Some basic economics...

So, about that Westsail 32 project question...

1. Buy the $50K boat and sail off into the sunset.
2. Buy the $30K boat do the needful TLC and sail off into the sunset.
3. Buy the $30K boat do a major refit to the tune of a few years and $66K and sail off into the sunset.
4. Buy a cheap fixer-upper W32, fix what's needful and sail off into the sunset for around $25K.
5. Look at boats that are cheaper with the same qualities of the W32 and sail off into the sunset with a lot more cash in your cruising kitty.

From where I sit the obvious answers are 1, 4, and 5. The first option for those with money buying a ready to go boat makes sense. Options 4 & 5 (as well as 2) makes sense for those with more time than money. Me being cheap and one who enjoys working on boats you already know I'd be all over the cheapest seats option.

That said, what about the third option? What the hell kind of sense does that make?

Well, none actually...

The thing is, I read a lot of blogs of people fixing up sailboats to go cruising because I like to see how others tackle problems and I learn quite a bit as a result because education is a continuing process (or should be). In doing so I've encountered an alarming trend of boat projects as a consumerists wet dream with the out of control Westsail third option project is just such a beast.

All boat projects are going to cost money and, more than likely, a bit more than we would prefer... It's a given. On the other hand, if you're going to build a shrine to the consumerist faith it's a whole different ball game.

Boats are a commodity and while the prices of used/new boats fluctuate, most boats actually do have a perceived value. Using the Westsail 32 as an example, my maximum valuation of a well equipped W32 in near perfect/pristine condition is somewhere close to $50K. With that number in mind we can do some simple math and figure out what we should be spending on our boat project...

Let's say you're thinking of buying a W32 for $30K just how much money should you budget for the refit? Since a boat that doesn't need work and is as near perfect as a boat can be costs $50K it's a pretty easy equation...

50 - 30 = 20

So that's a maximum budget of $20K wasn't that simple? Truth of the matter is, done right, you should actually be able to do it for a lot less.

While we're doing math, let's look at how that third option W32 looks...

50 - (30 + 66) = -46

Sure looks like someone spent $46K too much somewhere. Sadly this is such a common thing in most folks fixing up a boat experience, it's become very close to the norm.

Next up we'll be talking about how to tell the difference between needful, less than needful, and just plain stupid expenditures where rehabbing a boat is concerned...

Pithy, important, and no real boat content at all...

Here's an enlightening article that should help you understand the how/why of the consumerism/fashion affect on the cruising world...

More on that Westsail 32 tomorrow.

A quick question...

Let's say you want to buy a Westsail 32...

Let's say you study the market and see that you can buy a pretty exceptional turnkey example of the design for $50K and a mostly turnkey example fo $30K that might need a bit (around $5K or so) of TLC.

So, what do you do?

1. Buy the $50K boat and sail off into the sunset.
2. Buy the $30K boat do the needful TLC and sail off into the sunset.
3. Buy the $30K boat do a major refit to the tune of a few years and $66K and sail off into the sunset.
4. Buy a cheap fixer-upper W32 fix what's needful and sail off into the sunset for around $25K.
5. Look at boats that are cheaper with the same qualities of the W32 and sail off into the sunset with a lot more cash in your cruising kitty.

 Think about your answer while you're having an awesome Labor Day...

Just a quick thought...

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the process of simplification and why so many of us seem to have so much difficulty with the process...

It really should be simple, shouldn't it?

As it happens, Mariah of Comet Camper Blog fame/infamy actually teaches a class from time to time on the nuts and bolts of how to downsize and simplify your life so you can be a happy camper in your tiny house, camper, or other small living space not unlike a boat. From what I hear it is a very good class and well worth taking. From where I sit most of the really good living on a boat advice I've come across on the web in the last year or so has come from the Comet Camper Blog so you might want to bookmark it and give it a read on a regular basis... She does make a heck of a lot of sense.

On the other hand, if you wanted to take a class to learn about how to cruise and live on a boat you'd find that you'd actually be taking a class not so much about simplification or downsizing but mostly about buying stuff...

Expensive stuff as it happens. Lots of expensive stuff.

Just the other day I read an article that used words like simplify, downsize, and make do with less, but the real subject seemed to be more about making room for a new bigger watermaker, an interior makeover, and a proper SSB/Ham radio installation which is hardly downsizing or simplifyiny but all about making things less simple and spending money.

So...

Maybe it's more than time that we look a lot more closely about the words we actually use...

SIMPLIFY :  to make simple or simpler: as

a)  to reduce to basic essentials
b)  to diminish in scope or complexity :  streamline (was urged to simplify management procedures)
c)  to make more intelligible :  clarify 

Not exactly rocket science is it?

Why an old plastic boat makes sense...

The other day while I was comparing various "classic plastic" designs I had a bit of a eureka moment...

Most of these boats are built like frelling tanks!

In the various boats I was looking at, almost none of the interior structure was actually... well, the best word to describe it, would be, structural. Or, in other words, 97% of the interior is just furniture. Think about that for a moment.

