I have travelled the same path you are on but slightly different. My woman left me 20 years ago. I started looking at boats a few months later. I had about 18 months of sailing experience 19 years earlier but on a small limited boat. I ended up buying a Hunter 376 and moving aboard. I didn't have to do much work at first as it was only 9 years old, but it wasn't a cruising boat and I wanted to turn it into a cruising boat. I remember feeling of being overwhelmed. It took me a while to learn to single handle it, especially docking. It took me about 7 years to fully learn the boat and to turn it into a cruising boat and then go cruising. I cruised on it for 6 years. In Tonga I met a woman who worked as a waitress at a restaurant overlooking the harbor. A few months later we got married and 3 weeks later she got pregnant. We had our boy there in Tonga and when he was 6 months old we sailed to Fiji. During that trip I came to the conclusion I wanted a bigger boat. I didn't think I had enough money to buy what I wanted, a Hunter 50 CC, but we were about to take a flight back to America so my family could meet my wife and son. I was looking for Hunter 50 CC boats that we could stop by and look at and show her what I am saving up for. During that search, I ran across a 1986 Whitby 55 that I could afford right then. I poured over the specs of the boat and the pictures (it was in Trinidad) and decided it is what I wanted, so just 2 days before our flight, I sold my Hunter in Fiji and bought the boat in Trinidad without even looking at it. I know, crazy, but I was sold on it. That was back in 2018. I gotta tell ya, moving by plane is not the greatest thing to do. It was so hard to decide on what we can keep and take with us and how to get rid of everything else. Also, after 12 years on that boat and so much I went through with her over 35K+ miles, it was hard to leave her. I remember first walking onto the Whitby and once again having the feeling of being overwhelmed. Going from a 37' sloop to a 55' ketch is a massive change. We stayed in Trinidad for a few months working on turning the boat from a dock queen boat into a cruising, living on anchor boat. I had no idea how she sailed or handled when we were ready to leave for Grenada. When we came out of the protected waters into the Caribbean sea and had the ocean swells on the nose and motoring due to island shadow, I was amazed at the big splashes the boat made motoring dead into the 6 foot swell. It was like 20 feet high. My son didn't like it and started making sounds telling me to make it stop. I knew at that moment though that it was going to be a great boat, because that conditions on my old hunter would have been really bad. Later as we found the wind and veered off and put up the sails, oh my. It was a dream come true that I never imagined. We were doing 8.5 to 9.3 knots on a close reach and only heeling 12 degrees in 18 knots of wind. The ride was so smooth and the biggest kick I got out of it all, the autopilot didn't move the wheel for like 5 minutes and then it was just a nudge. The boat, even though it was just a long fin keel, held course near perfect on it's own. I am now living in a house in the mountains of Colorado with my family because we ran to Texas when covid hit. We are now waiting on my wife to get citizenship before we head out again. I miss my boat as it's docked in Texas still but we are getting closer and closer to heading out again. So, yeah, you are going through some tough times now and I totally feel ya but I can say you got some great memories to be made in the future. Her leaving me was the best thing that ever happened to me. BTW: It's a great boat. I couldn't think of any boat better to transit the straights of Magellan on and that has always been a dream of mine.
I’ve watched a stupid amount of UA-cam sailing. I can tell by your demeanor and production quality this is going to be big if you continue to produce content like this. Thanks for sharing your experience about starting in a boat yard. Looking forward to your content man.
Think that part under the boat is called a sea chest. The idea is to limit the number of hull penetrations and narrow the number of places to look if your bulge is filling up. It shouldn’t be too hard to clean with a gloved hand when diving. My vote is to check the valves on top and move along if they are in good shape.
Concur. The whole 'sea chest' idea was in vogue in the 80's/90's as more amenities were added to boats. One thru-hull to multiple interior valves & hose runs was considered safer. Suggest you treat it like owners who have a bow thruster. Stick-onto-paint brush and paint, after scouring what you can. Good start on a channel!
This will be fun watching you get the boat ready for cruising. Consider putting a strainer over the opening in the seachest to prevent larger debris from getting in. You may be able to attach it to the bar that is currently in place. May the strainer easy to remove in the event that you have to do a better cleaning of the opening. Coat all the exposed surfaces with antifoul to minimize the barnacle growth.
