Worth Repairing? (with pics)

[YardBoater]

Hi everybody, I've been bouncing around these forums a bit looking for information and it looks like you guys know what you're talking about. I have a couple of questions, and some pics, but let me start from the beginning...

I have a boat (you might have guessed that). It doesn't look like much, but it was free. In fact, it was sitting in my yard when I moved in. From what I know, it was sunk during a hurricane, was pulled out of the water for repair and has instead been sitting here for at least four years. I'm not holding my breath, but I'd like to hear from some of you before I give up on it totally. Now, I know that boat repair takes commitment and time, not to mention money. Those are things I can worry about after I have the answer to my first two questions. 1: What the hell kind of boat is this? It's roughly 25' and has no markings except for a long expired and partial registration number. 2: Will it ever sail again? There is some damage to the hull, and the insides... well they aren't pretty. Also the rear supports seem to be flexing the hull inward, probably because the boat has since filled with water. Could this have caused some kind of irreparable damage? The bilge pump seems to be the only thing that is still intact, which is nice cause that water is a bit too mosquito friendly for my tastes.

So, can these things be overcome? After that, feel free to let me know whether you would recommend repairing it, whether I should take the money I'd spend and buy something in better shape, whatever info you deem relevant. I want to know those things as well, but keep in mind that this boat is sitting in my back yard right now, as you read this. I'm looking out the window and there it is, taunting me.

I look forward to your comments. In the meantime, I'll be out back rigging up a siphon to get that water out. I'm sick of pumping.

 

[Maine Sail]

It will cost you...

It will cost you FAR more to repair that boat and make her sailable again than it would to sell of the parts & pieces on eBay then scrap the hull and buy a used, ready to go Pearson 26...

 

[Cpt. Jon]

I doubt that it would be worth it to repair. In the current market you get a very well outfitted boat at around that size 25ft for what I guess would be a LOT cheaper than what I think you would have to put into that thing to get that thing back in the water, none-the-less set up the same way. Heck, I know, I am trying to sell a 1985 Hunter 25.5 for WAY below what I should get for it. It's a buyers market... those of us trying to sell are really hurting! By the way, the fact that I am trying to sell my boat does not influence my reply at all other than I have seen many boat in that size range or larger go for extreme bargain prices and I don't want to give mine away just to get rid of it...

 

[Rob19574]

scrap the keel and salvage anything else on eBay.....get a chainsaw out for the rest. There are way to many good boats out there selling for a bargain these days that need little work.

 

[bffatcat]

repair boat? my 2c

The boat you have is a pearson 26. Ive got one. I found it sitting in a field near lake champlaine about 10 yerars ago. I fixed it up and its a good solid boat now. But, judging from the pictures my boat was no where near as bad as yours. The guys are correct your best bet would be to remove any saleable stuff and scrap the boat Unless of course you are one of those people that enjoys fixing things and is handy with tools. You can probably buy a P26 in decent shape for under 5K its up to you

 

[Hermit Scott]

A chain saw is all that boat needs. A sawzall would work but a chain saw would be faster.
Unless this boat was Sir Alfred Thayer Mayhans....in that case you should restore it.

 

[YardBoater]

Thanks!

Wow, thanks guys, that was some quick responding!

Well, this is what I figured would be the case, but it's still too bad I couldn't resurrect it. BTW, the stuff you haven't seen is pretty nasty. That boat has it's own ecosystem going on inside, no joke.

"By the way, the fact that I am trying to sell my boat does not influence my reply at all"

hehe, don't worry, I believe you. I have been doing a little searching on craigslist and I've seen quite a few good deals, so I suspect you are all correct about this being a buyers market.

Good to know what kind of boat this is too, I'll keep it in mind when trying to sell whatever is salvageable and when looking at other boats.

Again, thanks for the help! I'm breaking out the sawzall tomorrow and I'll see if I can borrow a chainsaw.

...now does anybody have any other tips for salvaging?

 

[Ross]

The rigging cost more than the hull and she don't got no rigging and the hull ain't very good. Probably worth more as scrap than anything else. If you want to learn the fine art of fiberglass repair it could be a good school but you could get a much better boat for less than it would cost to bring it back. If yoy wanted to rig it with makeshift wooden spars and galvanized cable you could probably get in the water of a couple of thousand but it wouldn't be very trustworthy.

