building vs buying...

build or buy

My 2 cents Steel will be hard on your back ,fibreglass you need a mould ,So if you need a mould just build a wood boat ! If you only want a 45footer Just buy a glass grand banks for a 100,000 and get on the water . Whats a cheap boat build 200000 ? That what I call cheap The only way for a boat to be financially positive is to live on it Eg sell your house and buy a boat or rent your house put your superannuation into the boat, but hope your wife agrees! My theory is put my 10000 a year super savings into a boat build over 10 years then decide on the 100000 fitout Better than bank at 3% or dodgy finance company or 3 new cars

 

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2008 65 (ft.) Custom Steel Tugboat/rebuilt in 2008

Price $80,000.00
http://www.boatquest.com/listing/24...stom-steel-tugboat-slash-rebuilt-in-2008.html




1938 45 (ft.) Steel Model Bow Tug (Rebuilt)

Price $79,900.00
http://www.boatquest.com/listing/26069/1938-45-ft-dot--steel-model-bow-tug-rebuilt.html




1944 82 (ft.) Steel Coastwise Towing Vessel Model Bow Tug

Price $52,500.00
http://www.boatquest.com/listing/26...el-coastwise-towing-vessel-model-bow-tug.html




1950 45 (ft.) Russell Brothers

Price $36,750.00
http://www.boatquest.com/listing/119442/1950-45-ft-dot--russell-brothers.html




1951 39 (ft.) Steel Trawler Tug Stel Trawler Tug

Price $35,000.00
http://www.boatquest.com/listing/25909/1951-39-ft-dot--steel-trawler-tug-stel-trawler-tug.html




1987 28 (ft.) Custom Truckable Work Tug

Price $24,150.00
http://www.boatquest.com/listing/119265/1987-28-ft-dot--custom-truckable-work-tug.html




1963 125 (ft.) Custom Cargo Vessel/Converted Side Trawler

Because of Owner's health problems the price has been reduced from $225,000 CDN to $63,000 CDN - ship i being sold as is where is.
http://www.boatquest.com/listing/26...argo-vessel-slash-converted-side-trawler.html

 

and....drum roll...my Budget- a lowly $40 000...
note that my beloved army ST TUG is $79 000!
the steel new would be
$16,750...the tooling about 4k and my time - priceless! I believe I could build that hull and deckhouse for under my 40 000. but I could be wrong.


sam sam- you must be seeing my history on my computer...ive seen all of those vessels- yes true you can buy one for about what you could build.
the $36,000 st tug is great. in fact If it was still for sale I would snatch it up.
but scruton marine sold that one a while back.
but the running costs of those huge vessels make it impractical for me.
8 gph is NOT what I am willing to pay to operate- hence I have wanted steam propulsion...
this is why I thought of the 25 ft tug towing a cheap accommodations barge...

I appreciate the pics and prices. Thanks... it does put it into perspective...



ack! maybe I should switch to sailing...
my budget for a bare hull is about 20 000 so I can customize it...its not much but the steel for the ST tug as you see pictured there is 16, 750 cdn so--its new steel vs how old is the steel on those boats? hope you see my point...? note the 28 ft tug? I know the guy selling that boat he lives not far from me..but it is ugly as sin with that grotesque oversized aft cabin. look at that, then look at the st tug...see the difference in beauty??

 

ah, Tuggy me ol' mate - you have got the 'old mans creativity' syndrome, the same as me and a lot of the others here.

You don't want to go to sea really, (its wet, cold, windy and dangerous) you just want to create and own 'something' desirable beautiful, capable that can represent your effort and ingenuity.

These dreams all have the same characteristics
1) Will cost about double what you can afford
2) Will take the rest of your working life
3) Will never be good enough, and will be replaced by a new project if its ever finished.

If you already have a younger woman in your life, don't cover her in metal scale and/or sawdust. Find something creative for you both to do. I can recommend house restoration.

 

WE already have the land! plan on a small house...

