*Free to a good home...1936 Alden Yawl, 36'

[Captain Connor]

Im not sure if advertising on here is kosher or not, but I figured with the amount of activity i've seen on here in the few months ive been registered, it would be a smart idea.

I am very sad to say that in the last 5 months I got in over my head with a project. I bought a 1936 Alden Yawl, 36 feet long that had been cold molded the 80s by a friend of mine from Nantucket (see WB # 52)

This boat needs a lot of work...more then I can handle, and I am willing to give her away to anyone who would like to take responsibility for her.

I am currently working on a website which will outline the work that needs to be done...but PLEASE E-MAIL ME with questions at : captainconnor@gmail.com and I will get back to you quickly..

A brief outline of the work would include:
-replace keelson
-repair deck / replace canvas
-repair broken floors/ribs/frame ends
-replace engine
-replace sails
-reconstruct backbone
-rebuild mast step
-repair engine beds


please ask for more details regarding this list. The good news is:

-she has new standing rigging in 05'
-the cold molding lay up and the planking its attached to is in good shape.
-I have all sails that can be used to cut new ones
-spars are intact and good
-I have a huge list of parts...


here are some recent photos:

[Captain Connor]

this is her in the water in the 80's (from issue 52)



this is her mainsail (worn but usable)

[Captain Connor]

[Captain Connor]

please pass this around to your friends...

it is located in Chatham, MA at Pease Boatworks and can be viewed at any time.

Let me know!

[Noah]

I had a feeling that keel was totally shot. It's been oozing for a bunch of years.

Sorry it was more work than you can handle.

[Captain Connor]

yeah...also beware of a surveyor named Rob Scanlan...

http://www.mastermarinesurveyor.com/

he told me he specialized in wooden boats...he told me I should "definitely" take on this project.

[Captain Connor]

...that being said...if I ever do get the survey I paid $1500 for, I will show that to anyone who wants to see it.

[thor2002]

Sorry to hear you won't take up this ' challenge'.
As for the survey you're still waiting for, I just browsed though the price-breakdown... Not mild!
I just call a buddy who owns a thickness meter (works with sound, I don't know what it's called in english) and he will check any hull (as long as it's steel, otherwise he'll use a screwdriver!) and only charges the costs of getting a boat out of the water...Certainly not 1500 bucks. But then again, he doesn't have all those nice titles like CMS, PMS or what-have-you...

And unfortunately I don't really live nearby....

Thor2002

[Captain Connor]

thanks Thor...

Just some more information...it is design # 618 E....there are 4-5 of her sisters still sailing around...so if anyone knows one of those people or if someone owns one of these boats, please get in touch with me!

[Concordia...41]

Hi Captain - Fortunately or unfortunately I don't need ANOTHER project, but I admire your determination to find someone to finish the work needed.

Good luck to you and the vessel.

- M

[onobleboat]

Sounds like your just having a panic attack, the people who own old wooden boats like yours either keep them on land and continually work on them trying to make them new again or just live with most of it and go out and enjoy them, I bought an old 1957 Chris Craft 19 years ago, there was really nothing wrong with the boat except what I had in my head the boat should be, I met a guy there in the boatyard that had a sailboat built 100 years ago on the beaches of Cuba, the thing was a total Wreck, but he went out about twice a week and enjoyed the boat to the MAX, had more bilge pumps running than West Marime had on their shelves, would pull the boat once a years and do what it took to keep it floating " AND THATS ALL" Well my Chris Craft got sold, 19 years later and three engines the old sailboat of my friend is still going, he still goes out often, the thing is still a Wreck, but sometimes we get caught up in the notion of rebuilding an old boat has to be perfect, of all the boat owners I ever knew, he enjoyed his the most, and it was built in 1898 on a beach in Cuba.
Just repair the hull and launch it, and if you ever get down to Florida with it, anchor up off Tarpon Springs and the old solid white sailboat(NO VARNISH) is Jim, he is there almost every weekend.

