20 year project needing a new direction

[seensee41]

Over twenty years ago I started building a Bruce Roberts 43 Mauritius in steel. I am 67 now and can't possibly afford to finish this. When I started the long project of learning to weld and traveling all over the south seeking gear I was convinced that I was going to live to be two hundred years old and money from my company was never going to dry up. Oh did I skip the fact that physical energy seems to be hidden under Davey Jones locker.The retirement income is sparse to say the least so my 35 year old son who peddles shrimp came up with the idea to convert the boat to a small coast wise trawler . Living in Louisiana makes this seem advantageous. I am in good health and at one time held a 100 ton masters license so I think I can follow through to completion . I am interested in hearing if any of the members have taken a project like this on or if any architect types have any ideas about the hull shape being a problem. I am currently removing the modified shoal keel and scrapping the lead. There is a trawler twenty minutes from my home which is sinking and will auctioned off . This boat has some excellent fishing equipment which i can probably get for under 500.00 . The last auction held by the port sold an 87 foot steel trawler for 1.00. Now i realize the small amount of money saved by doing this retrofit might have to be spent on psychiatric medicine but being one who follows the mantra"onward through the fog" and knowing that the only creatures who will hear me howling at the moon will be some pelicans and gulls. I have thousands worth of gear needed for sailing which is to large to list completely. If any one needs a detailed inventory of the goodies please email me and I can forward it on. Thanks Keith Breaux

[Briarpatch]

Seensee1, sorry to hear that your dream is fading into the sunset. Can't say much about converting a sailboat hull into a trawler, but I am curious to know what parts, equipment, etc. you may have for my dream. Can you provide a list of items that you want to part with? Not sure how to email you that request.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, seensee.
Even modified, the Mauritius 43 doesn't look much like a shrimper to me.
Good luck.

[seensee41]

I am retired now and time is not really the problem . i am going to take a huge loss on the roberts and was hoping with help from my son we could convert. steel is much easier to work than fiberglass. I will probably work till my last breath and this could bring in an extra income which I need. Never have been one to just sit around and watch tv. I will do a thorough investigation and therefore decide only with numbers and not the old i have to have this boat around my neck.

[coopec43]

Don't listen to the knockers!

Winnie the Pooh, sailboat to trawler conversion - Trawlers & Trawlering

Turning a Sailboat Into a Motor Cruiser - Cruisers & Sailing Forums
www.cruisersforum.com › ... › The Fleet › General Sailing Forum
Jan 22, 2013 - 15 posts - ‎8 authors
The sail conversion with no mast is going to get odd looks and little ... At least with a trawler, sail cruisers will not snub you or assume your a ... If you look at the old time trawlers/fishers (pre 1950) they look like a sailboat hull.
Converting from Sail to Power 15 posts 15 Dec 2013
From Sailboat To Straigh-Out Powerboat 15 pos 10 Jun 2012


Convert sailboat to power cruiser. | Boat Design Net
https://www.boatdesign.net › Boat Design Forums › Design › Boat Design
Aug 21, 2015 - 15 posts - ‎5 authors
Has anyone on the forum converted a deep keel sail boat to a full power ... That was a common problem on old trawler designs, as their hulls ...
Sailboat into Displacement Powerboat 15 posts 21 Sep 2013
Troller Yachts vs Trawler Yachts | Page 11 15 posts 22 Dec 2010
Conversion from trailer-sailer to low power motor boat15 posts 27 Apr 2010
Turning a planing hull into full displacement | Page 2 8 posts 23 Oct 2009


Best of luck

Clive

[kapnd]

Running out of time, money and energy sucks, but I’ve seen it happen to so many who have started vast projects with no real concept of the amount of the above mentioned commodities are truly required to see it through.
Glad you have woken up to the realities of your life, and hope you can find your way back out onto the water soon!
Cut your losses, bail out now, and get into a vessel that’s in working order, even if it’s a bit smaller than your dreams, it’s time to live it or forget it!

[captlloyd]

I built a 64 ft. Sutton designed steel sailboat. I believe you can safely reduce the amount keel and you should end up with a fairly handsome trawler looking boat.

[Scout 30]

How about some pics so we can get an idea of where you're at. I think converting the Mauritius to a trawler should work fine but I'd contact Bruce Roberts before doing anything. This makes sense if you're pretty far along but you probably still have a ton of work to do. Regarding the keel I'd cut it down to the bottom of the prop aperture. You'll need a lot less rudder so that would probably work. I'd save some of the lead for ballast though. I've got 2,000 lbs in my trawler & it's only 30' long.

[seensee41]

It is good to see that there are builders out that agree with this idea. I am getting some much needed pluses and appreciate it all. I am considering the time is right to start a picture log backed up with engineering concepts. I am not sold yet on tackling this project mainly because of my age. Once again I am fostering that immature concept that I will live to be 200 .

[coopec43]

Sensee41

Don't give up like most people do! Ageing is not as inevitable as many believe.

'Earth-shattering' study reveals the best exercise for anti-ageing

https://www.smh.com.au › Lifestyle › Health & wellness › Fitness

Mar 28, 2017 - A new study has found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can essentially stop cellular ageing in its tracks and, in some cases, rejuvenate ...


https://q13fox.com/2018/10/30/lack-o...e-study-finds/



Clive