 

[Paul Mermelstein]

YardBoater ... another good website to learn from is Yachtworld.com

 

[Joe]

put an ad in the paper and a sign on the relic that says "Free Sailboat" Someone will take it off your hands.... then take the money you saved by not trying to repair it and go out and look for one that's already fixed up.... then go sailing.

 

[kendall]

That boat looks prety far gone. The only way I'd consider fixing that one would be if it had some sentimental value.
I've seen nice hulls go cheap because they don't have the rigging, so if you have it, look for a sister ship to use it on.

Grap a hole saw and drill a hole at the lowest point to let the water out, that way you can strip her out in relative dryness. You may be able to make a few dollars on the parts

The county dump up here takes boats by weight, so you can drop the keel to scrap/sell then haul the hull in complete, or cut it up into more managable sections at a standard fee per load. Either way is going to take some effort.

Ken.

 

[Ross]

Breaking boats in this area uses a wheel mounted construction backhoe and front end loader. Smash them flat, scoop up the pieces and drop them in a construction dump can. Flat rate for the can and a one day rental on the tractor.

 

[RichH]

Exactly WHAT does the 'inside' look like?

One of the main structural members of the P26 is the bulkhead/compression post system. This 'bulkhead' is put into 'flanges' in the hull and is placed into the boat before the deck is lowered and fastened onto the assembly. The bulkhead is what supports the mast, the compression post that is attached only stiffens the bulkhead; and, .... if this bulkhead is rotted or broken you will have a 'very sorry time' replacing the assembly - and it has to be 'perfect' to do its job. Plus, when building this boat Pearson used a driven wooden wedge in the bilge to tighten the compression post bottom and then covered it with 'fiberglass tabbing'. Since it sits in the bilge it is very subject to rot (weakening the whole bulkhead system) ... VERY hard to replace especially if the bottom of the compression post is also rotted, so that it has the proper 'preload' to support the bulkhead system - and this is a common 'problem' on undamaged P26s (& P30s).
If the main bulkhead is no longer 'intact' or shows delamination from water ingress ... then RUN (dont walk) away, unless you enjoy frustration and extreme drudgery.

Mainsail put it best .... better to get an 'already sailable' boat than to waste a LOT of time in a total restoration and repair. Even if you have unlimited $$$ and time, you will only be restoring a very (1970s) common/available boat and when you are done will only have a rebuilt late 1960s design boat. You will ultimately dump a LOT of $$$ into such a boat, probably MORE $$$ than you would pay to buy an equal but already sailable boat. There are lots of P26s available in reasonable 'sailaway' condition ..... and at very reasonable prices.

Sailing is a rapidly declining 'sport' and there are many 'bargains' currently available, especially with the current ongoing and worsening economic depression. Dont look at 'published listings' but "walk the boatyards" to find the 'forgotten and abandoned gems' for your probable best opportunity. There are just too too many good idle boats sitting at marina yards that can be 'gotten for song' - you just have to do the laborious searching and asking. Many of these older abandoned/forgotten boats can be obtained ... solely for payment of the accumulated 'yard fees'.

 

[Cpt. Jon]

are there some self tailing winches on that boat? I wouldn't mind "restoring and resurecting" some self tailing winches

 

[YardBoater]

There's one winch still on there, but not a self tailing one

To say you guys have been helpful is more than an understatement. I really appreciate it.

Rich- I'm off today to scout the local boatyards to see what I can find. Thanks for that advice, the idea honestly never occurred to me.

I'll let you guys know how it goes, in case anybody is interested.

 

[YardBoater]

Update

Hey, I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd drop an update.

I did some searching and came across a 23' Oday poptop for $400. Needs a little work, but at least it has everything intact, including sails and rigging. For the price I can't think of a better boat to start with.

I'll be back with more questions, I'm sure, but I wanted to say thanks again. This is definitely better than messing with the busted up Pearson.

 

[Ross]

Re: Update

400 dollars is less than the price of a semister at a community college. I don't see how you can go wrong. Don't try to turn it into a "yacht" it is still a 400 dollar sailboat.

 

[sand sailor]

if there's any good parts you dont need let us know

 

[RobertLangdirect]

if there's any good parts you dont need let us know

As opposed to, if there are any good parts, you don't need to let us know?

Be safe cutting the top and stuff down. Those boat stands look like they may be a bit suspect. Maybe you should put a long rope on two of them and drop the boat before it has a chance to drop on you!

Good luck.

Bob

 

[tony201]

What Bob said

What Bob said is very true.... shit happens quick , don't get under that old girl