My sailboat runs at about 8 mph. My friend said, "That's really slow!" I replied, " It is super slow, for a race car. But for a house it is blazing fast!"
I'm not familiar with the channel but this fellow is saying the right things. He knows what he's looking at, he knows what he's looking for, and he makes good assessments regarding seaworthiness. 👍🏼
So annoying to see these stupid phrases repeated. A boat is cheaper than a house, by far, even with all the repairs. The only time a boat is a bad / overly expensive expense is if you are only using it on the weekend. If you are living on it, it is an economical choice.
I bought a 1973 Chris Craft Commander, 42' sports cruiser model 5 years ago with a boat partner. We have spent every vacation day we have had since we bought it working on it. Every single one. And we are just now getting to the point where she can go back in the water and head over for her new life in the Bahamas. Of course, we did a lot more than just "get 'er running", etc. This is a pretty high end venture. We wanted to create a custom fishing yacht from the rock solid hull. So far we have about $150k in the project including the initial purchase price of $20k. Yeah, it's a lot but you'd have to spend a lot more buying what we made. A new 42' Chris Craft Commander runs about $900k + tax. Yes, really. Let's face it, the dollar just doesn't buy what it used to. And that is without all the high end fishing electronics, bait well, underwater lights and cameras, etc. that we have installed. About 50% of the work we have done is documented here: thirdwaveyacht.blogspot.com/p/introduction.html So yeah, I agree with Boat Man, nothing is as expensive as a cheap boat. Either you spend a ton fixing it up like new OR you spend and spend and spend over time on maintenance. The good thing about rebuilding a boat, however, is that you literally know every single nut and bolt and system in the thing. You will never need to call the boat repair guy because you ARE the boat repair guy. Fiberglass, gel coat, engines, water systems, AC and DC electrical, hydraulic steering, pumps, air conditioners, you name it.
I retired from a CA county agency that impounded boats and then sold them cheaply at auction. We would sometimes impound the same boat again after the new owner would finally realize that they couldn’t get insurance because they couldn’t afford the boat yard upfront retainer to haul out for inspection and bottom paint, maintenance, etc. Many new boater dreams became nightmares when the costs of upkeep, dock fees and such became too expensive. There’s no such thing as a free or cheap boat. Boat is short for break out another thousand...
@@ffaspector The county that I worked at quit conducting auctions for boats after it was no longer financially feasible. And state government grants paid for having the boats destroyed.
I'm trying to think of the cheapest place I could dock my sailboat where it might have toilet service - & then I thought 🤔 it would be cheapest to park it on land ...& then manage land tax... & Then I thought 🤔 Why build out of balsa wood 🙃 I guess it's worth every bit of the ship 🚢 to float 🤔 I'm sure there are peace relieving ways to financially own a vessel if you know how.... & compromise this and that. Like I thought Amazon was doing drone delivery.
@@FathomlessJoy There is this dude at work who always randomly starts his banal anecdotes with, "Back when I was in the marines." Everyone mocks his for it. So one day at lunch I started talking about the Navy. He got all puffy, claiming the marines were so much more manly than the Navy and more effective murderers of babies abroad and whatnot. I then -- after he swallowed the bait hook, line and sinker -- informed him that marines were under in the Navy. He got super pssed and wanted to fight me. At lunch LOLzzzz What a tool.
Buddy of mine was a civilian teaching sailing at Navy Coronado Sailing Club and overheard a boat sank at its mooring, probably due to a through-hull fitting failure. He bought the boat for $1 and raised it the next day. He had it hauled out and I helped him fix it up in the South Bay boatyard. He put new rigging on it and later that year we raced it in beer can races and won a PHRF class 6 title later that same year. The rigging and sets of used sails came to $15,000
That would be Fiddler's Cove where I had a boat (on the moorings and in a slip). The boat is still there, just no longer my boat. I don't think it's uncommon for moorings to be the place where boats go to die, depending on the marina. There have been boats at Fiddler's that have sunk or nearly sunk in their slips too.
Catalina 27 is my favorite boat for a day sail out of San Diego, but I wouldn't own one, or any other, because there is a great option to owning here. That is Sea Forth Boat Club. They are the oldest in SD and have 4 to 5 locations here. Initial membership is around $ 400 and $ 30 / month. That gets you very reduced rental rates and great choices of boats. For instance: a Catalina 27 is $ 195 for a day. Compare that to owning a boat with slip costs, insurance, maintenance , etc. You don't do any cleaning, no maintenance, no empting of sewage, nothing. All locations have full bathroom with shower privileges at the various marinas and you can sleep overnight.
I sailed in San Diego harbor quite a bit and have seen sailboats on moorings that haven't been touched for several years, the curtains were tattered from sun and sailcovers cracked. Very easy to find cheap boats here.
Very common. But I think that's very common of a lot of moorings. The free moorings in San Diego that used to exist that had some of the worst of the worst had been cleared out.
@@wilfdarr Many yachts built in the 1970s were "overbuilt" due to the relative unfamiliarity of fiberglass at the time. Many famous makes such as CAL, C&C etc can be found very cheaply.
There have been several boats at Fiddler's Cove that have sunk on the moorings that staff didn't even know had sank until people let staff know a mast was sticking out of the water. There has been at least one boat on the docks while I owned my boat there that was been down to the rigging before anyone noticed and put pumps on board to keep it from completely sinking. The moorings are now the first place the staff checks to ensure none of the boats have sunk. The new management, Jarrod and his higher up Brandon are civilians who don't even have any boating experience, yet are running a marina! They also have no knowledge of the military and make policies that don't even take into consideration that people may be elsewhere on deployment for extended periods of time and don't have immediate access to their boats! The previous Dock Master was amazing!!! Once these new morons started implementing ridiculous policies, he retired and it has gone quickly downhill since then. Their policies are absurd that sooo many people have left the marina for marinas that are a lot more expensive simply to avoid the headache of dealing with the incompetent staff!
too funny. the 14 Boston whaler behind the Catalina, was left in the slip that I rented from driscoll's mission bay years ago. I moved it to that area so long ago. it's also funny, that I left Driscoll's and moved to marina Cortez, which is where that Pearson and choy lee are located. small world. (I am still there
Do you ever get around the open Anchorage boats outside of Chula Vista? I have a 26 ft ranger red hull white cockpit with California raisin sun with sunglasses port and starboard aft. Very easy boat to spot when I left in 2006 after working there I had to go home for damage from Katrina I never went back I wish someone could look in on my boat for me if it's even still there.
