building 58' liveaboard

[hatt1510]

after looking for several years and at hundreds of boats (thousands via the internet).we decided to build one.thinking for about the same $ we would have a new boat,and one designed for us.after looking at plans .kits etc. it
soon became clear that finding a place to build a boat of this size was another problem.we live 60 miles from the water,if we build it there we have to travel to work on it,if we build it here ,we have to get it to the water.
time passed and problems grew,so I thought if i could start with a bare hull and build from there our time ,money and problems would be considerably less.
I found what i was looking for;a 58' hatteras hull.It was made in 1971 and is solid glass.everything has been removed and what i have now is basically a 58' bathtub.Now to my problem,Iam looking for a good source of information.
there are as many books out there as there are boats.would love to chat with someone who is knowledgeble in materials and design,sources for info etc.any and all input would be much appreciated...thnx in advance...
hatt1510

[B. Hamm]

Might pick up a copy of "from a bare hull" forget the author's name, it'll answer alot of questions quickly.

As has been stated many times before, the hull is perhaps 5% of the work in completing a boat. You've got a huge amount of work ahead of you.

Bill H.

[PAR]

Under taking a project as large as this is a great effort in time, planning, sourcing, materials, hiring and firing subcontractors that piss you off, sweat, blood, itching, sanding, money, sanding, money and did I mention sanding and money?

Unless you've got a few smaller projects under your belt, like the complete fitting out of a previous bare hull or a whole build from plans or kit, I'd think about working with something that needs remodeling and/or repairs or other, less ambitious attempts to have just what you desire in a yacht.

Transporting a good sized yacht to the coast isn't that difficult (I just moved a 48'er this summer) with the marine transport systems available currently. Nothing like the old days when you needed a crane, a flat bed and most of the afternoon blocking and shoring things up, so she'd not flop over on her rail half way there. They just show up, back under the cradle as prepared to their needs, lift and go. This isn't that cheap, but is a bit less expensive then having a well paid crane operator sitting around with his thumb up his butt, waiting on the shoring up process to be completed, so he can drop the 20 tons or so of yacht dangling off the end of the string.

You seem like a person who knows what they want, yet haven't been satisfied with what's available. With all the various yachts produced, incorporating the thinking of many designers, what makes you turn away from every one? The real question is why isn't a custom design the answer?

As a rule, production yachts have to please a very large base market. As such, the designs, tend to be less personalized and sterile in presentation. This is typical of most every design, unless it is a custom, done just for your likes and dislikes. A production boat can be built into something much closer to what you desire with some redesigning and fitting as can a semi-custom from one of the manufactures. In the displacement range of a 58' power cruiser you have many options to avail yourself of, with each manufacture, most of which will trip over themselves trying to get your business. Have you talked with the manufactures?

In short, starting from a bare hull provides you with a 5% head start, that's it. Toss a deck cap on and maybe a few more percent can be added to the starting point. 58' power yachts are all about what lives on the other side of the hull/deck skin, hell the skin is the easy part, building the rest of the vessel is the skill(s), money, sanding, sweat, blood, engineering, sourcing, planning, re-engineering, more materials then you thought, re-planning, sanding, money and of course more sanding and money.

Talk with a designer about budget, building and scheduling, I think you'll find your perfect yacht, but you'll need a real pro to get you through it.

[FAST FRED]

The KEY to a home completed boat is SIMPLICITY.

If you want mucho fine joiner work , head to China and get a slave built . where 5000 man hours is only 10 grand.

If you can live with a workboat style interior , painted ply, simple construction and a non Show Boat interior , go for it

Sure it will suffer from the 90/90 rule (90% of the work takes 90% of the time ,,, the OTHER 10% also takes 90% of your time).

Simplest is to get it operating , even with bare cabin soles , so you are mobile and not at the mercy of one yard/location.

Finish the head function first , galley second and a bed someplace next.

Now your yachting , and completing the rest is on YOUR sked,

The Hats are fine boats and wont be hurt at all with a lightweight interior.

Living aboard , AND VISITING other boats will allow you to refine a paper design into a people design.

FAST FRED

[hatt1510]

Fred ;
Thanks for the input.Think you pretty much see what I am interested in doing.I am looking for a boat that will offer safety,comfort and dependability.
As stated in my origional post the idea was that building the boat myself, we would have a new boat for about the same price as one that is 30 years old.Like you we want to migrate north in the summer and south in the winter.Someone had suggested we repair or remodel rather than build,but after restoring a 8000 sq ft historical home myself (3 stories and a basement) I found it would have been much easier to build than redo.As far as the rest goes I am more interested in "functional" and could care less about "show".
Thank you again for your reply
Tom (hatt1510)
P.S I too am a pilot.Hold a com lic.I flew charter a while but was not my profession..

[nassaw]

Fast Fred has a great hanlde on the schedule. My advice on location of the build would be keeping the project close to home. Time saved transporting back and forth and gas alone + rental space will pay for the trip to the water. The hour each way could add up to time spent on the build. This was a big consideration when I first started. We don't have quite the distance to the water but with a 26' beam. 5 miles will feel like 60. I'm really happy with decission, I can walk over and spend an hour or a full day. Security is also a plus and the best part is no rent.