and the things you learn along the way make it even more satisfying

 

[njlarry]

there were water marks all inside where it had filled up at least a foot of water before it was pumped out. Than it still had 3 inches of water when I originally looked at it .

That's why I think all boats that spend any time on the hard should have a garboard drain plug installed. Cheap and easy to install. Even a hole drilled in the hull would have prevented all that damage.

 

[rgranger]

I wonder if a DIY forum would be popular? There is a lot of know how in the SBO crowd and archiving some of that stuff might be useful.

@Phil Herring ?

 

[Phil Herring]

I wonder if a DIY forum would be popular?

100% agree in concept. But I stumble on that because, arguably, the whole site is a DIY repository... and the owner mods by model do that pretty well. Although, those are limited right now to certain boat brands.

What did you have in mind that I'm not thinking of in the right way?

 

[rgranger]

100% agree in concept. But I stumble on that because, arguably, the whole site is a DIY repository... and the owner mods by model do that pretty well. Although, those are limited right now to certain boat brands.

What did you have in mind that I'm not thinking of in the right way?

You are correct about the owner mods. I look at those quite often for inspiration...Just musing out loud I guess... There do seem to be some repeating themes...... for example, about once a year someone will ask about restoring a keel on a swing keel, or how to repair a fixed keel that has separated... or a leaking stuffing box....

And the paint recommendation question comes up at least once a month... and "I'm switching to LEDs" about twice a year... I'm not sure how you would organize a DIY page but sumner might be the right guy to figure that out.

 

[Phil Herring]

The organization isn't too hard, it's the differentiation that's the key. There are already too many places to look for things, IMHO.

But you know, what we could do is make something like a Boat Ownership FAQ that would link to threads or modifications pages. Maybe even photos and media.

For example, there might be a FAQ entry for "Switching nav lights to LED" which would contain four or five links to forum posts and mods on the site. Linking the content to an existing FAQ item could be just a couple of clicks, too. Would that accomplish what you're thinking about?

I completely understand the need, just trying to figure out how to accomplish it without re-inventing a structure we already have.

 

[rgranger]

The organization isn't too hard, it's the differentiation that's the key. There are already too many places to look for things, IMHO.

But you know, what we could do is make something like a Boat Ownership FAQ that would link to threads or modifications pages. Maybe even photos and media.

For example, there might be a FAQ entry for "Switching nav lights to LED" which would contain four or five links to forum posts and mods on the site. Linking the content to an existing FAQ item could be just a couple of clicks, too. Would that accomplish what you're thinking about?

I completely understand the need, just trying to figure out how to accomplish it without re-inventing a structure we already have.

Yeah! That sound really cleaver... I guess you could put a call out for topics that seem to come up again and again...

Othors that comes to mind are bottom paint .... top side paint... what to do with spider cracks.... how do you clean (fill in blank), mosquito, ... pests on a boat (spiders, mice, snakes etc).... where is this leak coming from...and "what is the best boat for coastal cruising --- LOL"

Thanks for taking the time to think on this...

r

 

[Phil Herring]

I'll take a crack at it this weekend, sounds kind of fun!

 

[kimelmore]

Even a boat that hasn't been terribly neglected can be a project. The boat we just bought wasn't that bad but I have done nothing but work on projects since we got it. Typical of any boat project...you start out working on item A...which turns into a ...gee I ought to fix item B while I'm in here and so on and so forth...so any easier way to find out if someone has asked that question before would be good...have a go at it Phil and thanks again for taking the time to make this the first place I go for answers.

 

[Rick D]

The youth of today do not have the ability nor the desire to repair or restore much of anything, it is a disposable world it would seem!

Interesting point. I also have some radio controlled sailboats. When searching for some articles for a seminar for yacht club members, I came across some discussion about how hobby "shops" have turned away from build-it-yourself to ready to (fly, drive, sail). 70% of younger buyers have never built or repaired anything and have no desire to learn. Of course, I have no idea if that is true, but certainly the market has changed. Boating may be suffering from that same trend; if you can't fix it yourself, you will have a hard time keeping it up.

 

[jleblanc31]

I'll take a crack at it this weekend, sounds kind of fun!

Ive seen sites with threads called stickys and they do the same thing you are describing . DIY stickys, Project boat , Ask the Yard Hand would be a good titles and do like you said attach links to post or threads .

 

[frankies56]

Why not just undo a thru hull. like a knot meter or just a seacock.

 

[frankies56]

While some of the replys here at derected to millenials. and the want it now attitude. I do see young guys out there trying there best to either fix up and old boat, or get a little more hp out of the old jap cars. perhaps its that parents dont instill what good hard work will pay off. more like get off that phone and go out sailing or motor boating.my dad tought me these things at a young age.and proud to be able to fix just about anything. what I am trying to say is more input from parents. then whats on that stupid video game. we need to help and give them our expierance. if there parents don't cause there to busy,I would rather buy my son a old sailing scow and help him fix it than a phone

 

[Captn Scotty]

Roger that Frankie! Sadly, I believe the family dynamics have changed alot over the last few decades