Should I Buy This SALVAGED Steel YACHT? Sailing Melody Special Deal! | Wildling Sailing 

The question isn't whether this is a good deal. The question is whether this is the right boat for you.

No.. you shouldn't... it's simply... not you. That's not taking away from Andy, who seems a top man and clearly knows his stuff inside out.

Bilge keels are worth their weight in lobsters. Just pull up on any beach at low tide, and you're stable. It's like having a boat and a portable beach cabin, all in one. I like it. Andy is a top shelf guy. Hat's off to him.

Do you want to sail or do you want to work in the yard? And always remember, there is nothing more expensive in time and money than a bargain boat. Keep looking.

That's a forever home ! Man what an opportunity! Even if you didn't accept the offer what a good bloke👍

Andy is a very good man! That's a very generous offer to you! Had no idea he would be so kind! If nothing else you have become friends! Awesome

Its a great boat with enough that needs to be done to keep you busy and give you plenty of content for years to come all while you sail around. I mean come on you can pilot the boat while boiling water for some tea and never have to move. This boat is just about perfect for you at this point in your journey. For the price you can not beat it.

That's a grand deal you've got there, especially with the offer of expertise and help from Andy. Sounds like a very solid option!

This boat would be painfully slow under sail alone and it will never stop rusting no matter how much Jotun primer you apply.

Don't buy it. This boat still needs so much work that you will never get it out on the water. I have learned from experience that taking on someone else's failed project will most always be a regretful situation!

I don't know why your hesitating. This is a no brainer You must buy it upgrade it and sell it on when something else comes along. . Its a no brainer and now your finding excuses to get out of it. Buy the boat and start sailing! I don't believe it,not only are you getting the boat for £15,000 but free help, advice and support. The free labour has got to be £3,000- £5,5000 they are going to complete the projects they had planned to do to help you out even more. I still think you should go back 5000 miles to get the boat you fell in love with but this is a genuine gift along with all the support you could ever want for. Sailing Melody is one of my favourite channels and they have given you a wonderful opportunity to get sailing earlier plus it gives the opportunity to get afloat and visit more options and if you find one that you like you would definitely make a rather nice profit. You could even use it as accommodation which would so cost effective. This would be great for your RU-vid channel plus a location for filming. You would almost immediately have a sailboat you know and trust. Accommodation and most importantly freinds near by to help and support you. How can this not be the perfect opportunity. You will have everything you need and more plus time to save for the future. Please don't hesitate any more. To turn this offer down would be one of the worst decisions you will have made. There are no downsides to the decision to buy. If you don't buy this I hope its because you want to go back to the boat 5000 miles away. Stay safe J.

Walk Away...just like Andy is Buy a boat like the one Andy's just bought, A blue ocean South Pacific sailing yacht. 🌊⛵⛱️🍻😎🙏 Patience will Prevail

Personally, I prefer the Freedom 35 Cat Ketch from last week.

Andy is so honest and knowledgeable and he impresses me because of his down-to-earth - honesty. I would buy a boat from him. It and he is making a generous offer.

Great deal for you. Andy and Mellissa has done a fantastic job on her.

Mark, it's not just a boat, this will be your life, your house, and your car, you have to love her!! iI's easy to buy any boat, it's easy to say yes, this is a great deal, and this will do. It's harder to wait for what you want. It's harder to say no to an awesome offer. Even a free boat that's not what you are wanting, is still not the right boat. Follow your heart. Good luck

Good for you Mark ! Dont be in a rush or settle for something just to get back in the water. The right boat will come along in time ,you ll know ( in your heart ) what's right for you. Dont let money be the factor in what you pick no matter how sweet the deal seems at the time.

