nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

A restoration tale (with pics)

dnme

I have been posting on here and getting amazing help from fergal and others. I thought I might make a thread outlining my attempt at a boat restoration. The boat is a 16' fibreglass day cabin. It is in horrendous condition but I think the fibreglass itself is pretty good.

Shopping for a while and looking at various boats. Big, small, cabin cruisers, fishing boats etc. What I really want is a boat that will fit me and my dog and that I can sleep on and maybe run up and down the Erne waterway. This caught my eye on donedeal

I made the call and arranged to go and view it. At the viewing, I bought it for €530 (asking price on dd was €1200). On Saturday 19th March 2011, myself and a friend towed it home (from Birr to Co. Sligo).

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

dnme

I drive a 1998 1.3L Corolla. I have just spent 20 minutes trying to decypher the manual.

I think the Towing capacity is
With brake: 1000kg
Without brake: 450kg

Gross vehicle mass
1580 or 1615 (one being "except wagon") ?

Max axle capacity
Front: 920kg
Rear: 920kg

I tip along at 50mph, regularly have to pull in to hard shoulder to let cars by. With a big trailer I'd happily tip along at 40 or 25/30 on small roads. I'd be happy enough top tow whatever as long as the car pulled it.

TopTec

Don't worry about it dnme - What's a few kilos between friends. Just borrow a bigger motor for longer runs.

TT

Jack_regan

@Top tec

Thanks for the clarification on the trailer regulations. Who's idea was it to join the EU anyway? Wait until they try to ban using 2 stroke outboards altogether.(It can't be far off)

dnme

Thanks everyone for the info and posts re-trailers and regulations. Is there anyone within 30 miles of Lough Key who could lend me a trailer for a day?

Wolfe Tone

Wow, just read the whole thread there in one sitting after stumbling upon it, terrific read!

I know absolutely zero about boats and I've never been on anything smaller than a ferry, but I found the whole thread fascinating, very well written too. I enjoyed the videos, your voice is very easy to listen to!

You must have vast reserves of patience, I would have long ago cracked and set the boat ablaze and danced around it gleefully like a madman.

Best of luck with rest of the project, I will be following this thread, I'm really looking forward to seeing the boat in the water!

fergal.b

Here comes the bearer of bad news again :eek:, I think you poor clutch will have a hard time pulling the boat up a slipway and if the slip is wet with all the weight on the back wheels you will find it hard to get a grip.
If you want to do a test launch how about just putting bunks on the trailer using the 4 fixing posts something like this
images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTy-qzumqmehK-ouiLIFXOcgBvJXZcDepQY2MaK98mzma5UBzROrA

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTy-qzumqmehK-ouiLIFXOcgBvJXZcDepQY2MaK98mzma5UBzROrA

Or this if you want 4 of them.

Then cover the center bar of the trailer with timber and add an angle timber along each side to hold the keel in place, you can buy this cheep it's used around the edges of a flat roof then cover the lot in a bit of carpet.

You will then have to see of you can get a tractor or 4x4 to launch you, one that can back up far enough to float the boat off. I think this way will work out a lot cheeper than buying new rollers and trying to fix them to the trailer.

One more thing you could try is renting I know "indespension trailers" here in Dublin rent out boat trailers so might be worth looking at places closer to you. One way or another the boat will get to the water even if a gang of us have go down and carry it so don't worry about it too much. Have a look at trailers just before and after christmas you will be surprised what a few €€€ in your pocket will buy you.:D

dnme

I've slept on this and given it some serious thought. I am leaning heavily towards abandoning the project. It's completely cleaned me out. I'm just broke all the time and have no financial buffer left for things like winter fuel, emergencies, insurance etc. Then the trailer really made me realise that I am going nowhere fast. A trailer is going to literally double the cost of this thing. Then there's my car, which is not even capable of pulling the thing. All the above before I even consider an engine. There is still a lot of work left to be done to the thing. Still a lot of expense left in the fit out. I have no shed for the winter. I am battling constant rain, poor health and I am just weary.