@@martinsaunders7925 , I guess I worded that poorly. A boat in similar condition forty years ago. Yes, I'm sure that Cheoy Lee was pretty nice forty years ago.
@@ziparis when I lived in Annapolis, I used to drive into Baltimore for work every day. There was a yard, off of Route 2, that had several old, and still beautiful wooden boats, that were obviously abandoned. I stopped one day and looked at them and found one that didn't look that bad. I went to the yard office and asked if any of them were for sale. He said, "I will give you any one of them you want. My only condition, is that I don't sign the title over, until it is loaded onto a trailer and ready to go out my front gate." He had seen a lot of good intentioned people who thought they could fix them up, and was tired of having to do abandoned title paperwork again and again.
@@ziparis man /woman hours and money. Around here $800 a foot for hull paint and $1200 for deck.Around$ 7500 for engine and generator rebuild. New rigging(if you want insurance),spar repairs. Everything on deck re bedded. Removal included in topside painting. Rotten framing and veneer replacement under leaking ports. Bulkhead repairs and veneer replacement. Cabin sole repair. New bilge pumps and switches. New cooker,water heater, air and heat. New foam and cushion covers,new heads/ hoses. Steering gear service,cable replacement if applicable. This is a partial list.
looks like my wonderful "Equinox" in PNW Canada. Cat 27 is just what you want. 2K invested and shes a wonderful Part-time Liveaboard. Great video, thanks, Cody
If youre looking for a starter that you dont mind damaging due to rocks, etc, then it can makes a good option. Im in SD and there are occasionally free boats that may be worth it, but I've never personally gone to look at them IRL. Usually people who had $2-5k old boats for sale and they dont have the time to try and sell them anymore and its cheaper to give it away than have it towed away. Usually not the case, but sometimes. 9.8/10 of the time, youre comment stands strong.
A yacht broker once gave me this advice: "The most expensive boat you could get might be one that someone would give you for free". I found that out the hard way, but it's OK if you enjoy the process of bringing a derelict back to life. Plus you'll know the boat inside and out.
But, as I was saying, don't expect that it's a way to save money. Better to pick up a boat that's been loved vs. neglected, or one whose PO has put a fortune into and then called it quits. You'll be picking up all those new parts, including installation, for a fraction of their wholesale cost...plus saving gobs of time.
I have had 2 boats in SD. One I kept at harbor island the first one at Chula Vista Marina. SD has been trying to get rid of the 25 to 30 foot junk boats for years. Boats are cheap. Slips are impossible to find and expensive.
It’s pretty much the same. Some makes and models aren’t worth repairing. But some are. It depends on how much parts and labor it’s gonna take and what it will be worth to you when you’re done. I once restored an old-non running Puch motorcycle. It took forever to get parts and restore, and it wasn’t really worth much when it was restored, but I really enjoyed the bike.
Just subscribed and thank you,I've been waiting for someone to do like you are,may the holidays be kind to you and all watching and our world at hand during these critical times...take care and be safe....
I would fog and spray that Catalina before starting any work. If Fact I would say it would be a good idea to spray and or fog any used older boat to be on safe side.
spent 50 years fixing up boats, If you can get super cheap storage some are worthwhile , bleach is your friend. suggestions start with a small boat, small outboard sailboats. on that check the deck first and don't bother going inside until checking out all the stanchion base areas for cracks and especially the base of the mast , if they are not nearly perfect, move on.
@@DIYDaveT I'm not thinking newer, I'm thinking 80's but not trashed like these. I don't have a problem getting my hands dirty and doing my own work but I don't see the point in excessive work when I can get something that's not rotted out for a few thousand
I've got a 1984 MacGregor 25'. Its always needs work done to it. In reality boat is an anagram for bust out another thousand😉. Most of the time its a labor of love
I bought an '85 swing keel for $500. Had to re-core the whole top deck and basically rebuild/refresh everything. It's a fun project. It's a cheap boat compared to any in a marina. That's for sure.
@@dmc8921 yeah I think mine needs that done to it as well. Theres one method where they drill holes and inject epoxy into the cavity then theres the method where they cut the ceiling open and replace the individual squares. I called MacGregor a few years ago to find out if its a solid sheet. They said its more like a grid with squares.
@@robertwilliams450 Mine was 2 solid sheets of 1/4 inch plywood with a seam down the middle a 1/4 inch wide filled with epoxy filler. The water followed the seam down the whole deck from the mast step. I cut the top layer of fiberglass off and it came off the wood easy due to the rot. Replaced the wood soaked it with epoxy and epoxyed the skin back on the top. I'm repainting the boat so it will cover any scars. You can go from underneath but it will be hard. I had a 300lb dude and myself stand on it and it was solid. Stronger than before I think. Hopefully you just have to do the mast step area and not everything like me.
@@dmc8921 mine goes pretty much to the edges and from the companion way to the front slope. The fore deck above the v berth is solid as well as the cockpit floor and benches. The mast step was loose when I got it so I'd say thats what happened as well. The life line posts are solid as well but thats right on the edge
@@robertwilliams450 Mast step is the common issue on these. If your deck isn't too bad the drilling the holes and injecting the epoxy would be cheapest and easiest. Worth a try considering the amount of work replacing the core. Drill the holes and let it dry out a bit first. "Boat works today" has good videos on fiberglass delamination repair. Cost me about $400 with supplies left over from jamestown dist to replace the whole deck. Good luck.