Hi, I've owned 2 steel boats, a 30' and a 54' and I would happily own another. Steel is foregiving, easy to repair and immensely strong. Maintaining a steel boat is no more arduous than a wooden vessel. It's all about getting the fundamentals right and eliminating things which make inspection and maintenance harder i.e. no external wood work, use stainless on all wearing edges and surfaces, Don't drill holes through the deck, make sure all internal and external parts of the hull are accessible easily; hulls rust from the inside out so no water or condensation traps. Use epoxy paint systems on freshly grit blasted steel. Keep on top of repairing any damage to coatings.Use the right amount of zinc anodes, not too many mind. Laid up, use a dehumidifier to keep the inside dry. Be sure to have your electrics in good order to avoid electrolisis. Instead of loads of seacocks and through hulls use a sea-chest of large diameter with an above waterline opening cover for inspection and cleaning. Its all common sense really and satisfying to have a solid and well maintained vessel under you and hell of a comfort crashing to windward on a cold dark night, knowing about all the stuff floating about in our oceans....

Hi Mark, although a generous offer old steel boats need more work de rusting and painting. Swing keels = extra complexity and possible noise issue. I see her more as a motor sailor, but a safe heavy weather boat. Long distance sailors are always stressed in light wind when their boat fails to make headway. Just my thoughts. Good hunting!

THIS IS the best deal you have come across since you started looking! Personally, I'd buy this one.

You need to keep looking.. don't let cost sway your decision on buying a work on it forever boat.

Please buy the Freedom 35. It’s the best boat for you 👍👍👍

Keep looking.

You can take this boat anywhere. No restrictions there. Stable in heavy seas. Can be run aground for maintenance. Good size for you + 1. After a year or two you find it’s not for you then you can sell it. It’s a great deal. Don’t pass up the opportunity. There’s no such thing as the perfect boat

We built a steel centre-boarder (32' Wylo design) and sailed her from New Zealand to Washington DC via Australia, South Africa and Brazil. Two main considerations for us were the strength (surviving hitting a floating container being a major safety consideration) and easy repairability of steel, especially for a shoal draft boat which can lead you into all sorts of interesting places. Our boat also had a non-ballasted swinging centreboard which we used for close reaching or going to windward. The centreboard made a huge difference to windward ability giving us all the benefits of a deep draft when needed and the wonderful bonus of shallow draft for exploring waterways. Our below waterline gasket was made from a tractor inner tube and never leaked a drop. Lastly, the ability to beach the boat (she had a wide keel and demountable legs) and clean/touch up below waterline paint was a huge convenience and saved us thousands in haul out fees. Melody has many advantages over other boats I've seen you viewing and is a very good prospect for a long voyage. A suggestion: make a list of desirable qualities for an ocean going yacht then only buy the boat that fits most or all of them. Good luck!

From a older guy that's made mistakes in decisions when I was young and learned from it, I can tell you don't hold out to much for one style of boat you like because you will sell yourself short on a dream and make mistakes early. I would recommend getting something in your budget ready to go that you can fix up and make your own for now and build your channel more and gain more experience and knowledge and then if few years down road take a more controlled risk towards your dream boat that way your more prepared financially and knowledgeable about what your after. Sometimes when where young we want that one thing now do bad that can make a bad decision and cost your self financially and mentally when if you take your time and gain more experience and prepare more financially you will be more ready to take on that dream of yours. This solely my opinion and not saying to listen to me but just offering a little advice from someone who's made mistakes early in life but was lucky to come out on other side ok by learning from mistakes.

What you see is what you get, Andy is a very genuine guy and once he gets talking about boats he exudes enthusiasm. Did he stop to take a breath, lol. Difficult decision but you are the one buying and better to take your time and find the one you feel the passion for. Best of luck matey. Andy UK

Three points. From the book Get Real Get Gone, dont mess with swing keels or in mast furling. Expensive to repair, failure prone at the worst moments. Also I recall Mark once saying he dislike the bilge keel sailing feel so I doubt he's gonna go for this one.

Totally agree with the general consensus here. The steel boat, perfect for northern climes, but not a world cruiser and will no doubt turn into an oven in the sun. The Wharram, I just have this mental image of Tom Hanks on the raft in Castaway! In my most humble opinion the Freedom ticks the boxes. It's not so much of a project, so won't keep you stuck on the hard with a never ending list of jobs before you can cast the lines. The double wishbone rig looks super easy to singlehand and trade wind sailing. Lack of standing rigging cuts the ongoing maintenance/cost. It's quirky enough to maintain your cred. Above all it'll take you no time to get back out there.

