Sad day, and no way to fix

Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Just saw this, man thats sucks. I know it feels like to lose a boat, and also what it means to believe you've found your 'best boat'. I'd hate to have to combine those two thoughts.

As for some franken-boat mod, I'd forget that. Remember her for what she WAS, and not some chainsaw created abomination.
 
  • Like
Likes: Alansails
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
Thanks. As for the franken-boat mod, that is for my brother-in-law and his grandkids, not me. I don't mind creating it, but to use it would be an abomination. No, I have to sail. At the moment, I can't afford to replace, but I've still been shopping. Its kind of weird, I don't think I can get anything other than that specific model of boat. Even worse, its still not the same boat. To find a 30+ year old boat in good shape will be difficult. The other aspect is that specific boat was most likely a leftover that was finished out 6 years after the company went out of business. There are little details that are slightly different from the factory standard models. There were only about 600 boats made, and probably about 200 of that model. It took my two years to find it, one of those years was spent convincing the guy to sell it to me. What ever I get will always be something less. grrr. I guess I could win the lotto and get a Farrier.
 

SFS

.
Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
FP makes a nice boat, if the lottery comes through. Probably cheaper than the Farrier, if you want a multi.
 
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
OK, so true sailors DON"T LOOK. But if anyone else is curious, I've got the top cut completely off. I hope to have it trimmed out this weekend. The top has been cut up into little pieces and taken by our trash guy. Salvaging all the unused parts, which takes longer than cutting it up.
20200824_130443.jpg
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
For a boat that took a hit from an Oak tree it doesn't look so bad.
How are you going to de-water it? I'm thinking maybe you need a grief counselor?
 
  • Like
Likes: Alansails
May 17, 2004
5,025
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
That is sad. Hopefully your brother-in-law and his grandkids enjoy it though. It might not be a sailboat anymore but at least if someone can use it to have some fun out on the water there will be a silver lining.
 
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
Jackdaw, I told you not to look :) But I understand, you just wanted another flower pot for Black Hawk Marina Garden is Bayfield.
Realistically, the good news is that is that someone (other than myself) will get use out of it and save it from the landfill. If it hadn't broken the mast in two places, I'd been inclined to use it as an open bow sailboat.

It is really amazing considering it snapped a solid Oak branch that was almost a foot in diameter. I never imagined fiberglass to be that strong. It also makes me much more committed to try to find the exact same model of boat to replace it. The fiberglass company that was contracted to build these boats was not in the boat building business. They made fiberglass stadium seating. The concern always was if the American boats were really built to the same spec and quality as the Australian counterpart. I'm not sure they were as light as the Oz built boats, but sure seem to be solid enough.
 
Last edited:
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Jackdaw, I told you not to look :) But I understand, you just wanted another flower pot for Black Hawk Marina Garden is Bayfield.
Realistically, the good news is that is that someone (other than myself) will get use out of it and save it from the landfill. If it hadn't broken the mast in two places, I'd been inclined to use it as an open bow sailboat.

It is really amazing considering it snapped a solid Oak branch that was almost a foot in diameter. I never imagined fiberglass to be that strong. It also makes me much more committed to try to find the exact same model of boat to replace it. The fiberglass company that was contracted to build these boats was not in the boat building business. They made fiberglass stadium seating. The concern always was if the American boats were really built to the same spec and quality as the Australian counterpart. I'm not sure they were as light as the Oz built boats, but sure seem to be solid enough.
I suppose there is something to that, the re-use angle!

LOL yes the garden outside Blackhawk sports many old commercial fishing boats well past their prime. Tastefully planted amongst the flowers. Made of wood, they slowly decay into the landscape. Very wabi-sabi. Fiberglass lasts forever. Very un-wabi-sabi!
 
Last edited:
Jan 26, 2019
68
Catalina 30, mkI 2462 Waukegan, IL
Maybe you can flag down landscapers in the neighborhood. They might be looking for a side weekend job. Who knows?

Folks do want firewood and will come cut up stuff for free. I've done this in the past. BUT, I wouldn't tackle something quite so technical. Make sure the folks who do it know what they are doing.

I am sorry about your boat. I too have an older boat and often think how I would react. Emotional value indeed exceeds monetary. Blood, sweat, tears, and newly invented cuss words cannot be attached to any amount of $$.

I am glad you are otherwise ok. Good luck.
 
  • Like
Likes: Alansails
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
OK, my brother-in-law backed out on the deal. My sister decided she would only except a pontoon boat. So now I have to figure out how to get rid of the hull. I called the local dump and they referred me to a junk dealer. I don't want a junk dealer. I don't need a middle man. Frustrating.
 
Feb 19, 2008
292
Catalina Capri 18 ann arbor
I’m so sorry for your loss.
a tornado hit my city in 2012. My neighborhood was one of three neighborhoods destroyed by it, I was on the right side of the line and we had almost no damage, houses across the street were devastated. I have friends who lived in a hotel for 7 months. Eight years later if you mention the tornado, everyone has a story.

I guess the only thing I can offer you is that for all the houses and trees that were knocked down, not one person lost their lives. Everything else can be replaced.
 

SFS

.
Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
OK, my brother-in-law backed out on the deal. My sister decided she would only except a pontoon boat. So now I have to figure out how to get rid of the hull. I called the local dump and they referred me to a junk dealer. I don't want a junk dealer. I don't need a middle man. Frustrating.
Call the dump before you start cutting it into pieces. The dumps around here (Florida) take complete hulls, if they have had the spars removed. It's already on the trailer, so if they take it, just go. They will help you get it off the trailer with their heavy equipment. If not, have them tell you where they want it, drive to that spot, set two anchors by hand, tie them off to the stern cleats or something even more solid (swing keel?) and drive away, pulling the trailer right out from under the boat. I've done it here multiple times, when I was helping salvage boats.

Cutting apart a fiberglass sailboat with chainsaw or sawzall is seriously hard, dirty, you'd-rather-be-doing-something-else work. Trust me. Just call the dump, see what they say. If your county dump says no, call the surrounding counties.
 
  • Helpful
Likes: justsomeguy
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
OK, 288 bucks and so the saga is over. Or maybe just beginning as I search for replacement. It took two years to find that boat. Only the last two years made have the larger cabin. All that remains is an empty trailer.