Practical Advice for Boat Renovators

People who renovate old boats are dreamers, romantics and often, escapists. That’s fine – I openly admit to being all three. As a writer they are valuable assets, necessary almost, but when it comes to renovating an old boat their use is strictly limited. Dreams are good motivators. The ‘romance’ of the sea, the escape from the boring, mundane everyday existence, provides the reason for our investment of time and money in such projects.

Beyond that however, these traits become something else, something almost dangerous. They convince us to take up lost causes; they assure us that the investment is worthwhile, that all will come out right in the end, and worst of all, they make us overlook our own inadequacies. We begin to believe that we are capable of achieving the impossible. People like us don’t see rotting derelict hulks, flaking paint and dripping rusty iron – oh no, we see ‘potential’.

There are many waypoints along the road from ‘Dreamland’ to the land of ‘Achievement’ – places with names such as frustration, ignorance, lack of resources, incapability and over-investment. It’s a long road, longer than you think, and dreams don’t last forever. At some point, you have to let reality in. Most of us do this far too late.

So the advice? Open your eyes take a deep breath and ask yourself if you can really do this:

put down that book about blue water voyaging and pick up a practical text on how to rewire 12 volt system;

check out the cost of tools you’ll need – then double it;

estimate the cost of the materials you’ll need – then double it;

consider the amount of time you’ll need – then double it.

By way of example here is my experience of boat renovation. My boat is a Westerly Nomad, 23ft in length, built in 1967. Sanding, cleaning, painting, polishing the GRP exterior, rebuilding the hatches, and installing a new electrical system took eighteen months. I was fortunate in that I didn’t have a day-job or young children to distract me. When I say eighteen months – I’m talking, on average, three days a week. In winter I couldn’t feel my fingers and in spring I was eaten alive by mosquitoes.

I launched at the end of last summer and the cabin was like a slum. This year I have been working on that interior, eating wood and paint dust despite the face-mask. I hope to finish by mid-summer (or I won’t finish at all because it will be too hot to work or paint in there by then) and then – guess what? The exterior wood will need re-varnishing and she’ll need a haul-out for anti-fouling. There is a term for a job that never ends but I can’t remember it and I’m too weary to look it up.

So there is the advice – stop dreaming and start thinking practically now. But you won’t of course. You’re a dreamer, a romantic and an escapist – and without you – these old boats wouldn’t have a chance.

Seaward

WHAT MAKES A GOOD SKIPPER?

Thinking about the happy time when I have a boat commissioned and ready to sail.

Thinking also about my friend Alain who is busy putting together plans to run a sailing experience opportunity for holidaymakers on board his newly acquired wooden lugger.

Thinking too about how both of us in our ways will have to inspire confidence in our crews and passengers.

Most of us will have volunteered to act as crew for someone at some time or another and on occasion we may have regretted making the offer. The skipper who needs an extra hand may have seemed like a friendly regular sort of guy propping up the bar in the boat club but once on the water in command of his own vessel he could turn out to be a regular tyrant – Captain Bligh with attitude, or even worse, it could be that despite all his clubhouse yarns, he really doesn’t have a clue about seamanship. Yes, we’ve all been there and seen every kind of fault from close quarters so we know what makes a poor skipper but what about the good ones? Here is my checklist – see if you agree.

Knowledge

A good skipper knows his boat and how to handle her. He can navigate with and without electronic aids, he understands and uses boating terms without being pretentious, he knows the right knot or bend for the job, he can read the weather and he knows something of first aid. He has an ability to translate theoretical knowledge to practical action and his knowledge base is broad enough to enable him to find alternative solutions if required.

Much of this knowledge comes from experience of course. Knowledge and experience gives the skipper an air of measured confidence and unruffled coolness. These are the attributes that instil confidence among the crew. The problem of course is that these qualities take time to acquire and there is no substitute, unless of course the skipper is a good actor. Time on the water improves skill and few of us manage to get enough time out there, so to some extent it could be argued that all the best skippers are good actors, appearing cool and confident even when they aren’t.

Preparedness

A good skipper is always prepared for the trip and he makes sure his boat and crew are prepared also. It used to be said that you can spot a seaman by the way he lays his ropes, and the knots he chooses. You can also spot a potentially good skipper by the way he cares for his boat. The boat will be well provisioned, flares will be within date, the course will be marked out on paper charts and they, along with the log book will be on the chart-table ready for use. There will be a place for everything and everything will be in its place ready for action.

