South Coast 26 Build and sailing trip thread
- Thread starter tmleadr03
- Start date
Big believer in luck myself. Used it many times.
5ft seas in that much of a blow, in a confined area, are no joke to anyone. You were in some real deep kimchi. No question.
Sounds like you were already reducing your risk with the kid swimming lessons.
5ft seas in that much of a blow, in a confined area, are no joke to anyone. You were in some real deep kimchi. No question.
Sounds like you were already reducing your risk with the kid swimming lessons.
And, in case you thought only inexperienced sailors get smacked by weather... in the video, around 2:35, there's a crew that got caught with their sails up.
https://southernboating.com/destinations/us-gulf/dauphin-island-race-tragedy/
https://southernboating.com/destinations/us-gulf/dauphin-island-race-tragedy/
Quick question about getting the boat out. I talked with a local shop and they said they would look at it and let me know how much. In stead of letting me know, they pulled the boat out and are providing me with a 1900 dollar bill. If they had called with that estimate or close to it, I do realize there needs to be some wiggle room in doing a job like that, I would probably have declined and gone and figured out a way to do it myself this weekend. I am less then pleased currently. Is this a normal thing?
Ship was upright. Needed to be pulled into the water. He then pulled it from there to the boat ramp 3.6 miles away. I was told that he used airbags to lift the boat.
Ship was upright. Needed to be pulled into the water. He then pulled it from there to the boat ramp 3.6 miles away. I was told that he used airbags to lift the boat.
Nope. Unless you told them to pull it, they should have at least called you with a price and waited for a verbal "go" from you.
Up to you how you want to proceed. Hire a lawyer, or pay it. You might try to beat them down a bit due to their unsportsmanlike conduct. If your boat is out of the water, it would probably be best to try to settle on a reasonable price with them. Lawyers are not cheap either.
Without knowing what they did specifically, what equipment was used, and how many people worked it, its hard to give it the sniff test. $1900 doesn't sound totally outrageous to me.
Up to you how you want to proceed. Hire a lawyer, or pay it. You might try to beat them down a bit due to their unsportsmanlike conduct. If your boat is out of the water, it would probably be best to try to settle on a reasonable price with them. Lawyers are not cheap either.
Without knowing what they did specifically, what equipment was used, and how many people worked it, its hard to give it the sniff test. $1900 doesn't sound totally outrageous to me.
Tough call. Do you need to have a relationship with them ever again? Are they well respected on the lake? Is this where you will be keeping the boat?
If the answer to either of the first two questions is yes and the last question is also a yes then you probably need to negotiate with them and pay something close to the asking price.
You could say to them just what you told us... that you had asked for an estimate. Tell them what your high end would have been then then offer them that and see if they take it.
If the answer to either of the first two questions is yes and the last question is also a yes then you probably need to negotiate with them and pay something close to the asking price.
You could say to them just what you told us... that you had asked for an estimate. Tell them what your high end would have been then then offer them that and see if they take it.
Get an overall assessment of what it will cost to get the rest of the boat fixed. If you are "self-insured", then your decision can be based on how much a replacement boat will cost. You seem to be a resourceful guy. If the numbers work to keep the boat, getting or making a keel is probably within your grasp. Right now, ignore the keel, and estimate what the other repairs will cost. See where you are. There are lots of boats in need of a good home if the numbers don't work. If you want to keep her, I'm betting there's a welder nearby that can help you work out a replacement keel if you can't find a reasonably priced stock replacement.
Hang in there. Don't look at the whole elephant. Just eat it one bite at a time.
Hang in there. Don't look at the whole elephant. Just eat it one bite at a time.
The issue for replacement part is that this is a 1 of about 70 boats ever made. A new keel would have to be fabricated (not that I havent thought of what a nice excuse for a welder that would be). I am self insured. I don't think paying insurance on a boat I bought for 3k is a wise investment. Still dont even after all this. 5-6k and up, yes I would probably pay.
I have tossed the idea of building a steel keel and buying a welder to fabricate it up. Pouring a cast iron one just sounds really, really expensive. A steel one could be installed much simpler then a poured one as well and the weights are essentially the same so size would be the same. Not to mention it could be build in parts and assembled on the boat. Still a pain, but not a 1k lb pain all at once. In smaller bites.
Cost would be huge. 3k for welding equipment (on sale at Cornwell tools this month), and probably about 1000 in metal. I assume I am going to mess things up and minimum order amounts for that metal cost. Yes I could weld one up. And fix the fiberglass. It would be a full project and a long one I feel. I am still on the fence since I know I am not getting her in the water till next summer at the absolute earliest. Winter is also my slow time at work. Though I will still easily be booked out at a minimum a week at a time vs summer when I am out two to three weeks.
So you would be $4K in before you splash if you fix this boat. For $4K you could spend the winter shopping for a really nice, ready-to-sail boat. In about 6 weeks the market will become flooded with sailboats for sale. People will be saying to themselves.... I haven't gone sailing in years, I should finally sell this boat. They holdout over the summer hoping they will get around to sailing it again but ... they don't.
