Converting sailboat to powerboat

[Nomad Willy]

Sailboats will not only roll w/o their rigging and ballast but pitch energetically too.

Most sailboats are skinny at both ends probably to promote efficient running w light winds. It works it seems as most boaters know it takes very little power to drive them. When I re-powered my Willard I sold my Perkins engine to a man w a 40’ sailboat. A 107 cu.in. Diesel hailing from WWII and English taxi cabs wasn’t much power. I never did see the man again but I assume the Perkins was power enough .. and after all it was “auxiliary” power.
And the sb hull is rather speed restricted w her fine ends. Good for speeds well below hull speed but rec trawler skippers are rarely satisfied BELOW hull speed. And the high efficiency of the fine ended sb dosn’t extend to hull speed motoring.

I had a lot of thoughts about converting a sb before I bought a 30’ Willard. I didn’t find many sailboats w full ends and I can now only remember one.. the 27’ and quite popular Albin sb. They have the rudder ahead of the prop tho.

Generally stay away from ballasted boats and find a center board boat. But lead ain’t cheap so a ballasted sb may turn a good coin selling the lead. Or keep it for possible use as bilge or bow ballast. You may want a bit of bow ballast to keep pitching down to a tolerable level.

But concentrate on the full ended hull. And avoid sb’s w a wide stern and skinny bow. They have undesirable directional issues quartering seas.

 

[O C Diver]

As I recall, this was a Gulf Star sailboat conversion.









Ted

 

[KnotYet]

Missing the point you are making.
...
As mentioned a cat makes a better conversion to power.

Was made here:

Hi, the mast slows down the roll movement. without a mast the movement is annoyingly fast and boating is not comfortable.
...
Nbs

 

[Jeff F]

As I recall, this was a Gulf Star sailboat conversion.



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Ted

Yep. I saw that boat on the western Erie Canal a few years ago.

 

[Simi 60]

already do that .
We take a look at an another interesting hull in Australia.
narrow, well built, light , not so expansive, two "side board" (who it could be usefull) and the covid arrived and storage ashore was at an huge price(for waiting the end of covid or at less the end of the access restriction to reach in Australia ... Don't go further.It was a 90' Dubois design Ragamuffin

The one in your pic is not Ragamuffin, but it was a modified yacht

OUR BOAT
The concept of taking a well-respected ex-racing yacht and converting it to a serious ocean passage making motoryacht is not new. By reducing the yacht’s displacement by removing the sailing rig, modifying the keel, and installing a larger engine you create an extraordinary explorer yacht

https://oceanswithoutlimits.com/

 

[mvweebles]

Hi,

Artickle

How we converted our wooden sailboat into a charming motoryacht

https://www.mby.com/features/how-we-converted-our-wooden-sailboat-into-a-charming-motoryacht-120042

NBs

WOW! Nicely done - given the emphasis in this thread on snap-roll when mast is removed, I liked the commentary by the builder/designer advising not to remove ballast on this modification.

Great story, and an extraordinarly beautiful boat. Well done!

Peter

 

[Jeff F]

Oh there are some great candidates. I've had my eye on this guy - the one on the left - for a long time. But I can't put a case together, even if it were free.

 

[BlueRidge]

North Baltic Sea, and MYWeebles have both shown the boat that made me think of the idea. (green hull shown above)

Owners of the Nigel Irens designed Roxanne sailboat approached the designer about converting their fifteen year old - beloved sailboat - into a powerboat for their retirement years. Clearly the way to achieve the best outcome.

Lots of post storm "dead" boats down here, in yards or parking lots, even now.

I'd use the boat in the Bahamas, probably pay the fees and store the boat there with the knowledge that one day a Hurricane would ulltimately claim the boat for good.

Hence the idea of converting to powerboat with minimal cost and minimal loss.

 

[BlueRidge]

SIMI 60:

I've seen a couple of boats like this. They start with an ocean racing hull, which I gather lose value quickly as technology advances. No one wants an old "obsolete" racing hull so they often sell at low cost with transportation "away" being the largest cost.

And they convert them to cruising sailboats or fast trawlers. Thanks for the link and example.

 

[BlueRidge]

Hello Nomad Willy,

I'd like to send you a PM, but your mail box is full and can't accept new messages.

Thanks

 

[BlueRidge]

SIMI 60:

Turns out Acharne, the converted sailboat is for sale!

9 to 10 knots upwind, and 12 knots downwind on 2.5 gallons per hour! At over 20 tons and 75 feet.

https://www.yachtfocus.com/en/used-.../147531/ultra-light-displacement-trawler.html

 

[long-cours.62]

I know it

The one in your pic is not Ragamuffin, but it was a modified yacht

not Ragamuffin
As Y tried to wrote Ragamuffin was for sale in Australia, and still in his sailing condition .
The another it is Acharné who was for sale in Indian sea and later in South Africa, she was for sale for year .
The price if I remember started at 480000€ and down on the region of 200000€.
I don't see her anymore on Yachtworld and the broker don't answer at my last inquiry (ok he reply the 2 first time but not when I asked for more details)
If you go on the website of the people who do the conversion you can read "lot of heavy slam" when heading on the wind (I think remember somewhere in the north of PortoRico ...may be ).
Ragamuffin was for sale unconverted in the region of 70/80000€ (with mast, sails , keel, winch a 150hp (you could "mask propeller and shat in the hull ...)
But covid, very big charge on dry stand, can't fly and can't let her for a long period aschore.But could be an interresting base for a minimalist conversion

