Umm will I wont I

Gday simple question really. I've been sailing 12 months and am addicted. I've found a Van De Stat sea horse, she looks pretty rough should I? shouldn't I. Is a big resto the place to start? Your opinions please

 

If you're addicted to sailing buy a ready to go boat.......... if you're addicted to work/epoxy/timber/pain/screws/head aches/paint...... buy into a resto job!

Jeff.

 

You can search post's by me and others who have actually done restorations to get an idea of what you are up against.

If you have never done a restoration before I can tell you that it takes many hours (think thousands), a lot of money and a lot of thought. You'll need carpentry skills, fiberglassing skills, mechanical, electrical and plumbing expertise and a patient family. Your spouse will question your sanity after a while and grow tired of all the stories about what you did on the boat.

You'll need a place to work, and will need to protect your project as it's being done. You'll need to rent inside space or build some kind of shelter yourself. I joined a boat club where members are encouraged to work on their own boats. We have a secure facility and I've never had anything stolen. Theft can be a problem in some areas. Keeping the boat secure costs money. Over the years I've been at this I've spent many hours and probably a thousand dollars easy on tarps, framing and shock cords keeping my shelter intact. Mother Nature has a tendency to make the wind blow and the snow fall.

Did I mention tools? Set aside at least a few thousand $.

I could go on but you get the idea. I've mostly enjoyed restoring my boat. It's satisfying to bring something back to life that was destined for the landfill and see something beautiful take shape. It's often hard work though, physically, mentally and financially.

Consider posting some photos of your possible restoration before you jump in. Good photos of the innards of the boat. Folks here can help you determine if it's a good prospect for restoration or if it's just too far gone.

Good Luck,

MIA

 

Depending on the nature of the restoration, you could do a whole build for less than a restoration. There are a lot of boats out there that need some work, but are also in sailing condition and can be a work in progress while you are still getting out and having fun with her.

What are your motivation's? Monetarily, get something that sails already or is very close to sailing without a lot of investment. If you like working with your hands and seeing the results, maybe a project boat is the way to go. The goal is to get out on the water, so don't get too caught up in a major project.