It's too much. I'm probably going to stop here and now. I'll give it a couple more days but I think I want rid. There's no end to the problems and costs.

dlofnep

If you have a friend with strong car or a jeep, you can just get them to put the boat in the water for you. You won't need to do it that often. I only had to take mine out once a year for a bit of scraping, tidying and a splash of antifoul, and engine service.

Don't get disheartened. Take a break for a while, and then get back into the swing of it.

ScabbyLeg

Sorry to hear that dnme. I thought Fergal's trailer suggestion seemed like a good way of keeping the trailer investment to a minimum. The other stuff can be taken care of too- even if it just means taking things a bit slower, allowing your finances to build up a bit. It should be a huge shame to see all your hard work go to waste.

It can be done!

Edit: It would be great to get to the point of floating the boat and see what it's like. A struggle I know but I'm sure you can manage it still. I'm certain getting on the water would help you make the decision - either abandon if you find too many further problems or inspire you to stick with it!

B.I.O.Y.H.

Hi dnme,

Long time reader, first time poster! I have really been enjoying following the thread. You have done great work so far and it would be a shame to see it stop without you having the benefit of her floating. You might feel different if you had a hole in the water to throw your money as appossed to a hole in your paddock!

Take a couple of days away from it altogether and things might be different.

fergal.b

Don't be worrying to much about the cost as a hole just concentrate on one small job at a time, I am like you in terms of funds as I am living on carers allowance and I can tell you after the last two budgets is not a lot, sometimes I have to save up for a few weeks just to buy a plank of wood and that's why it takes me so long to build a boat, if I had the money I could build one in a few months instead of a few years.
Take a bit of a break and then just go back and finish your seats when they are done the boat will start to look like it's taking shape.:)

dnme

I don't think people understand the situation. I have been doing what Fergal does all year, saving, then doing a bit, saving then doing a bit. But now I am facing a winter broke. I've just realised what's coming up, fuel, insurance, NCT which will lead to a few bills trust me.

Then I need to buy a trailer and lets be realistic, a cruiser trailer - €1200 sh. I have no idea why they are so expensive, they are an aluminium frame on either 2 or 4 bearings with a few rollers and a winch. That is all they are, the profit margins on them must be substantial.

Then I have to get an engine.

Then I have no way of pulling the boat. There's no way I can depend on others to move the boat for me, that's just not practical. And some are suggestring leave it in the water for the year...where? how much would that cost?

Then I have no shed. I am facing a severe winter if the scientists are correct. The boat is flooded every day, I have to mop out a few gallons everyday before I start work, everything is constantly wet. Now imagine that with severe frost. It's gonna rip the boat apart.

Then it has to be fit out.
Helm
Steering
Floors
Galley
Seating
Cleats
Hand rails
Rails

Now were not even started.....remmeber those front windows..

Not gonna happen!

Because even if I do carry on now, Why? I am spending a fortune on something that I cannot even trsansport. Pointless! It's m,aking me sick even thinking about it, the money I've wasted on this uitter pile of trouble has been obscene.

LLU

This is a great project, would hate to see it die. Whenever I hit an obstacle like this, I remind myself that I've solved greater problems in the past. And so have you this summer. Look at all you've achieved and learned so far.

Fixing up a boat like this is a skilful technical challenge whereas for your trailer you just need wheels, towbar and frame (apologies to any trailer manufacturers who may be reading:D). Don't be put off by the uber-official and uber-safety heads about regulations and red tape. Remember you only have to transport it a couple of miles and as long as you don't take the mick, almost anything with wheels will suffice. Don't lose sight of your goal, maybe take a break from it cos you've been living and breathing nothing else for a while, and if you want to park it for the winter it should be ok under canvas as long as no water is getting in. Keep smiling!