Not only will the boat be well prepared but a good skipper also makes sure his crew is well prepared. He briefs his crew carefully before departure and explains the route he is taking, he describes how the tide will help and or hinder them along the way, gives an estimate of the length of the voyage and he updates them on the latest weather forecast and its implications for the trip. For those who haven’t sailed with him before, he shows them round the boat highlighting the locations of the first aid kit, liferaft, flares, and lifejackets.

People Skills

Above all things the Skipper must have well developed people skills; he needs to take time to get to know them as individuals, their strengths, weaknesses, interests and the sources of their motivation, and he has to accept that some will be more experienced than others and allocate tasks accordingly. He needs to understand that people volunteering as crew are placing a great deal of confidence in him and he must accept this responsibility not only for their well being but also for their feeling of well being. They may have come along to gain more experience and he has a duty to them in this respect. Above all they want to work the boat and share in the feeling of achievement which comes with a successful voyage. He has a duty of care for their physical and psychological well being – every crew member needs periods of work and time for rest and leisure. They need to be well fed - a skipper who ignores this doesn’t keep a crew for long. 

Judgement

The key difference between skipper and crew is that he is the leader and decision taker. There is only room for one skipper on any boat and this fact needs to be clear to all who ship aboard. A good skipper doesn’t need to explain this. Along with the ‘privilege’ of power however, there is a responsibility to act with sound judgment. A good skipper doesn’t avoid this or try to run his ship as a committee. He will take the decisions he feels he needs to take regardless of their popularity. Decisions of whether to sail or postpone a trip because of adverse weather forecasts are his to make as are mid-voyage decisions concerning whether to press on or run for shelter. He may choose to consult with his crew in order to ascertain their strength or motivation to complete the trip but the decision is his and his alone.

Sense of humour

Finally, a good skipper needs to have a good sense of humour and be relaxed in his role. He maintains a sense of discipline when it is required but he must also plan for crew relaxation. So, he shouldn’t push too hard. He should take account of the strength of his crew, accept that their appetite for long voyages may be less than his, make it clear that their safety is his prime concern, share his love of the sea and the boating life with them, be prepared to teach new skills and allocate tasks fairly, but also leave some time for fishing, picnics, and exploring new harbours and anchorages. Boating is supposed to be fun after all.  Have I missed anything out?

Seaward

Is Sailing a Safe Activity?

A Couple of things happened this week. First I had a visit from my insurance people trying to sell me higher and more expensive cover. (Is it insurance or assurance – what’s the difference?). Anyway, I didn’t buy any more cover from them but I did garner an interesting piece of information. They asked me if I took part in any risk sports or activities. I said, I didn’t think so but I did go sailing, often alone and frequently up to twenty or thirty miles offshore. The insurance guy told me that this was acceptable within the current terms of my cover and that sailing is not considered to be high risk.

Now I have always agreed with this view. In fact I would go so far as to say that you are probably in more danger of accident in your car on the way to the marina or harbour than when you are on the boat.

Now, the second thing that happened this week, was that I found myself trawling through old boating magazines looking for pictures and articles about Westerly 22’s. I didn’t find many but, I was struck by the number of articles which seem designed to put you right off this apparently safe sailing activity altogether. Yachting Monthly, has a ‘confessional’ where guys write in and explain how they nearly kill themselves on their boats. Practical Boat Owner has a ‘learning from experience’ piece in which amateur sailors recount near disasters and then, with hindsight, explain what they did wrong. Throughout the sailing media, journalists write articles designed to unsettle you – ‘Lifejackets are they Safe?’, ‘Could you handle a force ten?’ Come on do you want people to go sailing or not?

Safety at sea is very important but lets not get carried away. As a Englishman, who spends most of his time in Jersey or France, I get a very interesting view of the way small boat safety is viewed in different jurisdictions. The English have a tradition that anyone can put to sea. It is one of the inherent characteristics of English individual freedom. The Europeans however, are increasingly moving down the licensing route. Yes you can have a boat, just like you can have a car but you must prove you can handle her.

The EU now has categorised boats according to their build and equipment and each boat has a cruising limit from sheltered waters to Deep Ocean. The UK, as a member state of the European Union now has the same regulations applied to its boats but for many years argued against this. The English view was that safety came from trained and experienced seafarers rather than boat design. The argument, I suppose, was that a trained and experienced seafarer would check the boat before departure and use her appropriately.

Now Jersey is not a member of the EU and so none of this applies in local waters. If you want to make a trip to France or the UK however, you need to comply.

