Looking at converting this fishing boat: advice please
- Thread starter twirk
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dimer2
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Dude, sorry but run! That has all got to be gutted. Been there done that. Nothing against steel boats but they HAVE to been maintained. The rust that you can see is not where it stops. I now drive fiberglass.
Here's the engine room. Does anybody know what a Perkins diesel M215C sells for new? I have no experience with Perkins. What is the quality of these engines?
Attachments
Neither was I. I was quite shocked.
Apparently very little. The surveyor said it was at nine millimeters all over the hull. Which is the original hull thickness.
It does look horrible and obvious that EVERYTHING must be gutted to properly seal the the steel. It will be a mammoth task to remove rust and seal.
Also there is quite a bit of water damage around/under windows and mold on the backside of wood interior. It's all gotta be gutted completely.
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sunchaser
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The Perkins Sabre in this vessel is very good and identical to the Cat 3056, but how maintained is the key. The after cooler looks as if it has been changed, hopefully not any damage occurred prior to replacement.
BruceK
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I once bought a well used Nissan rally car, decided it was beyond further competition, ended up selling excellent mechanical parts off it, eventually sold the remainder of it, and made good $. The issue would be getting rid of what`s left, if that costs more than the salvaged parts bring after getting you a profit, it`s not feasible.
Tidahapah
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Twirk,
Just from a casual look at the photos, I think you would make more than your $2700.00 on reselling the Perkins and the extras off the boat and scrap the hull.
You may recoup enough for a deposit on your next boat.
cheers
Benn
Just from a casual look at the photos, I think you would make more than your $2700.00 on reselling the Perkins and the extras off the boat and scrap the hull.
You may recoup enough for a deposit on your next boat.
cheers
Benn
FWIW, the vessel looks longer than 36' to me. I don't have any objective basis - it just feels larger - at least 40'.
I can see the appeal - it does have nice lines, and some professional attention has been lavished on it in the past. But then there's the staggering neglect.
The engine is an anomaly - if you demonstrate it running, then yes, it would have value. If it's not running, then the value isn't likely to be significantly above the effort to remove it.
IMHO, the cost to properly dispose of this vessel would be on the order of $20,000. I know nothing about local conditions in Greenland - the steel might have some scrap value, the electronics might net you a few hundred dollars to even a thousand if you have a market for used electronics as spares. My gut feel is that Greenland is like Alaska - everything is damned expensive and folks just throw stuff away and buy new. With the short season to do anything on a boat, there just isn't time to screw around with stuff. You apparently have time, but then this would also be your window for making money like you're doing with the metal building. If you're anticipating this as a winter project...
But the real expense might come with the hazardous and toxic materials on the boat. Insulation? Contaminated fuel & oil? And what's that witches' brew in the bilge. I'm sorry, but properly disposing of this could cost you thousands of dollars.
Disposing of this boat where it sits is likely to be very challenging. Everything around it appears to have a much higher standard of, well - everything. Are you really thinking that the boat next door is going to let you light a torch without first setting up spark protection? Perhaps you can find an inexpensive place to move this boat to, but getting it there could cost thousands of dollars itself.
I'm sorry, but I look at this and all I see is liability - and not just in "boat units" of $1,000, but in tens of thousands.
I can see the appeal - it does have nice lines, and some professional attention has been lavished on it in the past. But then there's the staggering neglect.
The engine is an anomaly - if you demonstrate it running, then yes, it would have value. If it's not running, then the value isn't likely to be significantly above the effort to remove it.
IMHO, the cost to properly dispose of this vessel would be on the order of $20,000. I know nothing about local conditions in Greenland - the steel might have some scrap value, the electronics might net you a few hundred dollars to even a thousand if you have a market for used electronics as spares. My gut feel is that Greenland is like Alaska - everything is damned expensive and folks just throw stuff away and buy new. With the short season to do anything on a boat, there just isn't time to screw around with stuff. You apparently have time, but then this would also be your window for making money like you're doing with the metal building. If you're anticipating this as a winter project...
But the real expense might come with the hazardous and toxic materials on the boat. Insulation? Contaminated fuel & oil? And what's that witches' brew in the bilge. I'm sorry, but properly disposing of this could cost you thousands of dollars.
Disposing of this boat where it sits is likely to be very challenging. Everything around it appears to have a much higher standard of, well - everything. Are you really thinking that the boat next door is going to let you light a torch without first setting up spark protection? Perhaps you can find an inexpensive place to move this boat to, but getting it there could cost thousands of dollars itself.
