what major hobby costs more than restoring a boat/ship?

[jefhatfield]

as for hobbies*, i have spent money collecting stamps and coins, restoring old guitars, and believe it or not, taking college courses for the fun of it, but nothing i did was that expensive over a short period of time

my best friend has taken up buying a 32 foot fishing boat built in 1928 and restoring it to a nearly new state, but not museum quality, so this is a medium restore by boat standards

over two months ago, he put 5,000 dollars into the lampara boat which was a junker and not fishable

boat paint goes for 100 to 200 dollars a gallon and brushes and thinner costs another 100 to 150 dollars

on top of that, over 600 dollars was spent on a new steering column

and every day that the boat is there, it's 30 dollars for storage in the boat yard and it's been over two months

hauling the boat out, and putting it back in when its done will cost 500 dollars but there is still work to be done on this antique fishing vessel

right now, to restore the 5000 dollar boat, he has already put in over 5000 and he has another month to go

since this is his first boat, and one that does not have parts that are easy to get, and we are in rainy season and it's not always easy to sand and paint, the boat, for a medium restore, has been there longer than any boat of its type for that type of restore than any boat in the over 100 year history of that boatyard

and oh yeah, 400 for a commercial fishing license but he has to learn how to use the gear to fish, to find the fish, and to navigate

a new radio, radar, and fish finder computer will set him back another 2000 dollars or so

hopefully he can find someone to fix the engine problems the boat has but the yard will gladly provide an expert for 90 dollars and hour to fix stuff if it is fixable

personally, i can think of better ways to spend 13-15k over a 90 day period:p

...did someone say that boats as a hobby is like throwing cash into a hole in the water?

* - i would not consider buying and fixing up a house a hobby or spending money on a good college education...those are investments but buying a large fishing boat with a small fish hold makes lampara fishing a losing proposition most of the time in the waters off of northern california

[Dippo]

Makes me feel better about spending money on upgarding and tweaking my computers.

Of course I would have bought a couple of XServes if I had that kinda money to burn.

[RandomDeadHead]

You wouldn't think about it but, concert taping can get VERY expensive.

Sure you can get a mini disc recording rig for around $300 or so but if your going to do it right you can easily spend $10000+.

Take for example my club rig:
two Neumann M 149 Tube microphones, $4000 each.
A shock mount for each mic, $400
Small mic umbrella, $10
16 foot mic stand plus t-bar, $500
2 decent mic cables $200 each
Tascam portable dat deck: $1500
Apogee mini-me portable mic pre amp: $1200
Apogee mini-DAC Digital audio converter: $1100
Plus all the little stuff, bags, batteries etc.
And this is only the setup I use when recording in a small venue, such as a theatre, club, or bar.
For Coliseum recording I use, AKG C12 VR Condenser Mics. also 4K each.
For amphitheatre or stadium recording I use, Sennheiser MKH 70-1 Long shotgun mic's, $2000 each.


It's also not uncommon to see people at shows with $50000+ worth of equip, Using all vintage equipment.


Now the most prestigious group of tapers are "The Ten" as they are known. They are the ONLY people allowed to tape Bob Dylan live. These are people who have been to EVERY Bob Dylan Show in the last twenty years, including europe and asia. These people take concert taping to the extreme, most of them are over 50, and all of them are retired multi millionaires. The go to every concert, living in huge plush tour busses that are often times nicer then the one Dylan himself tours in. The busses have everything they need for recording, including $200000 DAW's. They have been known to lug upwards of $100000 worth of equipment into coliseums, and not think twice about their investment.

The picture is from a Grateful Dead show in early 90's.

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by Dippo
Makes me feel better about spending money on upgarding and tweaking my computers.

Of course I would have bought a couple of XServes if I had that kinda money to burn.

my friend makes 19 dollars an hour but works part time and on call...his net income is 20,000 a year or less

...so then how does he keep up such an expensive and time consuming hobby?

