How much would it cost to build/buy a wooden ship?

Question

would anyone b able 2 tell me how much it would cost to build/buy a wooden ship nd would it be cheaper to build or buy one? i ask as my sister is wanting to get an old fashioned wooden ship. when i say ship i don't mean a boat, i mean a ship, 1 around the size of the ships in movies such as pirates of the caribbean. if any1 cud help me i'd b very grateful!

Answer 1

I think it's a crazy idea, but if you want plans to build a big ship looking sail boat, go to www.duckworksmagazine.com and see what other backyard builders have done. Many of them have links for you to contact them.

I didn't say it was a bad idea!

If you can pull it off, I would be totally impressed!

Not to mention!

I would be jealous as h**l!

HEY! It pays to have big dreams!

Good luck to you and your sister!  

Answer 2

WOW!

     I am all for the dream... and the dreamer... and if that is your dream, then WOW!  Do I have some great suggestions for you.

     First of all, (to qualify myself) That is what I do - build boats...

and if you want to see the last one I completed (and now live on) you can check out the link below... But first...

    To build such a "ship" as the "Black Pearl"... you will need so set aside about $400,000 to $500,000 and the next 10 years of your life (full-time). You can shorten the years if you have lots of good, dependable, help - that will stick with you and your boat building project to its completion.

    In addition, you will need about a half acre lot - hopefully very near the water - on which to build your boat.  Preferrable, you will be able to construct a really huge metal building on which to build your boat under... as weather over time - will play painful havoc on your project... So, you want perminent covered space under which to build your "ship".

  

    Now, for the good News part (very good News part)... Can you build it cheaper?  Yes, most definietly!  You will save a few hundred thousand at least 50% to 60% maybe more... Now days - even though wood, epoxy, etc to build your boat is all at an all time high in prices - the cost of labor is higher - and that is what you are saying.  The vessel in question, is a very labor intensive project - and thus you will save tons of $$$.

     Can you buy one cheaper?  Possibly, but unlikely as there are very few vessels (maybe 50) out there like the "Black Pearl".  And it is very unlikely that any of these owners would be willing to sell... (unless something was seriously wrong - or the vessel was already in the boneyard).

     But here is my suggestion - and what I would do, if I were you...

     1. Don't build a "ship" that large - there are many reasons for this... it will cost you a small fortune just to dock it, you will also need a crew (most likely a "paid" crew) to sail it...

     2. So, instead, build a replica... something in the 36 to 40 foot range... it will "look" the same, you can still sail it all over the world, and you won't need a large crew, and it will cost you a lot-lot less to dock, store, and maintain.

   3. Since you have never built a boat before... I encourage you to do it... It is no longer rocket science, There is no great mystery to it, and with today's epoxy resins and boat building methods, even a first time novice can build an exceptionally beautiful, vessel that will end up being stronger, and lasting longer, then any vessel you can buy from a "production" boat builder.

    4. Since your stated project is so big, and would take so long... I suggest, you build a much smaller replica... and I also suggest you build your "dinghy" or life-boats first... just so you will get a very good idea of:

1. just how easy it is and how well you can do it.  and

2. So, you can then judge for yourself, the time it will take, and the tools and help you will need to build "the bigger banana"...

    For some great boat building plans, for sail boats, and dinghys, and just a great site to learn about building boats, materials, methods, how tos.... etc,  Go to:

http://www.glenl.com/

    Great project!  Great dream!  But, it is all worth nothing if you bite off more then you can chew, and never complete it.

So, build yourself a "dinghy" first (I suggest a sailing one, so you can have some great fun and learn some real sailing skills - while you are building the replica).

Happy & Safe Boating!

the following link is to my boat's site "SummerWind".  If you go to this site, and to the "SummerWind" page - then at the bottom on that page you will see a link to "the building of SummerWind".  This has some good pics and progressive pictures, along with descriptions of the building process...

http://boatwrights.org/

Answer 3

Definitely cheaper to buy a used one but the better shape it is in the more it would cost. You could get say a smallish brigantine in fair shape for maybe a million. Technically however a ship would have 3 masts, all square rigged. You'd be talking SERIOUS money.

Answer 4

Don't forget, the cost of a wooden boat is only the price of admission.  The real expense of wooden vessels lies in the maintenance, storage, and berthing/mooring.

Answer 5

Way back in time -like 74- I was in Malaysia and Indonesia. There were small crews along the beaches with a generator and chain saws building some really big boats. They were mostly Americans. There were also several Asian crews building "Junks". All top notch work. It is just something to look into- but there were no pirates then.

Answer 6

You could easily figure about $10,000 PER FOOT OF BOAT... a SHIP which would be at least 80 feet long would be at LEAST $800,000 and probably over $1 MILLION DOLLARS by the time she was launched.

There used to be a square rigged pirate ship in St. Thomas that was modernized with diesel aux. engine and all the modern safety measures and it cost close to $10 MILLION be the time she was launched.

AND.. the COST to operate a ship like that would easily run $10,000 to $15,000 PER DAY because you will need at LEAST a crew of 25 to sail her.