I love the layout and design of that boat. That's pretty much exactly what I'd be looking for, with a long term view.

No matter what boat you’ll choose, you are absolutely right about your feeling. But don’t forget, you’re young and the future can bring you many more boats😜

It's nice offer and lovely looking boat and size, hate rust tho. freedom 35 had no real head room for you

Sounds great to me bud, He also seems very genuine and knowledgeable about his build. Plus his offer of help out is such a bonus. Could be a great starter to another and another boat build. Thanks for the vlog. 👍

Keep taking your time. Patience is key, You got this Mark

Keep taking each day at a time Mark only you knows what feels right good luck

One thing that I feel you can be confident about is knowing what you’re getting with this family. They know exactly what has been done & what needs to be done and they were going to make this their home. Plus if you can refit it there, you’ll already have someone to bounce your own ideas off that has lots of knowledge. Then there’s the best thing of all……YOSHEE gets to stay!! Don’t forget you’re his “Daddy & Best Mate”……(Did that work? LoL! Love that little boy.) Really, there’s something about this that feels like it was meant to be….You can go anywhere in this boat!

I can’t believe you didn’t buy the last boat Melody is junk compared to the last one .. they did such a hack job on her

If your objective is to go sailing on a boat that can get into shallow areas and take others with you and cruise the world at your leisure, well, she’s a great deal. Like many others, I’ve watched Melody and they have been so good with their detail and care for getting the boat ready. You’d be halfway to the med by Easter!!

Buy it, all the hard works done, you'll learn alot finishing the boat and your back sailing again. Your dream boat may still turn up in the future if so you'll have a good boat to sell and put towards it.

After all the love and hard work that they’ve put into the boat, if it’s the right boat for you, and you’re willing to carry on the project, I don’t think you can go wrong with this one. 👍🏻

Mark wishing you well with whatever decision you make, as a boat owner for over 40 years I much prefer the Freedom 35 for an infinite number of reasons, you can spend 10k on this boat in the blink of an eye and at that point it will still be only half the boat the Freedom 35 is, to grow your RU-vid channel you are far better sailing to interesting destinations and doing on going repairs simultaneously, you will go completely mad spending 6 to 12 months on the hard and frankly it may never leave the hard and possibly unsalable, the Freedom 35 will always be attractive to a wide range of buyers, which will allow you to transition to your next boat in 2-4 years, sailors with glass boats are generally terrified of steel boats being moored nearby, the decks on a steel boat become unmanageable when they heat up, everyone on board will require shoes at all times and for Yoshi a disaster in closing with wise improvements to the Freedom 35 or another like boat may give you a small capital gain when you resell, the most important issue however it will always be saleable. I am always in your court whatever you decide, please accept these thoughts in the spirit they are given. Best Wishes to you and your wonderful family.

Dear Mark, As a loyal follower for Melissa’s and Andy’s RU-vid channel as well as yours I can ensure you that Melody is a well restored boat what’s not completely ready but what still has to be done has hardly anything to do with all the difficult weddings they had to realize. what still have to be done can easily done by yourself and possibly your father will be willing to help you. Next to that Andy will help you of course the best he can. This is a boat what can bring you safe through heavy storms and is for you, Yoshi and future company spacious enough. So I think Andy offered you a great deal.

Follow your feelings Mark. Do not rush yourself.

I am sure you will get plenty advice,here’s my two pence worth,I really do think this is the boat for you,back to your spiritual home,it’s written in the stars,I have no doubt Andy will want to see it through to the end and you will get a nice hand over,good luck whatever you decide.

I think the work that has been done and the amount of boat that is being offered here is amazing. My biggest question, though, is how much more time and money does it need to be ready for what you would want to do with it. Steel boat work imo is nothing to be afraid of. If you like the boat, I think you would be very safe and have a good investment on your hands.

