About to do something REALLY stupid! ;)

[DianneB]

I grew up on the north shore of Lake Erie and too much of my misspent youth was on boats, the lakes, around water, marinas and mariners. I am also descended from many generations of sailors, but please don't hold that against me! My last boat was a 26' all-steel inboard cruiser based out of Long Point Bay (on Lake Erie). I sold it when I moved away to get married (both stupid moves!) in 1974.

After a long career in engineering & design and looking forward to retirement (if I don't buy a boat? ) and being settled on a rural property 1.5 hours from Lake of the Woods and 1 hour from Lake Manitoba, I have the bug to be back on the water again.

Being of frugal inclination (<- read CHEAP) and wanting just the right boat for my needs I would like to end up with a rather utilitarian boats in the 22 to 30 foot range that would be suitable for a day cruise with a bunch of friends or an extended "camp aboard" vacation on the water.

I don't do "fancy". A big enough cabin to sleep two (cozy) and house a porta-pottie (not at the same time!) and lockable to stow gear when away is all I need - the rest open deck to move around on and to have guests aboard. I am not in a hurry to get anywhere - I am a tourist on the water and enjoy the scenery.

I am hunting for a steel or aluminium hull with either stern drive or inboard, stern drive is preferable for trailering (twice each year), but so far haven't found anything between 22 and 30 feet (though I was offered a 55' for a ridiculously low price today LOL!). The less it is outfitted (beyond power train) the better. Everything else I can do myself. (I have built just about everything imaginable in my shop over the years, from a 1 ton steam engine to an aeroplane so outfitting a boat doesn't scare me.)

I know about haulage fees, mooring costs, lift costs, the price of fuel, the costs of marine parts, but what am I missing? What is going to come back to bite me in the ...... stern than I haven't anticipated?

Anyway, good to meet you all and I look forward to a lively discussion on boat building, refurbishing, and the perils of ownership!

[TollyWally]

"what am I missing?"

LOL, I think you just about have it covered. You may have a little conflict with the frugal part of your personality but you already know that. Post pics of your potential boats!

I'd like to see pics of some of your projects sometime. Maybe you could graft that steam engine onto the plane! JK

[Kaluvic]

I recently saw an old Popular Mechanics article about a steam plane that flew in the 30s...they said it was so quiet that they could say hello to the pilot as he flew by....now that’s cool.
I still have the article some place if your really interested.
Yeh...post us some pictures of your projects...and as Tolly said, your potential boats!

I like it so far! Anyone willing to sacrifice amenities for deckspace uses the same playbook as I!

You must step down into the cabin on the drawing you provided? Retired people don't like that...

[DianneB]

Yes, I believe it's a step-down cabin. I stole the picture from Bruce Roberts (Coastworker 25) but didn't buy the plans because I don't want to build from scratch.

On the water I am a tourist - I want to sit in the open air and have a good view. A cabin is for sleeping or waiting out the rain or packing stuff in when you are away from the boat.

The advantage of a step-down cabin is a body ought to roll to the lowest point (eventually) and you'd wake up in the cabin

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by DianneB

Yes, I believe it's a step-down cabin. I stole the picture from Bruce Roberts (Coastworker 25) but didn't buy the plans because I don't want to build from scratch.

On the water I am a tourist - I want to sit in the open air and have a good view. A cabin is for sleeping or waiting out the rain or packing stuff in when you are away from the boat.

The advantage of a step-down cabin is a body ought to roll to the lowest point (eventually) and you'd wake up in the cabin

interlocking exercise mat squares will make the roll less bruising.

[DianneB]

Originally Posted by TollyWally

Maybe you could graft that steam engine onto the plane! JK

The steam engine is 1675 pounds dry - a might heavy for it's 2.5 HP

[ancient kayaker]

Originally Posted by DianneB

The steam engine is 1675 pounds dry - a might heavy for it's 2.5 HP

-oh. I ws just thinking of one for my kayak ...

[DianneB]

After much discussion with a friend who is also keen about extended excursions and living on the water and the amount of space to be comfortable, I decided to change my approach and pick up a smaller 'project boat' for now, for day cruising and as a runabout. If I still want to do a houseboat later, I will build something on pontoons and use the smaller boat as my shuttle. In the mean time, with something easily trailerable, I can explore the various waterways within a day's drive without an extended building period.

I picked up a 21 foot Sylvan, aluminium hull, stern drive that is seaworthy and runable but in poor shape cosmetically. That will give me something to putter with for now and let me play as well.

Originally Posted by DianneB

The steam engine is 1675 pounds dry - a might heavy for it's 2.5 HP

William Beslers steam engine, which was used in his aeroplane in 1933 was a 80kg / 150hp engine! That is 10% of the weight you describe here, but 60 times the power!

Just to get that straight.

Regards
Richard

[Kaluvic]

Originally Posted by apex1

William Beslers steam engine, which was used in his aeroplane in 1933 was a 80kg / 150hp engine! That is 10% of the weight you describe here, but 60 times the power!

Just to get that straight.

Regards
Richard

That was an amazing engine...even by todays standards...AND increadibly quiet.
And that coil of tappered condencing tube...don't make craftsmen like that any more!

Originally Posted by Kaluvic

That was an amazing engine...even by todays standards...AND increadibly quiet.
And that coil of tappered condencing tube...don't make craftsmen like that any more!

All steam engines are quiet, even a 100 tonnes, triple expansion you cannot hear when only a few meters away.

These condensers are still made today to replace the outworn in our running museum- ships.

Regards
Richard

[Boston]

there is a company called the reliable steam engine company that produces a whole array of modern steam engines

B