TopTec

I don't recall you putting a deadline on this project dnme. Yours, as with all projects, sometimes nips along at breakneck speed at others it drag like an anchor.

I am renovating an old cottage in North Mayo.... now that IS a money pit. I don't put pressure on myself with a time frame. As long as I am alive and fit enough to enjoy the finished article is all that matters to me. 5 years or 10 years it matters not.

The pace is generally determined by the money situation. I am not well heeled and cannot afford luxuries hence the reason I eat Lidl's lamb shank.

I think you should cover the boat and put her to bed for the winter. Well covered and battened down she will be fine. Forget about trailers and weights and whether your car is a tug - you are at the stage where you need a time out.

I get them occasionally - and I beat a retreat to my other hobby - walking. A week living out of my van walking the coast with my two little dogs is a great recharger and when I get back to the cottage I feel better equipped to attack the problem that drove me away.

Come spring or summer you will have fresh determination, a bit more cash and a better idea about whether you want to continue or not.

TT

Jack_regan

dnme wrote: »

Day 43 - The Thief of Bagdad Ballinafad

Yesterday evening, myself and Honey took a spin up to our good neighbours the McDermottRoe's. Karl is a builder and I went to ask him if he might know where I could lay my hands on some scaffolding to try and make a shelter for the boat. Being the decent soul he is, he said I could use some of his. Many thanks again Karl if you’re watching.

Is it still an option for you to borrow some scaffolding off your neighbours to make a shelter for the boat? I think it would be good to get it under cover for the winter to keep the rain off. A roll of heavy gauge polythene, a roll of duct tape and a bag of cable ties should set you on your way and it should keep the worst of the weather off.

Or alternatively is there any space in your next door neighbours shed?

I can see where your coming from with your attitude towards the boat at the minute, I'm sure it's only a temporary glitch however. I think if you concentrate on getting a shelter built over the next week or two, then you'll feel a lot better in general.

I'd hate to see you selling the boat as a going concern after all the hard graft you've put into it. Have a look on www.donedeal.ie at all the similar size boats to yours. The majority of them are all on single axle unbraked trailers.

Like Fergal says your car may struggle on a wet slipway, but that greatly depends on the steepness of the incline of the slipway. Have you any pictures of the launch site or an address to look it up on Google maps?

There will be a way around all your "problems", stick with the project and see it through to the end.

There is a long time until next summer when you were planning on launching the boat properly, so you have a good while to build up some savings again.

You have most of the horrible jobs done at this stage. I think you will get a lot more satisfaction applying the finishing touches and seeing the boat progress through to her finished state.

It's about time she had a name at this stage, have you come up with one yet? You never know once you've named her you might find you become a bit more attached to her and you can stop referring to the old girl as "the f***in boat"

Time is on your side and there is no deadline that you have to meet, sure if feel like getting out on the water you always have the option of a trip up to see the sister in Donegal.

Good luck and stick at it.

dnme

Day 51a

I'm going to post an update. There's not much but I do need some help and advice. More over I need to keep a hand in, otherwise I'll continue falling, I can feel it happening. I have had no luck with the boat. Everything about it proves awkward. Nothing is standard. The size of the trailer beam, the size of the wheels, the windows, the windscreen etc etc. Every time I investigate something, it proves a major repair and one that non-standard therefore costly.

I had esnipe bids on the following overnight, and pulled out this morning on the back of this thread.
Winch * Side Rollers * Side Dumbells * keel rollers
I could have had the lot for £84 (not inc delivery), but again due to indecision and procrastination, I missed out. All my bids were more than enough to have won.

I really am seriously considering the future of this whole project. I’m not a man of means and probably not in a position to own a boat of this size. I have no transport for it, I cannot store it and lets face it, it probably needs another 5k+ spending on it (fit out, trailer, engine, windows, canopie, etc etc). Yesterdays interaction on the thread made me realise what I was facing. The fact that my car cannot pull this thing up a ramp is really a final straw. For now, I’ll tip away at it doing low cost bits and pieces. I need to get it in under cover, I need a break, something to go right, and I need help. With that said, here’s the latest, (trying to upbeat here).

