# Suddenly inherited old boat



## TSOJOURNER

Hi All

I was thrilled to find a women oriented site.

I recently got a really cool old sailboat (old is 1970). It's been mostly neglected for the last 10 years, and I am resurrecting it.

It's hauled out in an expensive boatyard, and I feel like I have a "take advantage of me" sign on my back. Of course it shows that I'm a rank beginner.

I don't have a specific question, I don't even know how to ask an intelligent question, lol. 

Suzanne


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## nolatom

*congratulations--take a deep breath--*

and tell us some basics:

What kind of boat? Made of wood or fiberglass? How big? diesel or gasoline, inboard or outboard? What kind of sails, and how old? Wood spars, or aluminum?

You might want to consider hiring a good yacht surveyor to look over the boat and tell you what it really needs, and what can wait. The boatyard guys will be happy to work on it as long as you pay, the surveyor can tell you-and them-when to stop. You might need a survey to get insurance anyway.

For some of us, a 1970 boat isn't quite that "old". Let us know, and good luck.


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## PBzeer

*Very good point*

Getting a survey can take that "take advantage of me" sign off your back. A competent surveryor, will be working for you, not the boatyard, and tell you what really needs to be fixed. Or, even if it's worth fixing in the first place. It will be money well spent.


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## locrian13

Congrats and welcome aboard!

I agree wholeheartedly with the advice re: getting a survey. This will give you a much better picture of what needs to be done (i.e.: what will make/keep her seaworthy) versus what would be nice to have done (cosmetic/convenience things).

I don't know what kind of boat you have...do a bit of looking and see if there is some sort of organization of folks who have your same type of boat. These organizations can be great resources for very specific questions about your particular boat. 

You didn't mention how much sailing experience you have...if you are new to sailing as well as to boat ownership, a good class will be well worth the money and time.

Again, welcome!


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## Abigail

*Congratulations*

Wow - how lucky are you? Do say more about size, material, condition etc etc.

I really agree with the advice about finding a good surveyor. And asking yourself how to know if they are any good! I don't know where you are and how it works, but in the UK there is a proper association of yacht surveyors and anyone you use should be a member. Also, ask local yacht brokers who they know and rate. Also, you may want some specific expertise, for example if the boat is made of steel or wood or has an unusual rig. Try and find a surveyor with specific knowledge in that area or issue - again by asking them.

It really helps to tell them your position and what you need. You might pay slightly more for the survey but you'll get much better info.

Sorry if this is telling you to suck eggs, but hope it actually helps.


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## sailingfool

Suzanne,

"It's hauled out in an expensive boatyard"
Welcome to boating. 
You are learning the first lesson about boating - it is an expensive hobby. FWIW any boatyard is expensive, they split between just expensive, really expensive,a nd goqawful expensive...Getting an older boat free is like having parents who pay the 20% down on a mortgage for a first-time buyer's house - you may be in the house, but you will be paying every month - the only question is how much.

If you figure out the boat make and model, board members can give you estimates of base annual operating costs to consider, $100-$200 per foot is a ballpark, assuming you use your labor for all the maintenance work (typically 3-6 weekends a year, if no rain...). Of course the big question is whether the free vessel has been continually maintained and upgraded by the previous owners - if not your ownership could start to involve some real money.

Good luck, boating has a lot of rewards for the fans ( or are we fanatics?), but this free gift is likely to cost you a lot of money.


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## TSOJOURNER

*I always wanted a sailboat*

Hi, and thanks for replying...

It's a 36' Cascade, with a Yanmar 3M Deisel. It's been neglected for 10 years.

When we hauled it out last week, the old zincs just fell off to the ground like mud. The propeller shaft and strut were completely electrolyzed away (there's 2 grand).

When we got the prop off (I was trying to pull it off by hand until one of the boatyard shop guys stopped me lol), we found that it was the wrong shaft size (and much too big for my 20 hp engine) - not sure what to do about that because I have found out that prop size is a complicated issue.

I did get a survey on Monday but have not gotten the results yet, but I do plan to make my list from that.

I think the mainsail is toast, and I haven't gotten a good look at the other sails yet.

The engine has not been started for 10 years, so we are giving it a tune-up and are going to try to start it when we get it back in the water (hopefully soon! ).

If that goes well, I can motor it 60 miles to where I live, then fix it up at my leisure.

Whew! It's a lot for me. I've sailed on other people's boats, but of course I always left the docking to the owner. I'm little and the boat is big, so we'll have to see how that goes.

I live in the Puget Sound area, so there's a lot of sailing and cruising to be done. Somebody's got to do it, might as well be me 

Suzanne


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## nolatom

That's not such bad news. the Cascade's a nice-looking and stout little boat, and the electrolysis is the price one pays for 10-year old zincs. Expensive, but if that's the only major problem, then not bad for a long-neglected boat. They don't have much exterior wood trim, which is not as beautiful but good for non-maintenance and keeping your repair bills down.

