The fleet has grown to 3!

[finding41]

I have been looking for another boat for myself to sail at the local yacht club this summer and found an abandoned Siren 17 a number of months back.
The yard that it's been stored for 7 years doesn't know who used to own it. I asked them about it and they checked there records going back 5 years. (That's as long as they keep registration records for boat passes.) So they own it.
So today I met with the manager and asked if I could have it. He said yes!
I can go get it once the ground is hard enough to drive on.
Here are some pictures I too the other day of it.
Notice how clean it is..... And it has hiking straps!
It's a bit of a fixer upper.... But for the price I'm happy.

 

[31seahorse]

Hello finding41,

I admire your ambition! The work will be a challenge since much of the wood appears to require replacement. Try to retain the part of the tip up rudder that has been modified by some pesky squirrel or the chipmonks, Chip and Dale. They have added a nice touch. It is amazing that those abandoned boats always are left with hatches open. Note to those looking at abandoned boats: close them after you admire them. Someone will eventually work on them.

The Siren 17 is a great lake boat. I was a bit uncomfortable with the low seat height in the cockpit, and I had difficulty avoiding the mainsheet attachment in the cockpit sole. They sail very well.

Seriously, best wishes on your project. I enjoy seeing that other people also have the same desire to rebuild nice, old boats. Take lots of pictures and write a story of the restoration.

 

[patrickince]

Nice find... I bought a Georgian 23 in Bayfield Ontario, that was in the same shape and after some elbow grease and a bit of money (not a lot) she turned out beautiful. We sailed her for 5 years and now have recently upgraded. Best of luck with your project!

 

[rgranger]

Nice! Those are mostly cosmetic.

I didn't see a boom in those pics...
Pressure wash followed by a shop vac and most of the grime will be gone. Replace the wood supporting the keel winch and probably the winch cable.... Good to go.

Did she come with sails? Were they kept inside a storage locker ... hopefully?

 

[DAVA390]

You are taking on the appearance of someone with too much time on his hands, or...you have a big barn/shop that`needs filling up!

 

[finding41]

You are taking on the appearance of someone with too much time on his hands, or...you have a big barn/shop that`needs filling up!

Time... I wish.
I do have a buddy that lets me store my boats at his compound. It's only 15 min form work too. The opposite direction of home but...
The 2 Mac 26D's are going to the North Channel for my bare boat charter and will probably remain up there over the winters.
I just need something to sail at my club. I needed something with a little cabin to keep the critters out because I'm on a finger dock.

I do need sails though... Such is the price of a free boat.
The wood work isn't a problem as I have 25 years experience as a contractor. I have some teak at the shop that will work nicely.
The boat was left open by whoever broke into it... I have to replace the windows as well as there all cracked. (I saw that they changed the window design in 85 to look more like the MacGregor 26... Maybe that's ware Roger got his idea as the 26D started in 87...) (I'm told the Siren 17 is the same hull as the Mac 17... The company that built them also sold MacGregors....?) Here are a couple pictures of the new style windows.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Before you start, I strongly suggest that make sure you can be the owner. Most boats will have hull numbers and with that (not knowing the laws of titling and regeistration in your area), I would inquire if there is an owner on record in that jurisdiction. In addition, I would check on salvage rights laws as pertaining to your area and it may be that the Marina or yard will have to do that.

As a former sailboat dealer, I recall several cases where abandoned boats were rebuilt by others only to have the original owners say thanks to the restoration and walk away with those boats without having to reimburse the person who took on that project without proper ownership. In addition, there is also a liability issue.

Only a suggestion to obtain ownership for sure before you proceed with your time and money to restore that boat.

crazy dave condon

 

[dlandersson]

Nice find...but you really want to find out who owns it...unless the "i's" have been dotted and the "t's" crossed, the yard does not "own" the boat.

 

[Ron20324]

Take the VIN to the DNR or governing agency. They can search the database to see if it's titled. If not, they can tell you how to go about obtaining a legal title. I did it for a dinghy.

A friend sold a row boat. Later on, the DNR contacted he needed to move his boat from the town dock. Seems whoever bought it never registered it. The friend retrieved it and sold it again.

 

[finding41]

Before you start, I strongly suggest that make sure you can be the owner. Most boats will have hull numbers and with that (not knowing the laws of titling and regeistration in your area), I would inquire if there is an owner on record in that jurisdiction. In addition, I would check on salvage rights laws as pertaining to your area and it may be that the Marina or yard will have to do that.

As a former sailboat dealer, I recall several cases where abandoned boats were rebuilt by others only to have the original owners say thanks to the restoration and walk away with those boats without having to reimburse the person who took on that project without proper ownership. In addition, there is also a liability issue.

Only a suggestion to obtain ownership for sure before you proceed with your time and money to restore that boat.

crazy dave condon

Great points Dave!
I have the yard doing the do-diligence now. It does have a HIN # that I found on the transom. The boat was never registered with Transport Canada so that's not going to work for finding the old owners.
Just to ease my mind I'll pop into the ministry of transport and see if they can find anything with the HIN #s. It's on my way home form work.

