Been given a boat, what to do???

[rad...]

Well, half a boat.

Hi all, my Uncle has given me an unfinnished hull for a 30ft yacht. sounds great!!, but he does'nt have any plans for it, he had a naval achitect help him with lofting and setting up the stations, that was 20 years ago.
Its made out of corex foam sandwich, and he has forgotten what resin he used. We live in a very dry climate so i'm guessing the fibreglass will be ok, i've done abit of boatbuilding so i think i have what it takes (apart from patience). I guess what i'd like to know is how do i work out all the tecnical stuff. like how strong i'll need to make the chainplates, how tall should the mast be. also the displacement, where the waterline is, the righting moment, hull speed, and goodness knows whatelse. i need to make the deck and cabin aswell so i'll need to work that out too. do i need to post up some photos of it to give you an idea?? its aprox 28ft loa at the moment but the stern is not finnished yet, so it may end up getting to 30ft loa. beam is 8ft (cant change that) it has a 3/4 length keel with aprox 1 ton of lead. just guessing but he thinks the draft is about 4ft 4" with a freeboard of about 3ft. i would like to raise the freeboard about 6"-8" though, would that have adverse affects???
I've had thoughts of just finnishing it off the best i can, but then i have nightmares that it'll just sink when i go to launch it, or it'll ride way too low in the water, or it wont sail properly, or somthing catostrophic like that.
Sorry about the long post but i'm pretty keen on boats and sailing and like they say, "never kick a gift horse in the mouth" besides, its the only forseeable way i'll ever own a boat.
Thanks heaps for reading and any info that you care to share!!
Cheers, rad...

[djwkd]

Is it EXACTLY half a boat, or just 'nearly' half a boat?

[daiquiri]

How about hiring a surveyor who will evaluate the current state of the hull and will give you a few phone numbers of naval architects you could contact in your area?

[rad...]

djwkd: Well, it probably is NEARLY EXACTLY half a boat, weight wise i'd imagine. work wise i'm sure i'm nowhere near half
daiquiri:
Hey that sounds like a smart idea, getting a survey and a naval achitect and all that, only problem is we live 600klms inland i'll check it out though!!
Thanks heaps guys, very much apreciated!!!! please keep the ideas coming!!
Cheers!!!! rad...

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by rad...

only problem is we live 600klms inland

That is not really a problem, in 21st century.

[Typhoon]

Just remember the old adage that something you are given for free is worth exactly what you paid for it......

Regards, andrew.

[sorenfdk]

Originally Posted by rad...

...he had a naval achitect help him with lofting and setting up the stations, that was 20 years ago...

Does your uncle remember the name of the NA? Maybe he'll be able to tell you more about the boat.

[Ike]

only problem is we live 600klms inland

This is your only problem?


If you are "lost at sea" how can you be 600 kms inland?

I think you should hire an NA. He (or she) can take the lines off the hull, then design an interior and deck plan, and whatever else is needed. If you have photos someone here may recognize the design and be able to direct you to photos of a completed boat. Also If you can get the name of the NA someone here may know the person. NA's are a rather rare bred and there just aren't that many. So someone here probab;y knows him of of him.

[Munter]

I guess you need to think pretty soberly about how much work and cost you can expect to incur in finishing off the boat. If you're a long way inland perhaps you should also think about how much use you're going to get out of it and how practical it will actually be.
Notwithstanding that the boat is "free", what will it actually cost to complete (be realistic, not optimistic with this) and are you happy to pay that amount and end up with an orphan design? Second hand boats are relatively cheap to purchase - you could potentially save money, time and effort buy buying a used boat in comparison to finishing off a half built one. Think carefully on this before proceeding and work out whether it is actually rational to complete the project.

[rad...]

Thanks guys for your thoughts, no help yet on my first post, but all very good advise and very much apreciated.
Ike, no its not my only problem, i have lots!! thats why i'm asking so many questions. about the lost at sea bit, well, i guess my mind is at sea somwhere wishing my body would join it sometime. lol!!!
Being inland wont stop me sailing it down the river to the ocean, oh i forgot to mention that, sorry.
I think i realize how much it will cost, i'm estimating around the $50,000 mark, although its more than likely to be more than that depending on how fancy i want to finnish it.
The good thing about building a boat yourself is you know the quality of the workmanship, and how everything works, and you know that shortcuts hav'nt been taken. whereas if i bought a secondhand one i would'nt know what its like under the paint. about the orphan design, would that be a big deal
Anyway, thanks heaps for all your valued oppinions, very much apreciated.
Cheers! rad...

[Gilbert]

Pictures Please.

[ancient kayaker]

Originally Posted by rad...

... my Uncle has given me an unfinnished hull for a 30ft yacht. ... but he does'nt have any plans for it ... We live in a very dry climate so i'm guessing the fibreglass will be ok ... i need to make the deck and cabin aswell so ...

If you are serious then definitely post a few pictures and someone may recognize it or at least identify the generic type. At that point advice may be forthcoming, but recent discussions of the legal liabilities of boat designers has made many of our contributors nervous of volunteering opinions.

There are some other points to consider:-

Fiberglass left unprotected in the sun will deteriorate from UV.

Finishing this boat will greatly exceed the cost to date of the partially complete hull. If cost is such an issue for you, also consider the marina costs for storing it hundreds of miles from home, security and maintenance, and traveling to it when you wish to enjoy it.

If you are considering selling it once complete, be aware that builders also carry legal liability.

Is this boat the one you actually want? The cost of a boat of half the length would be a small fraction of the cost of completing this one. A smaller boat might enable you to enjoy sailing on the river and give you far more satisfaction.

If you cannot get plans for this design you may be wiser to sell the lead, scrap the boat and start on a new one, which can be the type, size and design that you actually want.

[anthonysudbury]

Have you any pictures you could upload? Love to see what it looks like

[rad...]

Hi again, sorry to take so long with some photos, technology is not my strong point. I've try'd to upload some photos, i hope they work, i dont know if they will help you determine what design it is though. but it might give you an idea of what i've got to work with and weather or not it will be worthwhile.
(I think my uncle said it was a "galleon", a scottish design i think he said, but i searched the net and could'nt find anything.)
So there you go, hope this helps somewhat.
Thanyou for all the helpfull suggestions so far, cheers!!

Rad...

[Submarine Tom]

That's not a boat.

It is, however, a hell of a lot of work, money and design.

Best of luck to you.

-Tom