as for the time consuming part, many weeks he works less than 20 hours a week and then when he does work, he sometimes gets night shifts so it opens the day up for him allowing him to work on the boat during the day

he has several helpers who pitch in here and there, for free, including me

one friend knows engines really well so that cuts down on his boat mechanic costs and his friend can do some of the engine work for free

though he is 31, he lives at home rent free and his parents feed him, do his laundry, and just about everything else..so in that aspect he is spoiled but they do not shell out thousands like some parents seem to do in the resort area where i live...it's almost like a disease and some of the young people who never work live like the characters of 90210...i don't know if it's a regional thing with all the tourist, agricultural, and high tech money in northern california which has made many a people very lazy, or if this is some sort of national phenomena

some of the other people in the area who restore boats usually have millions of dollars and could afford to hire professionals to do nearly all the work and they just enjoy doing only some of the work and enjoying the final product

with my friend and his limited income, he basically never knows if he will be able to restore his boat to the level he wants it to be so he enjoys the process of rebuilding and doing it mostly by himself with help from friends sometimes

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by RandomDeadHead

It's also not uncommon to see people at shows with $50000+ worth of equip, Using all vintage equipment.




now that is a hobby with hidden costs!!

i never would have thought:p

[Spizzo]

I'll teach him to Navigate, find fish, and use the equipment, in exchange for, maybe...a...new dual 2Ghz G5.

[eyelikeart]

What about flying?

[virividox]

horses and polo is an expensive hobby, a good thoroughbred can cost an arm and a leg, plus the stables the training and transporting the horses around, plus u never just have one horse.

[mactastic]

Ask Leno how much money he spends restoring some of those cars he's got. There's a guy here in SLO town that's done a few of them for him, and they ain't cheap. Racing things isn't cheap either, cars, horses, jet boats cost a ton and you need to have a complete backup vehicle if you're serious. And then there's the crazy 'extreme car stereo' guys who go through amps like they cost a nickle. Or people who buy sports teams. That guy who keeps flying his baloon solo around the world spends a ton of money for that. Art collecting gets expensive. There's a gallery up the street from me where the sculptures go for up to $50,000.

[cubist]

Yes, if this guy ends up spending $15K on this fishing boat, that's still pretty cheap by boat standards.

[Mudbug]

Originally posted by eyelikeart
What about flying?

not just flying, but building a kit plane? Restoring a classic car?

Or more mainstream - how about just playing golf regularly? If you have a country club membership, you're talking about around $3000 a year in dues, not to mention most bigger places require you to purchase stock in the "corporation" to join, along with charging greensfees and food costs, not to mention the cost of the equipment to play. A good driver alone can be hundreds of dollars. And hey, balls ain't cheap - let alone the fact that most people that play LOSE balls on a regular basis, regardless of the level of play. And if you have a temper, clubs can get broken :)

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by cubist
Yes, if this guy ends up spending $15K on this fishing boat, that's still pretty cheap by boat standards.

that's good to know as far as boats are concerned...i think if he could keep it under 15k that would be nice, but his lack of knowledge of knowing exactly how to fix the thing is what is making this more expensive than it has to be

what originally takes experienced boat people a week, paint job and replacing a couple of major parts, has taken him more than two months already at 30 dollars a day for storage and use of tools in the boat yard...the people who run the boat yard have no recollection of such a boat being out of the water so long in its entire history for what is being done to it

serious boat people know that time is money so they get to it, fix the boat and get it catching fish to bring in income asap...nobody keeps a working, licensed fishing boat out of the water for months for routine work...that is unless they have no idea what they are doing ;)

...one would think that it is being gold plated and encrusted with diamonds, or abandoned like some boats have been from time to time

boats are a strange hobby and many people get in over their head financially and every year, many boats are abandoned and signed over to the docks for free and these boats are put up for auction for very, very cheap...and either they are used by someone who can afford its upkeep or they end up in the auction yard at next year's big sale ;)

i was tempted once, being a navy and military history buff since childhood, to buy a small navy ship they had for sale for 110 dollars...being of world war II vintage, this old shore patrol boat (similar to a coast guard 50' cutter), had major repairs to keep it afloat since it had taken on water and was listing:rolleyes:

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by Spizzo
I'll teach him to Navigate, find fish, and use the equipment, in exchange for, maybe...a...new dual 2Ghz G5.

too bad you don't live in monterey harbor...i would convince him to do that and it would be worth it

he knew he got in way over his head but he had to make a statement in life:

hehe, let me explain...

