How to find a cheap wooden sailboat?

[seedy]

I've been wanting my own sailboat for some time now, and I'm too impatient and clumsy to build one, esp. one that I'll probably grow out of soon, so I've been looking around for something used in a wooden dingy or perhaps catboat that would be used and imperfect but sailable without a rebuild/refurbish.

I'd like to be able to sail it singlehanded or be able to take a couple of people for a reasonably dry daysail. I don't need racing speed, but it would be nice if it was responsive.

Had thought about getting something really nice, but am now more realistic about how my skill level may bring my first boat to harm, and have decided to look for something that isn't priceless and, since it's made of wood, repairable.

That said, I am a bit of an aesthete, so a pretty boat would be nice as well.

I live along a lake on the lower Susquehanna, and have Chesapeake Bay not too far away when I start feeling confident.

Where could I look for a wooden boat that would meet my needs?

Most of the used boat websites I've found are largely concerned with selling old MacGregors and such, and serviceable wooden boats seem hard to find, yet I'm thinking there are probably quite a few for sale out there if I knew where to look.

If anyone should know of a likely candidate, please send me an email if the forum rules prohibit posting the info.

Thanks,
CD

[Wayne Jeffers]

You might try some of the web sites for one-design class sailboats that have been around a while and are popular in your area. Most are now racing glass versions, but there are often older wooden boats in good shape available cheaply. Lightning, Hampton, Comet, and Snipe come to mind, and I'm sure there must be others.

http://www.lightningclass.org/

http://www.shorenet.net/hamptonone/index.htm

http://www.cometclass.com/

http://www.snipe.org/

Also, check to see what classes are racing at your local yacht clubs. Maybe the clubs even have a newsletter with lists of boats for sale.

Wayne

[JimD]

Hi CD, in general, if the price is cheap its usually because it needs a lot of work. Not many sailboats being sold by little old ladies who only sailed them on Sunday and don't realize their market value, etc...jimd

[AngWood]

Ebay.

[seedy]

Thanks for the thoughts.

I also got some links from another thread about finding a boat in need of repair.

I looked into snipes and spoke briefly with a snipe seller who had just sold his; he said they are a wet sail in weather and that one really needs to have two on board to keep them up in weather.

I'm kind of thinking that this will be the case with any one-design, since they are made to go fast within their limitations.

Ebay is interesting, and I have been looking there.But it is pig-in-a-poke-land.

Just seems like there should be a resource out there for wooden boats only; the WB classifieds are too static, being updated bimonthly.

Hey WB, how about an agora forum on here, for boats, wood, parts, tools, etc? One motorcycle forum I've been to posts ads free, but wants a payment when the item is sold, which I think would be agreeable to all.

[Scott Rosen]

Why don't you look at the WB Magazine classified ads. They have dozens of wooden boats of all sizes and types for sale every month. They even have some freebies.

[Chris Coose]

http://www.catboats.org/

[WWheeler]

Restoring a small wood sailboat is an excellent project. A used sailboat, say one-design, often comes with components such sails, hardware, which are quite serviceable. If you were building a new sailboat, you'd have to buy these things new.

I've even bought an old Albacore, just because of all of the sails, masts, etc., even though the hull is mostly a write-off. (although, with a bit of work....)

By comparison, an old powerboat with an inboard engine has the potential for major re-building costs.

PS Another good one-design class is the Fireball. There were many built in wood, and they're still being raced competitively. There's a couple of association web sites, with used boats often posted.

See on the following site, the Orphan's Corner, http://www.lo0.com/fireball/ofa/index.html. There's a couple of fixer uppers going cheap.

[ 08-27-2002, 08:59 AM: Message edited by: WWheeler ]

[SailBoatDude]

I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay and found the easiest way to come across "cheap sailboats" was to drive down the coast and hit every small town's marina, as they usually have a hulk or two leaning up against a fence in the back of their yard out of sight of the general public. They have little for it, it's not worth repairing for resale or recouping the yard fee losses and they await a date with a chain saw or dragging into a field for a meeting with a bulldozer. The yard can be persuaded to part with a salvageable boat for less than is owed on the back yard/slip fees and poorer examples can be had if you promise to get it of the grounds, in most cases.