If you want to stick to the swing keel version, I'd recommend a MacGregor 25 or an O'Day 25, or a Catalina 25. There are a lot on the market, parts are easy to find and they are a lot of boat for the money.
If you want to include water ballast boats you could include the Catalina 250, or the MacGregor 26S or 26D (collectively known as the Mac 26C) I don't recommend the 26X or 26M. I am rather fond of the Mac 26C.
If you also include fixed keels you have a lot more options.
You could also spend the winter parting out this boat. The winches are worth a $100, the mast another $200. Bow pulpit and other knickknacks.... You could keep the outboard until you get your new boat and then keep the better of the two and sell the other for $300 - $500.
By the time you part out this boat, you might have 25% of the cost of the new boat and now you are only $3K into a newer ready-to-sail boat.
If you go this route, I recommend the SBO sub-site "Macgregor Owners"
macgregor.sailboatowners.com
They have two Mac 25 sailboats for under $4K right now
They also have five Mac 26C sailboats ranging from $3,500 to $8,000
or
sailboatlistings.com
or
Craigslist
Wait until the end of September and you will have a lot more to choose from.
If you want to stick to the swing keel version, I'd recommend a MacGregor 25 or an O'Day 25, or a Catalina 25. There are a lot on the market, parts are easy to find and they are a lot of boat for the money.
If you want to include water ballast boats you could include the Catalina 250, or the MacGregor 26S or 26D (collectively known as the Mac 26C) I don't recommend the 26X or 26M. I am rather fond of the Mac 26C.
If you also include fixed keels you have a lot more options.
You could also spend the winter parting out this boat. The winches are worth a $100, the mast another $200. Bow pulpit and other knickknacks.... You could keep the outboard until you get your new boat and then keep the better of the two and sell the other for $300 - $500.
By the time you part out this boat, you might have 25% of the cost of the new boat and now you are only $3K into a newer ready-to-sail boat.
If you go this route, I recommend the SBO sub-site "Macgregor Owners"
MacgregorOwners.com classified ads, sailboats for sale
MacgregorOwners.com classified ads, sailboats for sale
macgregor.sailboatowners.com
They have two Mac 25 sailboats for under $4K right now
They also have five Mac 26C sailboats ranging from $3,500 to $8,000
or
sailboatlistings.com
or
Craigslist
Wait until the end of September and you will have a lot more to choose from.
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I started typing before you posted those pics. With those cracks in the deck, I think you are more than $4K in before you could splash again. I hate to be the harbinger but I think that boat has sailed its last day. It would cost you more to fix than to find a much nicer boat.
You might want to lower the mast before a T-storm comes through and knocks the mast over and causes more damage or damage to something nearby.
Well damn. I clearly wasn't thinking when I was there yesterday.
There is a serious temptation to just tell the guy who pulled it out with out giving me an estimate "looks like you own a boat and trailer, good luck". Which could be what he was looking to get with his not giving an estimate.
I forgot to mention SAILS in the list of things to part out. 
Here is a rough estimate of a part-out
Sails = $300
O.B. = $400
Spars = $300 (both)
Winches = $200 (both)
Stanchions = $30 (ea) ~$300 (all)
Bow pulpit = $100
Stern Rail = $200
Genoa Tracks = $200 (both)
Assorted blocks $300 (all)
Cleats and other knickknacks = $200
Hatches = $30 ea (guessing $150 all)
Nav lights = $20
Empty used trailer = $1,000
Total = $3,670 = New boat
BTW: I have flipped six sailboats in my time and one thing I've learned about the boat trailer market is that you can get a good price for a decent used trailer unless there is a crappy boat sitting on it. So if you go this route, you will want to take the boat off of the trailer and put it on blocks if you want to get the best price for your trailer.
Here is a rough estimate of a part-out
Sails = $300
O.B. = $400
Spars = $300 (both)
Winches = $200 (both)
Stanchions = $30 (ea) ~$300 (all)
Bow pulpit = $100
Stern Rail = $200
Genoa Tracks = $200 (both)
Assorted blocks $300 (all)
Cleats and other knickknacks = $200
Hatches = $30 ea (guessing $150 all)
Nav lights = $20
Empty used trailer = $1,000
Total = $3,670 = New boat
BTW: I have flipped six sailboats in my time and one thing I've learned about the boat trailer market is that you can get a good price for a decent used trailer unless there is a crappy boat sitting on it. So if you go this route, you will want to take the boat off of the trailer and put it on blocks if you want to get the best price for your trailer.
Well, it's pretty rough. Fixable, but unless you are emotionally attached, I agree with @rgranger , part it out and start fresh.
You are overstating welder cost, and scrap steel is not hard to come by for a fabricated steel version. However, your other damage is significant. It will suck up your free time for quite awhile doing some pretty messy jobs. Unless you really love fiberglass work, I'd call it done.
You are overstating welder cost, and scrap steel is not hard to come by for a fabricated steel version. However, your other damage is significant. It will suck up your free time for quite awhile doing some pretty messy jobs. Unless you really love fiberglass work, I'd call it done.