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Old 06-26-2010, 05:57 AM   #1
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conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

I bought a 50' ex navy utility boat to convert it into river trawler/*cruiser ; does anybody know where I can get the stability drawings?
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Old 06-27-2010, 05:35 AM   #2
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

I have a 50 Utility and have never come across the stability info.

O do know the USN ran them with 153 , 150 pax , a boats and a striker and one lone marine .

When used as commercial tour boats about 70 was the Sub T limit , and that was befotre the heavier inclining weights.

The boat is very robust , ours used to be a lobster supply boat , running out 100 miles or so and offloading food and bait , returning with traps filled with lobster.

As a cruiser the biggest hassle if you go offshore, is the stock limited fuel supply.

Depending on the speeds you run 200G may only last most of a day.

At slow 7k the burn is under 3gph , so its not bad , if 12K is not in the plans.
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Old 10-23-2010, 07:52 PM   #3
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

OWEIS,If you're still around I recomend you try at Willard Owners Group on Yahoo. Someone at Willard may know also.
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Old 10-24-2010, 07:25 AM   #4
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

Yachtworld has a VERY Nice 50' UTB for sale. It is a 1977 hull (Uniflite) and the conversion was done in 2005. John Deere 4 cylinder engine with very professional looking woodwork etc.
These hulls were under cover (on Ships) for most of their life. Many sailor proof features such as
thick fiberglass heavy rub rails, steel encapsulated backbone (for lifting) and fire retardant resin.
The YW listed boat is around 89k- a lot of boat for the money. It probably will sit unsold for a long time due to not being a Normal yacht. A perfect loop boat- Fast Fred will atest to that!
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Old 10-24-2010, 11:03 AM   #5
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conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

A perfect loop boat- Fast Fred will atest to that!

It is indeed, but the yacht conversion might cost one of the best features , the hull has sufficient built in flotation to function if holed.

The Navy "abandon ship" plan for a carrier was to elevator these up to the flight deck and use a bulldozer to push them over the side.

That's 80 ft or so of free fall , and they were expected to mostly survive.

As the bird farm keel sits deep in the water, in some liberty ports the ride to shore could be long.

To keep the Capt from needing to send 152 letters (so sorry about the death of your kid) from a simple wave filling the boat , the flotation was standard.

For the flotation to work (yes the USN has N.A.'s) the volume of flotation is quite large.

On our lobster boat it was felt a positive to leave it installed , although on many pleasure boats its removed.

For our use the fwd lifting reinforcement was the perfect spot for a large bollard.

Remenber these boats only came with a couple of cleats , and no ground tackle handeling gear , they were seldom tied up never anchored.. They would simply be hoised back aboard.

The aft lifting eyes will be used for the flopper stopper arm mounts.

-- Edited by FF on Sunday 24th of October 2010 12:06:57 PM
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Old 02-25-2011, 02:08 AM   #6
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

Just bought a Willard 40 utility boat,am waiting on delivery here in Australia.
Was wondering if anyone received a boat information book with their utility boat,or how to go about getting one?
Thanks
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Old 02-25-2011, 02:58 AM   #7
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

Bluetide,
How is the utility boat comming out.
Deck cargo or dockwise.
What are your plans for it and where are you based.

Benn
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Old 02-25-2011, 03:36 AM   #8
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

Bluetide
Tell us about the boat. We know it is an ex-Navy UTB. These conversions are interesting, we want to know how you came about the boat etc.

Your plans to use it and anything else you want to share with us.
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Old 02-25-2011, 04:31 AM   #9
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

Thanks for your interest,
Will be coming out RoRo,
Found the boat at auction.
Built 89,served with navy 92-95,put into storage in 95 when her ship was Decommisioned,stayed in storage till Dec 2010,
Hoping to convert into a water taxi,like the Willard Aquabus.
Marine Board will need to do hull samples to see if it is up to our USL CODES.This is a bit of a gamble,if it does not meet the criteria the boat will be as good as useless to me,fingers crossed.
Should arrive mid April,was mid March but has been dropped off in Panama for a clean to fulfill our Quarantine requirements and missed it's sailing date.
Will be deliverd to Melbourne.
Bluetide.
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Old 03-01-2011, 03:49 AM   #10
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

"Marine Board will need to do hull samples to see if it is up to our USL CODES.This is a bit of a gamble,if it does not meet the criteria the boat will be as good as useless to me,fingers crossed."