Listen to your surveyor and be guided accordingly. These boats, in good condition, seem to list in the $30-40K range. So you can spend a little money and it'd probably be worth it. 

Just some general advice: if you're going 60 miles offshore to bring her home, and the main's indeed shot, borrow a mainsail from someone, even if a bit undersized. It's not a good idea to make a passage on engine alone, you want to have at least a main of some size (preferably reefable) and a working jib as a backup--if you need them, you'll really appreciate it, and the sails will make the motion in a sea much nicer even if you're primarily motoring. It goes without saying that you'll also want the typical safety gear (firefighting, lifesaving) and good anchor and rode, and a VHF radio.

Apologize if I'm telling you what you already know.


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## Sasha_V

As the above post advises...my other siuggestion would be to hunt around and see if these boats have a club or soemthing and if there are any enthuisiasts in your area (for yachting enthuisiasts, " your area" defines as about 200 miles), ask for advice and see if anyone has a spare mainsail and maybe some spare time to help you sail the boat back, having someone that knows the foibles and characteristics on bord for even the 60mile slog to home will short cut about a moneth or two of learning you would do from the ground up.


Sasha


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## TSOJOURNER

*Sailing it???*

Hmmm

I kinda thought sailing it for now was out of the question.

The lines all need to be replaced, and I'd like to have the rigging checked too.

My first priority is to get her home, then do all the work that needs to be done...

Otherwise, sailing is so much more fun than motoring! I just love the gentle sounds of moving though the water under sail.

Luckily, the entire trip home will be in Puget Sound, on a calm sunny day (or two), so no big seas.

Here's pictures...

www.geocities.com/river_girl1/sailboat


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## PBzeer

60 miles will be a long one day trip, even motoring. It would be best, given the amount of time the boat has set, to have sails available, in case the engine doesn't last the whole trip. Or at least have someone with a powerboat go along with you. I would hope you will have someone on the boat with you (or 2 or 3). At the very least, you should have a VHF radio that works.

You have a great opportunity, don't let haste or anything else keep you from seeing it through.


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## nolatom

Under that film of dirt, a nice-looking boat, lovely hull lines.

Yes, you may need to replace halyards, but ask your surveyor obout this, and see if you can't get a half-decent main and jib halyard in place, even if jury-rigged, for your trip. If you have wire halyards, and the rope tails have been inside the mast, they may still work--again, ask your surveyor. You can use most anything for temporary sheets, even your dock lines, but you'll want to be able to raise main and jib just in case.

Think of it this way--if you have available sails, your engine will run fine--if you don't, it might just figure a way to die on you. Kind of like washing your car to make sure it rains.

If you have, or can borrow, a dinghy with an outboard to tow along, that's your backup auxiliary engine in case the Yanmar conks out and you're becalmed. You'll need a second crew for this, which is a good idea anyway.

Have fun, we're jealous, I'd like someone to give me a pretty 36' sloop. There are some down here (New Orleans), but wrecked, sunk, or full of holes post-K.


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## TSOJOURNER

Your boat's a beauty and well worth your future efforts. The cascades were/are built in Portland, Oregon and I know they'll be happy to help if you have any structural questions. It might be worth your time to visit them with photos, questions, etc -great group of people.


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## sailandoar

*Rudder Shaft ???*

If the prop and prop shaft are toast then you need to be sure and check the rudder shaft. If the rudder shaft has issues that can be an expensive repair/replacement. The boat looks like a pleasant one but be careful about a cheap boat and "all you have to do is fix it up". When getting into a project on an older boat it is VERY VERY easy to end up putting more money into it than you can ever get out. That raises some issues: (a) what is your goal and (b) what are your current finances. 
(a) If the goal is to sail and move about on the water and 
(b) your finances can support the repairs then maybe you should go out and find a boat that is ready to sail with the repair money.

By the time you replace/repair prop/shaft/?strut?/?Rudder?/Main/jib/?storm sails?/electronics/ running rigging/ ?some of standing rigging? / year or two of rent while fixing / wear and tear on you while ......... work work, no sailing, work work work, no sail, work work work .... you may well have spent .....?......?.......?....$12K to $20K. If you are not able to do much of the work your self it can get discouraging quickly spending $60/Hr for every warm body that is standing anywhere near your boat while it's in the yard.

Look around on Yachtworld and Traderonline and see what you can find for the possible cost of restoration. It may be that you will be sailing in real style this spring and the old boat will be no where near but it will have been the catylast. Also it may be that some one that is very handy and who has time and tools but little money will be the perfect one to take over the 10 years of neglect.


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## erdagte

Before you get discouraged regarding the expense of boat owner and restoring major systems, I think you need to keep it in perspective. 