In 2002, 2004, and 2005 I worked in San Diego and I bought every lean sell boat Marina village in mission Bay had. This is before the internet got big and they weren't too many bidders. I was back down in Louisiana in 2006 and got a call from Marina village they were ready to give me another boat but I had to turn it down told them I was already back home. I have a 26 ft ranger racing sailboat in open Anchorage outside of Chula Vista that I had to leave in 2006. It's a red hull with a white cockpit and on the aft port and starboard or decals of the California raisin sun with sunglasses. I haven't checked on it since I left in 2006 and haven't been back if anyone ever cruises around the open Anchorage boats in Chula Vista I'd appreciate it if they look in on my boat if it's still there! Thanks in advance!
That second boat is a Pearson Flyer. Minimalist race boat. There was one available locally pretty near free. Nice thing is, the interiors of these are pretty much a clean slate to be modded as you wish.
I moved to San Diego from the Midwest and do upholstery on yachts for a boat yard, I'm looking for something like that Chris craft as a live aboard but can't find that Marina. Any help would be appreciated.
I've never experienced that sailing on the Bay out of Coronado for more than 15 years. I think Long Beach/San Pedro with shipping crates and cranes is far more loud!
Wow! This is interesting. I don’t know much about restoring boat but I would love to get together with someone and share the work and co own the boat. I can do sailing once a while.
I'm keenly interested, hello Keenly. I currently live in the upper Midwest but had getting a cheap or even free boat to sail away to Hawaii crossed my mind a few times.
What do you look for in a cheap old boat? #1 Is the Hull, Deck & Keel in good shape? #2 Does the Engine Run? #3 Are the Sails decent? #4 Is the mast & Standing rigging decent? Not to say perfect, but decent, as in can you sail it at all? Mold is sometimes a deal breaker, but most of it can be cleaned up. The less woodwork, the better, plastic mold cleans off easy, and doesn't rot? Everything else is cosmetic, and can be replaced, fixed or cleaned. Even Sails are easy to replace, or outboard engines.
Oh gosh, I had a 1974 Catalina 27 in San Diego that I sold a number of years ago. I would jump on that Catalina if I could. Hopefully another will pop up when I'm ready! Fair winds and following seas!
very true what "boat man" said. I know the old guy that lived on this boat . I lived next to him. I offered to do maintenance. for free. I'd say there was no maintenance on it for more like 25 yrs!
The funny and not so funny thing is all the surprises. Strange configurations and no matter what was screwed down, every screw was a different kind. I’m not kidding! I swear ANY bad EVERY part that has 3 screws in it has 3 different kinds of screws. I found random screws floating inside the distributor. Whoever worked on it wasn’t a sailor. Bless his heart for trying to maintain the boat but I’ve spent about $8k already replacing just about every screw and bolt on the boat. The main halyard sheave was not even there. Someone just ran the wire halyard over the pin. I could go on forever. I spent over 4 months, 7 days a week working on her. I didn’t film a lot of it of it just because it was so frustrating and exhausting. Lol!
I agree!!! More like this will serve a good number of purposes. They would serve to give more life to boats with continued potential and offer a new life not only to the boats, but to many who want to own a day cruiser or for those desiring the cruiser life. Please do more like this. I'm very interested in contacting Harbormasters who want boats gone and will work to make it happen.
Damn... thank you for this video! The floating 2 bedroom is kind of amazing. I'm into day dreaming about living aboard a sailboat, so I never would have given a cruiser like that a second look but wow... can you imagine...it's the mid 70s, youve got a few grand in the bank, your favorite guy/girl/dog at your side, a case of corona (apparently lol), fuel is around 40 cents a gallon, California was (and probably still is) an exciting place that everyone wants to be.... . I'll stop there but damn, sounds like the good life to me, atleast until gangs, cults, and politics take hold. Going to subscribe and check out more of your content, Thanks!
Looks like restoring a boat is like restoring an old car, start with the absolute best you can afford, then spend a little more than you can afford, it will cost less in the long run.
I think that the chi lee is a beautiful boat I would love to have it .I would take it right now to live on it but it's where it is I would have to pay someone to sail it to me in Ireland .If I had the money to pay someone I would but I am 64 years old and I only have a pension to live on but the boat would be great for to do up slowly . I hope that someone will take it and respect it and do it Up.thanks you for reading my letter.
So how do you find out about boats like this? Just call the harbormaster? I never even knew this was a possibility, although I do agree with what the others are saying about cheap boats are expensive, but I could see myself living a board one of those dumps and paying rent while I worked on another boat.
Are there really free boats? I would love to have one to live on, even if it needs a lot of work done. As long as I can get it to the rivers in Paraguay.
Hi, my wife and I loved your videos. We’re San Diego locals and would love more information on where you find these boats. We’re interested in restoring a boat that the Mariana is tryin to get rid of. Any information would be helpful. Thanks again. Big fans of your TH-cam channel.
nothing a few gallons of fuel and a match couldnt fix. I didnt see one of them that could be turned even for a meager profit. Sad that owners let them get in that state of disrepair. Gonna go sleep on my boat and exercise the Heat/AC unit tonight. They need constant love. OH...Werent Catalinas built in the parking lot behind Home Depot in Woodland Hills? I used to see the molds for the hulls when getting paint and lumber.
No they teach “skating.” That’s a Marine joke. Not really. The military does have lots of recreation centers where you can learn sailing and rent boats on your own time, though.
I'm your newest sub. Nice channel. I'm in the same boat as you (Pun intended). That is, I'm in search of a free boat too. Thank you for your service to our Nation. God Bless and Merry Christmas.
@@sailingketchstarship1965 Boats are expensive up in the northwest, and get cheaper as you go south (downwind). LOL - plenty of cheap boats in SoCal and Mexico, but unless you're crossing the Pacific, it's a hell of a beat to bring them back up the coast!
I have a question for you, do you know if that motor yacht is still there? If so, in which Marina in San Diego, I would like to know if she is still tere. Wold jou like toe take a look For me? Greetings, Gert Jan form the Netherlands.