The only way I'm going to get it is after they "own it". They will sell/ trade it to me for the price of removal. I will go to the ministry of transport and have it registered in my name then. They have done this in the past for other boats that become abandoned.
I was told that after 3 mo. of no payment the item becomes there's to dispose of. So 7 years of no payments. That's $1695.00 owing in storage fees.

 

[Tom G P-21]

A quick google turns out Canada's Transportation board has a "Receiver of Wrecks" department (what a great name!) that handles situations like these.

 

[finding41]

Dave here is what I have found with regards to taking ownership of the Siren 17. http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90r25_e.htm#BK32
It's in the hands of the yard now. The manager did tell me they have to do this at least once a year for something or other. (They also have trailers stored. He mentioned they sent 3 to be recycled last summer... In there case Recycled means new pop cans...)

On another note, I brought home Transition to do some work on it before I take it north. It only takes up a little of the driveway!

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Findings41;

Thank you for keeping us informed. This is a good site for information and all of us try to help one another. Thanks to all who contributed. Good luck with your project.

 

[rgranger]

Findings

I'd like to hear more about your charter biz. Are you getting a lot of takers? Do they bring the boat back in decent shape? Or is it a big PITA? Stuff like that. I have no desire to run a charter biz ... I'm just curious if it is working. My big fear would be that the charterers would get into a jam on the far side of no where at 2:00 AM and call me for help. Then what? Or they bring the boat back with torn sails and I have another client waiting to take the boat out in the next 2 hours...then what?

But on the up-side....I don't know how Canada's tax code works but here in the U.S. I can imagine something like what you are doing would be a great way to have a boat around you can sail and write off all of the expenses as business expenses. You would just need to have more boats than demand so one is empty for you to sail.. ... or you hold one boat back as the "rescue boat"

If you have a "loss" for the year, you just take it from your day job income and reduce your taxes. Done right ... it could be "discount" sailing...:dance:

 

[finding41]

Hi rgranger. The charter biz is just getting ready for the season now. The Ice just left our lake a week ago!
I've been advertising here (Top R corner of the MacGregor page.) and on Kijiji.ca. I'm getting emails and calls from the Kijiji add. Mostly tire kickers. No bookings as of yet.
Soon I will be sending emails to all the sailing clubs and yacht clubs I can find to let there members know that there is an affordable way to sail the North Channel.
I expect the boats to come back in good shape. If there are any damages the charterers deposit will look after it. (Like anything you rent you sign for responsibility for all damage.) I'm not expecting allot to go wrong. Maybe the odd broken DB.
The boats come back on Fridays at 2pm and don't go out until Sat at noon so there is a good amount of time to repair anything. I have a company contracted for emergency calls etc.
Tax... I'll take advantage of anything I can. The biz is just about to be INC. so it will be it's own entity. I am the only share holder. I think the new boat could be used for day charters... or as a back up if a Mac is damaged too badly... I have to sit down with the accountant yet to go over the boat stuff as I own them now. The accountant will decide if I sell or lease them to the company. I like the idea of discount sailing. I love the idea of free sailing!
I will start a thread with all the trials and tribulations of running such a business once things get rolling along.

 

[rgranger]

Hi rgranger. The charter biz is just getting ready for the season now. The Ice just left our lake a week ago!
I've been advertising here (Top R corner of the MacGregor page.) and on Kijiji.ca. I'm getting emails and calls from the Kijiji add. Mostly tire kickers. No bookings as of yet.
Soon I will be sending emails to all the sailing clubs and yacht clubs I can find to let there members know that there is an affordable way to sail the North Channel.
I expect the boats to come back in good shape. If there are any damages the charterers deposit will look after it. (Like anything you rent you sign for responsibility for all damage.) I'm not expecting allot to go wrong. Maybe the odd broken DB.
The boats come back on Fridays at 2pm and don't go out until Sat at noon so there is a good amount of time to repair anything. I have a company contracted for emergency calls etc.
Tax... I'll take advantage of anything I can. The biz is just about to be INC. so it will be it's own entity. I am the only share holder. I think the new boat could be used for day charters... or as a back up if a Mac is damaged too badly... I have to sit down with the accountant yet to go over the boat stuff as I own them now. The accountant will decide if I sell or lease them to the company. I like the idea of discount sailing. I love the idea of free sailing!
I will start a thread with all the trials and tribulations of running such a business once things get rolling along.

Sounds like a heck of an adventure.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Rgranger;

House now under construction. Cannot wait to sail with you at my old stompin grounds. Kermit the Frog is going to be leapin in a house for a week pretty close to you or maybe near the park in late September. Ya need to get hold of that frog and see who can out BS one another. One thing, no gigging as we need to keep Kermit around for a long time
Hardy Har Har

dave condon