What would you do

[northerncat]

Cat-man-do...I don't want to get off the topic but you are wrong about commanding a higher price for a home built. You can hardly sell one. Not even worth my time to discuss this.

crap, this has been discussed in length in other discussions and i for one would strongly disagree with you


The boat they showed as similar is a 500k boat, USED. 350k is in fittings and hardware. Nobody can build it for 60k. You can build a 60k boat for 60k.

again crap i know personally at least 5 people who have built 70000$ boats and sold them for 180000-400000, it involves doing a good job shopping for bargains and getting on with the job(most of the guys i know did it fulltime with thier wives working and finished in 1-2yrs)if you dont think you could do this then you probably arent careful enough
sea

[knottybuoyz]

Originally Posted by jim lee

I can understand wanting to build your own boat. Sheesh, I've been wanting to do that for years. More than that, one of my big dreams has been to start a boat buliding company.

I'd say "Go For It" I know not a small undertaking and there is some risk but there can't be any reward without risk!

Originally Posted by jim lee

I think it would be great to build the boats that -I- thought were cool. Done "right" etc etc. But then I'd have to sell these perfect boats and I've noticed, very few people agree with me on what the perfect boat is.

Now that's one reason I want to build my own. I've never seen the "perfect" boat. Not that I'm a perfectionist but I do know what I believe will work for us.

Originally Posted by jim lee

If your going to build a boat, what is your plan for a starting point?

A) Pile of lumber
B) Pile of steel
C) Pile of fiberglass and a few barrels of resin
D) Bare steel hull
E) Bare Glass hull
???

A) The wife's Mastercard; and
B) A pile of CnC cut plywood, a big box of plastic tie wraps, 300 yards of FG biaxial tape, 240 yards of 1708 FG and 55 gallons of epoxy!

Originally Posted by jim lee

One of my favorite boat building projects : THE BIG SAILBOAT PROJECT

I been watching these girls build their boat since it was just a pile of steel plates.

I've followed Sandy & Gena's adventure since before they began on the Metalboat Society Forums. What an adventurous and ambitious pair of gals. They, and a few others are real inspirations for the DIY's.

Originally Posted by jim lee

Have fun, keep us updated with your project!

Absolutely, thanks Jim!

[northerncat]

go for it, youll only regret it when you get around to the sanding
sean

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Kapena

Cat-man-do...I don't want to get off the topic but you are wrong about commanding a higher price for a home built. You can hardly sell one. Not even worth my time to discuss this.

Odd, my last home built boat cost $45 k and sold for just over $100k, and I can show plenty of examples of cat's in Ais that cost around $150 -$200k selling for $300 plus

Got a mate at the moment about to sell his 38ft $80 k cat for $350k

none of these are production boat's

SCHIONNING LINE HONOURS 12.2M Cat

Simpson 48'

15m Chamberlin Cruising Catamaran

Mine will cost around $120k with a light fitout and would sell for $400+, with another $80k worth of extra toy's and trim would achieve around the 800 mark

The first one of these is not a production boat and the second is made by a mate of mine.

Milllkraft Offshore - Powerboats / Motor Yachts : Multihulls

CLASSIC POWER CAT 45' - Powerboats / Motor Yachts : Multihulls

Dave

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by knottybuoyz

It's a lifelong dream to build my own boat

1. I don't like working on old boats (been there done that) it's just not for us
2. We'll use a proven design with a proven construction method using the best materials available

It's not about just buying a boat and going cruising. It's about the whole experience especially the pride in accomplishment and satisfaction that goes with having done it ourselves! Besides if I build it and it breaks I should be able to fix it, right? Then when this one is done we'll start the next one but BIGGER! Any and all comments welcome and appreciated.

Youv'e answered your own question. If it's a lifelong dream, go for it. I have only been dreaming about building for maybe half my life, and I'm doing it - it's well worth it.

I don't like working on old boats either, you see so many mistakes and you think "I could have done that much better"

If you build a well known design and use good materials (and do a good job) you will have no trouble selling the boat. Home built catamarans, such as Schionnings, Orams, Snell's, Farriers etc sell very readily here, and earn their builders very good wages for the time spent building them.

I would reccomend you get the boat completely, or as near to finished as possible before launching though - even the simplest and smallest job is much much more difficult once the boat is in the water.

[coot]

Originally Posted by knottybuoyz

if you were in my position? I've been discussing our plan to build our own boat and have been getting a few differing opinions. Such as:

From your discussion, I think the answer to the question "Why would you build a boat?" is very simple: You want to build a boat.

In that respect, it is kind of like sex: If somebody has to ask why you would want to do that, they aren't going to understand anyway.

I considered the possibility of a custom build, but my principal goal was to acquire a suitable boat at a good price. There were better ways to achieve my goal, and I bought a new production boat. But I just wanted a boat. You are in an entirely different circumstance.

It may be a little more clear if you separate the goal of building a boat from the goal of having a boat.

Also, it seems profit is not a goal at all, though you would like it to be economically feasible. In that case, it doesn't matter what the resale value is. I just built a TV transmitter because I am interested in amateur radio; it is inconceivable that I might sell it for a price that equals what I paid for parts, but nobody would say "you should have bought one ready made because it will have a better resale value". It is not meant as an investment. If you're going to get two years of enjoyment out of building the boat, what is the problem?