Catalina 27s are the best selling boat in history. Catalina Direct had all the parts anyone could ever need, and if you can’t find it there, eBay has the rest.
It blew my mind when I was watching Joe Rogan podcast featuring Moxie Marlinspike and he stated matter of factly that he got his boat for free and there are tons of free ones out there. Apparently he was right. I've found many. People that just can't keep them anymore.
Some of these free boats could easily be used for low rent housing for college graduates who are trying to get on their feet and start working towards a future pay the slip fee and electricity while keeping her afloat.
I'm local in San Diego I've been following you for a minute. Looking at a sailboat of my own for a while. What marina are you at there. I'd like to take a look and possibly get my hands on one. Let me know. By the way gotta a new subscriber sir! Thank you Joseph
My sailboat runs at about 8 mph. My friend said, "That's really slow!" I replied, " It is super slow, for a race car. But for a house it is blazing fast!"
I found out in a flood that houses flooded,my boat didn't.
8 knots is screaming!
@@sailingketchstarship1965 well 8MPHis definitely slower than 8knts
If I say "knots" their eyes glass over. So I do the conversion for them haha
@@FathomlessJoy ahh they get confused with the other kind of knots? Wonder how long it will be before we're using kph
I'm not familiar with the channel but this fellow is saying the right things. He knows what he's looking at, he knows what he's looking for, and he makes good assessments regarding seaworthiness. 👍🏼
Thanks! I’m gonna drop a new video this week of the boat I ended up buying in Florida and where it’s at now.
Those Choy Lee's Are Beautiful when kept up. I Love them.
BOAT is an acronym = Break Out Another Thousand
So annoying to see these stupid phrases repeated. A boat is cheaper than a house, by far, even with all the repairs. The only time a boat is a bad / overly expensive expense is if you are only using it on the weekend. If you are living on it, it is an economical choice.
I bought a 1973 Chris Craft Commander, 42' sports cruiser model 5 years ago with a boat partner. We have spent every vacation day we have had since we bought it working on it. Every single one. And we are just now getting to the point where she can go back in the water and head over for her new life in the Bahamas. Of course, we did a lot more than just "get 'er running", etc. This is a pretty high end venture. We wanted to create a custom fishing yacht from the rock solid hull. So far we have about $150k in the project including the initial purchase price of $20k. Yeah, it's a lot but you'd have to spend a lot more buying what we made. A new 42' Chris Craft Commander runs about $900k + tax. Yes, really. Let's face it, the dollar just doesn't buy what it used to. And that is without all the high end fishing electronics, bait well, underwater lights and cameras, etc. that we have installed.
About 50% of the work we have done is documented here:
thirdwaveyacht.blogspot.com/p/introduction.html
So yeah, I agree with Boat Man, nothing is as expensive as a cheap boat. Either you spend a ton fixing it up like new OR you spend and spend and spend over time on maintenance. The good thing about rebuilding a boat, however, is that you literally know every single nut and bolt and system in the thing. You will never need to call the boat repair guy because you ARE the boat repair guy. Fiberglass, gel coat, engines, water systems, AC and DC electrical, hydraulic steering, pumps, air conditioners, you name it.
I retired from a CA county agency that impounded boats and then sold them cheaply at auction. We would sometimes impound the same boat again after the new owner would finally realize that they couldn’t get insurance because they couldn’t afford the boat yard upfront retainer to haul out for inspection and bottom paint, maintenance, etc. Many new boater dreams became nightmares when the costs of upkeep, dock fees and such became too expensive. There’s no such thing as a free or cheap boat. Boat is short for break out another thousand...
Which county agency does boat auctions? (Mine do not)
@@ffaspector The county that I worked at quit conducting auctions for boats after it was no longer financially feasible. And state government grants paid for having the boats destroyed.
break out another thousand... love that. :)
I'm trying to think of the cheapest place I could dock my sailboat where it might have toilet service - & then I thought 🤔 it would be cheapest to park it on land ...& then manage land tax... & Then I thought 🤔 Why build out of balsa wood 🙃 I guess it's worth every bit of the ship 🚢 to float 🤔
I'm sure there are peace relieving ways to financially own a vessel if you know how.... & compromise this and that. Like I thought Amazon was doing drone delivery.
I've heard the only cheap place to live in CA is a cardboard box. For excitement they can also double for mudsliding.
I love that a Marine is doing this, not a Navy vet 😁
Marines are part of the Navy.
@Highway rambler The Marines are under the department of the Navy.
@Highway rambler Naw Just clarified, clown. Since you made a vague unrelated irrelevant comment. :-D
@@FathomlessJoy There is this dude at work who always randomly starts his banal anecdotes with, "Back when I was in the marines." Everyone mocks his for it. So one day at lunch I started talking about the Navy. He got all puffy, claiming the marines were so much more manly than the Navy and more effective murderers of babies abroad and whatnot. I then -- after he swallowed the bait hook, line and sinker -- informed him that marines were under in the Navy. He got super pssed and wanted to fight me. At lunch LOLzzzz What a tool.
Buddy of mine was a civilian teaching sailing at Navy Coronado Sailing Club and overheard a boat sank at its mooring, probably due to a through-hull fitting failure. He bought the boat for $1 and raised it the next day. He had it hauled out and I helped him fix it up in the South Bay boatyard. He put new rigging on it and later that year we raced it in beer can races and won a PHRF class 6 title later that same year. The rigging and sets of used sails came to $15,000
That would be Fiddler's Cove where I had a boat (on the moorings and in a slip). The boat is still there, just no longer my boat. I don't think it's uncommon for moorings to be the place where boats go to die, depending on the marina. There have been boats at Fiddler's that have sunk or nearly sunk in their slips too.
Yes!!!!
@@nicolelewonkenobi Fiddlers Cove, yes.
