[bolger] semi-vocational boatbuilding
FBBB --
I too have contemplated the build it, sail it, sell it scheme.
A couple of thoughts:
1) You will spend twice as much money building your boat as you
thought you would, probably four times as much if you were building
for re-sale.
2) You will spend twice as much time building your boat as you
thought you would, probably four times as much if you building for
resale.
3) Selling things is hard work. If you're good enough at it to get
materials and interest out of a Two year old Bolger Box, you probably
ought to get a job at an auto dealership. There's good money to be
made selling cars and you'll be able to buy all the marine ply and
epoxy you want.
4) There are two reasons to build your own boat: a. the fun of
building it, b. you build exactly what you want. I suspect building
for resale would change the calculus a bit.
5) I imaging I will be selling boats here and there. after 7 month,
I've got one finished and two more that just need warm weather.
They're too fun to make to stop, but my yard's only so big. Selling
them beats paying someone to haul them away. However, one of the big
reasons I get to spend so much time messing about in boats is that I
don't have some 3 or 4 figure credit card bill hanging over y head.
My maxim has been "If you don't have the time to build it, what makes
you think you'll have the time to sail it." I'll add to that, "If you
can't afford to build it, what makes you think you can afford to take
the time off to build it?"
Lastly, I've got a luan gull for sale $350 OBO, but you have to wait
for Spring to take delivery ;-)
David Ryan
Minister of Information and Culture
Crumbling Empire Productions
(212) 247-0296
I too have contemplated the build it, sail it, sell it scheme.
A couple of thoughts:
1) You will spend twice as much money building your boat as you
thought you would, probably four times as much if you were building
for re-sale.
2) You will spend twice as much time building your boat as you
thought you would, probably four times as much if you building for
resale.
3) Selling things is hard work. If you're good enough at it to get
materials and interest out of a Two year old Bolger Box, you probably
ought to get a job at an auto dealership. There's good money to be
made selling cars and you'll be able to buy all the marine ply and
epoxy you want.
4) There are two reasons to build your own boat: a. the fun of
building it, b. you build exactly what you want. I suspect building
for resale would change the calculus a bit.
5) I imaging I will be selling boats here and there. after 7 month,
I've got one finished and two more that just need warm weather.
They're too fun to make to stop, but my yard's only so big. Selling
them beats paying someone to haul them away. However, one of the big
reasons I get to spend so much time messing about in boats is that I
don't have some 3 or 4 figure credit card bill hanging over y head.
My maxim has been "If you don't have the time to build it, what makes
you think you'll have the time to sail it." I'll add to that, "If you
can't afford to build it, what makes you think you can afford to take
the time off to build it?"
Lastly, I've got a luan gull for sale $350 OBO, but you have to wait
for Spring to take delivery ;-)
David Ryan
Minister of Information and Culture
Crumbling Empire Productions
(212) 247-0296