Le what

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by pironiero, Mar 8, 2021.


  1. Rumars
    Joined: Mar 2013
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    Location: Germany

    Rumars Senior Member

    The build new vs. reuse/refit an existing hull problem can not be generalized. Building different boats by using the same hull is a common enough industry approach. Best example is Beneteau wich used the same basic hull with different keels, rigs and interior to build the Figaro Solo, First 310, First 31.7, Oceanis 311, but many manufacturers did this.
    Reusing an old hull if fine as long as the shape is what you wanted in the first place, and you don't muck up the displacement and CoG. The bigger and heavier the initial boat, the easier this becomes. Otherwise you have to do design work and adjust keel weight and rig. There is also the inverse, designing a new hull to fit keel and rig of a donor (usually something with an extensive fleet). In the end it's all about how much of the original boat you can reuse, and how well it fits the end goal. There have been very successful conversions of old Open 60 racers into cruisers, and even after all the work and expense, it's still pennies on the dollar compared to a similar performance new cruiser. But, it's also common to see amateurs spending way to much for rebuilding something they could have bought cheaper, never finishing the project, or ending up with an underperforming boat.
    There are ways that make more sense than others, for example stripping an old boat and making it into a daysailor is simpler then building up an old racer for comfortable cruising.
     
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