Boats / Ships & Fishing

1990, Ellis' yard in Norman Creek built a 42' motor cruiser. Best of everything in a traditional blue water cruiser. Mahogany planked hull, beech decks, spotted gum keel, proper bronze portholes, ship's wheel, small engine telegraph converted to throttle and gearshift, brass binnacle from a small ship, Gardner 8 main engine, Gardner 4 auxiliary, etc.
I was having a drink with the owner who had started the project when he turned 60 in preparation to pass his business on to his children by age 65. It was to be his last boat and he wanted everything in it he had dreamed of. I told him I saw the keel timber go down and was surprised at the boat ending up at 42'. I thought Ellis could have got up to 50' out of the big stick. His reply was that he had 42' of money to spend., not 45' or 50'. Rule of thumb at the time for a high class timber boat was $10,000 per foot. Probably at least double today.

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Originally Posted by disco2hse

I feel your pain.

I first decided I wanted a St Pierre Dory when I was a given copy of Gardiner's "The Dory Book" at 15. It took nearly another 30 years before that dream became a reality in Beatrice. She is not what I initially envisaged because the missus insisted on a cabin (she has fair Polish/Irish skin), I was happy with a rough and tumble open boat. However since then Beatrice has more than proved her worth both as an escape and in keeping us safe in rough weather.

She, Beatrice, attracts a lot of attention and has even been featured in Wooden Boat Magazine's Small Boats Special Edition.

Keep the dream alive but expect to scale your desires. Maybe now you will not sail across the horizon until the kids have left home, or maybe your wife will be made happy if you contract a skilled craftsman to construct part of the vessel and you do the rest. Perhaps charter a vessel of the size you want for a summer holiday and see how it really feels to be out there, away from the sight of land and a little blowy, and the kids and she start getting anxious.

Whatever. Keep the dream alive in whatever form it takes.

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Its still alive, I'm really sorry I got upset and tore up all the plans years ago , because I'm now in the position to possibly do something again, children are grown, fathers day coming up I might remind them of their attraction to my plans in the past. Might have a chat to swmbo and see if theres any stars in her eyes still. She doesnt like the land rover.....might like the idea of a boat now. wonder what the updated cost in the water for a 54' steel boat is now:spudniksailor::eek:
we might see "Lady of the Flowers" gracing the stern of a yacht yet!

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Originally Posted by disco2hse

Built this one:
Beatrice

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WOW!

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Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

Its still alive, I'm really sorry I got upset and tore up all the plans years ago , because I'm now in the position to possibly do something again, children are grown, fathers day coming up I might remind them of their attraction to my plans in the past. Might have a chat to swmbo and see if theres any stars in her eyes still. She doesnt like the land rover.....might like the idea of a boat now. wonder what the updated cost in the water for a 54' steel boat is now:spudniksailor::eek:
we might see "Lady of the Flowers" gracing the stern of a yacht yet!

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Well let's throw a number out there - work on spending about 500-750 grand if you do most of the work yourself, otherwise I would guesstimate 1.5-2 million. Being steel, that's a mighty expensive building product nowadays and modern composites are lighter and stronger, requiring less maintenance.

You could look into the secondhand market and make alterations.

What style?

These guys did a pretty big trip in a modest vessel ;) Talisker Bounty Boat

I had dreams of buying a live-aboard boat a few years back,, no one else saw the dream but me,,, I did however have the opportunity to spend 7 days and nights on a 35'er hired from Metung,, the best $$$$ I think I've probably ever spent.
But life gets in the way, so I'm happy I did it, and will do again some day,, there's nothing quite like stepping off a boat and feeling uneasy on your feet when on dry land,, I belive it's supposed to be the other way around ;)
Keep your dream alive,, even if it is only renting one, or helping someone keep theirs on the water,,

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Originally Posted by disco2hse

Well let's throw a number out there - work on spending about 500-750 grand if you do most of the work yourself, otherwise I would guesstimate 1.5-2 million. Being steel, that's a mighty expensive building product nowadays and modern composites are lighter and stronger, requiring less maintenance.

You could look into the secondhand market and make alterations.

What style?

These guys did a pretty big trip in a modest vessel ;) Talisker Bounty Boat

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Unlike most composites, steel has advantages for a one - off. Also has the advantage that in small boats it is stronger, tougher and harder than anything you are likely to hit. As against that, it rusts, and is a never ending painting job.

if I were doing it again, I would use aluminium alloy. It can be built similarly to steel, but is easier to finish and no special protection is needed. (but you do need to be very careful about electrolysis!)

But I agree that the most economical solution is almost certainly second hand and modify as necessary.

John

Yeah, John is pretty well right there.

Don't why I didn't think of alloy. There's a huge alloy boat building industry and the technologies have moved forward in leaps and bounds in recent years.

One thing to consider with a vessel of that size is that the stresses move into a whole different arena. I would employ a naval architect to do the number crunching. One of the benefits of buying secondhand is that problem areas in design have been identified.

disco2hse, think swan54 for basic profile. I crunched numbers back then, but now I can have all hull sections cnc rolled and cut, either in aluminium or steel. I did coastal navigation course, I had tunks full of all sorts of gear "that might be useful" I started amateur astronomy, so 30 years later I might be ready hahaha. the game transforms many people, a friend of mine built a Boden 48....I think it was....in townsville, launched it and sailed it to Sydney where his wife stepped ashore forever, he continued on to melbourne where by this time he'd had his fill of sailing, sold it there and I havent seen him since.

like this?

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...10/09/1803.jpg

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Originally Posted by roverrescue

There needs to be a :sadcry: emoticon.
I feel your pain Ramblingboy.

<snip>

Steve

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:BigCry: