View Single Post
  #1   IP: 73.177.131.145
Old 06-14-2018, 11:16 AM
ILikeRust's Avatar
ILikeRust ILikeRust is offline
Afourian MVP
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Henrico, VA
Posts: 2,202
Thanks: 2
Thanked 23 Times in 21 Posts
CHEAP - 1968 Pearson Wanderer 30 project *"NEW" A-4

Well I finally have to just bite the bullet and pass along my boat project to someone who actually will finish it.

It's a great boat and sails beautifully, but life has taken over and I simply do not have the time or other resources to finish what I started on it.

This is a 1968 Pearson Wanderer 30. It's really a great boat. Shoal-draft full keel with a drop-down centerboard. It draws 3'6" with the centerboard up and for most sailing, you don't need the centerboard down. With the centerboard fully down, it draws 6'9".

The good:

* The hull is solid fiberglass, from the era when the manufacturers were still building them thick. It is a sturdy hull, in great condition.

* I have removed almost all through-hulls, and replaced the ones that remain with modern, high-quality materials. It is a very dry hull and there is rarely more than a quart or two of water in the bilge.

* The Atomic 4 engine was manufactured in 1980 and installed in 1983. I removed the engine a few years ago, brought it home and did a complete tear-down and rebuild, which is fully documented in detail at this thread: http://www.moyermarineforum.com/foru...ead.php?t=4808. Skip to Page 3 of the thread for the start of the engine removal and rebuild.

* The engine was 100% completely torn down, every last nut and bolt. I thoroughly cleaned out everything, stripped and repainted everything, replaced the main bearings, valve springs, rings, all gaskets, accessory drive bearings, water pump impeller and also converted it to fresh water cooling with a Moyer Marine heat exchanger kit (which cost over $800). I had the head and block professionally surface ground at an engine shop and the valve seats re-cut, then hand-lapped all valves. I spent about $2,700 on parts and services to get essentially a new engine - to pay a professional mechanic to do all this (if you could find one who would do it) would cost you probably $5,000. My boat project stalled a little while after putting the engine back in the boat, so the engine has only about 9 hours on the rebuild.

* I replaced the original, sub-par engine raw water intake with a much larger and high-quality Groco bronze fitting, with new valve and a big Groco strainer - these were not cheap and will last the rest of the boat's life and your life.

* I bought a brand new Centek spun fiberglass wet-lift muffler, to replace the old worn-out Vetus, but never installed it. So it's sitting in there, ready to be hooked up, never used.

* I had a brand new main sail custom made by Sail Care, for about $1,800 - they did a beautiful job - it's been sailed I think 5 times.

* I had a brand new bimini and dodger custom-made by Phase I Marine in Deltaville, VA - including all new stainless steel frames and Sunbrella canvas. I have never used the dodger, and the canvas has been stored inside since new, so it is still essentially as new. The bimini needs new canvas.

* I removed the rotting cabin sole and stripped the entire bilge, then painted the entire bilge with three coats of BilgeKote. Also painted the entire engine compartment space prior to re-installation of the engine.

* I installed a new bilge pump

* Custom-built and installed a battery box for the two house batteries

* I made a beautiful new dining table top out of solid teak and applied 5-6 coats of spar varnish to replace the old plywood and plastic laminate table top.

* I bought a whole set of tools and a multi-drawer tool chest that stays on the boat - over $500 of tools. I will include all of that, plus whatever other supplies and materials I have lying around.

I know there's more, but I can't think of it all right now - I've done a ton of work on the boat, but of course there's always more to do.

I have a lot of paperwork and documentation from the various prior owners, including the original bill of sale from when the boat was bought new in 1968! She cost the equivalent of about $150,000 today!

The bad:

* I did not finish replacing the cabin sole, so there's nothing to walk on inside except the bare inside surface of the hull. I made and epoxied in place floor timbers to screw down new flooring to, and I also made and varnished the boards that I wanted to install as the new cabin sole, but that's where things stalled.

* It has been sitting in the slip for a couple years now, so last time I was up there, there was a fair amount of mildew on some of the surfaces in the cabin.

* The exterior paint is over 10 years old and has now completely failed and is peeling off in sheets. The whole outside of the boat needs to be stripped and repainted.

* The deck has a few small leaks up front of the mast, and I know some of the core is wet. I've ignored it, but at some point, someone will want to address the small leaks - rain water does drip in slowly in a couple spots.

It's definitely a "project", but I have already done an awful lot of hard work and what's left is mostly cosmetic. The boat sails beautifully - I've had it out in near gale-force winds, with 3-foot waves, and it just sliced right through them. I've had it rails down at 7.5 kts and she sails straight, solid and steady.

In her day, this was a beautiful, high-end boat, and I know she can be again. At this stage of my life, it's just too overwhelming with everything else I have to deal with and I just don't have the time or money, or energy, for it anymore. I'm hoping I can find someone who will take her to the next level!
__________________
- Bill T.
- Richmond, VA

Relentless pursuer of lost causes
Reply With Quote