Challenge: Raising a Half-Sunken Boat

[Little Otter]

I agree with Silent and David, a friend tried to do something similar with a small 28' boat that sprang a leak during a storm and sank at the dock, he recruited me and one of our other friends to help him raise it, after spending two weeks of our summer vacation raising it he ended up selling it to the guy that siad he could have it if he raised it because the man felt sorry for us and gave us $200 for our time ontop of buying it from my friend for $2,000 ( the amount we spent raising the durn thing even though we got his dad to help us figure out how to raise it and his dad borrowed what we needed from his company.). The morale of the story is don't try this unless it is a very nice very rare boat with an easy fix and you have a few grand to spend on raising it after a short stint as a submarine.

[sandy daugherty]

I sold clippers in the early 1970's. You will spend at least $6000 and probably more than $20,000 to get this piece of junk sailable, and it will then be worth $2500. A Clipper is worse than a Yugo, which has $100 scrap value and can be fished out with a wrecker. There is ZIP salvage value on this boat unless it has a nice anchor. Keep looking.

[faperez2000]

I have the capabilities of raising this boat. In addition, if you decide not to take ownership I am interested in taking it to sink at a diving lake for underwater scenery.
I look forward to hearing from you. You can contact me via e-mail.

A Perez
Richmond, TX

[GordMay]

According to BoatUS, the cost of repairing a boat that has been underwater, even briefly, is usually about 40% of its value.

Goto ➥ BoatUS.com - Seaworthy Magazine

[Pete7]

Drifting, you might be better off salvaging this one, struggling to remember were the photo was taken but we think St Kitts so its already in the Carribean for you. Photo Feb 09.

Shame looked like a nice blue water boat once and no doubt someones pride and joy.

Pete

[stuffinbox]

Nowhere,
Did you give up on raising the boat? I have done the same thing on a boat I kept in Clear Lake Shores in 1980. If you have questions let me know.


fair winds

[Fishman_Tx]

Dude we got a Catalina 22 w/ trailer we'll sell you cheaper than even CLEANING that one will cost. And it's got a fresh paint job!
BTW which marina is it at?

[AKCoastie]

Fishman Tx, do you have pics/link for the Catalina? Price?

[zeehag]

a clipper marine is the only alleged boat that has been deemed by uscg as unsafe in any body of water including a bathtub. write it off and get something more real--like a balboa....LOL...i had a clipper marine--they are chopper gun with aluminum pop rivets holding hull and deck together---and the chopper gun was only 1/8 inch thick---these are not boats lol---gooood luck....there are lots of cheeep real boats in the market now---look around---the above sunk boat is in better shape than a clipper marine ever was LOL----so--to answer your original question--the water in which it is sitting is worth more than is the boat----gooood luck.....

[osirissail]

No matter the reputation of the boat - if you want something to kick around with it might be worth a Do-It-yourself raising and a very limited refitting.
-- Get a "trash pump" and then use Sears home compressor (all the stuff can be borrowed from neighbors and friends or rented) to inflate truck tire tubes or whatever works, in the underwater part. Use the trash pump with long hoses to first blow the mud away from under the part of the boat that is resting on the bottom. This reduces the amount of "lifting enery" needed by the inflated tubes. Once the gunwales are above water use the trash pump to pump out the water inside.
- - Take/tow the boat somewhere you can store it -cheap or free - then clean and gut the interior. Remove everything non-structural, plumbing, all the wiring and panels - everything that cannot be cleaned easily!
- - Use the boat as a fun daysailor to learn and "mess around" in until you are comfortable enough to afford something else. You do not need anything inside beyond some temporary wiring for Nav lights and bilge pumps and a car battery to run a music player. For camping out roll up mats and portable coolers with ice for the beer/wine. A 5-gal pail and johnny seat for nature's calls. - - Best part, you can push the boat to and beyond limits learning to sail and your investment is a couple hundred dollars and lots of elbow grease.

[SabreKai]

Thats not a half bad idea. Gut her and replace only that which you need to play with her. Cheap and nasty sailing trainer. Sorta remindes me of one of my other boats. No interior at all except for some frames made from angle iron (she was steel) and some plywood for bunk tops and galley top.


Sabre
86 days n a wake up.

[s/v Beth]

LOL I'd rather get a free laser. Easier to maintain.

[koolfrog]

I , once , refloated a completely sunk boat by placing hefty trash bags , upside down , inside the cabin , and filling them with a vacuum cleaner ( in blower mode).

[Just one Fish]

use thousands of ping-pong balls

[Quads]

Originally Posted by Just one Fish

use thousands of ping-pong balls

That is actually my local dive shop that did that experiment with Mythbusters. the dive shop owner is a long long time friend of mine, and I was lucky enough to help with the ping pong ball salvage.


Regarding the OP, yes, easy to list with the correct equipment (salvage / lift bags). Should take a couple of divers a couple of hours to get it up to a point in which you can pump the rest out. I've done boats this size,along with others much larger and deeper.