Question for you experts...

My husband and I recently visited my father who owns a towboat franchise. Well during the hurricane (Katrina I think...) a 32' sailboat was recovered by him... The owner no longer wanted it so basically told my dad if you can recover it it's yours. Well Daddy gave it to me b/c my husband and I have wanted a boat for a while. My dad in order to put it on a trailer had to cut off the keel and the mast was broken off during the hurricane. I know NOTHING about sailboats. Could this boat be rebuilt? Is it possible to turn it into a motorboat? My husband and I wanted a rebuilding project... we were looking at cars but then dad offered us this boat and we jumped on it. If anyone has ANY advise, book recommendations, website recommendations... please let me know. I really want this boat project to work out and I know it's going to be a pain but I'm willing to do the work. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Tina

 

Hull damage.

To be able to give sensible advice we need more information on the amount of damage. Is the hull damaged in other places besides the keel?

What type/manufacturer is the boat?

Please post pictures!

 

Ok

I don't know everything about the boat. I'll email dad and see if he will email the info about the boat with some pics of it. Thanks!!!

 

Talked with my dad

Dad says that I really don't want this boat. He says the rudder is busted, no mast, keel is cut in half, but he says the motor maybe in working condition. It's a newer boat and I hate to see her just sit there. My dad doesn't sail so he's either going to sell her or junk her. He says for the money I would have to put into her I could go buy a nice motor boat. I'm disappointed and I know that she needs a lot of work but I don't want to get in over my head here. The boat looks like it's new except for the busted parts. She is a beautiful boat but I don't know if it's worth it. I would love to get her seaworthy again.

 

Motor boat conversion.

If you really want a motor boat, converting a sail to motor boat is possible in some occasions (many people will deny this) but depends on sailboat hull. Need more info on boat type! If you have type name we can look up pictures on web.

Conversion may take more efford then restoring sailing condition.

In what state is the interior? Much work on interior can be done by a not so experienced person. Rebuilding rudder and keel is more specialist work but it is possible to be done by someone with a healthy mind and lots of advice. Pictures of damage would be a great help.

Parts for mast and rigging are often available second-hand.

 

A way to identify the boat is to get the HIN...like a car's VIN and look it up with the Coast Guard. It gives the manufacturer, model, month and year made and the # of the hull that it is. The HIN should be on a tag on the transom and should also be hidden in the boat somewhere...don't ask me where, I couldn't tell you.

Steve

 

With minimual exsperence and practical understanding, you would be best off walking away from this project. I've restored a couple of my boats, paid for most of the hard stuff and it doesn't work out any cheaper in the end. I think it actually costs more then buying a good version of the boat you want, then fixing up a broken one. There are lots of free or just about free boats along the nothern gulf coast. They are still available because the pro's, insurance companys and owners have walked away from them, knowing they will cost too much to make it worth their while. To me it seems unreasonable that an amateur boat fixer-upper would have much better luck then the people that do it for a living.

 

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