[pila]

Yes, ya have to love it to do it. I have had an old Owens 26 from 1963, since 1994. Most of the bottom has been re-planked, I added a hardtop from a 36' Trojan, including the all-mahogany windshield frames and structure (using new wood as necessary), with nice sliding side windows etc and all refinished with Chriscraft stain etc. We love this old boat!
It's like every three years I tap all around the hull looking for punky spots, and fix them, and get it in the water. The people around here with the tupperware boats really like ours, but would never do all the work involved.
So it does take time and dedication for sure.

[Captain Connor]

I appreciate your words but like I said, I am 21 years old, and though I do love wooden boats with a deep passion....I have a larger urge for sailing over repairing. I did expect this to be a 3-4 year project on a somewhat limited budget, at least something I could afford. But when you start talking about putting in a new keelson, frame ends, floors, and keel bolts, it starts to get a little expensive for the wallet of a young man who has only graduated from college within the last week.

I mentioned money, although I have no problem spending every last penny on something I truly care about, such as a wooden boat...but i dont have that money right now to pay a boat yard to do this. I am also not skilled enough to replace a keelson or do I have the right tools to drop 18,800 lbs of iron and then hoist it back to the boat. If I could do all this work at my leisure at my home without stressing out a yard with expectations of payment, then i would do it 100%.

But you have to consider these things. So I appreciate your words, but don't tell me my heart isn't in it or that I'm having a panic attack or that all I need to do is repair the hull and launch it. A 36ft full keel double masted sailboat from the 30s needs a lot more attention then an owens 26 from the 60s.

[BDysart]

I salute you, Captain Connor, for having the extreme good sense to know when a project isn't right for you and for the generosity to give it up to someone who is in a better position to complete it.
I'm in the middle of trying to repair a 42 foot Chris Craft right now and there are many days when I wish I had had your sense and passed on it. (I might be sailing myself right now if I had)
The Alden looks like a very pretty boat and a worthy project for someone. Good luck finding the right home for it.

[nico108]

Cap'n Conner,
I too salute you. I got involved with an aage nielsen from 1953 in 2001. My surveyor was also crooked—in this case he was a previous owner and conveniently missed six broken frames on the port side—frames which had been marked in his handwriting I realized several years later—but he marked the boat as seaworthy for coastal cruising, telling me that "a couple of keel bolts when you get to Maine and bob's your uncle." I sailed up from Annapolis but just off Cape May I started taking on water and grounded out in the harbour. Long and the short of it is, I haven't been back in the water since then but have entirely rebuilt my boat with all new planking, new kelson, new deck and am just now putting the can back together. It has been an awful, horrible trip and many has been the day I have wished to see the shop burn to the ground. But I have stuck with it, spent all and more of my money and hope to launch in August. But I admire you for having the cojones to give her away. I wish I'd done that at 20,000 but I felt like I'd spent so much already. Felt the same way at fifty thousand and I feel the same way now.

Today at the end of another twelve hour day, I saw a single sailor come cruising into the quiet harbour with a dutch flag floating off his stern. It was steel and maybe 25 feet and one of the ugliest boats I've ever seen and yet I loved it. He grounded out at the public landing to wash the bottom growth off and I went over to admire his vessel. The deck was stained and filthy. On the welded stainless bobkin two fishing reels were bolted on. The hatch down below was rusted but the gasket looked good. Everything was a mess but the point is, the man could go anywhere—alone—and had.

On the drive home I fantsised about learning to weld... so give your boat away and get a steel stinker. You are 21. Go sailing man! The north coast of Brasil awaits you!

(But also, it hasn't been as bad as all that...in fact when I saw your boat I thought now there's something I could do...)

[pcford]

Cap'n Conner,
I too salute you. I got involved with an aage nielsen from 1953 in 2001. My surveyor was also crooked—

A 48 year restoration? Must be some kind of record.

Without necessary connection to the situations mentioned above:

I regret deeply those that assault a surveyor or boatwright's integrity when the main problem was with skill and/or the bank account of the owner.

[hm0316]

Captain Conner, you are doing the right thing by finding a new home for your boat rather than letting her deteriorate. You are to be commended for keeping her safe for the time you have owned her. Good luck with your sailing. hm0316

[Captain Connor]

:

I regret deeply those that assault a surveyor or boatwright's integrity when the main problem was with skill and/or the bank account of the owner.

Honestly and respectfully...you have no right to tell me what the main problem with this situation is. That is disrespectful and rude. If you will not offer advise, then don't offer your ignorant remarks.

[pcford]

Honestly and respectfully...you have no right to tell me what the main problem with this situation is. That is disrespectful and rude. If you will not offer advise, then don't offer your ignorant remarks.

I was not necessarily speaking to your case. To quote my _entire_ statement:

"Without necessary connection to the situations mentioned above:

I regret deeply those that assault a surveyor or boatwright's integrity when the main problem was with skill and/or the bank account of the owner."

As to my ignorant remarks....after doing this stuff professionally for 35+ years I have heard owners blame a boatwright or surveyor many, many times when the fact was that the project was beyond the owner's ability.

You have furnished the surveyor's name and address. I wonder what his side of the story would be after being called "crooked" in this thread? Easy enough to find out.

http://www.mastermarinesurveyor.com/rsresume.html

[Yeadon]

Sounds like your just having a panic attack, the people who own old wooden boats like yours either keep them on land and continually work on them trying to make them new again or just live with most of it and go out and enjoy them, I bought an old 1957 Chris Craft 19 years ago, there was really nothing wrong with the boat except what I had in my head the boat should be, I met a guy there in the boatyard that had a sailboat built 100 years ago on the beaches of Cuba, the thing was a total Wreck, but he went out about twice a week and enjoyed the boat to the MAX, had more bilge pumps running than West Marime had on their shelves, would pull the boat once a years and do what it took to keep it floating " AND THATS ALL" Well my Chris Craft got sold, 19 years later and three engines the old sailboat of my friend is still going, he still goes out often, the thing is still a Wreck, but sometimes we get caught up in the notion of rebuilding an old boat has to be perfect, of all the boat owners I ever knew, he enjoyed his the most, and it was built in 1898 on a beach in Cuba.
Just repair the hull and launch it, and if you ever get down to Florida with it, anchor up off Tarpon Springs and the old solid white sailboat(NO VARNISH) is Jim, he is there almost every weekend.

I think there's great truth to this ... though my bar is a touch higher than the fellow who owns the old Cuban sailboat.

[hansp77]

The guy is trying to GIVE away a very beautiful boat that he has responsibly decided requires too much work for his means, skills, and situation. (by the way, a boat that would sell here for good money 'as is').
And he gets crap by some here for it?

PC, you know your stuff but seriously,
if you weren't directly speaking to CC's case, then you shouldn't have posted that in this thread.
it was a snide remark designed to get a reaction and you know it.
do you actually know that particular surveyor is worth defending? or worth defending on this particular job?
If the surveyor has a problem, he looks like he's big enough to deal with it himself- he might want to actually provide the survey he was paid for first though.
or are you just in a bad mood or something? (second crabby post of yours I have read in 5 minutes with you swinging your 35+ yrs)

(sorry- just got me really pissed off- if I had to make the hard decision as done here and was trying to give away a boat like this and got told that- I would probably have just gotten myself banned)

Captain Conner,
I commend you on your decision, though it does really suck.
good luck finding a worthy home for her.
I hope you haven't lost too much money in the process.

[pcford]

The guy is trying to GIVE away a very beautiful boat that he has responsibly decided requires too much work for his means, skills, and situation. (by the way, a boat that would sell here for good money 'as is').
And he gets crap by some here for it?

