G'day Brainstrust,
I'm thinking about buying a 1982 Compass Westerly and she needs a bit of work done on her. As I see it I have two options. 1 Give her a beauty makeover and go sailing and hope for the best, or 2 Give her a full refit then go sailing in full confidence.
I will be living onboard for six months of the year so will have plenty of time for doing odd jobs etc. If I do buy her, I will be spending December to May somewhere between Cairns and Townsville, with Hinchinbrook Island as my cyclone hideout.
My question is: How many hours would I be committing to if I do a full refit. I realize that is very difficult to answer so just round figures would help. Is it a thousand, five thousand, five hundred?
If anyone has done a refit on a Westerly I would love some pointers.
Cheers.

What is a "full refit" ?
Engine and tanks?


gary

Hi , december to march is hot humid and wet in Nq and not nice in a boat with out a/c and generator also tends to blow northerlys so a nice calm anchorage can be hard to find and Hinchinbrook Island is only suitable in small cyclones, Townsville marina or Cairns rivers are best for bigger cyclones.

Forget beauty, do basic safety then see if the experience matches your expectations.

I've tried to refit a previous boat on land in Cairns over the build up and wet season. Even for someone who thrives on heat and humidity, many days it's just hard to achieve anything, too humid to fibreglass, paint or wear the PPE for sanding etc.

The length of refit will be directly influenced by your proximity to a Chandlery and a hardware store. I made countless visits to both.

If you can handle sandflies, Trinity Inlet is a cheap place for a minor refit on the water.

The refit length and cost will be determined by the end level of quality you are after. Mine took three times longer than expected and cost twice as much using my own labour. On an old boat expect to find surprises as soon as you start replacing systems. As soon as you enter a shipyard you have less influence over the costs.

Thanks everyone,
I should have mentioned that I am almost a local here in the tropics. Only two more years to go. I've only lived here for forty eight years. It's fifty to be a local, or to be buried in a local cemetery I hope I get to fifty years before the latter happens. So the heat and the humidity aren't too worrying for me. The interruption to fibreglassing might cause some delays though.
The engine doesn't need replacing just yet (it was replaced seven years ago), so that is one less thing to do. I'm thinking of starting by taking off all the deck hardware and reseating it. Of course servicing everything before replacing it. I understand that would be better done on the hard but was hoping that it would be manageable while afloat.
Being a tropical girl, I would take everything out of inside and give everything a good scrub down and clean before painting all the FG surfaces and sanding and redoing all the brightwork. She doesn't smell too bad inside at all but she does have white carpet on the ceiling, so that will have to go.
Any other advice will be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

I am planning on refitting over 10 years in different locations. Boat jobs in the morning and relaxing in the afternoons is the crux of the plan.

Sounds like your all over it, if rebedding deck hardware a second person greatly reduces the time taken if you have someone on both ends of the fasteners.

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EastCoastSail said..
Sounds like your all over it, if rebedding deck hardware a second person greatly reduces the time taken if you have someone on both ends of the fasteners.

Excellent advice. Unfortunately I am a bit of a recluse but I think I might be able to find someone

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grich62 said..
Hi , december to march is hot humid and wet in Nq and not nice in a boat with out a/c and generator also tends to blow northerlys so a nice calm anchorage can be hard to find and Hinchinbrook Island is only suitable in small cyclones, Townsville marina or Cairns rivers are best for bigger cyclones.

I'm interested in hearing why you think Hinchinbrook is only viable for small cyclones. I may have to change my plans somewhat.

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cammd said..
I am planning on refitting over 10 years in different locations. Boat jobs in the morning and relaxing in the afternoons is the crux of the plan.

Now that is a plan I may very well steal/borrow/plagiarize

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Saltuarius said..

EastCoastSail said..
Sounds like your all over it, if rebedding deck hardware a second person greatly reduces the time taken if you have someone on both ends of the fasteners.

Excellent advice. Unfortunately I am a bit of a recluse but I think I might be able to find someone

Don't worry these are the solution to not having someone below decks to hold the nut. Once clamped on they can usually be braced against something.

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EastCoastSail said..
Sounds like your all over it, if rebedding deck hardware a second person greatly reduces the time taken if you have someone on both ends of the fasteners.

I have just re-bed 172 holes on the deck of my boat. Whilst I agree that it's easier replace bolts with another person, with the judicious use of a combination of vice grips, clamps and power drill, its pretty easy to hold all the top side bolts on a single fitting in one go, if you use hex socket allen screws.

If the refit involves major sanding, fiber glassing or painting, its going to be tough in the tropics over summer and not good for your health if you try and live aboard at the same time. If you are painting the interior, its much better to completely empty the boat and go for it, then wet wipe all the dust off before moving back in.

I've replaced and rebedd all the fittings on three 30-40' old boats now. Unseen, as an amateur perfectionist I would budget 15-20 x 5 hour days and triple it if the deck is cored, if major cabinetry needs to be removed and chain plate bulkheads need repairs. That's just the deck fittings... Others will have a different view, but nothing is ever simple on a boat.

You also really need to be sure that you are committed to this boat because IMO any refit on a Westery Compass is unlikely to be economic.

Have a look at the you tube channel, "Free Range Sailing - the refit series" to give you an idea what of what a gold standard refit on a 30' boat would look like.

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrfgH9ij9DeTmNd8qnYd0I1aATkbCjp75

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Andrew68 said..

EastCoastSail said..
Sounds like your all over it, if rebedding deck hardware a second person greatly reduces the time taken if you have someone on both ends of the fasteners.

I have just re-bed 172 holes on the deck of my boat. Whilst I agree that it's easier replace bolts with another person, with the judicious use of a combination of vice grips, clamps and power drill, its pretty easy to hold all the top side bolts on a single fitting in one go, if you use hex socket allen screws.