I'm sorry, but I look at this and all I see is liability - and not just in "boat units" of $1,000, but in tens of thousands.
pilothouse king
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Where would you go with it, and what will you do when you get there? You mentioned everybody there has fast boats to "go and comeback". There's probably a reason, like the ability to pull in a garage for winter storage, and ability to change out motors with just a hoist or tow truck vs having to be dependent on yards. If it was me up there, I would be asking myself "why am I here, when the Caribbean or the Mediterranean is just down there?"
funangler
Senior Member
It really comes down to are you willing to gut the boat and rebuild it from scratch. Do you have all the tools and a inside location to do it from. I suspect it is cheaper to buy a boat and bring back home then it is do it in Greenland. My boat is named the endless endeavor for a reason I bought it for the price of a hull 10 years ago. I work part time for the local towboat company just the access to tools and workshops.
Billylll
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How does someone live in a boat that's on land? Looking at all the water and gunk inside areas of the hull it can't be a healthy place to live? I see a heating system I guess there's a boiler for it that generates the heat? The motor looks good although how do you get the tenant/ renter out of the boat? Is there any legal obligations where the boat is located? I wouldn't waste my time purchasing and parting it out. I know nothing about steel boats as in -0- knowledge...
Bill
Bill
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The engine/gear itself runs at least for that price, $2700. Then you have all the rest of the equipment. Yet you need to calculate labor costs to strip that hull.
High Wire
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I can't see a break even or not losing your shirt trying to rescue this one. Let it go and find a nice boat to cruise on first. If you even like to cruise, then maybe find and rebuild another down the line a bit. You will find out there is much more than a hull and cabin that needs attention on a boat of this size. There will always be a boat needing rescue somewhere.
Thanks for all your replies. I have decided to not try to salvage the ship. It's not worth my time. You guys' opinions also helped me to walk away from that idea.
My last ditch option that I'm looking into is a company here that might be interested in taking the hull off my hands for free after I've taken all the valuable parts out. I'll know by early next week I believe.
My last ditch option that I'm looking into is a company here that might be interested in taking the hull off my hands for free after I've taken all the valuable parts out. I'll know by early next week I believe.
Oh nobody is living in this boat currently.
And yes, it would be a terribly unhealthy place to live. All that mold and humidity. Nasty.
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You're right, the boat is 12.5 meters in length, which translates to about 41'.
In the smaller settlements here in Greenland it's typical to toss engines and buy new, but in the larger towns people have got better at repairing/reusing.
psneeld
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My old boss has become fairly wealthy at buying crap and leasing it out on one time jobs....if it survives past that...it's all profit.
If the boat is essentially seaworthy. but just rusty, that description fits about half the world's fishing fleets.
The part of the world you are in as you said....is an expensive place...for $2700 there might be the odd job it's suited for and you can be turning profit in no time...just something to think about.
My old boss bought one of the Cape May/Lewes ferries for a song... he's selling the equipment off, scrapping the superstructure and turning the hull into a barge.
One of his first projects was an old, sunk, salvaged houseboat. He stripped it, decked it and is still leasing it out, over 20 years later.
If the boat is essentially seaworthy. but just rusty, that description fits about half the world's fishing fleets.
The part of the world you are in as you said....is an expensive place...for $2700 there might be the odd job it's suited for and you can be turning profit in no time...just something to think about.
My old boss bought one of the Cape May/Lewes ferries for a song... he's selling the equipment off, scrapping the superstructure and turning the hull into a barge.
One of his first projects was an old, sunk, salvaged houseboat. He stripped it, decked it and is still leasing it out, over 20 years later.
Good idea. Although I wouldn't be that interested in that type of business
Beautiful boats them there.
Yeah there isn't much interior space in that trawler I was looking at. I've definitely decided not to restore this boat.
BruceK
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Amazing how something that looks ideal and irreplaceable looks the reverse of that after some time and thought. Not just boats either. There is always another, as good or better, and every one that interests you adds to your reference bank of information. Good luck with your search.
Seems like a wise decision. Even getting something like this for free might not be such a good move because salvaging and scrapping could wind up costing you money, especially when it comes to hazardous materials (diesel, oils, asbestos,etc.).
Going one step further, even building a personal cruiser from scratch with a full set of plans in-hand for a commercial boat didn't make sense to me in the end, especially thanks to some hard feedback from contributors on this Forum and others.