Do you absolutely NEED to go sailing right away? Is you boat your only means of life support? Probably not. So you have all the time in the world to work on your boat and save enough money for parts and repairs. 

Like you, I'm a little lady who bought a big boat. Didn't know a thing at first. The survey helped, but more than that was finding good folks on the dock who explained what this-and-that was for. You don't know what you don't know... so don't get discouraged when things don't work the first time out. 

I'd also recommend Nigel Calder's books; if there's a problem, the answer is in Nigel's books.


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## Sasha_V

I would add one other thought. Boatyards are NOT the place to do "economical" long term major repairs. For anything that takes longer then a month or three, I would seriously investigate a short term rental or even looking around to borrow some land or even a big shed/factory space and have the boat trucked in and set up to be worked on.

In our case it certainly worked. We racked up debts at the boatyard, got less work done and were at the mercy of the elements. Being able to use a vacant factory/wharehouse space much closer to our home(and my workshop) was cheaper and undercover and kept away the distractions.
The only downside is if you need boatyard workers to actually work ont he boat, if you are truly doing it for yourself, getting the boat moved to cheaper real estate is very practical.


Sasha


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## TSOJOURNER

Try look for good used sails. I find that i have had good luck with the people at Atlantic Sail Traders. www.usedsails.com Also find the surplus part houses in your area and go there often. You can never know what you might find. Good luck in your endevors

DRP


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## merc2dogs

www.baconsail.com very good


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## sailingdog

Was the boat stored/sailed/neglected in salt water or fresh? If the hull hasn't blistered, then it is very likely that the hull is fairly sound... blistering, at least on a fiberglass boat, would be a sign of problems, and would have occurred given the 10-years of recent neglect. The other major worries are the keel attachment point, and the deck core delamination. Some of the older boats had solid decks, and don't have this problem, but I don't believe that this is the case. 

Good luck, and always happy to help if I can. PM me if you have any specific questions.


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## resdog

You certainly have an adventure ahead of you. Personally...I would never attempt a 60 mile trip on an engine that hasn't been run in ten years, or one that was just started up occasionally to charge batteries. Consider the condition of all fuel lines and electric systems and crud/water in the fuel tank, raw water impeller, etc. If you have to move it by water, try to find a good friend with a powerboat and tow it to your destination.


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## FormerAdministrator

StillInShock said:


> Hi All
> It's hauled out in an expensive boatyard, and I feel like I have a "take advantage of me" sign on my back. Of course it shows that I'm a rank beginner.
> Suzanne


Welcome to the club. I cringe when I think about the money I gave away to crooks when I first got started in boating and over the years I have come to trust a few mechanics, riggers and glassmen who now get all of my business....

Some say you live and learn.

I say: You live and spend...


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## hellosailor

"the money I gave away to crooks" Yeah, don't think they are going to take advantage of you because you are a women. They'll take advantage of ANYONE they can. They honest vendors, the good mechanics...they're like gold and you'll only find them by the greatest of luck, or asking around until the same names pop up as blessed.

60 miles for a maiden trip...You might want to join BOAT-US and check out the towing insurance rates for members. In the worst case, if you need a tow...better this once to buy the year's insurance than get the big surprise out on the water. (And it WILL be a surprise.)

In the event that you are on the water within sight of "civilization" and for some reason the VHF radio doesn't work (note, buy a handheld or borrow one for your trip, don't trust whatever is aboard and unused for so long) in most of the US you can also dial *CG from any cell phone and you'll be connected directly to a USCG dispatcher. Most of the cell companies forget they ever offered the service, but it still seems to exist.


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## CharlieCobra

Welcome from a fellow Puget Sounder.


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## ebs001

Sign up for Towboat US or BoatUS with unlimited towing. It wll cost you abou $100 for a year and that way if your motor breaks down on your trip home you can get them to tow you the rest of the way at no additional cost plus you'll have a year of unlimited towing civerage left, always nice to have.


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## TSOJOURNER

Hi Still In Shock. 
As you can see, everyone goes through this at least once.. My advice is to go to your local Barnes and Noble and pick up a few books on do-it boat repair. For example, Modern Boat Maintenance. Even if you don't plan on fixing the boat yourself, you can at least figure out where to start and what you actually need. You can actually avoid getting ripped off just by seeming to understand what it is you are talking about. Enjoy yourself!


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## Skyking2

*Still in shock*

Hello, You have just inherited a very good boat. The boat was built by Yacht Contsructors in Portland and one of the original owners is still living I believe. The company was purchased and is still producing boats under the name Cascade Yachts, LLC.. So you (and other Cascade boat owners) are probably one of the few owners of OLD boats who can still get information about your boat from the Manufacturer. Listen to your surveyor and these folks on the forum they are givng you good advice. Have a great time with your new Baby.
P.S. You may already know what I just ran on about.
Fair Winds


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## Lostmt

Suzanne,
I am glad you made this post. I was thinking of buying a fix her up on ebay but have changed my mind. We are a long ways from any sailboat up here in Montana to even look at one. It's been my dream all my life to own and live on one. 