Catalina 27 is my favorite boat for a day sail out of San Diego, but I wouldn't own one, or any other, because there is a great option to owning here. That is Sea Forth Boat Club. They are the oldest in SD and have 4 to 5 locations here. Initial membership is around $ 400 and $ 30 / month. That gets you very reduced rental rates and great choices of boats. For instance: a Catalina 27 is $ 195 for a day. Compare that to owning a boat with slip costs, insurance, maintenance , etc. You don't do any cleaning, no maintenance, no empting of sewage, nothing. All locations have full bathroom with shower privileges at the various marinas and you can sleep overnight.
Oh, that's sounds ideal.
I sailed in San Diego harbor quite a bit and have seen sailboats on moorings that haven't been touched for several years, the curtains were tattered from sun and sailcovers cracked. Very easy to find cheap boats here.
Very common. But I think that's very common of a lot of moorings. The free moorings in San Diego that used to exist that had some of the worst of the worst had been cleared out.
As a Canadian this is the first I'm hearing. Might be worth the drive!
@@wilfdarr Many yachts built in the 1970s were "overbuilt" due to the relative unfamiliarity of fiberglass at the time. Many famous makes such as CAL, C&C etc can be found very cheaply.
@@robertthomas3364 Boats from that era are a bit leaky and need bilge pumped weekly.
There have been several boats at Fiddler's Cove that have sunk on the moorings that staff didn't even know had sank until people let staff know a mast was sticking out of the water. There has been at least one boat on the docks while I owned my boat there that was been down to the rigging before anyone noticed and put pumps on board to keep it from completely sinking. The moorings are now the first place the staff checks to ensure none of the boats have sunk. The new management, Jarrod and his higher up Brandon are civilians who don't even have any boating experience, yet are running a marina! They also have no knowledge of the military and make policies that don't even take into consideration that people may be elsewhere on deployment for extended periods of time and don't have immediate access to their boats! The previous Dock Master was amazing!!! Once these new morons started implementing ridiculous policies, he retired and it has gone quickly downhill since then. Their policies are absurd that sooo many people have left the marina for marinas that are a lot more expensive simply to avoid the headache of dealing with the incompetent staff!
too funny. the 14 Boston whaler behind the Catalina, was left in the slip that I rented from driscoll's mission bay years ago. I moved it to that area so long ago. it's also funny, that I left Driscoll's and moved to marina Cortez, which is where that Pearson and choy lee are located. small world. (I am still there
That’s where ya find these boats!
Do you ever get around the open Anchorage boats outside of Chula Vista? I have a 26 ft ranger red hull white cockpit with California raisin sun with sunglasses port and starboard aft. Very easy boat to spot when I left in 2006 after working there I had to go home for damage from Katrina I never went back I wish someone could look in on my boat for me if it's even still there.
@@jslade60 if you left it anchored in 2006, it is most likely long gone
Forty years ago, I would have jumped on something like that Cheoy Lee. Today, I know better.
40 years ago it was almost new and probably well maintained. You could have bought a house to flip for what it would have cost
@@martinsaunders7925 , I guess I worded that poorly. A boat in similar condition forty years ago. Yes, I'm sure that Cheoy Lee was pretty nice forty years ago.
Gorgeous, but that sucker needs a LOT of work. If someone's got a year with nothing to do and a bunch of money...
@@ziparis when I lived in Annapolis, I used to drive into Baltimore for work every day. There was a yard, off of Route 2, that had several old, and still beautiful wooden boats, that were obviously abandoned. I stopped one day and looked at them and found one that didn't look that bad. I went to the yard office and asked if any of them were for sale. He said, "I will give you any one of them you want. My only condition, is that I don't sign the title over, until it is loaded onto a trailer and ready to go out my front gate." He had seen a lot of good intentioned people who thought they could fix them up, and was tired of having to do abandoned title paperwork again and again.
@@ziparis man /woman hours and money. Around here $800 a foot for hull paint and $1200 for deck.Around$ 7500 for engine and generator rebuild. New rigging(if you want insurance),spar repairs. Everything on deck re bedded. Removal included in topside painting.
Rotten framing and veneer replacement under leaking ports. Bulkhead repairs and veneer replacement. Cabin sole repair. New bilge pumps and switches. New cooker,water heater, air and heat. New foam and cushion covers,new heads/ hoses. Steering gear service,cable replacement if applicable.
This is a partial list.
Great clip. I really appreciated your take on things. Sail on!
I could smell the interior of that first boat just sitting in my chair at home.
It was hard to breathe in there!
The boats were pretty gross
maybe its time to go clean around the chair.
@@analysedean
Lol!!
meh.... take everything out and crank up the powerwasher and you're fine. Just make sure the bilge pump is working. Seriously.
looks like my wonderful "Equinox" in PNW Canada. Cat 27 is just what you want. 2K invested and shes a wonderful Part-time Liveaboard. Great video, thanks,
Cody
Nothing as expensive as a cheap boat
Agreed! In most situations.
or a free dog
Literally came here to leave this comment.
If youre looking for a starter that you dont mind damaging due to rocks, etc, then it can makes a good option. Im in SD and there are occasionally free boats that may be worth it, but I've never personally gone to look at them IRL. Usually people who had $2-5k old boats for sale and they dont have the time to try and sell them anymore and its cheaper to give it away than have it towed away. Usually not the case, but sometimes. 9.8/10 of the time, youre comment stands strong.
The expense of a cheap boat is inversely proportional to expertise and experience
This video reminds me that downtown SD has constant jet airplane noise...
So i noticed...what a drag to live under that racket!
That Drifter Chris Craft boat is the one I could see fixing up.
The choy Lee looks good. The size is good to live on and great for ocean sailing. A challenge to fix
Challenge is an understatement: they're great boats so to look like that she was neglected a long time. Cheaper just to build a new one.
If you’re good with wood and good with fiberglass. They’re great boats when restored.
A yacht broker once gave me this advice: "The most expensive boat you could get might be one that someone would give you for free". I found that out the hard way, but it's OK if you enjoy the process of bringing a derelict back to life. Plus you'll know the boat inside and out.
But, as I was saying, don't expect that it's a way to save money. Better to pick up a boat that's been loved vs. neglected, or one whose PO has put a fortune into and then called it quits. You'll be picking up all those new parts, including installation, for a fraction of their wholesale cost...plus saving gobs of time.
