New/Old F30 Express
Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 7:42 am
Hi all-
I've been lurking on the forums for some time but wanted to tell everyone about my upcoming project, and ask for your thoughts.
My father had owned a 1973 F30 Express for about 15 years, however due to some health issues he was not able use it or to maintain it fully for the past few years. That boat has wooden decks and topsides - in fact the hull seems to be the only fiberglass aboard - and unfortunately the deck maintenance got way ahead of Dad, resulting in pretty significant degradation. Estimates for repair were astronomical, and while I have the ability to do the work myself I just don't have the time.
So, after much deliberation, I've purchased another, slightly newer - 1976 - F30 Express. Essentially the same boat although with a somewhat different cabin layout and (most importantly) fiberglass decks and topsides. The plan is to move many of the improved systems from the old boat to the new one, resulting in a 'new' boat we can both enjoy but with much less maintenance required, and an 'old' boat that will be essentially be a stock Trojan equipment-wise but in need of substantial work.
My main question for this group is what you think I should do with the 'old' boat. We're on inland water in NC (Lake Norman) so the market is pretty small here; I've thought of trying to sell it in spite of that, but have also considered parting out the machinery and systems, though I don't know how that might go either.
Also, I have a question about the layouts of the two boats; the cabin layouts are pretty different:
The new (1976) boat:
-has an L-shaped galley portside right at the companionway with a double-bunk convertible settee forward, followed by hanging lockers (on both sides) at the v-berth
-has the convertible dinette starboard forward of the head
-the head has a shower
The old (1973) boat:
-has the dinette portside at the companionway with galley forward, followed by the v-berth; no hanging lockers at the v-berth
-has the double-bunk settee starboard
-has a much smaller head with no shower and the sink on a sliding shelf that pulls out over the head
So my question is this: is the layout change a model-year progression, or were there multiple optional layouts? The 'new' layout -feels- much more spacious than the old, incidentally.
I look forward to everyone's thoughts on these points, or any other aspect of the project.
Thanks in advance -
-Patrick
I've been lurking on the forums for some time but wanted to tell everyone about my upcoming project, and ask for your thoughts.
My father had owned a 1973 F30 Express for about 15 years, however due to some health issues he was not able use it or to maintain it fully for the past few years. That boat has wooden decks and topsides - in fact the hull seems to be the only fiberglass aboard - and unfortunately the deck maintenance got way ahead of Dad, resulting in pretty significant degradation. Estimates for repair were astronomical, and while I have the ability to do the work myself I just don't have the time.
So, after much deliberation, I've purchased another, slightly newer - 1976 - F30 Express. Essentially the same boat although with a somewhat different cabin layout and (most importantly) fiberglass decks and topsides. The plan is to move many of the improved systems from the old boat to the new one, resulting in a 'new' boat we can both enjoy but with much less maintenance required, and an 'old' boat that will be essentially be a stock Trojan equipment-wise but in need of substantial work.
My main question for this group is what you think I should do with the 'old' boat. We're on inland water in NC (Lake Norman) so the market is pretty small here; I've thought of trying to sell it in spite of that, but have also considered parting out the machinery and systems, though I don't know how that might go either.
Also, I have a question about the layouts of the two boats; the cabin layouts are pretty different:
The new (1976) boat:
-has an L-shaped galley portside right at the companionway with a double-bunk convertible settee forward, followed by hanging lockers (on both sides) at the v-berth
-has the convertible dinette starboard forward of the head
-the head has a shower
The old (1973) boat:
-has the dinette portside at the companionway with galley forward, followed by the v-berth; no hanging lockers at the v-berth
-has the double-bunk settee starboard
-has a much smaller head with no shower and the sink on a sliding shelf that pulls out over the head
So my question is this: is the layout change a model-year progression, or were there multiple optional layouts? The 'new' layout -feels- much more spacious than the old, incidentally.
I look forward to everyone's thoughts on these points, or any other aspect of the project.
Thanks in advance -
-Patrick
