Solitaire is an EXCELLENT "Floating Home." She has a solid fiberglass hull and is laid out well for a liveaboard - 11.5' beam, 6'3" headroom in the galley, head and saloon, full galley, head with separate stall shower, v-berth with hanging lockers and STANDING HEADROOM! She's been well-maintained with a few recent upgrades (new plumbing, including head; New mini-blinds in saloon; and a small wood-burning FIREPLACE!) You won't find MORE features in a boat of this size - she feels MUCH larger than a 32-foot boat! (She's also a World Famous Boat - having been featured in two separate boating publications) I'll be honest, her engines ARE dysfunctional and I make no guarantees that they can be revived. She would probably have to be towed to a liveaboard marina if used as a full-time home. Or she'd make a helluva "weekend retreat" for anyone looking for an escape from the daily grind. SOLD!

Tartan - SOLD!!!

Tartan is a 32-foot 1969 Luhrs Sportfisher with a 160 hp Perkins turbodiesel T6.354 engine. Tartan is NOT setup as a liveaboard boat, but the cabin is HUGE (12'4" beam). He is definitely a fishing boat - but someone with imagination and woodworking skills could probably re-create him into something else.

Note for Out-of-State prospects: You might want to call trucking companies before seriously considering Tartan. Height, for trucking, won't be a problem. Radome comes down and (worst case) the flybridge could come down too. But the 12'4" beam means special permits and a "Wide Load" chase vehicle. Trucking this boat across state lines could be very spendy!

Tartan's amenities include: Roomy saloon with ample headroom. Teeny-tiny fwd v-berth (a 6-footer would feel claustrophobic in there!). Galley area w/alcohol stove, icebox and sink. Raised dinette. Enclosed head w/sink (water is stored in a tank - both sinks are "hand-pump" models). Lots of interior storage - drawers, hanging lockers, etc. Much of the (mahogany) woodwork on the cabinetry is still in good shape and easily restored. The bulkheads will need some work because of water-damage (see below). Electronics: Non-existent - except for an "antique" VHF radio (which still works!!!)

Hull and engine are in good shape. We put a new battery in it and it started right up (which amazed me since it hadn't been started in quite some time). There was a bit of white smoke initially, but it dissipated when the engine warmed up... Engine runs REAL solid!

Tartan has a planing hull, but lacks the power to really get up on a plane (although the bow does rise at open throttle). Tartan is not a fast boat - cruises at maybe 10-12 kts. But the hull design is such that it's a VERY stable boat. I've had it out in some pretty rough conditions with waves crashing over the bow - and Tartan just plowed right through (Tartan used to be a 6-pack charterboat in an earlier life - and spent a lot of time fishing for salmon offshore)...

That's the "Good News"

Now for "The Dirt:"

The minor mechanical issues are:

FWD/REV Controls: Morse cable from flybridge to lower helm is broken and needs to be replaced. That's about a $50 and 45 minute job. The Morse control on the lower helm station is broken and needs to be replaced (the handle for the fwd/reverse control broke off). That job's a little bigger (in terms of time and cusswords), but definitely not insurmountable...

There is nothing wrong with the transmission. We tested it from the engine room and had it in forward and reverse (while tied to the dock). No problems there...

It needs a fuel tank. Right now there's a 20 gal jerry can "jury-rigged" in the hull (the last owner had to remove the 130 gal steel tank because it corroded and she replaced it with the jerry can!)

It needs a holding tank. Tartan was an offshore boat - thus, everything pumps directly overboard...

The engine is located under the cockpit. Aft deck has a very large hatch for engine access. Lots of room to crawl around down there. Also there are lots of access hatches located throughout the boat. Getting into the hull to replace the fuel tank won't be difficult. Nor will it be expensive (unless you go back to steel). I priced out heavy polyethylene(?) tanks and I don't think they were overly expensive... Other than those minor fixes, the boat is mechanically sound. My first task (in a long list of projects) was to make certain that the critical boatie-infrastructure issues were addressed (No hull/engine = No Boat!!!). So we hauled Tartan in 1999 (links below) and took care of everything at- and below the waterline. I saved the topside issues for later... But I never got around to it - I found I either had the time OR I had the money - but I never had BOTH at the same time! Now I'm a married, Harley-ridin' landlubber and have NO time for boats!

Now onto the significant "cosmetic" issues:

Hull and deck surfaces are solid fiberglass - in good shape. Flybridge deck is probably glass over wood (I'm guessing). It's in good shape as well, although the railings should probably be re-bedded (easy, but time-consuming task).

Cabin sides are wood - and there's where Tartan's problems lie... Lots of topside leaks. Windows, especially. Two of the front windows are cracked. The side windows are "sliders" built into wooden frames that are not watertight at all. I've looked at other (restored) Luhrs S/F's and almost all of them have had the windows replaced with "all-in-one" units (steel or aluminum frames with the glass encased within). After the leakage issues are addressed, then Tartan needs a complete interior overhaul (unless you happen to like the '60s orange plaid motif! ;-)

Tartan has *lots* of water damage - interior and exterior. Some exterior planks have significant dryrot and should be replaced. They are not load-bearing walls - but it'll be a big job. PERFECT for a Do-it-yourselfer who loves to tinker with wood. Materials alone wouldn't be overly expensive. Labor would be ASTRONOMICAL if you were to farm the work out to a yard.

The beauty of Tartan is - if you're a Do-it-yourselfer who's up to the task - whatever you put into the boat, you WILL get back out of it. Both in terms of enjoyment, as well as resale value.

I've researched 1969 Luhrs sportfishers w/single diesels on the 'net. BUC Value for a similar boat in "average" condition is appx $25,000-28,000 (www.Bucvalu.net - if you want to research it). Obviously, a "project boat" is worth significantly less - but I feel my asking price is more than fair...

I'm asking $5000 to make a quick sale... Tartan is definitely a "Project Boat" that needs a lot of lovin' - but definitely not "too far gone" for restoration. It's a LOT of boat for the money!

Pictures and details of both boats can be found from the "Original" QT's Boat page (link below). Requisite disclaimer: The original page was not built with "boat sales" in mind. It was written more as 'reflections of a liveaboard' from the time my life was based on the water...

If you want to "Cut to the chase" and see pictures of Tartan and the haul-out of 1999: Click Here. For pictures of Solitaire (and a couple of Tartan), follow the link at the bottom of this page...

So... If you're interested, please email me at: IMQTPI(at)gmail(dot)com