 

[Simi 60]

Ragamuffin was for sale unconverted in the region of 70/80000€ (with mast, sails , keel, winch a 150hp (you could "mask propeller and shat in the hull ...)
But covid, very big charge on dry stand, can't fly and can't let her for a long period aschore.But could be an interresting base for a minimalist conversion

She dropped a lot
Last listing I found was $1,000,000 USD or 920,000 euro
https://www.vicsail.com/be-a-sydney-hobart-contender-this-year-ragamuffin-90-is-on-the-market/

 

[long-cours.62]

Your link

She dropped a lot
Last listing I found was $1,000,000 USD or 920,000 euro
https://www.vicsail.com/be-a-sydney-hobart-contender-this-year-ragamuffin-90-is-on-the-market/

for a 2015 article, I contacted the broker at the end of 2020.
I remove the file from my laptop

 

[Cargile]

....... My 30' sailboat was dismasted while I was living aboard in Hawaii and the motion was very unpleasant even tied up at my dock during high winds and waves.

but not unpleasant masted during high winds and waves?

 

[BlueRidge]

Would a Cape Dory be a good choice for conversion?

 

[psneeld]

Would a Cape Dory be a good choice for conversion?

Might be as some of their models were considered motorsailors anyways.

 

[long-cours.62]

Did you see this one

I'm in SW Florida with wrecked boats a plenty here.

There are a number of sailboats that need their mast, rigging, and sails replaced, but the rest of the boat is fine.

Would it work to just forget the sails and use it as a cruising powerboat?

What would be the downside?

Already twin engine, protected steering position...and they said around 35000€
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1987-gulfstar-63-sailcruiser-8664620/

 

[KnotYet]

but not unpleasant masted during high winds and waves?

In my case far less violent motion when the rig was up vs. when it was off.

 

[Jeff F]

In my case far less violent motion when the rig was up vs. when it was off.

That's always the case.

 

[mvweebles]

Have to look closely to see the mast on this oldie that has been converted to power. Guessing this is no younger than 80 years old.

 

[psneeld]

So many boats and variables, so no absolutes.

One man's boat isnt anothers....anymore than their interpretation of seaworthy, stability, functionality....

 

[Jeff F]

So many boats and variables, so no absolutes.

One man's boat isnt anothers....anymore than their interpretation of seaworthy, stability, functionality....

Yep. It's all about use case, taste and budget. If you operate on rivers and canals stability and seaworthiness are non-starters.

 

[KnotYet]

That's always the case.

Exactly.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Captjohn.org and winnie the poo...are great examples of contrarian thinking... Both have been there, done that... Not sure where winnie is these days.. But Capt John is probably still out on the loop somewhere..If you want to offer on a hurricane damage boat... Offer stupid low money!... Whatever your thinking for a price to offer, cut it in half...all they can say is "no"

 

[Nomad Willy]

Hello Nomad Willy,

I'd like to send you a PM, but your mail box is full and can't accept new messages.

Thanks

Fixed it yesterday. Sorry and thanks for the effort.

 

[Nomad Willy]

WOW! Nicely done - given the emphasis in this thread on snap-roll when mast is removed, I liked the commentary by the builder/designer advising not to remove ballast on this modification.

Great story, and an extraordinarly beautiful boat. Well done! I’d probably prefer that stern on my old Willard. Even thought about it. It’s the stern that limits the speed of the W30.

Peter

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Peter that’s a real boat.

 

[long-cours.62]

Even on

That's always the case.

"long-cours62" with her very small rig

9kg/m 8 m mast (72kg) + rigging and boom 70kg
+ the 2 small (4mx0.30m) bilge keel

it make a big difference.The center of gravity of the mast rigging it was around 6.5m above the water line, first we thinking 142kg at 6.5m it will not change lot of thing on a 32t boat without sail...but it work even with out sail (of course it was better with the small17m2 fullbaten "main sail" of course).

 

[Jeff F]

I had a friend suggest that I add a sailing rig to Escapade, and I laughed it off.

But I was recently chatting with the owner of a Great Lakes 33 that had a fully functional rig, maybe 60 square feet. That got me thinking about it a bit more seriously.

 

[long-cours.62]

The cost

I had a friend suggest that I add a sailing rig to Escapade, and I laughed it off.

But I was recently chatting with the owner of a Great Lakes 33 that had a fully functional rig, maybe 60 square feet. That got me thinking about it a bit more seriously.

for our rig was very small new "mast and boom" 1200€, mainsail 1000€, rigging we had in stock just adjusted the length (pilar was fitted during the building stage "only in case"), jib we had already in stock (when converted a former boat with furling)
Minimal cost change a lot the boat ...for us the perfect boat and I sold her I even propose to the actual owner to exchange our actual for our former ...he refuse