Keeping an eye out for derelict project boats...

I just noticed that over the last couple of days someone seems to sorting out an Endeavour 32 of a semi-derelict nature that was for sale at $500... As things go, the Endeavour is not a bad boat.

Of course, a $500 boat comes with a certain amount of issues. Ya think?

In this case the mast was down and looking at it the conclusion that came to mind is a new mast/rig would be a more than prudent choice.

The engine needed replacing and what systems remained were simply dumpster fodder...

On the other hand, the hull and deck, while cosmetically NASTY,  were still in good shape.

In short, a total wreck or a hull and deck waiting to be turned back into a boat!

I was actually considering buying this boat by the way...

Something to keep in mind is that just in lead scrap value the boat was worth nearly $5000.

My thought process went something like this: Gut the interior and soda blast it before replacing the bulkheads/interior and sort out a new keel set mast step for a free standing junk or balanced lug rig.

Sort out the exterior cosmetics, build an outboard well, and fit it out for cruising then sell it for a reasonable profit. When the dust settled I expected to be out of pocket between $9-10K which, I think most would agree is not a bad total for a kick ass cruising boat in like new condition...

The problem was I just did not have the time (3-4 months of full time work) to devote to a project like that in the current time frame.

That said, I'm still keeping my eye out for a reasonable facsimile project boat...

A boat design worth studying...

Here's a design worth taking a long serious look at...

It's Tad Robert's 28-foot Future Cruiser.

It also has everything someone actually needs to go wherever they want to in safety and comfort...

Of course, not everyone wants to build their own boat but the layout and interior accommodation could be adapted to a great many "classic plastic" sailboats that can currently be bought for a couple of thousand dollars.

Something to think about.

The needful stuff for a single guy...

The other day someone asked me about what sort of boat he should be looking for in the VolksCruiser mold for a single guy to cruise on for his retirement and then added that he thought he'd need at least a 50-footer.

Yeah, that kind of threw me as well...

Which brings up the question of what exactly does a single-hander actually need in his VolksCruiser? So, as I see it, we're talking about.

• A seaworthy/safe boat
• A comfortable interior
• A workable galley
• A head with a useable shower
• Reasonable storage space
• A comfortable double berth
• A proper seaberth
• Enough space to have someone over for dinner or a few folks over for a drink

Am I missing anything?

Now, the whole idea behind the VolkCruiser concept is that it's affordable and sustainable for someone on a tight ($250-$750 per person per month) budget and that's nearly impossible to do for a single person on a 50-foot boat.

If I were single and looking for a boat to fit the criteria, I'd be focused on the 26-30 foot zone though you could go a bit bigger (to 35') if there was a pressing need that actually earned its keep. That said, even with enough tools to provide an income, there are any number of boats that would work under thirty feet.

We'll look at one tomorrow...

What $15 a day gets you...

The other day I was looking at a very nice CAL 28 for sale...

Sure, it needed a bit of work but nothing $1000 and a few weeks of part-time work wouldn't take care of. For the record, it was selling for $1500.

I mention this because there are lots of similar boats just waiting for someone to sort them out and point them towards the horizon. All you need is a little cash...

So, let's say you put fifteen dollars a day away towards your boat fund... A year later you'll have $5,475 cash money.

Welcome to the world of VolksCruiser economics.

About the "B" word...

I've noticed that, where boats are concerned, folks can be somewhat, shall we say, coy about their chosen budget...

It's problematic.

I understand that in a world where it's often more about what the boat costs rather than the boat, someone on a tight budget might feel disinclined to publicly admit he/she cannot afford what everyone says they should spend...

Just for the record "everyone" is almost always wrong.

Anyway, I mention this because folks write and ask about various boats for cruising but when I ask how much they'd feel comfortable spending I seldom get an answer. Well, as it happens, I do get answers of the non-answer sort like...

"It depends"

"Whatever it takes"

"Something reasonable"

Notice how none of those responses give even a slight clue to what the person wants to spend? Now, what I'd like to hear is more along the lines of...

"Between $7500 and $10000" 

"$15000"

"Something under $25000"

"Less than $35000"

See the difference?

The fact is, you can find or put together a proper cruising boat at any of those price points with some sweat equity and close attention to the need/want equation. But, to be able to do it, the first thing you have to sort out is what sort of budget you have to work with and be comfortable enough with it to actually tell folks what it is.

SCOW just may be the new black...

Speaking of scows...

Dave Z has some thoughts on the subject and a friend in France seems to have a cunning plan!

Two scows to keep an eye on...

For those who don't think a boat can be built quickly, you might want to check out the small cruising scow currently being built by Yann Quenet and his ongoing photo coverage of the process...

Of course, for our purposes Yann's SKROWL is too small for our VolksCruiser purpose but it would certainly scale up nicely and an 8 meter version would not take very much longer to build all things considered.

Speaking of scaled up scows we're all waiting on some new glimpses of Tad Roberts upscaled Harry or H38...

Cool stuff...

A quick need/want refresher...