No Brainer! As Andy is willing to give you a great deal and maybe give you a hand to finish off all those bits he's already got available, this boat will take you around the world. Not the fastest, but safely and with whoever you wish to join you. As the owner of a steel 35ft sailboat, I've followed Andy, Melissa and Jack to turn this vessel around and this is a good one! and at £15k it's a steal. (excuse the pun) do it!!!

great to see and hear you making headway, mark -your on a great path!

No brainer with that deal and standard of work… Enough left for you to do to get to know her and THE SPACE … long term much more comfort. Many will follow you to see her sail.

The patches on the hull bottom, for this age boat, would make me run away very fast.(and I Love steel boats)

Great boat from an even greater man. Very generous Andy and perfect boat for you Mark. Don’t think you can go wrong with Melody and I’m sure she’ll take care of you on your upcoming adventures

Buy it... Part of the job its done. No regreets... Greetings from mexico

monohulls heel over and bounce around at anchorages. they need a lot of wind to sail, they do point tight into the wind and carry heavy provisions well. steel boats are great in cold icy water, and freshwater lakes and need a lot of maintenance in saltwater,

Beware half finished projects where the current owner wants to get everything they put into it out of it. Remember there are a comments from people who have watched both channels... you should probably disregard any of the comments from their channel. Look at the boat on it's own merits, not from theirs. buying or selling boats, cars, houses to/from friends is often a mistake that ends the friendship.

Being steel, the bottom configuration (chined) may make her roll more in a beam or quartering sea or swell. I gather Andy is willing to step the mast and launch Melody as with this topic, adding another cost. Possibly, after Melody is launched you could take her out on sea trials giving you more knowledge of her capabilities? It's a tough position so take your time with knowledge of further sailing adventures. Good luck!

This would be an awesome deal to see go through... Would also be great to be able to continue to follow its progress and its adventures..

Lol relax mark! We are loving the videos, and nobody wants you to rush into anything you aren’t comfortable with. Keep them coming. Great work

Verry nice boat, but i bet its more like 3 month before its in the water but looks to be pretty far down the rebuild. Its a special boath though, the problem here is you got to love and appreciate the tank-like nature of the boat otherwise you will not be happy with it.

This looks like a GREAT deal for a worldwide cruiser with a great support system

Thanks! Mark you’re a good man! I’ve watched every one of your videos, and I really enjoy what you are doing! Keep up the good work my friend! I totally understand the hesitation to spend money, but it’s always right when its your passion! This is a beautiful boat by the way! I’d love her!

Wowww, that's a good deal. Especially that you're able to get help finishing it off.

Good price, strong hull! I hate rust, and sailing yachts with hydraulic steering is a turn off for me! Think we're in for a long, long search, boys and girls!

Nice take you anywhere with absolute confidence boat, maybe only at 3kts though ! TBH id feel much more confident on that than any other non steel hull boat. Lots of work to do, take your time and pick the right one Mark, keep going the vlogs are great.

Half surprised after all their work they are walking away. I have followed their progress on RU-vid.

It’s really the perfect size boat for a live aboard. Plenty of room for you and your guests. Also, head room ! Which you wil appreciate when you have to be on the boat in a marina during a week of bad weather

Hi Mark You have come a long way since your humble beginnings and like anyone else the experience you gain from your adventures shapes your future decisions. Honestly I was not a big fan of the catamaran choice but there is something about them that you like. If it's content for your channel then scouting for a new boat is fine. Personally I feel you need to make a decision on multi hull or monohull. Only then can you look at your choices objectively. The other thing to consider is size versus manageability. If you intend to be single handed I would keep to 35ft. Possibly 40ft but the design would have to be right. You can ask for as much guidance as you like but ultimately only you can decide. I look forward to seeing what you choose

Barry 'the adventures of an Old Seadog' has a steel boat and he has got half way around the world so I don't think that rust is a problem. Ar least with Melody you know that all the major items have been thoroughly gone over, it is only the finishing that is needed. Also if you bought it and didn't like it there ls money to be made on the sale.