For the strange thru hole, get as much bottom paint as you can on the wall and as high up as you can get it. Then design a metal brush that can fit into this area. You can then give this to your diver to clean this area out when the clean the bottom. Investing in a hooka dive system would be a smart thing to do as you will pay for it over time with the cost of divers. Do not cut the plate out or cover it further.
Hey bro! We live in St Pete! I am wishing you all the best in the world. I admire your courage and tenacity for beginning this journey and the sacrifices you have to make. I know this will be a challenge but have feeling you're gonna do great things and can't wait to see your progress!
I also own a aluminum sailboat myself we picked it up about two years ago now. I also own Friendly Marine if you ever have any questions about anything about related as I’m also a boat manufacturer and mobile Marine mechanic with my specialty being electrical and systems
Really well designed boat, also completely finnished. You my friend as a super fortunate man, most of my fellow yacht captains would give their eye teeth for that little beuty you have. What a boat, its really another level.
Whoever’s doing your marketing and scripting is good. Putting all the audience participation in is great. All the thank you’s is a great touch also. You’re going to do fine with this opportunity.
Living vicariously through you tbh. I live nearby and looking forward to what comes of this channel. Maybe it will inspire me to take the plunge and live my best life.
Wow I just subscribed to your channel last week and now I get a chance to win some new batteries. So cool Good luck on your project as we go along I’ll share some of our boat projects
Don't get rid of the flares or smoke signals unless they're damaged. You must have enough current ones on board to count for safety inspections, but if you do ever need them...the more the better, just because there old doesn't mean they won't work and save your life.
When you are in a marina you will enjoy that AC. When you are on anchor, which will be most of the time when cruising, you will not be running it and for the most part, don't need it. The only time I wished I could run the AC while on anchor was summer time in Marathon and Grenada. The rest of the time, with the wind blowing through the boat, it was just fine. I will recommend that for a boat that size, go with 600 watts of solar panels. Nothing like having free quiet electricity.
Congratulations on your boat it is awesome looking. I wish you all the best in your journey. I just wanted to put in my 2 cents and with all do respect. During the inspection part with the expert , I was trying to fully understand what he was saying and you kept interrupting the guy. He was putting out some great info but you wouldn't let the dude finish a sentence. It presented like you were rushing through that sequence, which waters down.what you intended to do with your channel. Understanding the time you have for the video, however It would be great to let the viewers get qualitative knowledge. I don't believe there is current content out there on aluminum boats as well. Best regards.
Great video, suggest you don’t toss the gadgets and latches and stuff (expired flares are 100% garbage)Give yourself some time you may realize they are good to keep. We are loving your channel. You are a great story teller, keep the videos coming.
This is such an interesting start to your project. But, hour-long videos are too much for me, for what it's worth. 20-30 minutes is the best length. Leo and Mads are the gold standard. Best wishes! You'll do great.
cut that bar off and put a proper mess screen cover over it that can be removed for cleaning. Make sure the mess part of the cover is not facing forward...make it face aft.
This guy gets married and his wife says "well, now we're married, I suppose you'll want to get rid of that old boat." And the guys answers, "You're beginning to sound like my ex wife." and the wife answers, "Really, I didn't know you'd been married before." and the guy answers, "I haven't."
Don't get rid of the flares or smoke signals unless they're damaged. You must have enough current ones on board to count for safety inspections, but, if you do ever need them...the more the better, just because there old doesn't mean they won't work and save your life.
I have travelled the same path you are on but slightly different. My woman left me 20 years ago. I started looking at boats a few months later. I had about 18 months of sailing experience 19 years earlier but on a small limited boat. I ended up buying a Hunter 376 and moving aboard. I didn't have to do much work at first as it was only 9 years old, but it wasn't a cruising boat and I wanted to turn it into a cruising boat.
I remember feeling of being overwhelmed. It took me a while to learn to single handle it, especially docking. It took me about 7 years to fully learn the boat and to turn it into a cruising boat and then go cruising. I cruised on it for 6 years. In Tonga I met a woman who worked as a waitress at a restaurant overlooking the harbor. A few months later we got married and 3 weeks later she got pregnant. We had our boy there in Tonga and when he was 6 months old we sailed to Fiji. During that trip I came to the conclusion I wanted a bigger boat.
I didn't think I had enough money to buy what I wanted, a Hunter 50 CC, but we were about to take a flight back to America so my family could meet my wife and son. I was looking for Hunter 50 CC boats that we could stop by and look at and show her what I am saving up for. During that search, I ran across a 1986 Whitby 55 that I could afford right then. I poured over the specs of the boat and the pictures (it was in Trinidad) and decided it is what I wanted, so just 2 days before our flight, I sold my Hunter in Fiji and bought the boat in Trinidad without even looking at it.