What has all this to do with me buying a boat? Well, firstly I’m not going to let the Yachting Press put me off with their scary articles and secondly, I need to understand more About the EU small craft directives and regulations. I’d hate to purchase a vessel and then have some European Bureaucrat tell me I can't use it!

Seaward

The Ideal Sailing Boat

Well I didn’t quite get to the point of listing suitable boats this weekend but I’m getting closer to specifying what I’m looking for. Here's a checklist ( love checklists). If you're on the same course, feel free to use it for setting out your own preferences.

Specification	Rationale
Sailing boat	Cruising not limited by fuel. The wind is (kind of free). Sailing is more fun and more comfortable than power. Technology is more understandable to me. I have time in plenty but money is a scarcer resource
Rig	Gunter would be really interesting - more sail control. Simple rig. Mast can be lowered or raised more easily for rivers and canals. Masts are easier to stow, within the length of the boat – no overhangs. If not, may have to put up with standard Bermudan. I’m assuming she’ll be a sloop or a cutter. Can’t imagine I’ll find a two master on such a small boat. Gaff might be fun. Haven’t considered a junk rig although some people swear by them.
Overall length	Accommodation on less than a 22ft hull would be cramped for two people on an extended cruise. Above 25ft makes single-handed sailing and maintenance more difficult
Accommodation	Happy to sacrifice cockpit space for cabin space. The larger the cabin the better
Draft / Keel	Shallow draft (less than 3ft) for canal work. Traditional keel for directional stability. Bilge keels so she can take the ground. Triple keel or long keel with bilge plates may be ideal. NO fin keel.
Engine	Powerful enough to drive the boat at maximum hull speed. Inboard if necessary. No transom hung outboard (just too plain ugly) Outboard in a well would be really good
Material	GRP, sheathed Ply? (More info needed). Steel might be too heavy on a boat of this size.  Not confident with wood Restoring or maintaining a wooden vessel would be beyond my level of skill.
Reputation	A boat with a reputation as a good sea boat. Safe and predictable even if slow. No skittish racing vessels. A traditional strong sea boat is first priority
Looks	If she meets the above criteria she’ll look good in my eyes anyway
Condition	Beggars can’t be choosers but she has to be ‘recoverable’ preferably through cleaning, polishing and painting. Essentially the hull, decks,  mast and engine have to be sound (even if sad and neglected looking)
Age	Immaterial. There is an argument that says the older GRP boats were more strongly built (over built) because the technology wasn’t fully understood
Price	As low as possible. £10,000 is all I have for both purchase and renovation. Assume 50% on purchase and 50% on renovation?

Summary:

Wanted

22-24ft, GRP, shallow draft, Gunter sloop, inboard engine (or outboard in well), good accommodation for size, traditional, bilge or triple keel. With an excellent reputation as a sea-boat.

Why this kind of boat (see initial Post 'introduction')

Come on shipmates - if I've overlooked something tell me now before I start going down blind alleys (or sailing up inappropriate creaks)

Seaward

Power Boat or Sailling Boat

Carry Out Your Own Survey

Well, I’ve spent the last couple of months thinking about this project of getting on the water on a ‘low income’, and I’m fairly convinced that a sailing boat will meet my needs and my pocket better than a power boat. Just to be sure though, I set myself the task of analysing and scrutinising the logic of my thinking. In the end I developed a survey questionnaire which I applied to myself. It would be helpful if you could try it for yourself and see if it works for you – essentially it needs road-testing.

WOULD A SAILING BOAT SUIT YOU?

1.   What is more important –

a) being on the water

b) getting there

2.   When you think about buying a boat do you -

a) consider the ‘environmental’ impact

b) set those issues aside

3.   Do you want to -

a) work with nature

b) have the power to overcome it

4.   Do you prefer to -

a) carry out most of your own maintenance

b) have a technician do it for you

5.   When it comes to buying a boat Are you -

a) limited by budget considerations

b) not worried about purchase and maintenance costs

6.   What is more important to you -

a) comfort

b) speed

7.   Does the challenge of learning something new -

a) excite you

b) fill you with fear

8.   What do you have more of -

a) time

b) money

9.   Which sounds do you prefer

a) the call of gulls, the hiss of the sea, a moaning wind

b) a roaring diesel engine

10. At the end of the trip what would prefer to remember

a) the beauty of the passage

b) the speed of the voyage

Now the way it works is that you should give yourself 1 point every time you answer ‘a’. Score more than five points and you should think about taking up sailing. Score ten and you probably already own a sailing boat!

