If it looks like a Gypsy, is it a Gypsy? Boat ID help request

Found this "gypsy" and thinking about restoring her, looks like a LOT of work. Trying to establish heredity and bone structure - started with 23andMe and didn't get much, tried Ancestry.com and didn't get much but at least a hint. Studied photos and she looks like an Island Gypsy 32 except for the wood looking slats on the bow...I'm seeking help with year, make and model ID.

Also, is there a trailer (highway legal) that can be found for this boat? Boatyard rates and such make resto a challenge, would be nice to park her in my driveway

Unless it is less than a $1,000 and you buy the boat, you may very well have your last "life's mission" in your life. Way too much exterior varnish work. You have no idea the history and condition of the engines either.

serial number is hidden just under the swim platform, centered. Probably covered in paint. It will give you all info you need. I am guessing it is a late 80's IG 30. Interior does not appear to be a 32. Agree, condition of engine and transmission would be significant factors in go/no go decision. Also agree it's value is in the $1000-2000 range.

SoWhat OldDan, tell me a little more. Lowest priced IG30 I see is almost $40k and that is a 76, so I'm thinking these are worth fixing but hey, being TodBall and wanting to stay retired makes me think maybe not.

TallManTod said:

SoWhat OldDan, tell me a little more. Lowest priced IG30 I see is almost $40k and that is a 76, so I'm thinking these are worth fixing but hey, being TodBall and wanting to stay retired makes me think maybe not.

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Makes a nice retirement project if you are comfortable with mechanics, carpentry, electronics, fiberglassing, etc. If the engine won't bar over I would probably pass.

I am in doing the exact same thing. Restoring an IG30. In the second year. Finally going in the water next week. I would not start a project based upon potential worth. Either you enjoy the restoration process or you enjoy boating. It is a huge amount of work and time and I don't keep track of the costs. Varnishing is a forever kind of job. Refinishing the deck will probably finish off my knees. Lying on my back with a belt sander taking off years of bottom paint is NOT enjoyable.

For example: Port transmission rusted solid. Rebuilt with all new bearing, clutches, oil pump, etc. Port engine barred over. Replaced starter, fresh water pump, all coolers and heat exchanger, raw water pump, replaced complete exhaust system, added raw water filtering, added racor fuel filtering. The hard part of the story to tell is the hours trying to remove frozen bolts to get the exhaust elbows off. The hours spent removing snapped bolts and installing heliciols (The removal of the transmissions a second time to reindex the oil pumps the correct way)

Engine parts alone are probably north of $4000. And that's just the port engine. I'm not doing it for future economic benefit. I like to keep busy and I enjoy puzzles. Wife thinks I'm nuts.

Having the boat on the hard 5 minutes from my house makes it doable. If I had to drive for an hour I would not have done it. I have finished major mechanical systems and hull but have not started on interior. When I am done I will have a boat restored to my specifications and plan on checking the oil now and then.

(Note: When I bought my 3 decker in Boston 10 years ago I took it down to the studs. Two years later it was a brand new house. I did the whole project but brought in subs for some of it. Completely rewired, new plumbing, new heating systems (furnace installation subbed) the house was completely gutted, redesigned, and rebuilt. (Wife thought I was nuts)

Is that boat in Portland. CT ?
I think I looked at it a few years ago and walked away.

I love working on boats as much as running them. We are on our 23rd boat now. Usually what happens is I get finished working on them and then look for something else to work on so I sell it and buy another. However our current boat maybe the last one for us since I am getting older and arthritis is starting to take its toll. The teak decks on our sundeck refinishing project this last winter almost did me in. If you enjoy working on boats then go for it. My storage barn is a mile from our house so I work on it all winter. As far as moving it, a trailer for a boat that size will cost around $7k plus and you will need permits to move it. I would look for a boat mover to put it on your driveway and it will cost much less. It will make working on the boat much much easier. Trips back and forth to get a tool that I forgot gets old even a mile away. Besides it will motivate you to get it done in order to get it out of the driveway. Good luck, hope it works out the way you want it to.

I'm all for rebuilding and saving old boats. That's why I am building one from scratch. I have helped or had a hand at some point in someone's build enough to know that I wouldn't rebuild an old boat, especially if it has a lot of exterior wood. Again, if the engines and transmissions are serviceable, you might do OK, but I would never look at a boat as an investment or a money maker.

I look at it as an investment, an investment of my time and money that I will never recover but it is what I like to do so it is ok.

Looking at the pics.... where do you start?

First you have to stop the bleeding so to speak. Make a list of all the problems and then decide which are causing further damage and start there. Unfortunately many people that start a restoration do the cosmetic things first because they want it to look nice and then have underlying major problems and they have run out of either money or enthusiasm.

and my second question.... does it ever end?


obviously, bringing a boat back from that condition is not my cup of tea....

KenM said:

and my second question.... does it ever end?


obviously, bringing a boat back from that condition is not my cup of tea....

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Never!!! Always more to do and upgrade.

Hey most all, thank for ruining the potential energy here, ya know unsolicited advice damages self-esteem. I'm thinking that using the time and money to help poor young women with a lot of college loan dept is probably time and money better spent. That way you know what the money gets you. I'm just sayin.

TallManTod,


Here's a thread for a guy in Australia that did a complete rebuild. The outcome is looking great. Maybe an interesting read for you.



Hendo's Randall 35 Cray Boat complete rebuild, Perth, Western Australia

KenM said:

and my second question.... does it ever end?


obviously, bringing a boat back from that condition is not my cup of tea....

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The day you sell it. Unless you sell it to a friend.

Looks to be an IG30, built by Kong & Halvorsen. There should be a makers plate screwed to the timber panel above the "windscreen".
Unless replaced engine is likely to be a single Ford Lehman 80 or 120 hp.
Restoration is likely to be an heroic and courageous if not a "character building" exercise.It looks like someone else ventured down the "restore" path already. You should check the hull for osmosis, it`s common in IGs.
Restored, it will be a lovely boat. I won`t rain on your parade,good luck with it.

I hope you didn’t take anything I said as negative. I am all for renovating boats. We once took a 29’ flybridge boat down to a bare hull and did a renovation. It was a lot of work but bery rewarding when it hit the water.

Play with this one while you are looking for a better one. Pass it along to someone else to finish. Use it for sunrise coffee and sunset beer out by the sea buoy. Minimal work, more for fun. Unless it turns out to be better than it looks.