I know, crazy, but I was sold on it. That was back in 2018. I gotta tell ya, moving by plane is not the greatest thing to do. It was so hard to decide on what we can keep and take with us and how to get rid of everything else. Also, after 12 years on that boat and so much I went through with her over 35K+ miles, it was hard to leave her.
I remember first walking onto the Whitby and once again having the feeling of being overwhelmed. Going from a 37' sloop to a 55' ketch is a massive change. We stayed in Trinidad for a few months working on turning the boat from a dock queen boat into a cruising, living on anchor boat. I had no idea how she sailed or handled when we were ready to leave for Grenada.
When we came out of the protected waters into the Caribbean sea and had the ocean swells on the nose and motoring due to island shadow, I was amazed at the big splashes the boat made motoring dead into the 6 foot swell. It was like 20 feet high. My son didn't like it and started making sounds telling me to make it stop. I knew at that moment though that it was going to be a great boat, because that conditions on my old hunter would have been really bad.
Later as we found the wind and veered off and put up the sails, oh my. It was a dream come true that I never imagined. We were doing 8.5 to 9.3 knots on a close reach and only heeling 12 degrees in 18 knots of wind. The ride was so smooth and the biggest kick I got out of it all, the autopilot didn't move the wheel for like 5 minutes and then it was just a nudge. The boat, even though it was just a long fin keel, held course near perfect on it's own.
I am now living in a house in the mountains of Colorado with my family because we ran to Texas when covid hit. We are now waiting on my wife to get citizenship before we head out again. I miss my boat as it's docked in Texas still but we are getting closer and closer to heading out again.
So, yeah, you are going through some tough times now and I totally feel ya but I can say you got some great memories to be made in the future. Her leaving me was the best thing that ever happened to me.
BTW: It's a great boat. I couldn't think of any boat better to transit the straights of Magellan on and that has always been a dream of mine.
I’ve watched a stupid amount of UA-cam sailing. I can tell by your demeanor and production quality this is going to be big if you continue to produce content like this. Thanks for sharing your experience about starting in a boat yard. Looking forward to your content man.
Think that part under the boat is called a sea chest. The idea is to limit the number of hull penetrations and narrow the number of places to look if your bulge is filling up.
It shouldn’t be too hard to clean with a gloved hand when diving. My vote is to check the valves on top and move along if they are in good shape.
Concur. The whole 'sea chest' idea was in vogue in the 80's/90's as more amenities were added to boats. One thru-hull to multiple interior valves & hose runs was considered safer. Suggest you treat it like owners who have a bow thruster. Stick-onto-paint brush and paint, after scouring what you can. Good start on a channel!
This will be fun watching you get the boat ready for cruising. Consider putting a strainer over the opening in the seachest to prevent larger debris from getting in. You may be able to attach it to the bar that is currently in place. May the strainer easy to remove in the event that you have to do a better cleaning of the opening. Coat all the exposed surfaces with antifoul to minimize the barnacle growth.
Keep in mind, what you add batteries, that you need to offset the weight on the other side. You don't want the boat out of balance.
This is going to turn out awesome. Your enthusiasm and heart are in this project. Thank you for bringing me along on the journey.
Congratulations moving forward is never easy plus fixing up a boat enjoy as a fellow sailor can't wait to see you out cruising
For the strange thru hole, get as much bottom paint as you can on the wall and as high up as you can get it. Then design a metal brush that can fit into this area. You can then give this to your diver to clean this area out when the clean the bottom. Investing in a hooka dive system would be a smart thing to do as you will pay for it over time with the cost of divers. Do not cut the plate out or cover it further.
Im glad i found the channel !!.. im really thinkin about taking on the boat life ,imma see how things go for you ! Lol
Hey bro! We live in St Pete! I am wishing you all the best in the world. I admire your courage and tenacity for beginning this journey and the sacrifices you have to make. I know this will be a challenge but have feeling you're gonna do great things and can't wait to see your progress!
I also own a aluminum sailboat myself we picked it up about two years ago now. I also own Friendly Marine if you ever have any questions about anything about related as I’m also a boat manufacturer and mobile
Marine mechanic with my specialty being electrical and systems
Really well designed boat, also completely finnished. You my friend as a super fortunate man, most of my fellow yacht captains would give their eye teeth for that little beuty you have. What a boat, its really another level.