The match was what filled my afternoon. It lashed rain here, heavy heavy stuff. I haven’t been near the boat so I’ll be showing you photos mostly from yesterday.

1. Here’s how I left the bow seat overnight on Friday.

2. This is mainly how I trim out the recess, using the bitch freehand. Takes serious care and the ability to see a straight line.

3. If there’s ever an opportunity to utilize a straight edge, take it, always take it. It’s always worth the effort.

4. The bow seat now functional as a seriously large storage container. This is brand new functionality aboard the money boat.

5. Time to let go. This is the old shirt I have been using all summer. It’s now so badly caked in cured epoxy that it is torture to wear, the sorta thing religious fundamentalists would wear to atone their sins.:cool: I; on the other hand remain completely without sin.:eek: I bought this old shirt for £2 quid in a charity shop ion Derry in 2006 to keep me warm in AK. Bro-in-law was with me and will remember. I think I got 3 shirts and 3 t-shirts for a tenner, being poor can be so cool sometimes.

6. Now here’s a serious question. This is my back yard, do you think I could build a lean to here using beams, uprights and Perspex? Fergal, tell me what specs timber, how to join them to the ground etc, how to make it secure / windproof. I am talking about the area where the kennel is, it’s 10ft wide and about 15ft long. If I could build something here cheaply and get the boat in under it, that would solve a whole lot of problems.

7. Taken today during the match. I heard her howling her head off at the back door, it was hammering rain and she got caught. So I let her in and she proceeded to shake all over the place. She managed to soak me, the kitchen and the living room.

8. Fast forward about 2 hours. The great pursuit of comfort continues. Fed, watered and dried, she wants up on the chair. Not gonna happen this time Honey, I’ve a post to write.

dnme

Day 51b

Hers's a few images taken today of the trailer as it stands. Ignore the old wheels. I have another two restored and in mint. I just put these two old ones back on to allow me to move it around. So what are your honest opinions, is this good for anything? (Ive a brand new jockey wheel here for it also).

Shane Slv

Trailer looks good. My father has a very similar trailer for his boat. What are the bearings like? If the bearings are good then some rollers and a winch and you will have a decent trailer.

dnme

Shane Slv wrote: »

Trailer looks good. My father has a very similar trailer for his boat. What are the bearings like? If the bearings are good then some rollers and a winch and you will have a decent trailer.

Shane, the bearings seem fine, but even if they were not, they can be replaced one by one gradually, thus I could bear the cost over time, rather than trying to find 1500+ for a new dam trailer.

I think Ive gotta start listening to myself a bit more on this one, kicking myself over the ebay stuff.

forsaleireland

There is nothing wrong with that trailor,just make sure the bearings are ok,how many wheels are you intending to put on,if it's just the 2 get the other axle of and add a few bits..seriously it's easy enough..

Also a point towards your shelter for the boat

a good few lenghts of 2x4 wood and if ya can get a hold of corrigated iron or see through,then all ya need is big screws or self tapper nails with a rubber sealant

it's a quick job but it works

Shane Slv

This is where my father got his rollers when he was replacing them last year...

http://www.westerntowing.co.uk/acatalog/Boat_keel_supports.html

blindsider

[/QUOTE]8. Fast forward about 2 hours. The great pursuit of comfort continues. Fed, watered and dried, she wants up on the chair. Not gonna happen this time Honey, I’ve a post to write.

So, what I need is a loan of a trailer for a day or two. Something to allow me put the boat in the lake, test it, then get it home and into some kind of shelter (see lean to idea above). Can anyone here please help with this? Can you put out feelers, ear to the ground, ask your boating friends etc. If I can get this thing to float for an hour, it’ll do this project a lot of good, and if I can get the thing under cover, it’ll solve a lot of issues coming into winter.