This book, by the way, is an excellent starting point for learning about sailing :

The New Complete Sailing Manual

Steve Sleight
Published by Dorling Kindersley 2005

You might pick up a second hand copy on Amazon (scroll down)

Seaward

Sailing Boat or Power Boat

Thinking about the kind of boat I need leads to the obvious question, should it be sail or power? Not  easy  to answer since I have owned and enjoyed both during my lifetime.

Power has some subtle advantages. Every scrap of cabin space is valuable if you intend to spend weeks rather than weekends afloat, and you can get significantly more accommodation within a power cruiser hull than within a similarly sized sailboat. One reason for this is to do with hull shape and another reason (I guess) is that you don’t have to worry about the mast, boom, shrouds etc. Whatever – I certainly enjoyed more living space on my Channel Islands 22 footer, than on my 24ft Macwester sailboat, despite the fact that the Channel Islander had twin inboard Volvo diesel engines packed on board.

The other advantage of a power cruiser, I find, is that steering and navigation is done largely from within a comfortable wheelhouse. Spray is something you look at rather than feel, which is no bad thing early in the year, if the spray has its origins in the English Channel or North Sea.

Power cruisers have their downsides though, especially for the mechanically illiterate like me. I used to cruise with my eyes firmly fixed on the dials, oil pressure and engine temperature, ears carefully attuned to the slightest modulation of engine noise, wondering what I would do if either or both engines decided to give up the ghost (it happened on one occasion).

On the other hand Sailing boats are slow, even fast ones are slow, but it’s a technology I can understand. I can’t fix an engine but I can tie a knot in a rope. But, while the technology may be simple, the process of sailing is more complicated. Account has to be taken of wind and tide. Allowances have to be made for leeway and at sea it is quite normal to point one way in order to arrive somewhere else. With a sailing boat you have to like being at sea, because that’s where you’ll spend most of your time.

Fortunately despite their lack of accommodation sailing boats are more comfortable. The pressure of wind in the sails makes for a much easier motion in a seaway. You might get wet but at least your teeth don’t get shaken loose.  With the engine shut down, all sea-cocks closed, and the sails full and straining I feel much safer than I ever did on a power cruiser. Sailing people, I find, talk of the voyage, the navigation, the experience of being at sea. Power boaters, tend to recount the speed of the trip, the time taken to arrive, the cost of fuel used and the quality of the restaurant dinner they enjoyed while the sailing folk were still fighting an adverse tide some thirty miles from the destination.

So, what’s it to be – power or sail? Well the answer has to be ….. ‘sail’, for one over-riding reason.  My aim is ‘simple sailing and low cost cruising’. When it comes to considerations of cost sailboats  win every time, unless of course you are a fully qualified and experienced diesel mechanic. The engine is by far, the most expensive item in the purchase price of a power cruiser, and all engines wear out at some time. Try and replace the engine and you may as well look for another boat. If, like me, you want the dubious security of two engines – well you double the cost.

For powerboat owners fuel cost is also a factor in determining the nature and extent of a cruise. For a sailboat owner …, well the wind isn’t exactly ‘free’ but to date I have never met a sailing person who limits the distance they travel due to the negative effect of the wind on sails. More likely, time constraints will be the limiting factor. Time isn’t an issue for me anymore – but money is!

Well, I think I know where I am going with this but – your comments and views really would be greatly appreciated!

Seaward

Choosing a Boat

 A few days ago I made a checklist of the skills I could bring to building or renovating a boat. Today, I made a similar list about the things I was to do on the boat. All boat design is about compromise. A good fishing boat will provide a stable platform with plenty of space to swing your rod and land your catch. An ideal fishing boat however, would make a very poor cruiser; the accommodation would be far too mean and small. The perfect sailing hull would make a pretty poor power boat and a semi-displacement motor vessel would not make a good sailing boat, unless of coure you don’t mind sailing sideways towards your destination.

Boat brokers will always tell you how versatile a particular craft is but no matter how clever the designer, he (or she) will have sacrificed some qualities in order to extenuate others. All designers, architects and brokers are co- conspirators in one particular lie – the amount of sleeping accommodation that can be fitted into a remarkably small hull space. Four adults sleeping comfortably in a 20ft sailing boat hull – no way!

So, before I start hunting for my perfect vessel here is what I want to use it for – hopefully it’ll assist when the time comes to make my choice.