Whoever’s doing your marketing and scripting is good. Putting all the audience participation in is great. All the thank you’s is a great touch also. You’re going to do fine with this opportunity.
Looks like a fun project. Especially since you are starting with a nice clean boat. Nice find. Congrats
Living vicariously through you tbh. I live nearby and looking forward to what comes of this channel. Maybe it will inspire me to take the plunge and live my best life.
Wow I just subscribed to your channel last week and now I get a chance to win some new batteries. So cool
Good luck on your project as we go along I’ll share some of our boat projects
I'm glad to see you acquired an all metal hull. Aluminum or Steel is the way to go.
Very nice boat that you got there! Congrats! Waiting for next episode.😊
Great job man! Keep your Chin up. I’m pulling for you.
Don't get rid of the flares or smoke signals unless they're damaged. You must have enough current ones on board to count for safety inspections, but if you do ever need them...the more the better, just because there old doesn't mean they won't work and save your life.
I have subscribed and liked for you
So much good stuff on the beached boat how long was it for
When you are in a marina you will enjoy that AC. When you are on anchor, which will be most of the time when cruising, you will not be running it and for the most part, don't need it. The only time I wished I could run the AC while on anchor was summer time in Marathon and Grenada. The rest of the time, with the wind blowing through the boat, it was just fine. I will recommend that for a boat that size, go with 600 watts of solar panels. Nothing like having free quiet electricity.
Keep em coming, I am learning so much!😮Your vision is exciting and it shows😉
I love your content ! Keep it up!
That's a seachest, one hole for multiple water supplies. Some are square, make sure it's solid. You might have been able to hook a/c intake to it ??
Scupper drains?
Congratulations on your boat it is awesome looking. I wish you all the best in your journey. I just wanted to put in my 2 cents and with all do respect. During the inspection part with the expert , I was trying to fully understand what he was saying and you kept interrupting the guy. He was putting out some great info but you wouldn't let the dude finish a sentence. It presented like you were rushing through that sequence, which waters down.what you intended to do with your channel. Understanding the time you have for the video, however It would be great to let the viewers get qualitative knowledge. I don't believe there is current content out there on aluminum boats as well. Best regards.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… Go for it dude…
Great video, suggest you don’t toss the gadgets and latches and stuff (expired flares are 100% garbage)Give yourself some time you may realize they are good to keep. We are loving your channel. You are a great story teller, keep the videos coming.
Good luck from Brighton UK in same position as you 😊
That hole in the hull is a simple version of sea chest.
You can never have too much line.
That boat is a real time capsule.
You just use a large screwdriver and wiggle it around to scrape off the barnacles.
Buy a 1000w jackery solar pow. Gen. 3:26
This is such an interesting start to your project. But, hour-long videos are too much for me, for what it's worth. 20-30 minutes is the best length. Leo and Mads are the gold standard. Best wishes! You'll do great.
It is a sea chest. The wasp nest is optional😂.
I have to admit I've never before seen someone glue in a seacock. Seems an odd choice, why not use Sikaflex?
Sail is a big investment it good if you have extra
cut that bar off and put a proper mess screen cover over it that can be removed for cleaning. Make sure the mess part of the cover is not facing forward...make it face aft.
he epoxied in the seacock? You are going to hate that when you replace it....or the next boat owner will.
You don't wear black soled boots on a boat!
It’s “Wendy” on Lassing. We live in the neighborhood. Would love to help you with the new boat. LMK
This guy gets married and his wife says "well, now we're married, I suppose you'll want to get rid of that old boat." And the guys answers, "You're beginning to sound like my ex wife." and the wife answers, "Really, I didn't know you'd been married before." and the guy answers, "I haven't."
Nope - your thought out , not ours- goodbye 👋
take a look at intoodeep he does great rambling hour long videos.
Did you get a boat or a storage locker? 😂
Remove that thru hull and put a sea chest in that is newer design.
people want hour long videos and the stuff you think is boring is likely stuff people want to watch.
Good popular channels are upbeat and do do do not whiny little brats just bitching bitching bitching
Don't get rid of the flares or smoke signals unless they're damaged. You must have enough current ones on board to count for safety inspections, but, if you do ever need them...the more the better, just because there old doesn't mean they won't work and save your life.