Start with a $500 boat

Here is the beginning of the project. I brought the boat home on a small trailer and used a car bottle jack to raise the boat off the trailer about 4 inches. Then I built a cradle around the boat using old 4x4's and 2x4's. Then I pulled the trailer out from below the boat, lowered the jack and walla. The boat was on the cradle. I completely striped the boat topsides and the inside. I left the bulkheads alone in the boat because they were fine and a part of the structural integrity of the chain plates.


The interior looked like this before I began. This is facing the stern.  I disposed of the diesel engine (it did not run anyway) and completely removed all of the interior wood and stuff, right down to the fiberglass hull.   Later in this blog you will see a bed in place of all this mess.  This photo shows where the engine went.  After I pulled everything out, it opened up the interior of the boat a lot.  Just behind where the shaft comes threw the hull is where I added a water tight bulkhead sealing off the rear of the boat from the front.  If the rudder is broken off causing a large leak, the boat wont sink. 





6 comments:

  1. I eventually purchased a trailer and placed it on the trailer.

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  2. I added a red hull, tankless water heater, solar panel, force 10 propane cozy cabin heater. Yea its more than the basics but they really make cruising very wonderful. As usual everthing is tucked away and tidy and funtional.

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  3. How difficult is it to trailer? I am considering purchasing one locally and would like to trailer it to Florida in the future.

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    1. Trailer is easy. The mast raising adds work, even with the mast step. To launch, you have to disconnect the trailer from the vehicle and use a 20 foot extension pole to launch the boat because of the keel. I don't use the trailer any more because it reduces the fun factor. From trailer to water takes 1 1/2 hour. If you were to just move the boat once, I would pay a mover the $3000 or so to have it moved.

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  4. Where did you run the water heater? Is it electric? Thinking about gutting and rebuilding my Cal 2-27. Hate the carpet walls and funky galley layout.

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    1. I installed the Marey Tankeless water heater on the wall on the port side in the v berth area. It generates continuous hot water. I take hour long showers when hooked up to dock water. Those tank-less water heaters are amazing. I use a small inflatable pool on my rear deck for a jacuzzi from the same water heater and a long hose.

      I love my new galley. Youtube has a video under my name of the interior with all the changes.

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