u/MedicalSociety2124

I’m sure you know how this story goes. I bought an old cruiser with the intention of doing it up and I'm really at a crossroads with a budget.

I’m 22, a student, and definitely not an electrician. I knew the boat was a project when I bought it, but the more I’ve actually looked into what needs doing, the more I’m starting to think I may just be in over my head.

The wiring is probably my biggest concern. It’s decades of old wiring, random connections, old batteries, terminal blocks, disconnected wires, etc. My current thought is that instead of trying to repair the existing domestic electrics, I basically start again. Literally start with new batteries and work from there, which I’m aware is expensive enough on its own.

I think I need to get someone to at least sort/wire new batteries into the engines and existing dashboard. But my hope is that once I have a safe starting point, I can do most of the domestic system myself and then pay someone to check it over afterwards. If I’m going to make this project work, I’m going to have to learn to do a lot of it myself because I simply can’t afford thousands in labour.
I’m not completely helpless with DIY and I’m happy to spend months learning and doing things slowly. But I have basically zero experience with marine electrical systems.

Realistically, how much am I looking at paying someone to do just the essential electrical work e.g. getting new batteries properly connected to the engines and existing dashboard and making sure the engines’ starting/charging systems are safe? And once that’s done, is it reasonable for a beginner to install the rest of the 12V domestic system themselves with enough patience, research and testing? I know this isn’t an easy job and that getting electrical work wrong can be dangerous. I’m happy to learn properly, take my time and pay someone to inspect the finished installation. I just can’t afford to pay someone to do the entire refit.

I’m particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has completely refurbished an older boat themselves with little to no previous experience. How much did you end up spending? How much did you actually manage to do yourself? And, how do you manage the feeling of being in over your head.

Going through a tough time since I lost my mother, could really do with a hand. I'm happy to explain more in DMs.

Fell on some hard times. My mother died not too long ago and I'm really trying to get back on my feet. Feel free to DM for more information.

I don’t really know why I’m writing this. I think I just want people to talk to who are maybe in a similar situation.

Over the last few years my life has changed completely, in December last year my mum died, in October 2022 my dad died, both from addiction problems. I now have no living parents or grandparents. I’m at university, I’ve struggled with housing and money, I’ve made decisions that I regret, and sometimes I feel like I’m trying to build an adult life without having even having an idea of what that means.

I think the hardest part isn’t even any one problem. It’s knowing that when something goes wrong, there’s nobody to fall back on. Nobody to call and say, I’ve messed up, what do I do. Nobody whose house I can go back to. Nobody who has known me my whole life and can tell me that things will eventually be okay. I've never even had what I would describe as a home I mean my parents were fucking junkies.

I have friends, and I’m grateful for them, but it isn’t the same.

I hated my parents when they were alive and I know I don't even miss them, I miss the concept of having a parent.

My life feels like it's over before it's even began and now I'm struggling mentally, financially and just in every way possible.

I think I just want to talk to people. Maybe people who have lost their family young, or who have had to figure out adulthood largely on their own. I don’t really need advice or to be told how to fix this . I just don’t want to feel like I’m the only person living like this anymore.

Chances are this will just get lost somewhere but just one person would be nice.