salvaging a 3-4 meter sailboat. need support.

I have in my possession a so it was called a whaler. made fully out of wood.
maybe from the 80s-90s(not sure).
the deck is in very bad shape, but the hull seems intact from what i can see.
would it still be plausible to salvage what ever is left?

I'll load a picture later this week.

 

All things are possible but many are not probable.Do you have time, skills and resources to do the work if it is possible ? Will the end result justify the known costs of the project ? Could your talents and resources be applied to more viable projects ? As a part time salvage dealer I am forced to ask those questions all the time. The end result is that many very fine objects go to recycle because the overall risks and costs of restoration exceed the maximum realistic return.

 

i'm a college student. i lack the know how but i can learn

what should i do to determine the cost?

i can move this project as an educational project under my club.
before i start searching for a workforce and funding i need to learn how to determine the viability of the project.

can u tell me how? or a book? my college library have books on boat building and repair but i dont know where to start. if i upload the picture is there a way to get the drawings of the boat?

 

Lets start with the pictures, not with guessing!

Regards
Richard

 

Make up as good a list of all the materials you might possibly need that you can, add a bit of contingency, then double it. A similar equation usually works for the time needed to do the job too.

Major boat restorations are rarely financially viable in the sense that you increase the value of the craft by more than the amount you spend. Thus its usually best to treat it as a hobby, do it for the fun of it (if you find it fun that is) and just be sure you don't spend more than you can afford.

People get themselves in real trouble when they talk about investing money in a boat. You don't invest money in a boat, its not an investment. You spend money on a boat. If you are lucky enough to get even a tiny fraction of it back consider that as a bonus. If you can't cope with that perhaps you're not ready for boat ownership...

 

i did not spend anything for it as it was a gift to the college but no one was trained to sail it at that point in time.
two years down it was left by the boat house and it sustained serious wear and tear and the deck is totaled from to sun and rain exposure. give me two days i'll get my hands on pictures.

how much would rigging cost? for long usage would any marine plywood suffice or would llyod plywood be a better bet? or would that just be wasteful for inexperience hands?

 

Not sure whether you meant 1800's or 1900's. If 1800's then you may have a rare classic that, maybe should be restored with the aid and guidance of a museum. Pictures would help us help you make the right decisions.

 

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._465065926741_548466741_6433992_5014243_n.jpg


it is currently used as a big rubbish bin.
what is the verdict?

 

Lifeboat or gig to me

To me that looks more like a lifeboat/gig from a larger ship than a "whaler".

Strong reinforcement at the eyes for attaching the falls for the davits, four rowing stations, swimming grab rails near the waterline. Could be a hole for a stuffing box / propshaft into the keel - so it may have been powered by a small inboard diesel at one point.

Given the visible dry rot and evidence of sprung frames (the sheer looks a little wonky), I'd personally run, not walk to the nearest bar and drink till the urge leaves you. If you are young, moneyed and ambitious a project like this will be fun and memorable - although at the end of the day no one will pay you half of what you invest to make it seaworthy once more.

CutOnce

 

Agreed. It can be saved with considerable efort, it would probably mean a rebuild rather than a repair and when you'd finished you would't have something particularly useful to you unless you are a collector of such things.

 

It was once inverted and living on deck chocks (note upside down grab rail). Judging by the paint job possibly served as a life boat on a cruise ship or party barge. If she's been sitting like this for very long, then she's probably in much worse shape then one would think. Left uncovered to mother nature's wrath, she'd become worthless in very short order.

 

Try to sell it or rent it as is as a movie prop.

 

Will it float?

-Tom

 

Definetively a lifeboat (or German Marine Cutter), and at least 60 years old.

The grabrails at the bottom have been mandatory for a long time on lifeboats for European (all?) ships and are still found on some.
They were stored upright Paul.

The question salvageable or not is not to answer from these pictures, but the main concerns have been mentioned already.

You will have to provide more pictures / info, survey results, to comment further on that (good for you, PAR joined us again, he is the one to advise you), or have a expert for a brief inspection.

And on top of that, you should replace your folding ruler with a standard one! This boat is twice the size you stated.

Regards
Richard

 

two years ago that thing had a mast complete with rigging.
the technicians here said it was a used as a sailboat.
if u say its a lifeboat. why did it have a mast?

dear readers,
i'm not qualified to inspect the boat but i would appreciate if u show me the right way to obtain data useful for salvage.
if its not seaworthy i would at least like to invert it to its former glory.

if i could get appropriate data, i could push for funding from local sponsors as an educational project.

manpower is not an issue, planning and funding are.