AS with most US PAX carrying boats the resin used was usually Hetron FR , this is USCG standard for fire retardant boats.

No problem killing 6 or less on a high burn resin boat , but the USCG needs both FR and a 400% "overbuilt " factor.

The concept is if it is stiff enough to be rigid and not flex , it will have an unlimited service life, so safe for PAX.

With full foam flotation , fill the boat with a hose and it floats no problem, chop it in half , both halves float , I can not concive of it not surpassing any burorat "requirements".

There is of course a collision bulkhead , and all the systems ,monel fuel tanks with deck shutoffs , and the rest are very commercial style , no yachtcrap.
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Old 03-02-2011, 03:30 AM   #11
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

FF
Thanks for the reasurance,i did put a lot of effort in researching these utility boats and was quietly confident it would pass our survey requirements.
I have received a contact at the NAVSEA library where i might be able to obtain all info on the boat,stability,layup and all tech specs.Will let you know how i go.
News today is the boat will be landing in Melbourne March 27.
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Old 03-05-2011, 04:06 AM   #12
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

Ours is a Uniflite , but its the same boat, different builder , same Specs.

The Utilities were built as Launches not sea boats.

As most boats are built fairly heavily , the extra strength of a stronger hull would not be a great advantage.

Yes as a lobster supply boat she regularly went out 75-100 miles , summer and winter.

THe largest danger with ours is the 15 ft long cockpit aft , that could hold a lot of water .

Someday I will plug the drains (old TT hawse holes) and time how long it takes for the water to drain.

And will be adding more drains if its much over 2 min.
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Old 03-05-2011, 01:24 PM   #13
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

FF.* How about adding a nice big "bloatboat"* aft cabin?

I am sure you would like that!!!!!

JohnP
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Old 03-06-2011, 04:32 AM   #14
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

NO thanks,, a 10x15 open after deck , with a $75.00 10x10 folding sun shade takes care of our needs all summer.

We prefer to be ON the water , sitting a bit up (6-8 inches ) than looking down from the top of a floating shed at the water nearby.
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Old 03-27-2011, 05:45 PM   #15
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

Boat arrived yesturday,had the quarantine inspection this morning and the quarantine inspecter would not climb a ladder 4 meters to do the inspection.What has this world come to?

Now will have to have boat moved to another site at unknown cost,also have to pay $500 to hire a scissor lift so our precious AQIS inspector can do his job.

Hopefully the boat will pass.

*
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Old 03-28-2011, 03:50 AM   #16
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

Sounds like the inspector has been behind a desk to long.
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Old 03-28-2011, 03:57 AM   #17
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

Sounds like the inspector is a standard issue Gov employee, breathing for his pension.

He missed a great chance , climbing the ladder could have been so stressful, that it created a "condition " (for his Union doctor) to massage into early retirement ).

Not many NYC cops make it past the 18 year point where "a condition" will qualify for full pension.

At 38!
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Old 04-11-2011, 03:55 AM   #18
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RE: conversion of 50' willard ex navy utility boat

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/boatcat/cat-0091.htm

This is a great site that lays out most all the Navy boats.
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Old 07-08-2012, 09:47 AM   #19
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A 50' Willard showed up here and was anchored out near in front of my house. Still dont know who she belongs to or where its been. Hull# 50UB8809 .She came in fling a US flag,odd. BB
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Old 07-08-2012, 10:26 AM   #20
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One of my neighbors in our marina has an old Willard or Uniflite conversion. Apparently it was a utility boat on a cruiser. Detroit Diesel. Quite a head-turner around here. The slip he's in is 34' so the boat's about that LOA.
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