Just boat dreaming

Call it boat dreaming or whatever the boating equivalent of bench racing is, but the Starcraft is put up and my boat budget is gone for the year so nothing going on the Aerocraft. Alas that doesn't stop me from browsing CL everyday to dream.

I came across two that really got my curiosity going,

I'm sure its not all that reasonable/feasible but how different structurally are sailboat hulls from power boat hulls?

This one had me picturing an inboard or I/O conversion for a nice sleek cruiser.







A love of wood boats made me wonder about this one. My first thought was that its far enough gone a guy almost might as well just start from scratch and build one. Am I wrong? Also I know wood = $$$ but is that really a fair price?(8500) I get that its has some possible claims of rarity but the ad says nothing about being documented what so ever to lend any validity. What am I missing?

Re: Just boat dreaming

Nope, $8500, is WAY oughta line for that pile of scrap lumber. You'd be better off starting from scratch. Oh, that is just MHO!!!!

Re: Just boat dreaming

Woodonglass said:

Nope, $8500, is WAY oughta line for that pile of scrap lumber. You'd be better off starting from scratch. Oh, that is just MHO!!!!

Click to expand...

Looks like the sellers keyboard got stuck after the 85...............00000000000000000000?


http://sandusky.craigslist.org/boa/2689238310.html

Re: Just boat dreaming

I did A LOT of looking for a woodie project before finally going the FG route. I learned that a woodie is a huge project and very expensive, especially if you want to find "period" parts, etc... One of the primary reasons I went FG route is I wanted a more manageable project on my first resto, but also because everyone wanted at least a couple grand and higher for a pile of rotten boards, that were useful only as a template. Apparently, the word is out that these things fetch a nice penny when restored, so everyone who has an old "barn find" now has their thumb on the scale in terms of their asking price. They are beautiful works of art when done, but you can find a better price to start with.... Look can even find some restored boats for slightly higher than that price. If you are not gong to start from scratch, I would like for a chris craft or century as those names appear to have a lot of cache in the wooden boat world and would be worth more when done simply have those "names" on it. However, you pay more on the front-end (see rotten pile of junk comment above).

On the sailboat conversion, let me qualify the following thoughts in their entirety by saying that I am very much a card-carrying greenhorn/newbie when it comes to boats, and I could easily be "dead wrong" on this... So, don't read this as any sort of statement of fact... Simply thoughts/conjecture (not even rising to the level of an opinion). That said, the sailboat either has a fixed or drop down keel to keep it straight and true while at speed (generally not power boat speed, but wind speed.. a few knots). I understand that this is to counter-act the sail pushing the boat sideways and you won't have a big wind-grabber up in the air post conversion. However, I'm not sure how a sailboat would handle without the keel (would it be wobbly, top-heavy or all over the place???). I know that sailboats motor/cruise all the time when the wind is down, but just not sure how they react at higher cruising speeds. I would also investigate the implications of additional weight of a larger power plant at the back of the boat as throwing the whole thing off, unless you added a good bit of counter-weight in the front.

Maybe just some things to think about, or ask those who know a lot more than me.

Re: Just boat dreaming

The price of the woodie COULD be a steal- Or way overpriced. You'd have to research that builder, and see if it is desirable, and if so it could be a good candidate for restoration. But not a good candidate for YOU to restore. It is going to need everything- and is not a first timer boat... It would take a LOT of time, money, and skill to restore it.

As for converting the sailboat- Structural issues aside, these hulls are NOT designed to go fast, they are displacement hulls, not planing. The only type of conversion to power that would work well on something like that would be to drop a small 4 stroke (like 9.9 or so HP) on it, or a small electric motor, and use it as an 'eco cruiser'. I've known people that have done that before with a lot of success. You end up with a pretty comfortable cruiser that goes pretty slow, but is easy on gas (and the wallet!) You can cruise all day on a tank of gas...

Re: Just boat dreaming

Woodonglass said:

Nope, $8500, is WAY oughta line for that pile of scrap lumber. You'd be better off starting from scratch. Oh, that is just MHO!!!!

Click to expand...

Starman said:

Looks like the sellers keyboard got stuck after the 85...............00000000000000000000?

Click to expand...

At least my thinking is joined by some

andgott said:

The price of the woodie COULD be a steal- Or way overpriced. You'd have to research that builder, and see if it is desirable

Click to expand...

Then you go and throw that in which I hadn't really thought of maybe a Kafer makes a Criscraft look like the Bayliner of the day (wow did I just say that?) On the sailboat a quick bit of searching and andgott's info makes better sense. Not that I doubted just wanted a better understanding. Just goes to show how a free boat w/ the purchase of a trailer gets ones wheels turning.

Oh don't get me wrong my delusional plans of restoring a woodie left about the time I started in on my AC. I think its even been demoted to being a foundation for the building a lapstrake boat plan. After the little I've done I've whittled my future wood boat building plan down to perhaps a canoe or a small hydro. However the practicality of the hydro (not really interested in racing) keeps doing it in, maybe a smaller runabout.........

Ah well back to dreaming myself into circles.

Re: Just boat dreaming

Dream on brother, it don't cost a penny...

Re: Just boat dreaming

TruckDrivingFool said:

Ah well back to dreaming myself into circles.

Click to expand...

If you want to build a woodie, I say GO FOR IT, even if it's just a small one...

I've built a few. Mostly Phil Bolger designs. They are UGLY. But- The are functional, easy, and CHEAP. The last one I built in two weekends with leftover plywood from a remodel. My actual cost was less that $60, since most of the stuff was around anyway.

Once you've built a boat like this, you can decide if you want to invest the significant amount of time and resources required to build a bigger, more complicated design. And, You'll have the first one that you built to play with while you're working on the other one...
-Andrew

Re: Just boat dreaming

I have no doubts that I will build one. I just need to finish a couple of things first.

While I spend alot of my dreaming time looking at the old magazine plans I'm truely drawn to a lot of the Glen L plans. I really like the Zip, but lately the 11' Dyno Jet has been striking me a good first boat to build. Notice I said lately, somedays it changes by the minute. I've also spend a lot of time lately watching redbarnboats on Youtube. I find his way of rambling (meant in the nicest way) a really good look into a builders thought process and what he's watching/thinking about as he's building.

Re: Just boat dreaming

Another dreamer, TDF. LOL Stitch & glue boats keep popping up in my head. Light, usually small and relatively inexpensive. And some nice plans too. The Dyno Jet is cool.