PC, you know your stuff but seriously,

Sorry I spoiled your day. However, "Captain Connor" said

"yeah...also beware of a surveyor named Rob Scanlan...

http://www.mastermarinesurveyor.com/

he told me he specialized in wooden boats...he told me I should "definitely" take on this project."

Thereby casting doubt on the professional abilities of surveyor. I certainly do not know the specifics of the case. I don't know if "Captain Connor" deserves credit or not. But not knowing the specifics of the case, I am presuming that the surveyor does not deserve blame here as the current owner is eager to do.

People that work on boats get up every day and do a job that is sometimes hard work and will rarely pay a decent amount of money deserve to be treated with a modicum of respect. In general, they (we) are an honest sort. It is not an area which attracts crooks. If you want to be a weasel there are many other fields that one will be more generously rewarded for having low integrity.

So when I hear an owner badmouth a marine-related professional, my reaction is to presume there are two sides to the story.

As to your being troubled by me mentioning that I do this professionally....I am not looking for work, I can assure you of that. I am along with a few others, one of the rare souls on this venue that actually do this stuff for a living. So forgive me, but I think my opinion may be worthwhile because of that.

[hansp77]

IMHO your opinions and experience are certainly worthwhile to the forum and to me PC- never said they weren't.

I've said what I meant, and won't spoil this thread anymore with it.

Good luck CC.

[Captain Connor]

Sorry I spoiled your day. However, "Captain Connor" said


So when I hear an owner badmouth a marine-related professional, my reaction is to presume there are two sides to the story.

I said he clearly didnt know much about wooden boats. I said nothing about his experience otherwise.

please stop posting here if you have nothing nice or helpful to say. Thanks!

[hm0316]

Captain Conner, you may have already done this, but WoodenBoat magazine has a section in its want ads (both in print and on line) for "free boats". I think the listings are free. Also WoodenBoat has a "save a classic" listing every month on the last page that is an article about a specific boat that is available to be "saved". You might contact WB about this. Lastly, there is likely an Alden owner's association and you might see if they have a newsletter or website.

Let us know how things turn out. hm0316

[hm0316]

One last suggestion. A number of charitable institutions are interested in boat donations. Generally, they are looking for seaworthy boats, but some will take projects. You might call the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, RI and discuss your situation with them. Their website with contact information is www.iyrs.org. They might not take your boat, but they would almost certainly have some ideas. It is also an interesting place to visit. hm0316

[Saltiguy]

He doesn't need to give it away - he can sell it! She looks like a great boat.

BTW, I loved the remark about Marine Professionals being such an honest lot. Please!

[SV Papillon]

BTW, I loved the remark about Marine Professionals being such an honest lot. Please!

I don't know if we have been lucky or what but the people we have dealt with so far, Seattle area and B.C. Have been great very honest up.front etc. Probably note worthy is that among the various shipwrights surveyors and one N.A. they all have had different opinions and all of them stressed to us that ultimatley we would be the ones making the decisions and living with the direction we chose. Advice is just that advice, even if you pay for it. Two different surveyors may have very valid and differing conclusions as to the state of a boat and worthyness of a rebuild. Ultimately it is always up to the owner.

Jake

[nico108]

To pcford;

All trades sadly have those who are crooked and those who are not. In my case the report that the surveyor wrote up on my Aage Nielson is now used in a course on surveying as an example of how NOT to write a survey. His inspection—one which cost me over 1000 dollars was cursory and brief. He focused on whether or not there were enough fire extinguishers on board while ignoring six cracked ribs on the port side. He suggested that I "upgrade" the life jackets while ignoring the fact that the lead was hanging a good 1/4 inch off the deadwood. I nearly lost the boat in a small storm off Cape May after he certified her as "seaworthy" when the keel started to work herself on a broad reach in open water and the weep became a spouter. As I said, the report he wrote is now used as a reference in a reputable course teaching future surveyors how not to go about it. At best, he was ignorant and too casual about the responsibilities he was taking on in accepting money for his "knowledge"; at worst he was criminally negligent.