Thanks everyone for the great advice.

Have a great weekend
David


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## TSOJOURNER

*out there without sails*

I come from a divided family. Half are stink potters, the other half sailors. Guess who always gets home?

My kids (stink potters to the core because that's how you waterski, Mom) took me out one day last summer. And, as happens far too often, the motor quit. Fortunately for them, Mom the sailor was on board. We drifted until we could turn away from the wind, lowered the bimini to catch it, and sailed home. We couldn't tack, of course, and were limited to one point of sail. But, hey, it was better than swimming. I don't think the local fishermen had ever seen a ski boat sail before.

Right now Sea Venture's main boom is being rebuilt and my husband wants us to go play on the water without a main. I told him he's not getting me far from land unless the mizzen and genny are hoistable (we're putting in new Strong Track on both masts and new roller furling on the two headsail stays). I know he's the mechanical genius and his baby, the diesel, purrs. But after all those years of breakdowns in our NC boats (before Michael the genius entered the family), I'm hesitant to go anywhere in this cold, deep CA water without a rag to fly me home. I doubt Sea Venture's bimini will do the trick!

As for buying old boats and fixing them, we've been doing that for ages, but I'd sure hate to be at the mercy of a boatyard (as we were in Mexico for nine months). Now that we're doing all the work ourselves, we can pace it and know it's done the way it should be.

Blessings,
Normandie


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## seabreeze_97

*No friggin' way!!!*

60 miles?!?! Consult Sea Tow or any other tow company you can find for a tow, or as mentioned, a friend with a powerboat. See what kind of deal you can wrangle for a tow from point A to point B. You have a fine starting point in that boat. Don't risk getting out there and losing power, worse yet, spring a leak and have no juice tp pump it out. Have the biggest portable bilge pump you can find, and a serious deep cycle battery onboard. and ready. Even the portables are available with automatic switches that will kick in when water is sensed. After 10 years, you should plan on a thorough hull inspection. Wait, you said she was hauled out, right? Just get her hauled by truck. Don't skimp on the costs now. After all, BOAT stands for "Bring Out Another Thousand". You're gonna need to check/replace some seacocks, etc, so it's best to have her out of the water anyway. Yeah, I'm over-cautious, but that way, you get lots of second chances. You can only (usually) sink her once.


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## cardiacpaul

Please keep us updated!


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## TSOJOURNER

*inherited an old boat*

Please make sure that you have a working bilge pump before you set out on the waters of Puget Sound and also a hand held VHF. Just in case. 
I am surprised the the surveryor did not speak with you about some general problems with the boat or maybe you were not present at the time of survery.
You may want to check out the boat yard in Port townsend. Sounds like you are in the Puget Sound area. At least get the bottom painted and the shaft fixed. Hopefully you dont have any blisters if you do maybe they are just cosmetic. Do the things that make the boat safe and seaworthy , the cosmetics come later. 
Just my 2 cents from being a previous boat owner. 
Fair Winds to you


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## TSOJOURNER

*Have fun*

If you are going to motor her that far. Do pay attention to your anchor/s. I would also advise joining Sea tow, or one of the towing services. Not bad insurance for the first year for a first boat. Look around at the used sail lofts. A little time on the interned can save you lots. You could use a sail on your trip it is tough to get stranded with unknown engine. Also look at your fuel tank It will need to be cleaned if the boat sat that long. I have been cruising for twenty years any questions cheerfully answered. [email protected]
Capn Ken


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## TSOJOURNER

*Have fun*

If you are going to motor her that far. Do pay attention to your anchor/s. I would also advise joining Sea tow, or one of the towing services. Not bad insurance for the first year for a first boat. Look around at the used sail lofts. A little time on the internet can save you lots. You could use a sail on your trip it is tough to get stranded with unknown engine. Also look at your fuel tank It will need to be cleaned if the boat sat that long. I have been cruising for twenty years any questions cheerfully answered. [email protected]
Capn Ken


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## mdriscol

So how is it going? I think she looks like a beauty and I'm jealous. The interior looked good; dirt is just dirt and can be cleaned. I've always wanted to sail in your area.
My love is only 20 feet long but a sister ship completed the OSTAR in '68 so I feel safe in her. 
Keep us posted!


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## TSOJOURNER

*It's been a total success!!*

I've tried to visit and post several times, but this site has been down? Anyone know what is going on with it?

Anyway - We got the boat completely operational in mid-May. We spent a month taking her out as much as we could, then brought her home in mid-June.

She still has lots of problems (like the wiring must be replaced - I am so worried about fire danger), but we are keeping her operational while slowly fixing things.

I never knew how much fun (or how much work) it would be to be a sailboat owner, but I sure am glad to be here.