Now that I'm in Florida, I hit the road before and after hurricane season, as this seems to be the best time to get the marina's to talk to you.

[Pete Dorr]

http://www.beetlecat.com is pretty much the place to look for used Beetles. Be warned that a good used boat will go for $4000+. Anything less will need some amount of work. The guys at the shop will give very accurate descriptions of the work needed if you call (and if they have surveyed the boat).

It's a good boat. Very traditional in construction. Small enough to maintain easily. Flipping over for bottom painting is a 2 man job.

[Tim B]

Last spring a co-worker of mine, Bruce, and I decided to look for a wood sailboat to restore. We both are partial to inland lakes racing scows. We found one that was, quite frankly, a wreck sitting in the drive way of a house that was for sale. Eventually we tracked down the owner. He didn't own the house, he was just using the driveway since it was vacant. Had the boat for about 10 years. He bought from someone who started a restoration and got tired of it. In 10 years he never found time to work on the boat once, but was convince he would. He said he'd sell it to us, our plan was we were doing him a favor by getting it out of his neighbors driveway.

Bruce decided to put together some research on just how worthless this boat was. Try to get the guy to let us have it for free. He started by looking at the classified adds on yatch clud web sites around MN, WI and IA, recorded prices for restored scows. In the process he found an add that read something like this, "Wood C scow found in barn. Last sailed 20 years ago. Boat and trailer free or will be burned by week end." Bruce called the number, hit the road and ended up with a '57 Melges scow that was in pretty decent shape. The owner (now in his late 80's) put it away in his friends barn at the end of the sailing season like he did every year. Then because of health problems didn't touch the boat for 20 years. The barn was being torn down so the boat needed to go. Other than what you would expect it to look like after 20 years in a barn, the boats in great shape. The canvass deck was covered with bird droppings, so Bruce pulled it off and is recanvassing. The varnish on the hull looks cloudy but is still adhered well. We are going to refinish it this winter. The owner couldn't find the sail so we bought a used one for $50. That and price of tires for the trailer got Bruce his free boat.

The story continues though. Afew weeks ago we came across another add for a wood scow. This one restored and for a reasonable price. Just to see a pretty boat, we went to look at it. It was beutiful! The peak of wood scow building art! Well, neither of us wanted to buy it, it would mean selling the scows (mine or Bruce's) that we already have. Afew weeks later, the owner contacted us, saying he needed to get rid of the boat now and was going to donate it to a camp for a tax write off unless one of us bought it for his tax advantage. Well, the sails alone were worth more than he was asking. Bruce snatched that one up as well. We're going sailing this weekend.

Morale of the story, check around yatch clubs. These wooden boats like lightnings, etc. are past there racing prime but often well cared for.

Sorry for the long post - guess i've been waiting for an excuse to tell this story.

tim

[Norske3]

WB Mag classified ads..except for the free ones none are cheap.

[Carlsboats]

Couple of rules for finding low-cost boats of the kind you want: (1) Look in the fall, not spring; (2) if you are looking for a class boat, look in areas where the class is not active (e.g.,you can pay thousands for a Highlander in areas where they compete, or buy an old one for well under $1000 in areas where nobody knows what Highlander is); check area community boating/yacht clubs to see what they might have as surplus(in my area, for instance, we have a sailing center that has acquired in the past year a Blue Jay, a 14' catamaran, and a Thistle, all in usable condition. In recent years we have disposed of two Highlanders, one for only $700. Someday, we may want to pare down our fleet further (we have over 40 boats). Other clubs do the same, so it doesn't hurt to ask. (4) Check with the nonprofit organizations that take in boats as charitable donations, and see what they have in inventory. For many of them, it's bother to find a buyer for the smaller, low-cost boat that have bveen given to them. They will accept almost any reasonable offer -- or at least that is my experience in heading one such organization.

[Meerkat]

free Bluebird offered on yahoo dinghycruising forum today. Hull gone but spars etc. "ok". Nearby bluebird thread (here) talks about availability of plans for ply construction.