Opportunity for good project boat

[Don Moyer]

I'd like to pass on the following message from Tom Stevens. It looks like a great opportunity for someone to pick up a wonderful project boat. Don

"In early February 2014, my beloved Tartan 34c "Blue Skies" suffered an electrical fire while in Winter layup at her slip. While the fire was apparently very small and limited in scope, the resulting soot and smoke damage down below deck is horrendous. I mention this with the thought that someone who frequents this Forum might have interest in purchasing her for $500 (Salvage Value) from me. For more info, go to http://atomic4.com/PDF/Fire.pdf"

Tom Stevens

[TomG]

That's terrible news but glad nobody was hurt and the fire didn't spread. I was down on Patina yesterday (she's on the hard at a big yard) when I smelled smoke. I see all these boats stacked in like puzzle pieces and I wonder how long it would take to consume the whole lot.

I'm almost finished with my restoration/refit of Patina and am looking for another project.

I do wonder if my marriage is ready, however.

I sent Tom an email. We'll see how bad the damage is and go from there. It's probably more work than I want to do, but who knows?

[ndutton]

WOW, sad news and not the first one I've heard about this winter. Hopefully someone will step up and keep her alive.

Not living in the snow belt and having zero experience with winter storage and winterization it raises a bunch of (no doubt) naive questions on my part but that's for another time, not now.

Sorry Tom.

P.S.
Thanks for the detailed accident analysis. Often times dock experts on other forums instantly blame these events on shore power without any evidence beyond 'fire on the hard.'

[joe_db]

FYI - this fire is totally unlike about 99.9% of winter layup fires, which are usually caused by defective shore power cords, plugs, heaters, and extension cords going to heaters.
I never even knew the Heart/Xantrex stuff COULD cause a fire and I used to sell it. The shunts are installed in the negative leads, an alternator shunt - if installed - would normally have a 1 amp or less fuse, and the meter itself would be on a low current circuit. We fused all sense lines when we installed these with 1 amp fuses near the batteries.

Condolences to Tom

[domenic]

Thanks for the heads up on this Don. I hope somebody takes her...I just hate to see old gals come to an their end.

[ndutton]

Originally Posted by joe_db

FYI - this fire is totally unlike about 99.9% of winter layup fires, which are usually caused by defective shore power cords, plugs, heaters, and extension cords going to heaters.

Yeah, 99.9% was thrown out on another forum to be followed by maybe three or four posts describing winter layup fire losses that had nothing to do with shore power. For the oft quoted 99.9% figure to remain mathematically accurate just those four fires would have to be offset by 4000 shore power caused fires.

I'm not suggesting shore power is not the cause of many if not most winter layup fires but the problem I have with these other experts is they instantly jump to a conclusion without any real evidence of the particular incident under discussion whatsoever. It seems Tom really dug into his loss to root out the actual cause (good information BTW).

[67c&ccorv]

Very sad to hear - hope Tom can get another vessel up and running.

Glad no one was hurt.

[Mo]

A hard way to face another season. Too bad about Tom's boat and I hope he finds something to fill the gap in his passion for sailing. Always a valued member of the forum and hope he sticks around.

[edwardc]

Oh, Tom. My stomach felt sick when I looked at those pictures!

[Rbyham]

Sorry for your loss friend. But I did not see any pictures in the pdf.

[Dave Neptune]

That was a tragedy for sure. I saw the pics a few weeks ago and was quite taken by the good fortune of no real fire starting and spreadding. Some rewireing and a good cleaning should bring a good boat back to life~I've seen far worse. It will take a while for the smell to go away which is probably about how long the rewire would take. Tom's wife has some allergy issues so the clean up and go is off the table. This boat was a good test base for his props and equipment and would be a great boat for a project boat.

Fair winds Tom & family _/) _/) _/)
Dave Neptune

[ndutton]

As the title of the thread suggests, out of tragedy grows opportunity and this is a huge one @$500.

For comparison, below is a picture of my Westsail project the day it arrived in the yard in Costa Mesa. I had not lifted a single tool yet and what you see is all there was. No engine, no mast, rigging, wood, fiberglass, rudder, tanks, hardware, fasteners, the list is endless. At that precise point I was $17K into it. $17,000.00 and that was in 1984 dollars The $500 Tom is asking is beer money. I see no reason in the world she can't be saved, just need to find the right guy.

Insurance adjusters only look at raw figures; there's more going on here than a balance sheet.

[Rbyham]

can someone point me to pictures?

[ndutton]

The pdf has pictures but they took a little while to load when I viewed them. The blank pages after the text are where they'll pop in.

[roadnsky]

Originally Posted by Rbyham

can someone point me to pictures?

See if this attachment works for you...

[Rbyham]

thanks for the help. I have seen the pics...

[nyvoyager]

I've had a T34c on my mind for a few years. this is very tempting and i'll give it some thought.

Yard fires are no fun. a few years ago the boat behind me caught fire when a battery charger was left plugged in. The boat where the fire started and my boat were parked stern to stern.

The photo shows the deck. An open melted hull more or less on the ground. The boat to the left was also a completed loss. And the boat to the far right (with the cover drawn up to the bow) was seriously damaged.

the only damage on Voyager was a burned life ring and two melted pieces of plastic on the rub rail
If the wind had been from a westerly direction, the whole club would have likely been lost.

[67c&ccorv]

Love the Tartan 34C lines - if I wasn't balls deep into my C&C Corvette I would be all over that Tom!

[romantic comedy]

I love my Tartan 34. No one is getting it until they pry the wheel from my cold dead hands.

[Rbyham]

They do appear beautiful boats. I would love to make this kind of upgrade to my fleet but timing is sadly way off. But I am curious about how the insurance settlement impacts future titling? Is there such as salvage title like for cars?

[The Garbone]

The thought has crossed my mind to ditch our C30 for the 34C. Of course my better half has talked sense into me.

The logistics of the thing seem daunting even if the wife would not beat me senseless and the fact I already have 2 boats......

Hope she finds a good home.

[Rbyham]

Curious if Blue Skies has a new home yet?