how hard to complete

[ciac89]

hi there been looking into buying a settleling down on a boat. i have a rather large family so have been looking at a larger boat however most a completed projects and are a bit to much for my pocket.

my question is how hard/ expensive would it be to transform this ally hull in a sailing ship strong enough for sea travel..

http://www.boatsandoutboards.com/view/F216326

in other words how hard to attach a mast a keel and balist tanks.

[Submarine Tom]

Really hard and very expensive.

-Tom

Not possible.

Though the hull is a gift at 10.000 quid.

Enjoy motorboating instead................

[PAR]

Powercraft and sailboat are very different animals. A quick walk through any marina in the world, among the boats parked on shore and you'll see obvious similarities between sailboats that are not used on powerboats.

You can force the issue, but frankly it wouldn't be very good as a sailboat. It would become a powerboat adorned with the additional burden of sails, mast, ballast, rigging etc. Some might call this a motor sailor, but really it would still just be a powerboat with identity issues.

It's also never less costly to live aboard then ashore, unless you have vast amounts of experience living aboard, which I can reasonably assume you haven't. Just owning a boat of that size is expensive. Yacht ownership isn't not for the faint of heart or those of shallow pockets.

[Asleep Helmsman]

Originally Posted by PAR

Powercraft and sailboat are very different animals. A quick walk through any marina in the world, among the boats parked on shore and you'll she obvious similarities between sailboats that are not used on powerboats.

You can force the issue, but frankly it wouldn't be very good as a sailboat. It would become a powerboat adorned with the additional burden of sails, mast, ballast, rigging etc. Some might call this a motor sailor, but really it would still just be a powerboat with identity issues.

It's also never less costly to live aboard then ashore, unless you have vast amounts of experience living aboard, which I can reasonably assume you haven't. Just owning a boat of that size is expensive. Yacht ownership isn't not for the faint of heart or those of shallow pockets.

End of Story.
That boat was designed for 1000 horse power or more.

[ciac89]

to PAR i am very plainly green behind the ears so what kind of cost are you talking about when you say:

"It's also never less costly to live aboard then ashore, unless you have vast amounts of experience living aboard, which I can reasonably assume you haven't. Just owning a boat of that size is expensive. Yacht ownership isn't not for the faint of heart or those of shallow pockets."


so is the general idea around here it be easier/ more realistic to look for different project or to buy some detailed plans for a actual sail boat.

[gonzo]

No, the general idea is that you should get experience on boats before buying one to go around the world. You and your family may just be buying an expensive way to learn to hate each other. Few people manage to live happily onboard.

[Tad]

ciac....

In general the above is good, but I think most have a fairly narrow view.

You don't state whether your intent is to voyage offshore, cruise coastwise, or live aboard in one place. Each of these choices require a different level of preparedness and equipment for your vessel. Some will say you can do any of these things with the same boat. In reality you can live aboard in one place in a fairly sketchy vessel, just be prepared for resentment (statements of "you can't do that") from the land bound.

You do not have to buy a "yacht" to live aboard, it can just be a boat! I live aboard a boat, she's no yacht, but some day she'll be a sailing ship. When we finish the rig.....the boat does not have to be perfect to be a comfortable home. For many, myself included, the home you own outright is far, far better than the fake luxury you will never own.

In our bay waterfront homes sell for $6-800k, we live on the water for a tiny fraction of that, and we have no mortgage, thus the freedom to leave when we want.

Do not buy plans from anyone, buy a complete boat that will take where you want to go. Even if it needs some work, and there are thousands of such projects out there. The kids will do well learning how to repair/upgrade a boat. Go down to your local waterfront and talk with the liveaboards, they can tell you what it costs in your area. Some places in the world charge to lay at anchor or mooring, others don't. In some parts of the US you are charged a tax on your "yacht" every year, we don't do that in Canada. In some parts of the world you can do your own bottom maintenance, in other places that can't happen.

[gonzo]

He clearly says he wants "transform this ally hull in a sailing ship strong enough for sea travel.. "

[PAR]

I've lived aboard several times in my live and it's not an easy transition for most lubbers. Lose of elbow room, privacy issues, all sorts of different adjustments just to perform routine life style tasks are the common complaints.

I agree you can buy a fairly nice yacht in the current market, but if you're new to this sort of thing, you will more likely then not, take a bath, before you learn how to buy a yacht, let alone live on one.

Tad is correct in that you should buy a complete yacht. Possibly one about 15 years or older that has some upgrade and maintenance issues that need sorting out, which will keep the price down. Big projects are cheap, but being a green horn, you'll just drop thousands before you know you shouldn't have. So, look for a fairly sound boat.

Right now research is what you should be doing (likely why you're here). Check out where you can park this floating monolith, I mean boat. How much does this cost, what related fees can be associated with keeping the yacht in this location. You'll find, as has been pointed out, some places are more friendly to living aboard the others.

Start teaching your kids and wife to take low water showers and sharing a common bathroom that is 3' by 4'. While they're sleeping see how many single drops of cold water, can bounce off their forehead before they wake up and start cussing (loads of fun around the holidays).

I'll assume you'll be heading down to Bristol or elsewhere on the coast. Spend some Saturdays driving through these areas, stopping at every little marina you see. Talk to the live aboards, gather information and you'll get an idea of the considerable differences between lubber life and life aboard a yacht.

[Submarine Tom]

Originally Posted by Submarine Tom

Really hard and very expensive.

-Tom

"Two happiest days of a mans life, the day he buys his boat and the day he sells it."

[Manie B]

Definately not

my question is how hard/ expensive would it be to transform this ally hull in a sailing ship strong enough for sea travel

first and foremost you AND your wife MUST go for a beginner sailing course in the SEA

you will either love it or it will put you off for the rest of your life

sailng courses at a registered school / academy are VERY cheap in the long run

[Asleep Helmsman]

All very good advice; this is a great place to share.

You actually have two very clearly large objectives:

Living aboard a boat, and spending thousands of hours getting it ready to live aboard.

Taken alone either of them is daunting. Together they will most likely (statistically speaking) end in you selling the hull after several years of “working on it” and that’s if it was originally intended to be the kind of boat you need, which this one is not.
It will end up being one that you can sail down wind fairly well, but it will exhaust you beyond measure while sailing up wind, not to mention it will fall off to leeward so badly, that there will be times when you simply wait out the wind.
Maybe for months at a time.

Live aboard; great idea.

Fix up an old boat that was originally designed to accommodate your needs; similarly a great idea.

Modify a boat to do something it was never intended, to have a place to live; probably not so good.

That is just my opinion of course, and worth about as much as it cost to get it.