The first one is a 1965 Choy Lee Robb 35’ Yawl with fiberglass hull. I had a 1963.
I have had 2 boats in SD. One I kept at harbor island the first one at Chula Vista Marina. SD has been trying to get rid of the 25 to 30 foot junk boats for years. Boats are cheap. Slips are impossible to find and expensive.
Would you be so kind to direct me to these boats you know of please. I've been looking for a boat for many years now.
nope, you two dont want them trust me lmao
I don’t know a lot about boats, but I get a lot of free or really cheap motorcycles and they are usually worth what I pay for them.
It’s pretty much the same. Some makes and models aren’t worth repairing. But some are. It depends on how much parts and labor it’s gonna take and what it will be worth to you when you’re done. I once restored an old-non running Puch motorcycle. It took forever to get parts and restore, and it wasn’t really worth much when it was restored, but I really enjoyed the bike.
@@sailingketchstarship1965 semper fi from a retired Navy vet!
Really enjoy these walk thru videos a yaughts I otherwise would never get to see.
But ; it would be nice to see how they handle out at sea.
Lik'd and sub'd ......you are a good guy for raising that table and cushions!
Thanks! I try to treat every boat with love and respect.
Just subscribed and thank you,I've been waiting for someone to do like you are,may the holidays be kind to you and all watching and our world at hand during these critical times...take care and be safe....
The 29' Pearson is a Pearson Flyer (30'). In good shape they go for around $10k.
Manufactured from '81 to '83. They are a relatively quick boat for club racing. Comparable to a J30.
The one in the video was for sale in 2017. sailingtexas.com/201601/spearson303118.html
Thanks! I’d never seen a flush deck Pearson like that before. Pretty bare bones boat. Looked very racey!
PHRF on them is 144.
@@rich7447 please explain the Pearson 29 and 30 models. I’m confused by them despite sailing Narragansett Bay for 55 years. Thank you in advance.
I would fog and spray that Catalina before starting any work. If Fact I would say it would be a good idea to spray and or fog any used older boat to be on safe side.
I agree 100%! No telling what’s where you can’t see.
spent 50 years fixing up boats, If you can get super cheap storage some are worthwhile , bleach is your friend. suggestions start with a small boat, small outboard sailboats. on that check the deck first and don't bother going inside until checking out all the stanchion base areas for cracks and especially the base of the mast , if they are not nearly perfect, move on.
I've worked in marinas years ago. You are so right bleach is your best friend. Seaside humidity grows plenty of mold.
I like the Chris Craft because lots of space.
This convinced me to not even waste time looking at cheap/free/discount boats
If you don't want to get your hands dirty, don't even look at newer boats unless you have a lot of money.
@@DIYDaveT I'm not thinking newer, I'm thinking 80's but not trashed like these. I don't have a problem getting my hands dirty and doing my own work but I don't see the point in excessive work when I can get something that's not rotted out for a few thousand
I've got a 1984 MacGregor 25'. Its always needs work done to it. In reality boat is an anagram for bust out another thousand😉. Most of the time its a labor of love
I bought an '85 swing keel for $500. Had to re-core the whole top deck and basically rebuild/refresh everything. It's a fun project. It's a cheap boat compared to any in a marina. That's for sure.
@@dmc8921 yeah I think mine needs that done to it as well. Theres one method where they drill holes and inject epoxy into the cavity then theres the method where they cut the ceiling open and replace the individual squares. I called MacGregor a few years ago to find out if its a solid sheet. They said its more like a grid with squares.
@@robertwilliams450 Mine was 2 solid sheets of 1/4 inch plywood with a seam down the middle a 1/4 inch wide filled with epoxy filler. The water followed the seam down the whole deck from the mast step. I cut the top layer of fiberglass off and it came off the wood easy due to the rot. Replaced the wood soaked it with epoxy and epoxyed the skin back on the top. I'm repainting the boat so it will cover any scars. You can go from underneath but it will be hard. I had a 300lb dude and myself stand on it and it was solid. Stronger than before I think. Hopefully you just have to do the mast step area and not everything like me.
@@dmc8921 mine goes pretty much to the edges and from the companion way to the front slope. The fore deck above the v berth is solid as well as the cockpit floor and benches. The mast step was loose when I got it so I'd say thats what happened as well. The life line posts are solid as well but thats right on the edge
@@robertwilliams450 Mast step is the common issue on these. If your deck isn't too bad the drilling the holes and injecting the epoxy would be cheapest and easiest. Worth a try considering the amount of work replacing the core. Drill the holes and let it dry out a bit first. "Boat works today" has good videos on fiberglass delamination repair. Cost me about $400 with supplies left over from jamestown dist to replace the whole deck. Good luck.
Seems like for $10k in repairs and upgrades, Ruby would be a pretty good weekender, but you can probably find one that is turnkey for that amount.
Good project for someone with the tools and know how to do the work themselves
In 2002, 2004, and 2005 I worked in San Diego and I bought every lean sell boat Marina village in mission Bay had. This is before the internet got big and they weren't too many bidders. I was back down in Louisiana in 2006 and got a call from Marina village they were ready to give me another boat but I had to turn it down told them I was already back home. I have a 26 ft ranger racing sailboat in open Anchorage outside of Chula Vista that I had to leave in 2006. It's a red hull with a white cockpit and on the aft port and starboard or decals of the California raisin sun with sunglasses. I haven't checked on it since I left in 2006 and haven't been back if anyone ever cruises around the open Anchorage boats in Chula Vista I'd appreciate it if they look in on my boat if it's still there! Thanks in advance!
Wow!
"What did you expect for free...rubber biscuit?"...Dan Aykroyd
I’m looking in Galveston, Texas right now for a project. There are many.
Theres nothing better than waking up in a sailboat to a marina sunrise
There’s always waking up to being anchored by yourself on a beautiful bay as the sun rises!