Checklist 2: What I want from my boat.

Activity	Requirement	Level of Importance
Sea Cruising	Yes – she must be a good seaboat and sea kindly – predictable, solid, self-righting	First priority – Channel Island waters are challenging – tides and currents can be strong so there is a rough bit on most passages
Exploring  estuaries, rivers,	Shallow draft, an ability to sit upright on sand and mud.  She will be moored on an estuary	Very High - ditch crawling, exploring shallow creeks and inlets are one of the main pleasures in this area
Racing	I won’t be racing. High speed, under power or sail is not a requirement	Safety and reliability are much higher on the list.
Canal trips	A vessel small enough to sit in a lock. Shallow draft to stay afloat, ability to lower the mast	Very High – there is a canal from my estuary which will take me across Brittany from the Channel to the Atlantic. That trip is high on the agenda
Picnics	Cooking facilities to knock up a good hot meal	Very High – even if the equipment is primitive
Watersport	Waterskiing etc? No thank you	Not on the list at all
Fishing	It is something I want to do – line fishing for mackerel, cod, bass, etc – might also like to drop a crab pot occasionally	Fishing would not be the main activity so I don’t feel the need for a fishing boat BUT space on board to cast a line would be important
Overnighting	A cabin is a requirement – big enough for two	So, important that I am prepared to rule out all open boats immediately
Entertaining	Space to accommodated guests to a meal	Some arrangement to feed and water four people (including me) would be desirable. But happy to restrict sleeping accommodation to two.
Towing / trailing to new locations	If this was important a light boat, a trailer and reasonably powerful car would be required	Not important. I’d prefer to sail to the location – don’t enjoy towing
Single handing	A boat configured to be easily handled by one person	I don’t intend to do a lot of single- handing but would like to think that I can handle the vessel alone if needs be.

Seaward

Choosing the Boat (1)

What skills do I have?

Over the past few weeks I’ve been making checklists. I used the first one to list the types of work which might be encountered in building, restoring or renovating a boat. I found it a really valuable, but painful exercise, having to admit to myself just how limited my skill and knowledge really is.

The time spent was well worth it though. Now I know I won’t be building a brand new boat in wood or steel. I also know that I’ll probably try to avoid working on gas fittings, and that I have a good deal of reading to do if I have to deal with 12 volt electrics.

Anyway here was my starting point and I’d like to think the time and effort will be rewarded when I start the real work – hopefully in choosing my boat I won’t bite off more than I can chew

.

Checklist 1: About me (strengths and weaknesses) (scores out of 10)

Task	Personal Skills/ Knowledge	Score	Action
Woodwork	Got a GCE in 1967, but that wouldn’t make me a boat builder. Built a Mirror Dinghy (stitch and glue) It floated. Good for Something	3	Tool up for small jobs – don’t buy a wooden boat or try to build one!
Working GRP	Some experience in repair and cosmetic  improvement, glassing in and stitch and glue construction – I’m a bit messy though	5	Like wood – can probably get away with small stuff but could not undertake a build or a major repair
Painting / Varnishing	Not too bad – I know enough to understand that preparation is the key	7	This is probably my best skill – could make a boat look pretty – my painting is better than my varnishing though
Engine maintenance /repair	I Know nothing!	0	This is something I will have to pay for. So single engine and keep it simple to keep costs down
Electrical systems and installation	Could fit a new VHF of wiring was already installed. It’s all 12 volt isn’t it?	2	Actually this is something I’m interested in because it has a direct relationship to shipboard comfort. So I need to read up all I  can and always stay with the low tech solution
Plumbing	Nothing – on a boat it might be quite simple – but through hull joints and fittings will have to be very well done	0	As above, lots of reading to do but if its kept simple I should be able to cope
Sewing – canvass work needle work	Nothing – but I know someone who does!	0	Convince Susan that this is her project as much as mine – consider a sweetener – Call the Boat Susan!
Rope work – Knots, splicing etc	No too bad – can do all the sailing knots and a few fancy ones for gingerbread work. Can make up halyards, mooring lines etc. Could not handle wire rigging	8	That’s my winter evenings taken up
Metal work – welding etc	Never done it – will have to avoid or learn	0	Don’t buy a steel boat!
Gas fitting	Everything I have reads suggests gas on boats can be dangerous and should be fitted by a qualified expert -	0	Get it done properly or find an alternative

Guess I'd better stay away from a wooden boat

Seaward