Price of restoration project?

bizzyb

Hi there was wondering if someone with more knowledge would know a rough price to restore this http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/3744372 into something like this http://www.drpawel.co.uk/zazou/gallery/ ,or is it even possible to convert it? I could do the majority of carpentry work myself.

fergal.b

Hi bizzyb I would say you are looking at about €20.000 it looks like it's just a shell and will need an engine/gearbox,prop shaft,prop and seals,rudder,insulation,pluming,electric,windows, maybe ballast and all the timber and fixings plus your labour.
You might be better off buying something like this and just change it to suit your needs. http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/3830628

There is no such thing as a cheep boat




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Talent

Agree with Fergal. A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money. Years ago a pal and I debated a 23 foot ferrocement sailboat. We had seen an unfinished project and thought about buying it. But when we costed the mast, boom, sails, rigging, engine, driveshaft, propellor, cordage, interior fittings, windows, cleats - the list was endless - there was no way we could afford it. Plus we hadn't thought about where we could keep in the Dublin City area.

Sad story: met a guy a few years later who had a largish (35 foot at least) ferrocement sailboat. I congratulated him on a well finished boat only to be met with a glum face and the admission that the boat had cost him his marriage because his wife was fed up with the amount of time and money this project was costing. Big boats take up an exponential amount of time compared to smaller runabouts or dinghies. And every extra foot in length requires a stronger hull, taller mast, bigger sails, tougher rigging, etc. Moral: if self-building start small and affordable. And if possible use a kit because the amount of time and energy required to hunt down parts, especially in Ireland, is hardly worth it (unless you're a genius like Fergal who seems to know where to get everything!).

My standard advice is to ask aspiring builders, or fixer-uppers with their eye on large boats, what they do for a living and suggest they try to get nixers or do overtime (if available, of course). Spend the time they would spend on boatbuilding earning extra cash and put that towards the purchase of a new or second hand boat. Most times they'll be boating far quicker.

Which isn't to say boatbuilding isn't fun, it is. I've been involved in two complete new builds of sailing dinghies, and two sailing dinghy fixer-uppers. They were great fun and left me with a lasting sense of achievement. The playwright Arthur Miller in his biography Timebends reveals that one of the projects which gave him the greatest sense of achivement was not so much Death of a Salesman but building a porch on his parent's house. Boatbuilding is like that, just start small.

bizzyb

Thanks for those very helpful posts, i thought it would take a lot of money alright, i was dreaming i could do it between 12-15k!

pedroeibar1

Talent wrote: »

.... met a guy a few years later who had a largish (35 foot at least) ferrocement sailboat.

Don't know if this was the same guy, but he built a big ferrocement ketch in his back garden in Killiney in the '60's and had to demolish the garage to get her out. She went down the Med, where I saw her years later, still had the same great name, 'Maid of Crete' :D

Talent

Don't think it was the same guy. This one was North County and he had it in Balbriggan Harbour for quite some time finishing it off. But I love the name - a classic!

fergal.b

This looks like a good deal http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/3917577

bizzyb

fergal.b wrote: »

This looks like a good deal http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/3917577

Thanks for letting me know about this, i phoned a few times that evening but no answer seemed a great bargain i reckon it sold quick.
Narrow boats seem scare enough especially in my price bracket, is there any other type of boat i could consider for my idea?

fergal.b

There is an interesting article in todays Businesspost you might like and I would say thats why his phone is ringing non stop http://www.businesspost.ie/#!story/Home/News/5+canal+boats+to+live+in%2C+from+€15%2C000/id/19410615-5218-505b-efac-c1cde4265646

How about this http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/3932707


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bizzyb

fergal.b wrote: »

There is an interesting article in todays Businesspost you might like and I would say thats why his phone is ringing non stop http://www.businesspost.ie/#!story/Home/News/5+canal+boats+to+live+in%2C+from+€15%2C000/id/19410615-5218-505b-efac-c1cde4265646

How about this http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/3932707


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I need something with as much indoor space as possible and something i can add a bit of character to, oh and by the looks of things i will also need to rob a bank!!
I am awaiting a reply fom Waterways Ireland do you think the will be of any help securing a mooring in a public harbour?

fergal.b

Most public harbours have a 5 day rule and berths can be hard to come by. Here is a list of marinas you could try http://www.iwai.ie/boating/inlandmarinas.html

There is also a bit of info on putting a boat in the water in Ireland here http://www.iwai.ie/boating/boatonthewater.html

fergal.b

This could be a nice classic boat and if you like a bit of woodwork might suit http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/3849947

bizzyb

fergal.b wrote: »

This could be a nice classic boat and if you like a bit of woodwork might suit http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/3849947

Cheers Fergal you have been great help, that boat is only down the road from me in Shannon Harbour,might take a walk over there tomorrow and check it out. I can't get my head away from the narrow boats, when you Google boat cafe's the narrow boats look great.

fergal.b

A now I got you I thought the link above was just to show pic's of a barge so your planing on opening a floating cafe great idea join up with http://www.iwai.ie/forum/list.php?1 they will be a great help to you and will be able to answer any questions you might have. Each branch has meetings and rallies around the country and if you could moor up at each of these I'm sure you would make a few quid.

bizzyb

fergal.b wrote: »

A now I got you I thought the link above was just to show pic's of a barge so your planing on opening a floating cafe great idea join up with http://www.iwai.ie/forum/list.php?1 they will be a great help to you and will be able to answer any questions you might have. Each branch has meetings and rallies around the country and if you could moor up at each of these I'm sure you would make a few quid.

Sorry for the confusion i should have explained myself better from the start! Ye its a little dream i have, would love to showcase local artisan food producers in my cooking and maybe sell there off the shelf products to tourists. Thanks for all your help and if you come across anymore boats drop me a pm.