a few rules...

Three quick rules that I've found to be true regarding boats and boat restoration/rehabs.

1. Any money you spend on improving your boat will not add resale value in terms of return down the line when you want to sell it.
2. All boats have a reality value which seldom conforms to their asking price.
3. Your personal labor on your boat (aka sweat equity) can increase the value of your boat but only up to but not more than its reality value.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that these rules tend to fly in the face of perceived wisdom but they all are based on simple math of the 1+1=2 sort and in 99% of the time seem to stand up.

More on the subject soonish...

An old trick...

The Rigging Doctor on how to save money on haulouts...

Good to know.

A little more on that CAL 34...

The initial emails on the last post tended to fall into to two categories. The first being  the "You're an idiot" sort and the second is "It just can't be done because you need to buy lots and lots of stuff!" zone.

For the moment, lets just address the "lots and lots of stuff" argument...

How much stuff do you really need?

The fact of the matter is that most boats for sale these days already have an impressive amount of gear aboard and the CAL 34 example appears to come with everything needful in terms of safety requirements, navigation instruments, and other needful gear. Granted, I'm sure something or other might require replacement or upgrading but there is a big difference of fixing what needs fixing and just going on a consumerist joyride because buying stuff is fun or you need to impress the neighbors.

The thing is we're talking volkscruiser here. What we are not talking about is taking an older classic plastic boat and turning it into a work of art, morphing it into something it is not, or turning folks green with envy. What we're doing is just making a good boat good a bit better and a workable platform for going to sea in an acceptable level of comfort and safety.

So, mostly, we only fix stuff that needs fixing and we only replace stuff when it can't be fixed. Which, from where I sit, seems to make all kinds of sense. It makes sense in terms of budget and it makes sense in the overall scheme of things because we live in a finite world and throwing away perfectly good stuff is all kinds of bad for the planet.

I'll be the first person to admit this is not a path for everyone and I certainly don't believe that for a second everyone should do the volkscruiser thing I'm simply saying it is doable if you want to do it. But... and there is always a but isn't there, if your path to happiness involves buying stuff the whole volkscruiser gig just ain't for you.

Worth thinking about...

Next up a couple of really simple things.

On the comparitive cost of yams...

Going shopping yesterday I could not help but notice that the cost of nearly everything continues to go up...

Onions a couple of months ago I was paying $.39 a pound were $.99 a pound...

Yams which I'm used to paying $0.69 a pound are now $1.79...

Scrag end stewing beef I would never ever even consider at $3.95 a pound is now selling for $6.95...

I think I can detect a trend.

On the other hand, boats still seem to be a whole lot more affordable than they used to be. take this 1969 CAL 34 for instance...

...with an asking price of $7K that works out to about $0.74 a pound.

Sure it is an old used boat but, judging from the photos and description, it appears to be floating right side up and is a very doable project that would take you wherever you care to go.

Of course, being that I own a 1969 CAL 34, I am somewhat partial to Bill Lapworth's excellent design but not unaware of its foibles so have a fairly good idea what would go into fixing it up for long term cruising and the hassle factor and costs involved.

Offhand, I'd expect that at a bare minimum, you'd want to replace the chain plates, rigging, deal with the mast support beam (if it has not already been replaced before), maybe replace the bulkhead associated with the mast, get a new (or newer) sail or two, add a self-steering gear, replace some things that don't work and fix a deck issue or three. You might also want to thrown on a coat of paint and antifoul as well. Which does sound like a lot but only really works out to a couple months of work and maybe $3-5K in outlay. Which adds up to a worst case scenario of $12K and about $1.27 a pound.

Which, I should point out, is a big chunk cheaper than the going rate of yams where I live.

All the fixes and improvements needful to put a CAL 34 back into cruising trim are fairly easy with no overly heavy lifting or rocket science involved. No need to pay people silly money to fix or change things and, as such, would be an accessible project for just about anyone with the right inclination.

More on the costs of fixing up such a beast next...