Think about what kind of ship you want. The rule of thumb is, buy a yacht as small a size as you need. Do watch Roger Barne, he does FAN- TAS-TIC trips in a beautiful 15 foot open dinghy. When your favourite water is pretty shallow, you will love a centerboard ship is (how about a cat or a tri or the shrimper family?), however, when you cross the North Sea each time you set sail, a 10 feet deep bloody heavy lead bulb is fine. Do think about where you want to go, and where you ACTUALLY go. The latter is more important, really. Larger means more living space, but to say it bluntly: everything you need to buy will be twice as expensive. New sails are X pounds a square feet. Second hand sail prices are related to new price. Larger will cost you. Small ships are more kind to you. Consider a size of ship that you can sail solo without getting nervous. Okay, if you don't get it by now, this jotting is useless. So, please please watch any video of Roger Barne. He lives in France and he is one of the people sailing open dinghies on splendid water. And BUY or BUILD such a great open dinghy, you will never regret such.

Great episode ! Melody is by far the best option for many reasons. Solid vessel. Best wishes !

This is an interesting boat and a good offer for the right person (even at the completed 25k price post refit and in the water), but... First, I think this is a more of a motor-sailer, 36 foot with an 80hp diesel with massive fuel tanks sounds a bit suspect. You'd probably want to look at the rig and the sail numbers to see if this boat can handle its weight under sail. Also, if you are planning on staying in cold weather this type of design is fantastic (think about how much attention was given to the heating system on this boat, protected interior helm, etc.), but, I think you'd cook in the tropics (the pilot house looks like a pressure cooker and there are very few opening hatches, etc.). If you were planning on sailing up near the Arctic, that'd be one thing, but, if you are heading out the channel and turning left, it is entirely another. I think you'd be happier with the sailing ability of the Freedom 35 out of the two so far, which is designed more for multi-latitude sailing, and would handle a trade wind circumnavigation with ease. Excited to see what other options you are considering! Fair Winds!

Great boat being offered had a great price by a great guy. Bilge keels allow for easy cleaning among other advantages. This family put their hearts and souls into this boat. She's roomy and comfortable but still manageable shorthanded. Seems like an excellent option. Right in your backyard.

Yes ! It meets your needs and importantly, he knows what needs doing inside and out.

This is a nice boat aswell, but me personally, if i was to choose between this and the ketch from the previous episode i think id go for it rather then this (even though the carbon fiber stayless masts scares the s out of me)

Freedom.

I can remember watching this boat been restored, she looking really good

OK my first comment on here since you were in Fleetwood long ago and it's about your choice for next boat. I want to split the comment into two parts so here goes. Part 1... This is by far the best boat and best offer you have had. Part 2... Up to now. I'm not psychic so I can't know what you will find next. But I know you may well regret it if you let this offer slip through your fingers Mark. The steel hull is an absolute keeper, and by far the easiest to maintain and repair if needed. You want to travel the world and navigate very different waters and seas, and hull strength is a huge plus. I sailed all over the world taking over 12 years in a steel hull (many years ago). Best of luck mate on whatever you choose.

Two for one today 😉 Edit... Good deal.. but you have to want it. When I said pay attention Mark about Andy's boat, I meant pay attention there are deals out there and some lovely looking boats, proper boats. I didn't mean you should buy Melody. Last week I said if you can get it cheap buy it and keep looking. I don't know if that is fair on Andy because you could selling again before he's even finished. You want a yacht that can sail around the world and has an engine to get you out of trouble. Both your previous boats lacked that vital bit of go. Andy's Bowman looks very go... If I was a policeman I would give him a speeding fine for just looking too fast. Melody will be a super boat for the right person... are you the right person? Glad I am not making your decisions. Great episode. Looks like our weather yesterday.

