Kelly Peterson 44 Project

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Tim R.

You say this without ever seeing the boat in person. Photos only tell half and usually much less of the story.

I think your query here may be a little premature. You should first go see the boat and crawl around in every nook and cranny and take lots of high-res photos to review later.

I have purchased 3 boats and restored them. They were all in good to very good condition when purchased and I still spent thousand and some tens of thousands to restore them to my standards.

Better yet get a surveyor. Then all the emotion is taken out of the equation.

[dlentz]

Man, the OP is getting beat up here. If you want that large of of boat, and you can fix/refit the issues that are of a safety concern (rigging, thruhulls, ect) go for it. I suspect you don't have the cash to outlay for a $100k + boat at this time, and this vessel provides you an entry into a larger vessel at a minimum price. GO FOR It.
Wet decks, leaky tanks, delaminated veneers, even many electrical demons can be lived with and can be attended to as you go. While most here answering would prefer a fit and pristine vessel (myself included), many make do with less! So if that's what you can afford, and you believe you can handle it. GO FOR It.
Don't let us scare you away from your dream, and if you have any specific question on a kp, ask sabray or myself, would be happy to help (even without glossing over any issues).

[ssanzone]

the only thing i would add is more of the same.

odds are if the stanchions need to re-bedded the deck also needs to be re-cored and if parts of the deck needs to be re-cored, you may need to pull your headliner or rebuild / repair / replace cabinetry affected by water damage.

old boats mean old everything... prepare to replace plumbing & electrical and be realistic... if you pull apart your head to re-plumb, are you going to reinstall the existing toilette or replace it with something new. if you go with something new... are you adding a lectrasan and if yes, does your budget include the $2000 you just added to your project?

think about rewiring... the wire is the easy (pain in the butt) part... are you happy with the panels that are in the boat or are you upgrading your panel too (does it even meet your needs as marine electronics are A LOT different now than 30 years ago)? if you are making significant design changes, does your budget include an extra $3000 for a new panel and inverter?

think about your interior... you have a lot of beautiful teak and mahogany on your boat (meaning 20-30 bucks a board foot. does you budget include $2500 to $5000 in exotic hardwoods?

you are doing much of this work yourself... do you own or have you budgeted $2500 for the required tools to undertake a full refit?

have you considered the $5000 to $10000 for new sails or the $5000 for rigging?

buy it and have a blast.

-steve

[sabray]

still needs to go see the boat and find out why its priced so low. maybe that it needs a bunch before it can be sailed safely.Mine did and I went full steam at those issues and launched it. mine still needs work probably always will. still the boat is priced low because its value is low I would guess. Usually they are 85,000 and up. Then if hes qualified he can layout a budget and sit back think about the value of time and effort compared to other boats on the market.

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Still...I feel you're side-stepping my other points. I restore boats. My HR was in sad shape and it is a 35 that took me every bit of 2 years at 20 hours a week to do it. Rarely is there a girl I have ever met that wanted to stick that out. I have 30 years of f/g, wood, cabinetry, electrical and engine rebuilding experience. I have over $5K worth of tools just for boats. Hopefully you do to. Because if you don't it will cost 3 times as much to get her sea-worthy. If you still have your Pearson 35, why not enjoy it and save your money?
Look...I know what it's like to fall in love with an idea. But the reality will creep up on you really fast. I hate to be a nay-sayer but if you are not 100% prepared with the money at hand to do it, you may want to reconsider.

Not sidestepping. On my mobile at work. Kinda hard to post longer replies.

[Tim R.]

I am not against the OP doing this. I just do not like to see people through money at a project thinking it is a deal for them when in reality it is more of a deal for the seller. I can almost guarantee that the boat is likely worth less than $35k. And it will always be worth less than you put into it. I think the owner needs to get out of it because of yard fees or some other expense. It could realistically be worth nothing or less. But you have to go see it first. And do not get a surveyor before you and the seller agree on price and sign a contract.

