Non Boat Specific Centre Cockpit Liveaboard

[David Tilley]

Firstly, apologies if I am not following protocol or if my question rambles on in excess of general usage of the site (I am a Newbie). I have had 3 other boats but have not sailed for a year as I have been waiting for a Hip Replacement which is going ahead next week. Unfortunately, I may need to move out of our house this year and am considering buying another boat to use as a liveaboard which may seem foolhardy at 70 yrs old but I love the lifestyle of having a yacht more than actually sailing it so it will not leave harbour often or for any distance.
My interest in a Moody was parked by seeing a 1981 36 CC advertised at quite a reasonable price but in all honesty I prefer the interior layout of the later Bill Dixon designs which unfortunately are out of my price range.
Has anyone in the Assoc. any experience with doing refits and/or upgrades to the Primrose designed boats and does the layout of the GRP interior furniture bases negate alteration. I also realise the saildrive configuration as opposed to propeller shaft/gearbox routing may be restrictive.

 

[Peter Wright]

Hi David,

As you have surmised, the grp mouldings on which the interior furniture is mounted are pretty fundamental to a boat's interior layout and serve the purpose of translating the boat shaped hull into living spaces. They also cunningly hide the bits where there would be little headroom if you were able to walk there. In structural terms, the key parts are any frames, floors or stringers moulded onto the inside of the hull, the engine bearers and the transverse bulkheads, so you need to think hard before cutting any of those parts.

Of course, anything is possible, but it won't be easy and usually reduces the boat's value, so it needs careful consideration before you act.

Peter.

 

[David Tilley]

Thank you Peter and your points are as expected and entirely reasonable. Indeed a fundamental refit involving structural components would make the possibility of creating the Bill Dixon layout far from cost effective. That being said I need to be conscious of investment vs resale value and not being previously aware of the market value of such vessels it is hard to judge whether there is scope for any measure of "modernisation". I wonder if anyone in the Association has bought or traded an 80's 36CC in the recent past and could give me an idea of what a well maintained example might fetch. The example I am interested in has a Thornycroft 48hp (presumably original equipment) and the survey from 2019 mentions high moisture levels below the waterline with all the symptoms of osmosis present. Am I right in suspecting that the probability of an engine replacement and Osmosis treatment would make the asking price of £24K a tad high given there is also evidence of stress cracks at key hull areas and a generally "tired" appearance. Obviously, a survey would probably give me reliable guidance but with the boat currently afloat I am loath to risk £1000 on a survey on anything that I cant be sure I might progress any further. As I currently live in Devon and the boat is in Scotland I need to know as much as possible as to the feasibility of my "dream" before spending time and money on travel and ancillary expenses without a realistic chance of progress

 

[Jay Sharp]

@David Tilley I have been working on a 1979 36CC over the spring with a view to making it livaboard friendly, going as far as to replace most of the galley.
It's quite a frustrating design with large cavities behind almost every panel. Even the drawers don't go the whole width of the space they could occupy which is frustrating when there isn't enough space inside. Under seat stowage space in the saloon is difficult to access, the aft head wall hides about the volume of a suitcase behind its panels and so on.
The forward head could theoretically be moved to where the galley is, if you were willing to create new through-hulls but the saloon seat mouldings make it difficult to then utilise the space where the head was. I have lived in the boat March > Aug, it was perfectly fine for a couple. I wouldn't recommend this particular model though. i have seen a similarly decked out boat go for around 22,000 euros in greece, it seems like the market value is much higher in the UK

 

[David Tilley]

Many thanks @Jay Sharp, the boat which spawned this inquiry has since been sold (but I obviously cannot gain info as to price). Likewise there was a 40CC that I looked at in N Wales that has also been put "under offer" (annoyingly, the day before I arrived to view!). There seems to be no predictable chain of logic to today's market so it is just guesswork when it comes to a practical assessment of whether a particular "project" is financially sound so, as ever with boats, it boils down to an emotional decision and we all know the dangers that can involve!