Now, I am trying to figure out the good places to visit in Puget Sound...


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## SteveCox

Congratulations! My new (old) Mariner 32 is coming home in a couple of weeks for a complete deck and house rebuild. Go and find "Gunkholing in South Puget Sound" and "Gunkholing in the San Juans" by Jo Bailey and Carl Nyberg. They are great books and will give you lots of info on history, getting around (currents and such), where to go and what to see throughout Puget Sound. Take the rebuild one step at a time, you'll learn a lot and have a tremendous sense of accomplishment at the end. You might want to buy "Boatowners Electrical and Mechanical Manual" by Nigel Calder. Really good info in there about boat systems. Once again, congratulations and good luck!


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## TSOJOURNER

I've bought a copy of Gunkholing in the San Juans, it's too far for a day-sail though.

Thanks for the tip on the mechanical book - I really could use more knowledge about boat electrical systems and special needs.

We want to put a refrigerator and a freezer on the boat. We were thinking we would just go with a fridge from Sears because they are so inexpensive and we have good inverter on board. Not sure if that is ok though. Are there more considerations besides just the 110/12V question?


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## SteveCox

In a word, yes. You will need to worry about the innards of the unit corroding away. Even inside the boat the air is still quite salt laden and any reisidential unit will not have the corrosion resistance it needs. Now, before someoe flames me by saying how their unit works fine, it will work for a while. If most of what you're doing is staying moored to a dock it may work fine for a long time, but fundamentally it's not built for the marine environment. Another issue may be access. Most marine cold lockers are top loading to keep the cold in and to prevent the contents from going everywhere when you open it while underway. A front loading residential unit may have a problem with that depending on location plus the door may not stay shut when the boat starts rocking and rolling. They're just not designed for boats.


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## Sasha_V

The other big issue is that domestic style compressors are designed to work on the dead flat and level. Rocking it around while it is working can cause all sorts of problems with the coolent.


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## sailingdog

Also, the refrigerators from Sears are probably not as efficient as some of the marine designs, as they don't design for a 12V power supply... which makes the designer work for efficiency, at least in a good design. Having effectively unlimited 120V AC power to work with means you can skimp on efficient designs.


Also, when you are doing the re-wiring, please make sure you get marine grade, tinned stranded copper wire, rather than the un-tinned non-marine use wire. Corrosion is a much bigger problem with the untinned stuff, and corrosion causes increased resistance, which can lead to fires.


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## CBinRI

The best of luck with this adventure. I became a boat owner well into my adult years. I was warned by someone more experienced that "owning a sailboat is like standing in a cold shower ripping up hundred dollar bills." I have found this to be true but would not trade it for anything.


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## Bill Mc

*Congradulations on your new boat!*

There is a wealth of Wit and Wisdom on this site so get as much information as you can before making your decisions. Slow and steady wins the race.

Fair Winds,
Bill


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## TSOJOURNER

Yes congratulations! 

I cannot help it, but I have to recommend seeing the movie "Captian Ron". My wife and I saw the movie just before taking our first sail lesson, and your story reminded me of it. 

We have bought our first boat (4 months after our three day lesson) and love our money pit (it is 27 years old and has not seen much maintenance).  

Welcome to the new-to-boating-yet-we-own-fixer-uppers club!


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## jswwrites

*Two peas in a pod...*

Hi Stillinshock... I'm not quite in shock, but am in a similar situation -- my 92 year old grandmother, who has still been sailing with an 80+ year old couple! -- just gave me her 1983 Newport 33. It is in better shape than your boat, because the husband of the couple has helped my grandmother with maintenance since my grandfather died 20 years ago, and he considered it "his" toy. However, as he's aged, the fiberglass and teak haven't gotten attention, and some of his "fixes" have been a bit...interesting. 

Right now the boat is in FL, and we'll be having it delivered to NC this month (cha-ching...I'd like to have done it myself, and would have if I'd known in June or July rather than mid-August, due to school schedules and things). I found a slip yesterday - hard to come by in this area - and am pleased because it's an old-fashioned DOCK rather than a new-fangled CLUB. Basically meaning I can work on the boat there and no one cares! And it's close to our house here at the coast, and we homeschool, so I should be able to do a lot before winter.

Here's what I know --

Fiberglass is seriously oxidized, chipped and dinged. We're going to try the New Glass 2 product on our motor boat and see if that works... If so, I'll do that plus Durabak (non-skid paint) on the deck. The bottom will need to be painted next spring, so I'll probably wait until it's hauled for that to decide on the hull fiberglass solution.

Whatever they didn't need for afternoon sailing hasn't been maintained: alcohol stove/oven hasn't been turned on since 1985, and the tank is scary; water tank has a leak "somewhere near the top" so they just haven't put a lot of water in it; head and shower are iffy; cushions aren't in too bad of shape but they are ITCHY and ugly.

The cabin sole teak was taken up after hurricanes left some water in the cabin in 2004, so it's just fiberglass now. I'm pondering that...

No electronics work except the engine hours, fuel guage (theoretically!), and the engine oil temp guage.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, I guess... The sails are being checked out by the guy who made most of them, and the self-furling jib is fairly new (but the main is original...). The rigging is new in 2004. The lines are mildewed and some frayed, but not terrible. The engine (Universal diesel 16hp) seems ok, throttle assembly ok. whew!

I'm looking forward to following your progress for inspiration on my own! Good luck!


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## hellosailor

jsw-
Beware of "miracle" restorers on fiberglass. Once the gel coat has taken UV damage and chalked, there is no real repair for it. You can wax it, shine it, polish it, or apply one of the new poly-whatever coatings to it, but many of those products will yellow and require stripping and re-application. Or, simply expensive application. And if you don't like them, removing them can be extremely difficult.
You might consider getting a plain old fashioned polishing wheel and looking for an auto body supplier in the area who carries 3M's refinishing supplies. They have the right materials to make old fiberglass and gelcoat look as good as it can, and then with routine waxing you have a fairly good solution that doesn't require an "miracles" to be invoked.<G>
The rest is one piece, one system, one etc. at a time. The boat should be a good tool for home schooling, there is nothing like navigation on a boat to bring the real use of math and trig into this world.
Very nice of Grandma!


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## jswwrites

*Gelcoat*

We're going to test the "restorer" on our Robalo 2020, which is a 2001 but apparently never compounded and waxed. I just spent several hours this weekend getting one of the gunnels done... Since this is an easily-redone boat and has some areas we can test (ie. the center console) without much risk and effort, we figured that's a good way to see how it does. I wouldn't test it on the sailboat! 

I grew up sailing - we had a Morgan 30 for years, and at the same time my grandparents had an Irwin before they got this Newport. I have been away from sailboats for a long time, and only in the last 5 years have we had a powerboat to ski, etc. So I am excited to be returning to my roots, and I love to renovate, restore, etc. (have done houses), so I'm looking forward to it! My husband was glad it was free, since that takes some of the pain out of the cost of the renovation. lol


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## tedsbeds

Dear Suzanne, 
It looks like a good boat,but the wrong boat unless you have unlimited funds. I am a boat addict and have resurected a few boats. If you want to go sailing soon, get your survey and put your inherited boat up for sale. If you want to spend years undoing ten years of neglect keep her. That boat might be worth $30,000 as is. $30,000 can buy a lot of boat that might be smaller but in better condition. But as I've said, if you'ld rather be scraping and painting and sanding and writing boat yard checks than sailing keep her.


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## blt2ski

Is home for this boat in Edmonds now, like E dock? A boat looking like this one showed up there about June or July!marty


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## blt2ski

Suzannes boat is Crystal Blue, which showed up on the E dock in Edmonds a few months ago looking like a derilect, now on F dock. While not a major transformation in looks etc, she is definetly looking like a boat that the owner loves and is taking care of her. She has gone from one of the worst looking/taken care of boats, to more on the ave look. 

She has been out of her slip more than most boats, so I will assume Suzanne is taking her out and using her. Yes there is still more work to do, like varnish the exterior wood, refinish the deck and cabin top, ie repaint, but, still better than before, and a work in progress that I hope to see continue to make Crystal Blue look better.

Marty


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## mike dryver

congrats on your new/old (not) boat!!!!! i would not launch until the motor was running on land. sitting for ten yrs. can raise hell with them. rings seize, seals dry-out, hoses/belts rot, the fuel left in the injector pump,lines injectors ect. needs to be cleaned out, fresh fuel should be run thru the motor ect. you are right as for stranding rigging and running rigging ect. the chain plates should be checked thoroughly as well as the bolts for same . ditto for main from prev. post. don't rush better safe than sorry. check steering, thru hulls, seacocks would need to be serviced , hoses for same stuffing box packing needs to be replaced, as does the rudder box if there is one. the electrical must gone over with a fine tooth comb. actually the whole boat. i am not an alarmist, or extremist, but the safety of you and the vessel are paramount to anything else. 60 miles does-not sound like a long distance but when something goes wrong on the way it can seem like the end of the earth, and an eternity. good luck in your endeavors with your new found child fair winds and blue skies


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## HRomberg

A pressure washer will do wonders for the glass. On&Off will take care of any stains (be really careful with the stuff though) and even the teak might clean up pretty well. Cool boat!


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## TSOJOURNER

*you got lucky*

hey suz it is worth the effort no matter what some days you will say why in the hell did i do this then one day you will sail along and the feeling will come over you YES IT WAS WORTH IT.  congrats. to you


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## blt2ski

I saw the OP and spouse a month or so ago. Boat is cleaned up, they both had smiles on their faces. Along with I'm seeing them out on a fairly regular basis!