I really like that catalina27 i wish marinas would allow those to be full time live aboard
They’re great little boats!
That second boat is a Pearson Flyer. Minimalist race boat. There was one available locally pretty near free.
Nice thing is, the interiors of these are pretty much a clean slate to be modded as you wish.
Newer clamps on the first yachts motors cooling water system is a good sign for the engine at any rate.
That blue racing sail boat at 5:30 looks like "vitesse" seen something vert similar in SD.
I moved to San Diego from the Midwest and do upholstery on yachts for a boat yard, I'm looking for something like that Chris craft as a live aboard but can't find that Marina. Any help would be appreciated.
It would have been great if you included prices. Great video, thanks!
The boats were lien boats and the harbor master only wanted like $250 for them.
@@sailingketchstarship1965 that huge Chris Craft was only $250? Wow!
I noticed that usmc hat, I got out of boot camp in Parris island on September 9th!!
$200 about £120 bloody hell I'd of jetted over and bought it myself and shipped it over to Liverpool
That 27ft was really a great little boat.
They are! There are times I wish I had one just for island hoping and camping.
The last one, isn't it the Riptide from the series? The beer is still there out of the 80s
Lol! No, but she’s here:
classicyacht.org/boats/riptide-1939
@@sailingketchstarship1965 nice... Thanks for sharing
Yo, I like, I am looking for a boat to restore, and go sail around the world. Very helpful insights, thank you!
San Diego Bay is also one of the noisiest harbors due to the airport across the street.
I've never experienced that sailing on the Bay out of Coronado for more than 15 years. I think Long Beach/San Pedro with shipping crates and cranes is far more loud!
Yes true. I’m in South Bay (Chula) and it is peaceful, beautiful and cheaper. SD Bay is God’s country for liveaboards as far as I’m concerned.
Wow! This is interesting. I don’t know much about restoring boat but I would love to get together with someone and share the work and co own the boat. I can do sailing once a while.
There are some great groups on Facebook.
I'm keenly interested, hello Keenly. I currently live in the upper Midwest but had getting a cheap or even free boat to sail away to Hawaii crossed my mind a few times.
You could definitely find one in San Diego, or Wilmington, CA.
I'll always take a small basic new boat with a guarantee over an old big fancy boat, price being equal.
Whole deck probably needs rebeded ?
What do you look for in a cheap old boat? #1 Is the Hull, Deck & Keel in good shape? #2 Does the Engine Run? #3 Are the Sails decent? #4 Is the mast & Standing rigging decent? Not to say perfect, but decent, as in can you sail it at all? Mold is sometimes a deal breaker, but most of it can be cleaned up. The less woodwork, the better, plastic mold cleans off easy, and doesn't rot? Everything else is cosmetic, and can be replaced, fixed or cleaned. Even Sails are easy to replace, or outboard engines.
I agree. Wood is a difficult medium to work with on boats, when compared to fiberglass/plastic.
Oh gosh, I had a 1974 Catalina 27 in San Diego that I sold a number of years ago. I would jump on that Catalina if I could. Hopefully another will pop up when I'm ready! Fair winds and following seas!
Firedrill..
very true what "boat man" said. I know the old guy that lived on this boat . I lived next to him. I offered to do maintenance. for free. I'd say there was no maintenance on it for more like 25 yrs!
The funny and not so funny thing is all the surprises. Strange configurations and no matter what was screwed down, every screw was a different kind. I’m not kidding! I swear ANY bad EVERY part that has 3 screws in it has 3 different kinds of screws. I found random screws floating inside the distributor. Whoever worked on it wasn’t a sailor. Bless his heart for trying to maintain the boat but I’ve spent about $8k already replacing just about every screw and bolt on the boat. The main halyard sheave was not even there. Someone just ran the wire halyard over the pin. I could go on forever. I spent over 4 months, 7 days a week working on her. I didn’t film a lot of it of it just because it was so frustrating and exhausting. Lol!
@@sailingketchstarship1965
I’ve found most boat owners know just enough to be dangerous. Wiring and fuel system changes absolutely scary!
I like the last one. i would suggest you look at Catalina 30 or catalina 35 for live aboard. I am living on Catalina 25 right now.
Alone? Not sure 2 people would survive living in a 25' boat.
@@wilfdarr Yes, I live on the 25' alone.
@@sipitak8702 Ya 25 is a good size for one person and maybe a small dog.
Whats an average monthly marina dock for that size?
So these free boats are pretty much like that New york bull statue!
Please do some more Vlogs like this.
I agree!!! More like this will serve a good number of purposes. They would serve to give more life to boats with continued potential and offer a new life not only to the boats, but to many who want to own a day cruiser or for those desiring the cruiser life. Please do more like this. I'm very interested in contacting Harbormasters who want boats gone and will work to make it happen.
Lots more coming!
That Ruby looked like a complete diamond in the rough
I feel like I need a shower after that first one.
I STILL need a shower.
Love this video! Thanks for sharing..
Damn... thank you for this video! The floating 2 bedroom is kind of amazing. I'm into day dreaming about living aboard a sailboat, so I never would have given a cruiser like that a second look but wow... can you imagine...it's the mid 70s, youve got a few grand in the bank, your favorite guy/girl/dog at your side, a case of corona (apparently lol), fuel is around 40 cents a gallon, California was (and probably still is) an exciting place that everyone wants to be.... .
I'll stop there but damn, sounds like the good life to me, atleast until gangs, cults, and politics take hold.
Going to subscribe and check out more of your content, Thanks!
Hey we have a lot in common,, I wear shoes to keep my feet from getting wet too. Good minds think alike.
I like the old school Adidas shell caps
Damn it man, I would have lived on ruby! I'm over in Indiana just California dreamin
Saludos desde Cádiz, en el sur de Europa, donde se juntan el Atlántico y el Mediterráneo.
Mucho gusto!
Wow! I'm looking for a boat. Like a Contessa 26. Don't mind Fix-her-upper. Thanks for the info.
The Contessa is a legendary boat! They’re hard to find and highly sought after.
