42' Pacemaker

Gregory S

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Anybody know what became of Jimmy S and the wood 42' Pacemaker he was restoring?
 
Last I remember he had to remove the boat from the marina and was talking about not continuing the restore.

Niles
 
That about sums it up. The last I recall he had to remove the flybridge and some other structural components in order to get towed from the marina, by truck. he made the move and I think that was it. I used to read some of his posts on a Pacemaker owners board but the site has been down.
 
Sounds like he might have given up. Feel bad for him as he was pretty excited about all this when he started.
 
quote:

Originally posted by froggy3k

Sorry to hear. He did have some great talents and determination!!!!





I think he lost interest when the marina damaged is boat when lifting it. Wood boats are a labor of love. If you like woodworking they are for you, if you like boating perhaps one of the other hull materials might be for you.
I miss his posts and pictures......
Bill
 
he was one determined guy. he stuck with it way further than most people ever would. I was reading his thread from the very beginning and was the one to educate him on the process of bottom refastening which he was unaware of. I hate to say this, but I'm not surprised at the eventual outcome.
 
I suppose the Darwinian Theory plays a role with us as well.

RWS
 
I really had high hopes for the final result. Really sucks that the yard damaged it. The project had more than enough uphill challenges so while disappointed, I thoroughly understand the rational choice to terminate it (if that is what happened). I look forward to someone with similar passion starting a new thread on a similar project, but hopefully with stellar results and a happy ending.
 
I can't even imagine the number of hours Jimmy put into that boat. Determination and preservearance times 10. Sad ending for all that work.

Some years ago, we had a guy restoring an old 40' wood Tiffany at our marina. For those of you not familiar with that name, it's a (mostly fishing) high-dollar yacht built here in VA and they are built like tanks. The guy did a lot of work and installed a pair of nice diesels in her. One day, it almost sank at the dock. He was able to get her back up and yank the engines out before they were permently damaged. That incident took all the wind out of his sails and he never did anymore work to the boat. 7-8 years later, the boat was yanked out of the water and hauled away as trash.
 
Sad, but I don't think he had any idea what a challenge a wood boat would be.
 
Happy endings are exceedingly rare on these projects; you see so many these type boats way up the back lot of so many boat yards and back yards. I remember his first post, saying he had "stolen" the boat; I asked him how much money the seller gave him to go along with the boat. I do feel bad for the guy if the dream ended poorly, he was earnest and enthusiastic. These projects always bring to mind the documentary about the making of the movie "Fitzcarraldo" and the movie itself.
 
No but enthusiasm will certainly help you attain wisdom.
 
Reality ran headlong into rot. Every time the yard tried to move the boat the blocks would punch through the bottom. The boat was literally falling apart under its own weight. Everybody needs a dream!
 
Anyone has a link to that thread? I never saw it.
 
I posted this March 8th 2010

Lets see $3500 for boat $800 for survey $10,000 for materials, 3 years labor, ???? yard fees, unknown problems. Final value $8,000/10,000. You better love it. This is NOT a glass boat. When you get done you start over. TAKE YOUR HIT AND RUN!!!!

60 years of boating here. Wood, steel, fiberglass, aluminum. First boat was a freezer liner. 3 Chris Crafts and an Owens before I learned my lesson.

A planked Pacemaker is the ultimate in required maintenance. Especially if you have to pull them every winter.

It's too bad he had to go thru the process with the bummer result.
 
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