being that he never bought groceries in his life or never once bought a box of laundry detergent, i think he needed to be resposible for something

he has lived at home since day 1 and he is now 31...like mentioned before, he doesn't pay for food, utilities, or rent and doesn't cook or do laundry...he has never really done anything in life besides finish high school and be a grocery clerk...so he is frustrated if you can imagine...his brother got to go to college while his cousin embarked on a very exciting and high paying job in the medical field...most of his friends got married and moved out and left the area...he has never left the west coast and has only visited southern california or the northern west coast of vancouver and seattle

when he turned 30 i think he felt he needed to break out of his spoiled comfort zone and he didn't want to end up like a lot of the kids who grew up near the pebble beach golf links spending their inheritance...ok, he and his brother are set to inherit a million dollar+ house and large property but he does not want to just cruise in life for his second half and be a coach potato

not everybody in life leaves their comfort zone and makes a statement in life nor do they have to...but his father and mother came from hard working, working class backgrounds and his parents never wanted their kids to struggle like they did and wanted their kids to live an easier life...but they did too good of a job...the two 30 something brothers still live at home and the mom irons their underwear and the kids are so well fed they are around 300 lbs each:rolleyes:

[miloblithe]

How about collecting art?

[krimson]

collecting aircraft carriers (http://www.frenchcreekboatsales.com/details.asp?File_Number=BOP12)?



----
I'd say collecting japanese swords is pretty damn expensive.

[RandomDeadHead]

Now thats what I call an expensive hobby! I wonder how much fuel it guzzles, just to take it "around the block".

[crenz]

Consider buying a $200,000 grand piano...

[jefhatfield]

ok, he he, i said major hobby, as in common and well established

not buying picassos or dating supermodels:p

[coopdog]

I find shredding money a great past time!

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by coopdog
I find shredding money a great past time!

buying macs is like shredding money

hey steve, lower the prices, ok?? ;)

ibook 899 usd
emac 599 usd, for instance
and lower prices across the board with more ram

[Apple //e]

i used to fix boats. it is very expensive and hard work. brightwork anyone? the worst thing is that you have to pay dock fees every month and maintain it constantly. if you neglect it for one season, it requires even more work, especially woodies

people used to offer me boats for free. i told them i couldnt afford it

[Sun Baked]

Racing horses, boats, cars, planes, etc.

Then there are the Richard Branson hobbies...

which may set a world record for the insane waste of money -- if he continues trying for world records.

[pseudobrit]

Heh. I'm about to start building a currach (traditional Irish rowboat) out of Kevlar for the spring. I hope to have it in the water by April.

The fabric, epoxy and basic parts are going to incur costs of at least $300-400. I can't wait to find the hidden ones :o

[wdlove]

I have what I consider to be several expensive hobbies. Art and dogs cost a lot of money and time. Have done both for the majority of my married life.

[gwuMACaddict]

mechanical watches...

:(

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by Apple //e
i used to fix boats. it is very expensive and hard work. brightwork anyone? the worst thing is that you have to pay dock fees every month and maintain it constantly. if you neglect it for one season, it requires even more work, especially woodies

people used to offer me boats for free. i told them i couldnt afford it

oh, that's right, there's also the $200 dollar a month slip fee he has to pay even though he is not using it...because he is in the boat yard and that's $900 a month, so he is shelling out $1100 a month these last two months ($2200) and for the forseeable month this whole february for what will be a grand total of $3300 dollars for "rent" for his fishing boat

with the paint, thinner, and supplies, and initial hauling, he has already spent more than the $5000 dollar cost of the boat so even if someone gave him this boat for free, he would have been out more than $5000 dollars and that would have been a quarter of his net income this year which meant all the money he has made through now this year and on through march goes to the boat...as it stands, it will take nearly all of his net income this year to finish the boat only to redo the process this time next year

it's fun being on the crew of this boat and seeing it come together, but i can't imagine what it would cost for us newbies in the boat world to refurbish a pre world war II 90 ft. superfishing vessel

i know a vietnamese fisherman, who could barely speak english, who purchased such a boat for under 20k and got it put on the market for 80 or 90k and he had that thing spotless...of course, he knew what he was doing so he probably walked off with a tidy profit rather quickly...compared to us idiots who could probably outspend george w bush and his safari vacation in iraq...basically i am not a skipper and i am glad i did not get involved on the financial side of things here:p

[Roger1]

How about restoring vintage (WWI, WWII) airplanes? Doesn't that run a couple of million each??
Personally, if I had $10,000 to burn, I would love to restore/soup up a mid sixties-early seventies Volkswagon Beetle (anybody say "250HP type IV turbo"??):D