You are right in your assertion that I didn't know too much about wooden boats at the time (though I certainly do now.) In fact I knew nothing about the construction and building of the trade. That's why I hired a man to inspect the boat for me—if we all knew so much about the boats we buy and sail, we wouldn't need surveyors tight.

You go into dangerous waters trying to defend an entire industry. It is like trying to defend presidents; some are good and decent, and some are "criminally negligent", in my opinion. You veer even further when you cast dispersions on the "owners skill and/or bank account." I frankly don't quite know what that means. I'll have to go with others on this thread and call your comments rude and disrespectful.

As for the "48 year restoration" I had to laugh at how you read the sentence. If you reread it, you will see that it means that "in 2001, I got involved with a 1953 Aage Nielson yawl..."

[WX]

Nice looking boat CC I can understand your initial attraction to it. Good luck and I hope you find a worthwhile new owner who is up to the challenge.

[pahillbillybear]

Captain Conner,

You sound like a very mature individual to me who knows what he is capable of, and not capable of. Your a sound guy. Good luck.

Pabear

[Captain Connor]

Everyone, thank you for checkin in on this forum and posting your opinions and suggestions.

The boat will not be cut up after all, she has found a new home. Look for pictures of her restoration over the next few years!

[Nanoose]

Well done, CC...very well done.

[Hwyl]

Good to hear it and nice to see you come back after PC Ford was so rude to you.

I'm in the business too and there are many crooks and dreamers who call themselves "professionals".

[Wild Dingo]

Good on yer Capn!! Well done to admit your own inability for whatever reason for not keeping on with it... sad that youve had to let her go but hopefully she will have found a great home

Now I want to know why no buggar down here gives away great project boats like this down here?? the buggers would rather see them cut up rot or sink before they "pass on" a boat without getting their $ out of whoever wants her... so many boats deteriorate and go to the boat nakkers just because some wally thinks its worth a big buck

Anyway well done Capn!! May you have a great life and fullfull your boat sailing dreams

Cheers
Shane

[hansp77]

Yep- good on you Captain Conner, and thanks for letting us know.
I hope it wasn't too heartbreaking, and best luck in whatever comes next.

[Captain Steve Z]

Hello Everyone following the saga of the 1936 Alden Yawl,

As the new owner I would just like to thank Captain Connor for doing a fine job of finding Her a new home. I've read the posts on here and he stuck with it. Great Job Captain!
Just to let you all know, She made the 105 mile trip with no problem, The hull is incredibly strong and solid. Her new home is in Chelmsford Massachusetts at my shop. I've already replaced all the soft and rotted deck and a few frames. The entire deck is now resealed and tight so I do'nt expect any more moisture to reach the cabin. This week the engine, Keelson and frames came out and i'll be working on installing new keel bolts. I'll keep you all updated and thanks again to Captain Connor for doing a fine job.

[switters]

I recall that in the transfer of title, posting pictures of progress was part of the process.




hmm I must have a case of alliteration today.

[Captain Steve Z]

Hmmm, Are you sure that was'nt a case of alcoholism?

I hope your not one of thoes guy's that gave Captian Connor such a hard time.

I will be posting lots of pics as soon as I get some time to upload them, I am also setting up a website for all of you to see the progress. I will send the link as soon as it's up.

[brianc123]

Captain Connor, you've given the boat another chance rather than being laid up to rot, I respect that. Hope you believe in karma 'cos I'm betting your perfect boat will find you. Well done.

Captain Steve Z, good luck. Can't wait to see her finished.

[Captain Connor]

Captain Steve,

Good to see you on here and in good spirits

Its very assuring to know you've already done some work to her, and I really look forward to seeing its progress.

Did anyone notice the ad in wooden boat magazine this month under Freebies: 1936, 36' Alden Yawl????

Very interesting, I called the number on the ad with no answer. I wonder if one of STOWAWAY's sisters is up in Maine.

Im planning to see her to compare her to STOWAWAY and will post pictures if I do....stay tuned...