If the refit involves major sanding, fiber glassing or painting, its going to be tough in the tropics over summer and not good for your health if you try and live aboard at the same time. If you are painting the interior, its much better to completely empty the boat and go for it, then wet wipe all the dust off before moving back in.

I've replaced and rebedd all the fittings on three 30-40' old boats now. Unseen, as an amateur perfectionist I would budget 15-20 x 5 hour days and triple it if the deck is cored, if major cabinetry needs to be removed and chain plate bulkheads need repairs. That's just the deck fittings... Others will have a different view, but nothing is ever simple on a boat.

You also really need to be sure that you are committed to this boat because IMO any refit on a Westery Compass is unlikely to be economic.

Have a look at the you tube channel, "Free Range Sailing - the refit series" to give you an idea what of what a gold standard refit on a 30' boat would look like.

/sailing/20867098.jpg

Thanks Andrew, I have watched Free Range Sailing and was subscribed to their channel. I've lost interest now they are on land, I've done that bit I will rewatch some of it, that's for sure. Cheers.

Free Range Sailing was the pinnacle of you tube sailing for me. I like their philosophy.

Righto Team I have a new plan. Buy the boat, slip her to paint her bum and do any obvious work. Then put her back in the water and go sailing. If something breaks, Ill fix it. If not I will enjoy pottering around the tropical islands and coast. I like this plan better than the first one . Cheers

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Saltuarius said..

grich62 said..
Hi , december to march is hot humid and wet in Nq and not nice in a boat with out a/c and generator also tends to blow northerlys so a nice calm anchorage can be hard to find and Hinchinbrook Island is only suitable in small cyclones, Townsville marina or Cairns rivers are best for bigger cyclones.

I'm interested in hearing why you think Hinchinbrook is only viable for small cyclones. I may have to change my plans somewhat.

The Hinchinbrook was always my plan untill i talked to a guy who went through cyclone Yasi he discribed to me he took all day to set ropes and there was a mono hull and a trawler in the same creak.he said the winds would run down side of the island at extreme speed and extended times, his boat was a tri which although scary it stayed upright, the trawler basically blew on to it's side for so long it took on water and sank, the mono hull was also blown at extreme angles. He said the worst was the surge tide which lifted the boats above the mangroves and they then subject to extreme swell the mono was left on top of the mangroves once the tide dropped. He described this as like being in a lift. He also said it was scary tying on to the roots of the mangroves with crocs hanging around
He made me rethink my plans.
Your last plan is best.

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grich62 said..

Saltuarius said..

grich62 said..
Hi , december to march is hot humid and wet in Nq and not nice in a boat with out a/c and generator also tends to blow northerlys so a nice calm anchorage can be hard to find and Hinchinbrook Island is only suitable in small cyclones, Townsville marina or Cairns rivers are best for bigger cyclones.

I'm interested in hearing why you think Hinchinbrook is only viable for small cyclones. I may have to change my plans somewhat.

The Hinchinbrook was always my plan untill i talked to a guy who went through cyclone Yasi he discribed to me he took all day to set ropes and there was a mono hull and a trawler in the same creak.he said the winds would run down side of the island at extreme speed and extended times, his boat was a tri which although scary it stayed upright, the trawler basically blew on to it's side for so long it took on water and sank, the mono hull was also blown at extreme angles. He said the worst was the surge tide which lifted the boats above the mangroves and they then subject to extreme swell the mono was left on top of the mangroves once the tide dropped. He described this as like being in a lift. He also said it was scary tying on to the roots of the mangroves with crocs hanging around
He made me rethink my plans.
Your last plan is best.

Mate Yasi was a monster (300km/hr winds). I was to the north of it so got severe westerly winds. We could hear it tearing the tops of the mountains to pieces. I think I would still take my chances in the mangroves rather than in a marina with a lot of folks that didn't know what to do. Yasi destroyed the Hinchinbrook marina and it has never recovered. Do you know where the trimaran was, which creek?

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Saltuarius said..

grich62 said..

Saltuarius said..

grich62 said..
Hi , december to march is hot humid and wet in Nq and not nice in a boat with out a/c and generator also tends to blow northerlys so a nice calm anchorage can be hard to find and Hinchinbrook Island is only suitable in small cyclones, Townsville marina or Cairns rivers are best for bigger cyclones.

I'm interested in hearing why you think Hinchinbrook is only viable for small cyclones. I may have to change my plans somewhat.

The Hinchinbrook was always my plan untill i talked to a guy who went through cyclone Yasi he discribed to me he took all day to set ropes and there was a mono hull and a trawler in the same creak.he said the winds would run down side of the island at extreme speed and extended times, his boat was a tri which although scary it stayed upright, the trawler basically blew on to it's side for so long it took on water and sank, the mono hull was also blown at extreme angles. He said the worst was the surge tide which lifted the boats above the mangroves and they then subject to extreme swell the mono was left on top of the mangroves once the tide dropped. He described this as like being in a lift. He also said it was scary tying on to the roots of the mangroves with crocs hanging around
He made me rethink my plans.
Your last plan is best.

Mate Yasi was a monster (300km/hr winds). I was to the north of it so got severe westerly winds. We could hear it tearing the tops of the mountains to pieces. I think I would still take my chances in the mangroves rather than in a marina with a lot of folks that didn't know what to do. Yasi destroyed the Hinchinbrook marina and it has never recovered. Do you know where the trimaran was, which creek?

He described in the midle of the island a fair way in, if you are in cairns the creak up near port douglas is the best i believe. if you are going up the creeks tie your boat in too the midle so swell and wind won't push you on top of mangroves. I go into marina in Tsv as it is a insurance requirement,