My Trawler restoration

Hey guys,

I am new to the world of boating and everything boat...so bare with me. I just got myself a 10-13 metres trawler, Old Irish Fishing boat. I am considering doing it up as a 'live-on-board. The last owner took the engine and the propeler , but the structual integrity of the vessel is intact . I am intending striping it of all comercial fishing stuf.

Right, there you have it in some what a nutshell.

Any thoughts...I would be more than Happy. thanks.


-- Edited by Spirit Of The West on Thursday 16th of February 2012 05:13:20 PM

Bryan--- You've got the only actual trawler on this forum.* All the rest of us have wannabe cabin cruisers.

I've not been to Ireland (yet) but I have watched the langoustine trawlers at work out of Mallaig, Scotland.* And I have a good friend who for years was one of the owners of Sceptre, the British challenger for the America's cup in the first 12-metre race after WWII.* He sailed that monster all over the Irish Sea, around northern Ireland, and northern Scotland.* From what I've seen of that area, it looks like really interesting boating country.

Have fun with your restoration project.* There have got to be engine shops in your area or across on the Scotland side who know about the engines used in these boats and where one might find one.* You might even start with the diesel shops that serve the active fishing fleets on both sides of the Irish sea.* Those guys in Mallaig, for example, have to get their parts and service somewhere.

What kind of engine do you need?* The only person I know in that area who's involved with power boats is a guy in England who restored*wood Grand Banks from a pile of sticks, including rebuildng the engine.* He is reecently retired, and he may have some ideas of contacts for you regarding an engine for your boat.* I'll be happy to contact him but it would be good to be able to tell him the type of engine you're looking for.

Oh boy, Marin it is with a certain type of feeling that one gets when you are being told that you are the "only one". Ha ha! feels fab. So I just got this boat last week and already things are looking up spirit about the entire project. the locals think good of the venture so far. The Volvo Ocean race will finished here in the west of irelnad, where i live; so there has already been some offers from the people wanting to help with the restoration ground works. Its a little bit tricky cause I have a path. But if you see Galway city right now...the place is mushrooming into a festival. Check out the Volvo Ocean Race thing. You might love the idea.

For a "live aboard" dock queen it would be far easier to simply arrange a tow than actually spend $10K top $50K to repower the boat.

Hey FF, Its my first and foremost plan to restore in stages. 1) To restore the "Spirit Of The West" to a state of glory it has yet to experience. Not withstanding, I am not nieve That financial hurdles will come my ways; Hence my gratitude to feedbacks like yours and others. 2) To fragment the over-all plan in to splinter activities and treat each as a steping stone to the full aim. In doing this I intend to bring it to a liveaboard state. Then I will be abble to stay on board longer hours in the coming months and get more done.

I give myself a 3 year window to source an engine, propeller and to restore the electrical system, thus regaling the life-line of my boat. What you think so far FF? Yep its ganna be a journey of no easy feet, certainly not for the faint of heart. But seeing that I am an artist "Landscapist, And I have one published book to my name, There has to be a book in all of this dubious expirince somewhere...dont you think?

I myself think I am off to a smashing start, seeing that I have joined you smarties on this forum site. Trust me! I have learnt so much already and looking foreward to more members repling to my Progress.

Hey Spirit: That old tub is darling. It would make a nice looking restoration, but I suppose you've got lots of work to do under that deck. With that kind of capacity, may as well build yourself the pilot house of your dreams. Looking forward to seeing your progress. My guess is that you had a Giles, Lister, or Gardner for power, yes?

Hey Healhustler, You bet your money I have alot of space onder the deck. The thing is, the last owner took the propeller and the engine with him for this new boat he recently bought...think he is planing on useing it for spear parts. Anyways it was apart of the deal I made with him.

Now with that said, You just teach me alot just now by asking me the last question on my choice of power. So i went and did a quick search about these guys and I like what I saw; especailly that 'Gardner dude' that is big into restoration of engines. But Ireland is a big boating Country and I now agregated more than a few 'downloaded engine details' from some of these sites. I will use some of these details to go hunting.

Everone around me seems to own a boat of some type. But talking to the locals in the west of Ireland takes time, prudency and courage; because most of them falls in the over 50 age groupe and therefore tend to be abit reserved...but once you got talking, you need witchcraft to get rid of them ha ha!

Alot of the deck needs to be gutted and repair the areas I am planning to keep. You will all see pictures of my progres as I go along. I intend to strip all signs of comercail fishing from it. I have a degree in engineering, that I have kept on the back burner for sometime now, because I had changed career some years ago and became a full time Artist/musician and writer.

So to cut a long story short, I am now going to go fishing for a second hand engine to match some of the details i have retrieve from those sites.



-- Edited by Spirit Of The West on Friday 17th of February 2012 12:03:00 PM


-- Edited by Spirit Of The West on Saturday 18th of February 2012 01:57:52 PM

Bryan---* Here is part of the reply that I got from the fellow I know who restored a GB in the UK...

--------------------------
I think that finding an engine for his boat should be fairly easy as many of the old trawlers have been decommisioned due to the fishing regulations. many of these are now just rotting in harbours.
One of the yacht clubs around here bought one for £5000 to use as a committee boat during races, all it has on board is a cooker for making drinks and some chairs to sit on. loads of room but still has a slight smell of fish.

If you can find out what type of engine he is looking for I will ask around.

I will also say that I have a couple of friends that were live aboards on one and they tell me that there is nothing sophisticated about repairing a fishing boat.

Pass this on to him as it is probably a Gardner in his boat.

http://www.tangent-engineering.co.uk/?gclid=CJybjZH3pK4CFYUgfAodlgN-Rg

http://engines.apolloduck.co.uk/boats.phtml?id=1722
_________________


-- Edited by Marin on Friday 17th of February 2012 12:09:46 PM

Good day to you. I have done something similar.

My boat is an x commercial power trawler. Used in the PNW for salmon. a 10 thousand lb fish hold and hydraulics for running everything.

I bought a hull and motor so I am one up on you.**The rest I had to rebuild myself.

They talk about a labor of love. I can say it has been that or more like an obsession.

So have fun but don't put a time limit. It will take 5 times as long as you think.

Sd

All the best luck to you.
I've never bought a boat that wasn't a project so I know the lure that got you.

Nice project. Can't wait to read the book!
You should post pictures of how she looks inside.

Thats the thing Fotoman, Ireland is nutorious for it's rain fall. This country is a rain forrest without the forrest, ha ha! I have barely gotten a chance to go do much but **** loads of pics are on the way, 'without a doubt guys. Our dodgy weather man/forecaster made an attempt to asure us of good weather starting sunday...so we will see.

Yesterday late I was talking to one of the local fisher men that owns a fish shop, and he was telling us about a masive amount of decomissioning taking place concerning old trawler boats; said there should be loads up for grabs for a "Saint Patrick-like-price" from these boats around the place.

I have not a engine but a place to put it. The last owner sold it to a university* research team. But I have been diging around and there are lots of old engine to go around. There will be a steady flow of whats going on with this Boat when the weather changed in the west of ireland here.