1. probably
2. probably
3. God I hope not!

ahhh what would life be if we couldn't screw it up ?!

 

Lot's of good, common sense, rational advice in this thread.

Some of it is uncomfortable to read due to my own reluctance to accept reality.


It can be a cruelty to tell someone that their dream can't be realized, even it's true.

 

The dream

I can see you are like my dad (passed away 10 years ago)When he passed on he had 2 boats moored at the marina. He never lost money on boats .He bought popular models that looked a bit sad .Painted and renovated them over a few years and on sold them, good excuse to go cruising showing them to a prospective customer.(steel has no resale value) So buy a Grandbanks( good resale value)and were finished to a high standard older model wood or glass ($50-70) sit it on your piece of land and live on it . Potter around upspecking it .Why move a cottage onto your land when you can have one with a nautical component

 

Yes, I never got so much sailing done until I put the boat on the market, and had to get out on the water with prospective buyers.

 

I have actually thought of doing just that- build the accommodations barge - live on that while the tender vessel gets built. Its a great idea actually...

 

Is it possible to rent/borrow something for a few weeks as close to your dream as possible? I was surprised by how little use it got even under the great pressure to get my money's worth. I came to face with all of the numerous practical issues and the passion moved on to something else, which I enjoyed much more.

I've been injected for similar herniated disc issues several times and have to wear a brace for any kind of load bearing work, even off my feet. Surgery not likely to help much. Back off or risk paralysis was my doctor's recommendation.

On profound truth: You have to know what the box is very well, before you can be aware that you are thinking outside the box?

Porta

 

I lived and worked all over S.E. Alaska. There's lots of those "economic Opportunities" up on blocks or in paid slips. The owners want to sell bad and want Cash too.
Your $40K Cash will get you lot's of good boats with engines.
Don't fall in love with the first good looker you come to.

 

Have you looked thru any of this discussion?
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-building/steel-hulls-composite-superstructure-topsides-47349.html

Why all that extra effort for a radius chine?
Have you looked thru some of those construction photos of the hard chine steel canal boats built in Europe and England.
....there is a link within this link
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-building/steel-hulls-composite-superstructure-topsides-47349-4.html#post636961

http://www.euroshipservices.nl/english/
....for example




Forget that radius curve stuff....computer cut flat panel plates

So where are some of those pics you were going to add?

I'll bet I have something that might peak your interest,...and your new wife's

 

Those were great links -ill be scouring them for a while and reading...much appreciated!
the good news is- I have the space and land to build any boat I want. and Lake Huron is less than a mile away...




 

35 000 gets me this!

guys! do you think I could build a better vessel hull and deck and superstructure for 30k, over this one for 35k?(yes this is what he is asking- I don't know if there is an engine or not. If so I assume it would need work too!)

but if I build- I get NEW steel @ $16, 750. (I had the boat scantling priced out).

Add another 4k for tooling and I have a completed hull and superstructure in the 25 k range.(yes time wise its a 3- 4 year build maybe more but I have the luxury of working FT on it....)

yes - he is asking 35 000 for this one....and It IS my beloved famous Alden designed 45 ft st tug- But if this is the boat I want- and the crappy versions are going for 35k,(such as this one in seeming disrepair, and no offense intended to the owner who might be reading -yes im still interested in buying it) then certainly I must be able to reproduce it in steel or some other material such as sheathed strip for less than this one? :?::?::?:

 

Plus sand blasting, plus paint, plus welding consumables etc etc.

I haven't actually added it all up but I don't think you'd go far wrong if you took the basic plate price and doubled it to get to the cost of the hull itself. That would get close-ish to the added cost of the things I've listed above onto the raw plate price.

If you can buy a tug of the design you like, *and* it's not such a basket case that it needs a total rebuild, frankly I'd buy it and get over the build part.

If they're asking $35K, what have you got to lose by offering $20K?

AFTER getting the thing surveyed!

PDW