Looks like restoring a boat is like restoring an old car, start with the absolute best you can afford, then spend a little more than you can afford, it will cost less in the long run.
Yes,I learned that the hard way. Don't let the cheap initial price lure you in.
I think that the chi lee is a beautiful boat I would love to have it .I would take it right now to live on it but it's where it is I would have to pay someone to sail it to me in Ireland .If I had the money to pay someone I would but I am 64 years old and I only have a pension to live on but the boat would be great for to do up slowly . I hope that someone will take it and respect it and do it Up.thanks you for reading my letter.
I bought a 1973 cal jensen for a 1000 dollars and lived in it for a year but sold it for a 1000 and ive always missed it
So how do you find out about boats like this? Just call the harbormaster? I never even knew this was a possibility, although I do agree with what the others are saying about cheap boats are expensive, but I could see myself living a board one of those dumps and paying rent while I worked on another boat.
Yes. I use SearchTempest and Craigslist and call the marinas directly, as well. They’re everywhere.
@@sailingketchstarship1965 Thanks! Enjoyed the video. I need to look at others you might have.
The two happiest days of your life...
Lol!
Are there really free boats? I would love to have one to live on, even if it needs a lot of work done. As long as I can get it to the rivers in Paraguay.
I’ve seen many free boats that would make it!
@@sailingketchstarship1965 Please give us information on where we can find these free boats! Website, phone number, anything.
sailed two weeks ago around SD --- Social distancing,,,,,, apparently, my phone had the same idea...
I'm in negotiations to buy a 35' fuji out of Driscoll's now. This will be my 1st live aboard. I'm excited.
wow we should all get a boat! screw a mortgage, lets see the world!
Woohoo!
agreed.......banks and governments love mortgages.........
Yes, I am onboard!
Hi, my wife and I loved your videos. We’re San Diego locals and would love more information on where you find these boats. We’re interested in restoring a boat that the Mariana is tryin to get rid of. Any information would be helpful. Thanks again. Big fans of your TH-cam channel.
The Cherry been in the water to long, will need to be hauled bottom sanded and repainted and keel ground and epoxied
I love living in San Diego.
It's hard to beat!
@@nicolelewonkenobi Native San Diegan for 61 years, its expensive here
@@paultanana1383 I'm also a native. Definitely expensive. Sunshine tax is the cost we pay for living in one of America's most beautiful cities!
nothing a few gallons of fuel and a match couldnt fix. I didnt see one of them that could be turned even for a meager profit. Sad that owners let them get in that state of disrepair. Gonna go sleep on my boat and exercise the Heat/AC unit tonight. They need constant love. OH...Werent Catalinas built in the parking lot behind Home Depot in Woodland Hills? I used to see the molds for the hulls when getting paint and lumber.
Just have censored myself! San Diego has made me think oddly about ELF-waves and so on. Stay well and all the best to all the good ones!
I bet that first boat has TONS of useable teak on it. Make all new stuff for the galley. If you’re lucky.
How many horse outboard can you put a that second boat? Do sailboats do 15 kn ? Under power?
Do the Marine's teach sailing at all?
No they teach “skating.” That’s a Marine joke. Not really. The military does have lots of recreation centers where you can learn sailing and rent boats on your own time, though.
I'm your newest sub. Nice channel. I'm in the same boat as you (Pun intended). That is, I'm in search of a free boat too. Thank you for your service to our Nation. God Bless and Merry Christmas.
I found a boat. Not quite free but pretty cheap. Check out my other videos! And keep searching!
Nothing is free. BOAT. Bring on another thousand.😆👍
Nice video
How did you find these? How can I contact someone about getting one? Please let me know a number or website.
I just called and showed up in person.
Cool video. I've been looking for some deals in SEA, but most of the boats here are well kept charter's and expensive.
Seattle? The Pacific Northwest has some of the highest boat prices in North America.
@@sailingketchstarship1965 No South East Asia!
@@sailingketchstarship1965 Boats are expensive up in the northwest, and get cheaper as you go south (downwind). LOL - plenty of cheap boats in SoCal and Mexico, but unless you're crossing the Pacific, it's a hell of a beat to bring them back up the coast!
I have a question for you, do you know if that motor yacht is still there? If so, in which Marina in San Diego, I would like to know if she is still tere. Wold jou like toe take a look For me? Greetings, Gert Jan form the Netherlands.
Actually the Catalina didn't look that awful. Parts are fairly easy to get and not crazy money. You would have had to pay me to take the Ketch though.
Catalina 27s are the best selling boat in history. Catalina Direct had all the parts anyone could ever need, and if you can’t find it there, eBay has the rest.
all the wood needs to be replace in that first boat ends of story
Perfect boat to torch for an insurance job
More videos please!
that boat is violating my eyes!
Outfit the Chris Craft with Ikea furniture !
It blew my mind when I was watching Joe Rogan podcast featuring Moxie Marlinspike and he stated matter of factly that he got his boat for free and there are tons of free ones out there. Apparently he was right. I've found many. People that just can't keep them anymore.
"anymore" ??? what's changed?
Yea, I can see how, as a "side thing" - all those monthly fees and maintenance could become a real drain. Did Joe get a boat for free or did Moxie?
@@ziparis Moxie. I've since then seen a ton of videos on TH-cam showing free boats. Some are absolutely jacked but some are in decent condition.
If you were to restore one of these it would be best to haul it to your property, so you wouldn't have "Marina fees" on top of everything else.
Caution: some communities have rules on that, but yes, generally.
You’d save a lot of money that way.
Some of these free boats could easily be used for low rent housing for college graduates who are trying to get on their feet and start working towards a future pay the slip fee and electricity while keeping her afloat.
Yea That's is a pass .
I'm local in San Diego I've been following you for a minute. Looking at a sailboat of my own for a while. What marina are you at there. I'd like to take a look and possibly get my hands on one. Let me know. By the way gotta a new subscriber sir!
Thank you
Joseph
Can anyone tell me which North Face jacket that is please?