24’ Cabin Cruiser - Achilles - Ex 1956 Lifeboat

24’ Ex Life Boat – ACHILLES - Age unknown – believed to be late 50’s. I bought this boat literally weeks before all of the lockdown/Covid stuff started. Moved it to its current location just outside of Benderloch (near Oban) and was waiting for a friend to pop up and help me wire the engine up & get her running. Sadly, that didn’t happen for quite sometime. However, the majority of the engine work is now completed and she fires up and runs well.
I’d began the process of altering the wheel house internally and getting everything ready to go back in to then launch her. She’s also had a brand new prop shaft professionally fitted. Unfortunately a massive change of circumstances meant that I’ve had to go away for work and the boat really just now needs to be sold on as I no longer have the time or money to finish her off. Below is the original advert from when I bought her. I’ve priced the boat for what, I hope, will be a fairly quick sale - a little bit of research suggests there’s pretty much the value Im asking in the engine and all of the components let alone the complete boat.
The main issue to be considered is that she’s sitting on an unbraked yard trailer so she’ll either need lifting off and onto a road legal trailer, the whole thing lifted onto a flat bed or similar (I moved her myself on the back of a 3 axle ramp semi - joys of being an HGV driver with a helpful Boss!!) or floated (would need about 10 minutes work to get her watertight - I’m just not there now) and then moved by water or recovered onto a different trailer. I could help arrange transport or lifting at the buyers cost. Original advert with much greater detail below: Project boat that is nearing completion, change of circumstance forces a reluctant sale.Newly fitted Inboard Diesel Perkins Prima M50 engine, New exhaust, New Fuel tank and lines, New Morse and cablesStarter battery50hpHydraulic Steering24’ LOA9’ Beam2.5 tonWith trailer Electronics2x leisure batteriesNASA Marine Depth FinderRaymarine ChartplotterDSC VHF RadioBuilt-in Bluetooth Speakers12v coolerWater tankWater pumpInterior LED lightsNav lightsAnchorElectric hornSolar Extractor fan ACHILLES is a charming wee boat which has a GRP hull with an aluminium spine, and I believe she was originally converted from an open lifeboat to a cabin cruiser at Willington Quay, in North Tyneside, having been a ship lifeboat in the 1950’s. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to confirm her history but from searches based on the little information I know I believe she may have been from the vessel Achilles, which was a refrigerated cargo ship, built by Vickers-Armstrongs (shipbuilders) Ltd at High Walker Yard on the River Tyne in 1957.We bought ACHILLES as a project boat in early 2018 and have put a huge amount of work into her, including replacing her engine and all her electrics, as well as replacing her roof and almost all the interior and exterior woodwork. She spent her first year with us on the water but has been on the hard for the past year to complete all the major work.
The front cabin has most recently been completed with an extra large V-berth and small galley and separate area for a portable heads. She even comes with personalised cushions and mugs! The wheelhouse has new flooring, navigators chairs and console - but still requires cosmetic completion and wiring re-attached (components are all in place). She still needs a new prop and prop shaft (approx. 1m) and the engine needs to be wired up, as mentioned she is a project boat but is very close to completion now - once she is complete she will be the perfect weekend cruiser, as she is spacious and sits well in the water.She will be sold with the fittings we have already bought that we haven’t had the chance to install.
We have spent just over £10,000 on her but are only looking for £4,000 in the hopes that she will go to a new owner that will complete her and give her the new lease of life she deserves