In the meantime, my sincere thanks to everyone who contributes to this thread. Without people posting, encouraging, having a laugh and offering advice, I would have thrown in the towel a long time ago….that’s simply just a fact. I kinda feel some weird sense of responsibility to the project now as a result of this thread, almost as if the boat is not simply mine, but in a way belongs to an online community of others who have invested their hearts into it. That’s worded all wrong but you get the point.[/QUOTE]

DNME - this is very well put and I'm delighted that you wrote it unprompted.

I certainly feel a tug towards the boat (no pun intended!) even though I'm miles from Mayo, and unlkely to be any practical use to you. (However, if I can help in some way, I'd be delighted to!)

I know that you're in a trough at the moment and it's very difficult to see the positives wrt the project - but please stick with it for now. Sometimes the only thing that will see you through is sheer unadulterated bloodymindedness and a refusal to be beaten. You can do this. You can - you know you can!

Don't try to solve all your problems at once. Really all you need now, is to get to April - then you can start afresh, knowing that you've done some really great work already. Trailers etc can wait - you never know what will happen, who you might meet etc in the meantime.

Read some books about mariners who didn't give up - Tim Severin's 'The Brendan Voyage' and anything about Shackleton's trips south, spring to mind. Good reading for the winter.

Anyone else got good books with a nautical flavour? (The local library service is usually good.)

Finally, a possible name for our boat....'Vicarious Pleasure'.

PS - in honour of 'the bitch' - Noli illegitimi carborundum!

fergal.b

You should have no problem building a shelter there I used 2x4x16 for mine and full length plastic sheets the timber is fixed just below the guttering and as you can see at the back it has a bit of a fall off.

The front leg here is on a hinge so I can lift it out of the way to get the boat in and out a bit easier.

It's very basic but has been there for 3 years with no probs still gets a bit cold in the winter but at least it's dry.

dnme

fergal.b wrote: »

You should have no problem building a shelter there I used 2x4x16 for mine and full length plastic sheets the timber is fixed just below the guttering and as you can see at the back it has a bit of a fall off.

The front leg here is on a hinge so I can lift it out of the way to get the boat in and out a bit easier.

It's very basic but has been there for 3 years with no probs still gets a bit cold in the winter but at least it's dry.

I am seeing 2 different timber sizes there, uprights seem small than beams, is that the case? also how did you anchor uprights to the ground? How far apart are the supporting uprights?

Bear in mind I have no freedom here, I will have to ask my landlord, who are lovely people but I would forgive them being weary of this.

forsaleireland

i think there is some 2x1 in there also..not much though,if ya want to not anchouring the wood to the ground..just run a bit of 2x1 accross the bottom only on the length part..and nail the supports to that..it would be sturdy enough

like so

alexlyons

Been off line for a day or two and haven't got email updates at all which is devastating. I'm really annoyed I missed the whole trailer bit, and your low, even though my words probably wouldn't do much!

A few things.
I know two lads who went around Ireland in a 7.5M rib with twin 100's, not a speed run, they took there time. Great trip and well worth it. Any afloat readers may remember it from 2006. Do it if you can.

The trailer issue. fergals suggestion was going to be mine as I was reading it but he beat me to it. skip the rollers for now if you have to do it up. much cheaper and works perfectly. I know a few ribs whose purposely designed trailer is like this. not my favorite as a permanent idea, but nothing majorly wrong with it at the same time.

The boat and the slip is another thing. You can launch and recover your boat without even putting your car on the slip. I've launched boats by wrapping a long rope around the hitch a few times and gently easing it down. it can go as far in as you want without the worry of the car going in etc.
Recovering can be done similarly. you can clove hitch or bowline the same rope onto the hitch and if there is room in front of the slip to drive straight forward, you can do this and drag the boat on the rope. this will leave the car on the flat and make it easier to do. even if you have to go half way down the slip with the car because of the lack of room in front of the top of the slip, its half the distance the car has to travel up the hill and thus easier.

