how I got my first bigger sailboat....well big to me anyway

[hearsejr]

well, being a guy who was raised up around big shrimp trawlers, I managed, to pick up a trawler built in 1960. it was an abadoned shrimper that was in piss poor shape, built of wood and well used to say the least, it was free ad I thought it was worth more then the Queen Mary. now storage for a 50 ft+ wooden trawler was more then I could afford and I sold it to pay off all my bills and it worked out the best for everyone. missed the old boat but I didn't have the money, nor the time to do the job.
  since then,I have been looking for a "first Big sailboat" to fix up and learn on. I figured atleast I could sail and save the fuel, which would extend my boating pleasure by a hundred fold. so, I searched the ads in yachtworld.com, boattrader.com and just about every marina on the east coast , including ebay. I found a few "hits" but they were up north, in M.D., and N.J., which is over 500 miles from here. I talked to the sellers and asked all the questions I could think of. ofcourse , just like a used car sellsman, everyone said "oh it just has a little minor stuff, maybe some bad ply wood on one bunk, engine compartment door was rotted..just needs some paint, and maybe a boom , this one is broke. well when I got there..after driving from 500am till 300pm,...we found the h*** hole they called a marina, and noone wanted to talk to us. that should have been my first sign to run like a scared rabbit! the lady/owner of the joint pointed us to the right slip and said go have a look. we..my brother and myself..walked out to the boat and it was a wreck! I have seen reefs that would be easier to restore. the cockpit was full of water, the decks were rotted out and you would almost fall through going to the bow. by now I was sure I was lied too! we decided to look in the cabin, and it was full of water and every single peice of wood in there was roted....except the engine room door!!! there was a hole rubbed in the stern, and the boom was snaped inhalf, the guy told me it had a deisle engine, but it was a gas engine that had been under water for about 3 years. we decided noway would we pay $1200 for that thing. so we pulled the boat back to the peir and climbed off and as we started to leave the baot, the peir colasped! we went swimming without warning, and it aint fun! well we walked up to the office ..wet..mad...exhuasted, and lied too. the lady said "what do you think? ready to buy it and sail away?" I wanted to say a few things to her about that, but I'm a respectful gentle man, and held me piece. well we came home after they tried to sell me another boat, that they didn't own, for almost 2500, which was way out of my price range for a fixer upper. as soon as we got home...which took longer then planned do to my trans going bad in V.A., I saw a little ad and it read "1973 coronado 27 27ft sail boat, needs lots of work, deisle engine in water at oreintal N.C.. $950 as is. well I called the guy and he said it was going to need alot of work, the engine is froze up, it has not moved in about 5 years. and the sole is full of rainrain water. I was turned off and waited to the last minute to go and look at it, and bought it on the spot for $800! it needed a good cleaning, and some minor patches on the main sail, lost water in the floors, and it has a gas engine..a saildrive. we cleaned and worked on it and found the wiring was shot and needs reworking...and the wood work needed redoing. we got the motor fired up but the carb needs rebuilding, and the prop was busted up, and we got a grand total of $850 invested in everything we done. we are now looking a prop and then we can take it out for sail. I still need to scrape the bottom and have a few minor spots to repair on the hull and deck, but that can wait, for awhile. I guess it's like the old saying goes "happiness in right in youer own back yard"

Bill

[CapnK]

Bill -

So you do have a boat now? If so - Great! Congrats bud! :D