[malbert73]

At that price, my guess is one or both of two major potential issues exist:

1. Hull blisters/osmotic delamination

2. Deck core rot/water intrusion

These wouldn't show on pictures, and are both major ($$/time) jobs, #2 in particular.


IF these don't exist, then maybe this boat is a good deal. Assume all new systems, engine, standing/running rigging, sails. The benefit of DIY approach is that you then know what you have. You can buy a "turnkey" vessel for 100K and have the engine seize in 1 year for example.

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by Tim R.

I am not against the OP doing this. I just do not like to see people through money at a project thinking it is a deal for them when in reality it is more of a deal for the seller. I can almost guarantee that the boat is likely worth less than $35k. And it will always be worth less than you put into it. I think the owner needs to get out of it because of yard fees or some other expense. It could realistically be worth nothing or less. But you have to go see it first. And do not get a surveyor before you and the seller agree on price and sign a contract.

The owner is selling it due to health problems. He and his wife live in Arizona, the boat is in NC. They haven't been aboard in over a year and haven sailed her in over 2. Trust me, I'd much rather get a boat in pristine condition, but I don't have the financial ability to. I don't honestly care about resale value as I'm planning on taking her cruising for at least 5 years once the refit is done.

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Better yet get a surveyor. Then all the emotion is taken out of the equation.

Please reread my first couple posts. I've already stated if I THINK it's worth it, I'm getting a surveyor to go over the boat with a fine tooth comb before actually buying her. If the survey shows core rot or delamination, I fully intend to walk away.

[capttman]

A rebuild can cost only as much as you have.

[witzgall]

Originally Posted by Kevin84

I'm looking at buying a 75 Kelly Peterson 44 that could be classified as a project boat. She is in the water and just had a fresh coat of bottom paint applied earlier this year. Her main issues are some of the wiring that needs to be replaced, some of her deck hardware (particularly stanchions) need to be rebedded, her decks need new non skid and her running rigging needs to be replaced. The seller is only asking 35k for her. I know well equipped KP-44s are going for 100-150k, so I'm fully expecting to put nearly 100k into her over the next few years refitting her for cruising, but I wanted to know if anyone had any advice on it? Either the refit or the 44 in general. I plan on having a vessel survey done and a mechanical/engine survey done prior to purchasing, but would like to know things to look out for that should make me walk away.

You might have meant this, but are you sure the selling prices you mentioned are acual sale prices, and not asking prices??

Chris

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by witzgall

You might have meant this, but are you sure the selling prices you mentioned are acual sale prices, and not asking prices??

Chris

No,pretty sure it's just a starting point.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Kevin84

Please reread my first couple posts. I've already stated if I THINK it's worth it, I'm getting a surveyor to go over the boat with a fine tooth comb before actually buying her. If the survey shows core rot or delamination, I fully intend to walk away.

Ok...Good for you. That's what i wanted to hear. While the cheer leading team is chanting..."go for it". You'll be on your own once the papers are signed. I've done 2 core jobs. It wasn't fun. But if the integrity of the hull, deck and cabin is good...then you have good bones. If the engine is a 4-108, there are many parts available and many times I see an exchange offered from engine rebuilders.

[dlentz]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Ok...Good for you. That's what i wanted to hear. .

Wow, you serious? I thought the OP might have been an adult.


PS: Kps weren't built with 4-108's, but want would we know?

[Boracay]

I'm not quite clear on why you want to buy this boat so much.

Just to emphasize the downsides it's likely to cost you much more than buying an equivalent boat in good condition, it's going to take a very long time (5 to 10 years is not unknown in a project of this size) and your releationship is unlikely to survive - Your fiance likely has visions of tropical islands and balmy breezes.

I've built two boats from scratch and brought Boracay as an empty hull so I delude myself that I have some inkling of what's involved.

If you want to keep your sanity, relationship and financial future together why not buy a smaller classic boat? You can potter round learning the ropes for a few years and after a few more you could have enough cash to buy a boat in decent condition.

This Island Packet 31 popped up as deserving of a look.