Don't worry about not being able to afford this and that. slow it down, build a financial buffer, don't go near it. then start again with money for the boat. maybe try do this over the winter, work on the boat a handful of times over the winter if you want, using little money and start again in the spring.
The lean-to is a great idea. just remember also, the boat isn't really costing you any money when its sitting there, so take a break if needs be, it doesn't really matter. fair enough if you were renting a specific spot for it and you wanted it done asap, but your not really under any time pressure afaict

you started this project with little or no knowledge of a lot of what had to be done, you've learnt a massive amount of information and put it to good use, realized some info wasn't right and relearnt.

Take your time, enjoy working on it at a reasonable pace and it'll be done when its done. Build the lean-to if you can, that should go handily enough (i know, I just cursed it!) and might turn a light on at the end of the tunnel for you.

when you get the boat in the water in the next few weeks, go around the outside with a marker if you can and mark the waterline. it will sit differently with an engine ad more weight in it, but it will give you a rough guide at least. something very useful to know.

you're doing a great job, we all feel part of it and understand its not easy and can't always happen at lightning speeds. take your time and she'll pay you back in years to come.

just my 2c

Jack_regan

dnme wrote: »

Day 51b

Hers's a few images taken today of the trailer as it stands. Ignore the old wheels. I have another two restored and in mint. I just put these two old ones back on to allow me to move it around. So what are your honest opinions, is this good for anything? (Ive a brand new jockey wheel here for it also).

I think the trailer looks like it's worth repairing. Don't worry about the ebay bargains that you missed out on, I'm sure there will be more; "what's for you won't pass you".

You've already invested a good bit of time cleaning it up, any trailer you buy is going to require ongoing maintenance with new bearings etc.

Like you say you can always sell it on if you come across another one. You never know you might even make a profit on it.

Just as a for instance if you do end up deciding to sell the boat on when you're finished it (if you fancy another project), then it will be a lot easier to sell on a trailer than without one.

Let us all not forget the name of the thread "A restoration tale".

Just a note of caution with regard to the planned lean to, Fergal's lean to looks like it's in a fairly sheltered position in a housing estate, we all know your fairly exposed to the weather where you are and you have to be careful with the wind getting in under etc. I think you might have to beef yours up a bit compared to fergal's with 4 by 3 treated uprights, 4 by 2 would be grand for the roof beams. Anyway there are plenty of tutorials on you tube.

I'd say it's definitely worth checking with the landlord first. You never know they may offer to pay for the materials as the lean to would be handy for future tenants for drying washing, sitting out in the rain etc, etc.

Anyway you have to follow your own heart, take everybody's advice on board. All the advice is offered with the best of intentions but ultimately the buck stops with you.

sheesh

dnme wrote: »

Folks, a quick note, please please please don't take this the wrong way. If you do happen to read my upjdates (and this applies to the full"day" updates only, would you mind hitting the thanks button.

I'll tell ya why, as far as I can tell, just two people read my Day 48 update cos that's all that hit the button. I'm sure more read it but the fact that people don't consider the post worthy of a thanks, makes me feel like I'm "talkling to no one there", or at worst - I worry that people didn't feel the post was worth a mouse click.

god no, we're still here lurking, always lurking.......... :eek:

fergal.b

Jack is right I am a bit more sheltered so you would have to go a bit stronger maybe have 3 lengths of timber to fix the plastic sheets to where I have just one and a few more uprights. I fixed mine to the ground by drilling 10mm holes and using L brackets and fixing bolts like this that way when it's taken down all thats left are the holes.

dnme

sheesh wrote: »

god no, we're still here lurking, always lurking.......... :eek:

???
You've lost me