Marty


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## tenuki

welcome to sailnet and edmonds marina, I'm down on U dock, U6 to be precise, stop by some time.


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## sailingdog

blt2ski said:


> I saw the OP and spouse a month or so ago. Boat is cleaned up, they both had smiles on their faces. Along with I'm seeing them out on a fairly regular basis!
> 
> Marty


Good to hear that...


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## blt2ski

Tenuki, she is up near you somewheres! She was initially last fall on the E and F docks near me. Then had to go to shilshole for a bit, now back in Edmonds, I seem to recall her saying she had a permanent slip vs what ever was availible. 

Marty


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## tenuki

StillInShock said:


> Now, I am trying to figure out the good places to visit in Puget Sound...


I'm guessing you've found this by now, but....

http://www.48north.com/parks/parks_title.htm


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## TSOJOURNER

Suzanne, 

The two most expensive things in the world are: 
1) A free sailboat, and 
2) A woman, free for the evening

Nebo, still drysailing a "free" trailer sailer


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## TSOJOURNER

There are some real benefits to owning and restoring a "beater." I bought a fixer upper and began to regret it as the money to restore it isn't insignificant. However I have learned that as your progress you learn about your boat, how to maintain it, what's working and not, what needs repairs "now," and most importantly, unknowingly you're learning about other boats as well.

If you ever want to do some serious long term cruising, the sweat equity and education you are under going now will stand you in good stead out there in the Briney deep when no one is around to help you. Most folks newer to boating purchase a new boat so they won't have to experience what you are, thinking this is a good thing. Ultimately, taking a boat up is paying your dues on the up keep and repair of such a vessel; the new folks miss out on this experience and they are the ones looking around helpless when the "....." conks out.


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## eryka

rsn48 said:


> There are some real benefits to owning and restoring a "beater." I bought a fixer upper and began to regret it as the money to restore it isn't insignificant. However I have learned that as your progress you learn about your boat, how to maintain it, what's working and not, what needs repairs "now," and most importantly, unknowingly you're learning about other boats as well.
> 
> If you ever want to do some serious long term cruising, the sweat equity and education you are under going now will stand you in good stead out there in the Briney deep when no one is around to help you. Most folks newer to boating purchase a new boat so they won't have to experience what you are, thinking this is a good thing. Ultimately, taking a boat up is paying your dues on the up keep and repair of such a vessel; the new folks miss out on this experience and they are the ones looking around helpless when the "....." conks out.


We did it this way too, and in retrospect are very glad of it. Our boat had been something of a floating condo when we bought it, pretty interior with brass & upholstery, but no "systems." We got the benefit of lower purchase cost and then selected and installed exactly the windlass, electronics, etc we wanted, and knew how to fix.


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## blt2ski

I noticed "Crystal Blue" on the hard going into the 4th weekend, then splashed sat the 5th. New white paint on the hull, a redo of the lt brown/tan deck, new varnish on the wood topsides, probably new bottom paint............she may be an old girl, but she still looks good! and PUUUUUURRRRRRRRRty too!

She is back to F dock next to a couple of other nice cruising yachts!

marty


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## skip57

Hi Suz -
Just found this website and signed up. I, too, have a sailboat that was free...well, almost free. That's what we have named her. She was sitting under a Mulberry tree for two years before we spied her. A lot of powerwashing, new paint, and refinished teakwood has made her quite a beauty. Lucky for us, the sails had been kept inside, so they were all in great shape. I now have learned how to sail Lake Huron and will be sailing in my first all woman race this September.
Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?!!!!!
Good Luck and have fun.


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## sailingdog

Congrats Skip... Welcome to the asylum... and what kind of boat is she???


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## mrhoneydew

I just read through this whole thread... wow, what a great project! Very inspirational as I will be doing something similar (only with more of an initial outlay.  ) Might have to stop by Edmonds on my way down to Seattle from Everett sometime to check out _Crystal Blue_... only from the sounds of things the boat's been away from the dock a lot! That's great!

P.S. thanks blt2ski for keeping the thread updated about status.


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## sailhagg

Well, I've not be in for a bit and had to read this thread from the beginning to catch up. I'm in Portland and the local Cascade 36's seem to go (in good condition) for about $80K. Yes, one of the orginial owners is still alive, Wade...he just had his birthday at our club last month, I think he's 93 now. Spry guy and past Commodore.

Some friends at the club just did a refit on their Cascade 36 and have headed off to Mexico. (yes, I'm pea green...)

As far as the fridge from Sears goes....my $.02. From 5th Wheel experience, they have to be kept level something not really do-able in a sailboat. If you have an ice box you might want to think about a conversion. You can see mine here:

A Simple Boat Refrigerator

It works great, works on shore power or 12 volt and best of all wasn't expensive and I put it in myself. Yes, I put it in myself, my hubby couldn't fit into the really small location spot 

Congrats on the boat...