While a steel boat may rust, just how much is dependent on how well you look after it, wooden boats while traditionally are very costly to maintain, and fibre glass do have a shelve life, so that is a good boat, hard work mostly done, plus he will help you finish it off to sail ready. Even if you don't buy it, do not be put off by steel, these days they would be the only boats I would buy again.

It sure seems like a great deal. But you need to do what makes you happy. Love your channel ☺️👍

A great offer for you. Grab it!

It's missing most of the need electronics, but it doesn't need much work to get her up and running. Sounds like a great deal for you and Yoshi.

Fantastic and it is a great steal boat I think watching you to help make build the boat that is so interesting. Could be a great show.

It would be great if you could look at the McGregor pilot house project boat. Yes she has a lot of length but narrow beam and easily short-handed. Fast and comfortable and very well-built. She's actually quite fast under power alone. Fantastic passagemaker.

The boat is great and would probably fulfill your needs butq are you ready to buy? Your really keeping the channel fun to watch don't rush when its right you will know. Stay safe

Mark, this is a great deal at 15k, especially since you’ll have the guidance and help with putting her back together! I’d say hop on it! It’s a true world cruiser, big fan of steel boats. Cheers

Good deal all the hard work is already done they have put so much labour into it

Mark if your worried about a steel boat have a look at Odd Life their boat is steel and after a year in the water they've had no problems with it

Seriously Mark, this boat has solid bones. I think you would do good buying this boat.

Not so sure about a swing keel, they have been known to fall off, 8ft draft, not so good if sailing in the Caribbean anyway I thought you really wanted a Wharram Tiki, if that’s right then that’s what you should go for, they are my favourite boat too

I think it's great that you are not rushing in. I hope no viewers are pressuring you. Remember to factor in the cost of the bowsprit for marina berths. Keep looking at interesting boats. You will find one. Yoshi looked good and happy. All the best!

What a tank! This beast looks stout and reliable and offers you a great base along with plenty of opportunities to do the kind of work and updating you want to do. Dangar has plenty of videos if you need a tutorial on steel boat restoration. Good luck 👍🏻

This boat is the best, because most of the work is done, it is a solid boat, you can beach it, it is easy to repair, and you get an additional audience baked in just by going for it. Also that pilot house man, I have a hard dodger on my sailboat, and I want the back closed in so bad to make it a full pilot house, it is truly a great setup.

As much as I'd love to see you buy Melody (I subscibe to them too), I don't think that is the boat for you. And I kinda want them to make something off it for all their hard work too

Looks good nice boat. A big plus on this boat is great light for ur RU-vid videos. I’m guessing it’s a slow ride but perfect sailing in my world is 5-6 knots (if you have the time). This is not just ur boat but ur house, and it looks comfortable.

Mark the best advice I can give you is to watch Emerald Steel channel who have had the same steel boat for over 30 years in which they built. They have a tone of experience and have many videos on the care of steel boats, Other than that Melody is a really good boat to get into too. I love the fact of her keel and that she set up right at low tied if you wanted too. This ability can and will save you money on haul outs which will give you more money for repairs and up-keep. But only you really know what you want. Good luck Mark and I hope you find the boat that is right for you.✌️

I haven't watched all of sailing Melody's video's, BUT.... they've done a LOT of the work already. It's a solid boat. It doesn't need much more to be sailing. It's right there in the UK. It's a sure bet. GO FOR IT!

Crazy not to. Having Andy on your side is a ...BIG BONUS...From Canada with love 🇨🇦🏴‍☠️🇨🇦🇨🇦🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🎤🎤🎤🎤🎙🎙

As a person who has done 3 loops of the planet you need a boat that will also sail in light air. The other thing to consider when buying is the cost of things you don't see before you buy.

Steel hulls have pluses, but it's going to be relatively slow and you'll have to get used to grinding and painting on a regular basis.

Not the boat I would be choosing to sail distances in. That bowman 46 on the other hand, that’s the sort of deal you want . Keep looking my friend :)

Now that's a great project and worth doing. My bet is you will buy it. I hope. Good luck.