I agree SeaEric, but when negotiations were taking place, THEY offered the de/re at no cost, I asked for the storage 'till May. The owner owns the yard where all this would be taking place... and if it's still around, I may take another look. My surveyor had misgivings as "...frozen wood still sounds like solid wood."
Seafarer, I just cried a little . . . take a look at this link: http://www.towboatusftlauderdale.com/salvage_gallery_24.asp Harry
Sad to see her go, but it was probably for the best. It looks like she had become more habitat than yacht.
Restore a Huckins Hi Malden, I'm totally enamored with the Huckins 53' and very curious about your restoration experiences. "Dry Martini" looks almost like too good a deal...but....what are the odds that a 1961 boat has a "clean bottom" and good wiring, 250k to renew is certainly beyond my interest. Can you recommend a "Huckins" knowledgable surveyor. Thx
It makes me sick to think that nobody (including me when I was offered the opportunity) saved that 64' Huckins from such an unfortunate end of life . . . thinking simply of the rarity, sheer amount of man hours and attention to detail that went into her when she was originally built.
Another Huckins I'm new to this thread, and am in discussions to purchase a 45' Neptune. I boarded her last December and thought she seemed well cared for and an excellent value. I'll be inspecting her again in April with an eye toward purchase. The terms under discussion are quite favorable so I don't intend to do a full blown survey. I was a mechanic in a previous life, have owned numerous wooden boats, have a 50T USCG Masters, and while not qualified to survey and have been around boats all my life and can identify the obvious red flags. I know that about 5 years ago she had a new transom ($17.5K), six frames sistered, and all identified voids filled with epoxy. She's also been rewired, new panels, engines/gen well serviced, forward deck portions rebuilt, etc., etc.. All indications are that the owner is both knowledgeable and has made this boat his pet project for the last 5 years. I can confirm her bilges are dusty. The owner reports there are zero leaks, including from the deck, which is a positive thing (fresh water seepage from above is a nightmare, learned from past experience). Engines and systems I can all check out, the hull is my primary concern. Its glassed over below the waterline (since 1 year after launching). I'll do the phenolic hammer checks everywhere, check for loose frames, pay attention to the chines and keel, and poke for rot. So, in the context of a boat that is in the <$50K range (not a 6 figure value) I expect to find a 58 year old boat in good shape, nothing like a new hull but also not a major project that has to be dealt with in the next 5 years. Thoughts or comments?
I think it's the one out of W. Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard, currently in FL. BTW - I closed on a 1980 Viking DC a month ago. 6-71N's with 480 hours, updated thoroughly including electronics. Going to move aboard in Savannah next week. I hope Dry Martini finds a good home. ATB- Dan
45-264? Originally launched as Corsair, now known as Josephine, she is the only Neptune with a 1952 build date (Huckins seemed to complete an average of one a year for a few years in that era). There are a few rough edges and items unfinished, but it is apparent her current owner did much for her. At nearly half of her original asking price, she does seem like a bargain for an interesting boat. Provided she hasn't simply sat since the work was done, you should be in good shape mechanically and systems-wise. That flybridge looks out of place on her though.
Josephine's the one! Whiticar40, Seafarer got it right, she's Josephine, currently in FL. 14Freedom (Dan), I looked at Dry Martini in early December. I thought she was a bit less than one would expect in a boat owned by a yard owner. She had a couple deck leaks, some very old electrical panels, basically enough issues on the first view to make me decide to pass. That said, I think she's still a good value and hope she finds a good new home. Congrats on the Viking, sounds like a great find! Seafarer, thanks for the comments! She's been used pretty regularly over the last 5 years, and berthed in LaBelle (inland, freshwater with some shade) when not cruising. I actually like the flybridge, although I understand its not original. The flybridge has a strange toggle switch steering mechanism currently driving an autopilot actuator... I imagine I'll change that if I buy her. Overall, I haven't seen much in rough edges, except that she's set up for function... very little brightwork, and as a fair weather platform (no radar). I guess my real fear is that at 58/59 years old, the hull could be near needing very major refitting. That said, I can't imagine an owner putting a new transom on a hull that's nearing the end of its useful life, so I'm hopeful I don't end up in a state of anticipointment (a common affliction I suffer from when buying big complicated stuff!). Chuck
45-264? Seafarer, Whats the 45-264 designation? I assume a Huckins serial number... 45', hull #264 built? Thanks in advance for any insights! Chuck
Hey Chuck, quick question; Does Josephine have a small cockpit on the back? It looks like it does in the pictures, but the Huckins broker I talked to swears that it doesn't... I'm not in competition for her, I'm just curious.
Time for a surveyor Well, that little voice in head talked me into a survey for the hull. So the plan is to spend day 1 doing my own inspections, and then if all is looking good I'll have her hauled and a surveyor I found that is familiar with this type of construction do a complete check of the hull. There's a lot to be said for the peace of mind that knowing the bottom is truly sound brings!
If you can, do a thorough moisture check. Just because a hull has a consistent sound doesn't mean it's consistently good. However, considering the extent of work done on this hull, I'd suspect it's in solid shape. In my biased opinion, even a project Huckins is worth the time, effort, and capital. The enjoyment of a classic Huckins cannot be overestimated.
If that's not an outright crime against boating humanity, it bloody well oughta be. For sure it's a sin! ****able shame.
Moisture check and hull construction That's in the plan, I've already confirmed one will be available. The first day I plan to check the deck for spots around any fittings etc. for leaks. The hull is glassed only from the waterline down. For a boat this age I think that's a plus, it means everything above the waterline is more easily inspected, and potential repairs are greatly simplified. Moisture meter will be helpful there also. I gather that major below-the-waterline repairs would require removing the glass overlays (my understanding is that its 2 layers, not structural just a moisture barrier), effecting any repairs as if she were a wood only hull, and then recovering with glass. While daunting (and potentially very expensive), that seems easier than might be required with a full wood/glass setup as found in the 60's era boats. Does anyone know what year Huckins first started adding glass over the double diagonal hull? My understanding is that this boat was originally launched (1952) as wood, and a year or two later was glassed over. The surveyor thinks this might be as late as 1960, based on the fact that folks like Bertram and Pearson weren't doing production boats until the late 50's. It would be nice to have a definitive answer... Chuck
Be very careful!! I was that captain on an early 60's 56' Huckins which passed survey before we discovered an entirely rotten hull about 6 months later. The moisture content was consistent- consistently rotten! This was one of the post-construction glassed over jobs. They also epoxy coated the interior, making a wonderful hermetically sealed rot-factory. Don't get me wrong- it was a great boat and was thoroughly worth the rebuild cost and effort. Out of curiosity; who is your surveyor?