Having a couple of boat related blogs that tend to fixate on the less expensive side of things, I get quite a lot of mail of the "how-can-I-have-the-stuff-I-want-for-not-a-lot-of-money" sort.

I'm pretty sure my answers to those folks are almost always disappointing because the words 'want' and the phrase 'not a lot of money' seldom, if ever, play well together.

For instance, a bunch of years ago I really, really wanted a Krogen 38 because it had just about everything I wanted in a cruising boat... Shoal draft, good performance, flush deck, good headroom, and a civilized interior suitable for long term living aboard. In other words, the perfect boat for me!

Well, except for the little fact that back then a new Krogen 38 was completely out of my price range (unless I took up a life of crime and went into politics or won the lottery).

Not having a talent for crime and since my luck is the kind that is sort of reverse to what one wants (the only lottery I ever won was the one for my draft number which I most certainly did not want to win!) the Krogen, as a new boat, was simply unattainable...

Sadly, today a used Krogen 38 is still far more than I can afford or what I care to spend on a boat.

So how to get what I felt I needed (Shoal draft, good performance, flush deck, good headroom, and a civilized interior suitable for long term living aboard) for what I could afford?

An older boat to rehab was my first choice but the search for a possible boat was unsuccessful as there are just not a lot of real shoal draft boats in the used market that actually sail well.

So instead, I built a Bolger sharpie as something of a stopgap because living in Paris was expensive and being able to move on to a boat would allow me to save money towards the sort of boat I wanted (I still dreamed of the Krogen) and we could sail to our hearts content when we wanted to in the meantime...

Loose Moose nestled in its Paris (Joinville le Pont) suburb berth which we paid $66 a month for including water/electric/showers.

We only planned to have Loose Moose for a couple of years but it was so comfortable and sailed so well that we wound up living on it for nearly five years... It may not have been the boat we wanted but it did fulfill our needs.

Loose Moose saved us so much money on Paris rents alone that we were able to amass enough cash to pay Phil Bolger to design Loose Moose 2 to better fill our needs  and build it.

The build and outfitting of Loose Moose 2 came to a fraction of what a Krogen 38 would have cost us and was entirely paid for by our savings from living on Loose Moose. Most folks get and understand the cheap and affordable boat thing but, what most folks don't understand is Loose Moose 2 (and Loose Moose before it) were both awesome boats...

Fact is, in my wants department Loose Moose 2 beat the Krogen on every point except a flush deck. It had a better more livable interior, more easily accessible storage space, good headroom anywhere you actually needed it, and would out sail and show its transom to a Krogen without even raising a sweat. Oh yeah, it could also SAIL in two feet of water!

What Wooden Boat Magazine had to say about Loose Moose 2

Which is a long and roundabout way of saying if you address your needs you just might find you get what you want.

Solving the cost per pound equation one step at a time...

Most people don't realize it but it is really rather easy to make building or rehabbing a sailboat a whole lot more affordable...

For example, let's look at hatches since I recently replaced a few on "So It Goes".

My options were to buy new hatches, try and find used hatches, or build new hatches. Of course, it's really a little more complicated because there is a real plethora of hatches available at a variety of price points and quality levels...

Take this Bomar for instance...

It's a really nice hatch, it's stainless and seriously heavy duty! The problem is it also costs way more than I care to pay at $849 for the size needed.

On the other hand, I could always go with a less expensive hatch but the cheapest I'm going to find is going to be around $300 or so... Not happy making!

Used ones always seem to have issues as people mostly replace them when they leak so there is a good chance I'd just be buying someone else's problems.

So why not build? The material to make a strong and leak-proof hatch are at most (including hardware) $75, it's an easy project well within the abilities of anyone who can walk and chew gum at the same time, and they're more likely to not leak than the various expensive made to order hatches available these days... Do I hear an AMEN!?

The three hatches I recently built for our boat to replace the leaky Lewmars took a half day of less than inspired work while costing a sum total of about $60 for the wood, glass/epoxy, and hardware. So you might say that I've saved between $840 to $2487 dollars.

As far as I know, the best discussion and how-to of building hatches is in Fred Bingham's "Boat Joinery & Cabinetmaking Simplified"...

...It's always worked for me.

but, then again, with a cunning plan and a thick skin...

OK, I think I've made my point that you cannot build a boat with a VolksCruiser budget if you play the game the way everybody tells you it has to be played.

So, you have a choice, you can either play by the rules or go rogue, step outside the accepted norms of sailboat fashion, and scandalize the neighborhood.

Give it some thought... It's really not an easy decision because your choice of boat and lifestyle, if you don't toe the fashionable party line, very much affects how folks relate to you and not always in a positive way.

I know because I built this boat and sailed it to a lot of places...

To say that a shoal draft, scow bowed, free-standing gaff cat rig sharpie upset some people's idea of the proper order of things would be something of an understatement...

Heads may have exploded...


Now if you can live with a bit of negative reaction, really pissing off some folks, and the odd head exploding...

...Stick around and we'll try and sort out the whole getting on the water for less gig!