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## blt2ski

mrhoneydew,

F dock is in the south end, she is the 2nd boat on the north side from the shore. Easy to spot, except when she is out the water! which is pretty often.........


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## mrhoneydew

blt2ski said:


> mrhoneydew,
> 
> F dock is in the south end, she is the 2nd boat on the north side from the shore. Easy to spot, except when she is out the water! which is pretty often.........


Thanks blt2ski! I will be headed down to Seattle in the next day or so and will plan on swinging by to have a look. I try to stop in at various marinas to look at various boats whenever I can.

Cheers,

don


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## blt2ski

She was gone last night when I went out in the becalm to sail with my kids. So hopefully she will be back when you drive by!


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## imagine2frolic

New member here, and I am reading through old post as well as current. As stated before about the knowledge you will gain by resurecting the boat.....ALL GOOD STUFF.....WELCOME to a new chapter in your life. Sometimes life is just GRAND!!!!!!.........BEST WISHES


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## captdave57

S I S, the first thing may be to give her a bath with a presure washer, and this may change your view of the wonderful project ahead. What a nice boat. There is a 36' Cascade here in Oregon (s/v Wyeast) I think it is called, and it is a beautiful sailing boat, that is in a lot of races, and a good running boat. Good wishes with er.
Saltydog


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## blt2ski

Crystal Blue as of 2/23/09

PUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTYYYYYYYYYY!

other than that blue tarp!


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## mgmhead

Sure is nice to see that Crystal Blue has been 'brought back to life' in a wonderful transformation. Congratulations, job well done.


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## captdave57

*Crystal Blue-wow-*



blt2ski said:


> Crystal Blue as of 2/23/09
> 
> PUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTYYYYYYYYYY!
> 
> other than that blue tarp!


This looks nice, and would you be haven any pictures of the inside of her?
Sure would be nice to see those. 
Side question,-,, Is this up in Washington State?


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## blt2ski

Dave,

Crystal blue is NOT my boat, but she is on the dock to the north of me here in Edmonds. I do see the couple that own the boat, and try to get her to repost the end results, but alas, she has not done so. I was at the marina monday, and there in front of me was a perfect opportunity to take a pic with her new deck/hull paint job as of last july 08. 

Compared to the first picx when the boat was picked up, she is looking good. I was hoping that maybe with a how she looks pic, folks would quite doing the how to fix her up! Then again, some will look at the OP, not look at the other 70 something posts and realize she has been fixed up!

She can be seen on the F dock from shore. Usually there is a pilot house Valient in the way.

marty


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## captdave57

*Crystal blue*

Hi Marty:
Okay, it is still a nice looking boat, I hope that whoever is doing such a god job, that they go forth and concure. I just thought that the picture was taken in Edmonds, I was looking for My boat there, I remember the back ground of your shot. Anyway, what-do-ya-know, I finily found my S/V Faithful Girl, in west Seattel. Hope all goes well. thanks for the bounce 



blt2ski said:


> Dave,
> 
> is NOT my boat, but she is on the dock to the north of me here in Edmonds. I do see the couple that own the boat, and try to get her to repost the end results, but alas, she has not done so. I was at the marina monday, and there in front of me was a perfect opportunity to take a pic with her new deck/hull paint job as of last july 08.
> 
> Compared to the first picx when the boat was picked up, she is looking good. I was hoping that maybe with a how she looks pic, folks would quite doing the how to fix her up! Then again, some will look at the OP, not look at the other 70 something posts and realize she has been fixed up!
> 
> She can be seen on the F dock from shore. Usually there is a pilot house Valient in the way.
> 
> marty


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## blt2ski

What kind of boat was SV Faithful Girl? Hoping it is not the one Jodie on here is trying to get rid of!

marty


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## captdave57

Hi there, 
Faithful Girl is a 31.6' Hunter, vintage 1986,, She is a fine sailing vessel, After we bought her is west Seattle we sailed her down to our home port in Portland, Ore. 

Captdave57


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## captdave57

Marty she is in my avatar


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## blt2ski

OKAY!
I was thinking you were talking about an older boat yet that you had yrs ago!

She is a pretty boat. I like the spin with the clover leaf on it! That must be one of the Portland bridges in the back ground then? Was thinking a LW floater, but brain said, no, that looks more Columbia river'ish.

Are you part of the Misty group in the cascadia email list?



Marty


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## captdave57

Yes that is right, the bridge in the distance is the I-205, over the Columbia River. 
Thanks for the complement on my boat,, she is a bit old but ya gota love the older ones. The real wood (teak) and holly soul, The warmth that the salon has. and no blisters at all. The long fin keel and the big dagger rudder give her great responce, style and control. I like her a lot, and sail'r often.


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## captdave57

What is the (MISTY Group?)


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## blt2ski

Cascadia

Look there!


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