Having worked on quite a few classic plastic boats over the years, I was actually aware of this situation on a practical level but had never really thought about it past the point of "Sure you can pull out and replace that bulkhead without worrying about the boat taking on the shape of a banana in the process".

Of course, these days folks build boats differently because it's cheaper to make boats in a monocoque structure with all of the interior parts sharing the load. Which I'm not knocking in theory and I strongly believe that a monocoque structure is the only way to go when constructing a boat but, with that being said, you can take it too far... Something you'll understand in a hurry when you go to replace a galley in a modern boat afloat and once you've removed a cabinet find the hull oil-canning inward once the support of said cabinet is no longer in place.

Now, our CAL 34 is a good example of a boat where the interior structure in the boat is doing pretty much zip in support of the hull and deck and, providing the mast/rig is not up, you can pretty much rip out the interior to your hearts content while afloat and the hull will remain the shape Bill Lapworth intended throughout the process.

But, back to that eureka moment...

When you replace the interior it makes all kinds of sense to rebuild as a monocoque structure because it won't cost anymore to speak of (a 6" roll of biaxial tape and a gallon-and-a-half of epoxy would be the added outlay), it will make an already strong structure a whole frelling lot stronger and, dare I say it, a whole helluva lot stronger than pretty much anything you'll find on the new market today.

Of course, while you're doing the monocoque presto-chango there's nothing that says you can't fine tune the interior to better suit your personal needs while you're at it.

Or, in other words...

Old boats truly rock...

Some needful reading...

Over at Comet Camper there's a must read on the subject of your 5/10/15 year plan you should check out.

Really...

a whole lot of bang for the buck...

I may have mentioned before how much I like Phil Bolger's Jessie Cooper design. If you are looking for a VolksCruising design that gives you maximum bang for minimum bucks that is buildable in a short time frame, you'd have a difficult time finding better...

That said, it's not exactly an easy boat for most people to understand being just that bit further out of the box design-wise, so there is a WTF or two for anyone checking it out.

For instance, both the mainmast and mizzen are off center, there's only one dagger board (off center as well), and the boat only draws a foot. To say those attributes drive some people batshit crazy is something of an understatement.

The fact is, we built our Jessie Cooper for a special short term purpose. We had no thoughts of keeping it long term so we built it as a temporary boat. I'll be the first to admit that I was as surprised as anyone when it turned out to sail incredibly well and, as a result, made me rethink everything I took as gospel where boat design is concerned.

Those off-center masts were non-problematic; never causing us to sail in circles as some opinionated dockwalkers said they would and, more to the point, they were actually advantageous in making a small boat's interior much bigger than it had any right to be. The lug rig (also something that made some people froth at the mouth) was powerful and although the sail on the mast on the bad tack distorted the sail shape, the difference in drive between the good/bad tack was not enough to actually measure a positive or negative difference in drive or tack angle to windward.

Pretty much the same could be said for the off-center daggerboard... While I'm sure there was a tiny difference to windward and, just possibly a kiss more leeward drift on one tack, I  never actually found it problematic enough to be able to measure said difference. I've come to believe that a dozen or so square inches of lateral resistance is well within the mind's subconscious ability to self-correct as you trim sails and steer your course to the point that it really is a no-brainer.

As far as the one foot draft goes, once you've experienced the varied joys of real shoal draft cruising you'll never want to go back to anything else.

Some more on what I'd change if I were to build a Jessie Cooper with the addition of some hindsight soonish...

All you have to do is look...

A couple of weeks ago someone wrote and told me he'd looked for a possible VolksCruiserish boat and there was just nothing around...

Fact is, everyday I scan Sailboatlistings.com, my local Craigslist, and keep my ear open to the coconut telegraph. It's not hard  and only takes a few minutes but there are always a boat are two going for cheap that only need an investment of a little money and a significant amount of sweat equity that would be up to the task of taking you wherever you cared to go.

How about a Dufour 27?

There's one on SailboatListings.com with an asking price of $999.

That's just a kiss over seventeen cents a pound!!!

A little insanity...

Looking at some boat ads this morning I found this bit of craziness...

$28,000 its a steal at this price; spent 62,000 on it

Refering to a 35 year old Hunter 37 for sale.

The thing is, I see people pouring copious amounts of money into boats in ways that don't make any kind of sense at all. Why on earth would you spend $62K on a boat that, at best, is only worth between $15-$20K?

Which, sorta/kinda, brings up the Endeavour project...

You could easily pour $60K into the boat... A new rig and sails could easily cost a third of that, so would a new engine by the time the dust settled and, as long as we're throwing money around like the proverbial drunken sailor, I'm sure someone will point out that an AwlGrip job would not go amiss...

What little that remains from the $60K might be enough to buy your nextgen anchor of choice but maybe not.

The thing is you'd still have a boat worth maybe $25K at most...

Do the math.

So, why rehab a semi-derlict boneyard Endeavour 32 anyway?

Well, on one hand it's to prove it can be done on a sane budget. On the other, it does happen to be a great teaching aid in the How-To of it, and lastly, I simply like working on boats so I find the process enjoyable.

That said, I'm still not sure it is a doable project and I'm still doing the math...

an interesting catamaran...

A lot more interesting stuff on their website...