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by Roger1
How about restoring vintage (WWI, WWII) airplanes? Doesn't that run a couple of million each??
Personally, if I had $10,000 to burn, I would love to restore/soup up a mid sixties-early seventies Volkswagon Beetle (anybody say "250HP type IV turbo"??):D

when i was in england, i visited a vintage world war II outdoor aviation museum...to raise funds, they were selling off non woking supermarine spitfires for only 5000 quid...but the buyer was resposible for finding/building/repairing an engine and transporting the hulk out of there ;)

i recently went to a world war II airshow in california and they had a vintage trainer that had been restored and they wanted 100 grand for it...it had a for sale sign on it, the price, and a phone number just like it was some used car on the lot...but where would i keep this toy? ;)

most of the planes there, if not all of them, were restored by clubs and groups who all pitched in and restored and maintained the vintage aircraft...it would be too expensive for just one person to fund all the expenses and do all the work...and all the pilots were old and many of them seemed to be old enough to be the original pilots and they were giving rides to the public and it seemed kind of scary because i did not trust an old bird flying and old bird:D

[coopdog]

Originally posted by wdlove
I have what I consider to be several expensive hobbies. Art and dogs cost a lot of money and time. Have done both for the majority of my married life.

So you have done dogs? Does you wife know about this? :D

[Grimace]

Originally posted by RandomDeadHead

Take for example my club rig:
two Neumann M 149 Tube microphones, $4000 each.
A shock mount for each mic, $400
Small mic umbrella, $10
16 foot mic stand plus t-bar, $500
2 decent mic cables $200 each
Tascam portable dat deck: $1500
Apogee mini-me portable mic pre amp: $1200
Apogee mini-DAC Digital audio converter: $1100


Well, you need to look around a little more before spending $400 on a shockmount, $500 on a pro mic stand/t-bar, and $200 on a mic cable.

[bont]

Originally posted by carletonmusic
Well, you need to look around a little more before spending $400 on a shockmount, $500 on a pro mic stand/t-bar, and $200 on a mic cable.
:D Good advice!

It's always been an ambition of mine to buy an old fishing boat and take it out into the sea....I guess that's another dream quashed....:(

[JDar]

Originally posted by Roger1
How about restoring vintage (WWI, WWII) airplanes? Doesn't that run a couple of million each??
Personally, if I had $10,000 to burn, I would love to restore/soup up a mid sixties-early seventies Volkswagon Beetle (anybody say "250HP type IV turbo"??):D

In the last Smithsonian Aerospace magazine there was an article on a guy who pulled a P-38F out of glacial ice where several had forced landed, running low on fuel many years ago. It was over 100 feet deep after all the years. He has restored it and now has the only flying P-38F in existence. If you go to air shows you might see it this year. He admitted thinking it would cost $600,000 but wound up spending much more.

Since it was his money it was well worth it for such a fine airpalne, imo.:)

Edit:Actually it came to around $4 million plus a lot of bartering and trading parts.

[rainman::|:|]

i can only think of a few more expensive...

-Collecting traffic tickets and fines, not paying them
-Being a massive cokehead
-Eating endangered species
-Buying ultracollectable human organs off the black market
-Juggling faberge eggs

:)
paul

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by bont
:D Good advice!

It's always been an ambition of mine to buy an old fishing boat and take it out into the sea....I guess that's another dream quashed....:(

actually, with my friend, he took the boat out of the sea and onto a dry boat yard

...now that is fine as long as the boat is not out of the water too long and the planks stay in place and don't shrink too far

when a boat is out of the water too long, the planks dry up and shrink and new fissures are created and there becomes a whole new set of issues to deal with when the boat is put back in the water...it may very well sink

for a short period of time, you can flood the inside of the boat to keep the planks hydraded and expanded to approximate the ocean, but over two months is too long to keep the integrity of the boat's overall shape

and remember, this is the longest this boat has been totally out of the water in it's 76 year history...this whole project of his may end up making a great display for a seafood restaurant or museum and in that case, there is no way he could sell it for enough to recover his costs

but in this hobby, as in all others which are expensive, you live and learn and the massive hit to his pocketbook would make it so he would never make the same mistake twice (if this ends up going south)

if things work, he would have learned that every year when the boat is pulled, a solid beginning/middle/end plan has to be in place to be efficient

not being efficient in this hauling out process could end up with large debt and a damaged boat