For Sale: 50 uniflite lobster boat conversion

[FF]

Sadly health considerations require parting with an old trusted friend, LUCY

Uniflite 50 Navy Utility Lobster Boat conversion

This 50 ft US Navy Utility is std. magnificent military construction.

Fire Retarding Resin and full flotation.No pox ever.

She carried 150 sailors 2 crew and one Marine as a liberty launch and of course tons of supplys to a carrier in port..

She was converted as a lobster supply boat going out to the edge of the continental shelf in Maine to bring in caught big lobsters and resupply the vessels on station.

We purchased her to "run the loop" a 6000mile circuit of the Eastern USA.

There is a forward cabin with hatch, a main cabin and a large pilot house and the cockpit aft is 15 feet or so. The cockpit can easily hold dozens of folks.

Interior and exterior finish is paint , the inside does not look like a Teak coffin.

Because of her construction the boat can be converted to carry more than 6 passengers for hire .

All the usual yacht cruising goodies , hydraulic anchor windlass ,flowscan, auto pilot , head with shower and 2 ranges are built in.

She has a propane range which is gymbold as well as a Dickinson oil fired range for winter operations.

The engine is a low time Detroit 6-71 and Twin Disc tranny.
Cruising at 7K burns under 3GPH , 12K is 12GPH. Dry stack, keel cooled for minimum in repairs and cold weather operation,(wont freeze).

A spare prop is included , as is a flopper stopper setup for offshore comfort.

Fuel tanks are monel, water and waste plastic.

The boat is set up to cruise a couple , although an extra couple could be set in the pilot house with a change of a couch

This is a very strong serious vessel , running the loop our only task were normal oil changes.

 

[Bruce B]

That's got to be a difficult day...I'm sorry.
Interesting boat with a cool pedigree. Somebody will get lucky!
Bruce

 

[Gabe n Em]

Sorry to hear it FF. She's gorgeous! Want to trade for a nice, stable Mainship? haha.

Thats a steal at that price!!

any interior photos? it's hard to get an idea of how much space is available "for a cruising couple"

 

[cardude01]

Fred, sorry to hear about your health concerns. Hope everything works out OK.

Lucy is an interesting boat for sure!

 

[FF]

"any interior photos? it's hard to get an idea of how much space is available "for a cruising couple""

Less than one would think on a 15 ft wide 50 ft boat.

The first 6-7 ft are collision bulkhead , hatch for storing line/chain but not to occupy.

The last 15 ft or so is a huge cockpit, so 21 or 22ft from 50 leaves under 30 ft.

The fwd cabin is 7-8 ft to hold a queen bed and the pilot house is over 10 ft long, so the main salon is basically a wall with 2 ranges and a deep sink,and counter space facing a large dinette.

The salon has 4 opening bronze ports fwd, 2 sliders on side and 2 overhead hatches , one facing fwd the other aft.

The salon also holds the wet head.

Comfortable for 10-20+ outside a half dozen in pilot house , 4 or 5 at dinette , and 2 in the big bed.

A genuine fun boat only teak is fiddle rails on the dinette.think of a 35 ft sail boat , with benefits.

comes with a pile of goodies, as you can imagine.

KISS is everywhere.

 

[roguewave]

Dang FF, I'm very sorry to hear your health concerns necessitate the sale of your boat. You have been a valued, long time contributor to the forum and I for one have gained much from your input.

I wish you nothing but good health in which ever way life's road takes you, God Bless.
Rob

 

[FF]

" You have been a valued, long time contributor to the forum and I for one have gained much from your input."

Thanks for the kind words, I will be posting again as I create more time.

 

[psneeld]

Dang FF, I'm very sorry to hear your health concerns necessitate the sale of your boat. You have been a valued, long time contributor to the forum and I for one have gained much from your input.

I wish you nothing but good health in which ever way life's road takes you, God Bless.
Rob

... hard to say it better

 

[RT Firefly]

+2. Good thoughts sent your way Mr. FF.

 

[BaltimoreLurker]

Wow, FF, this is a sad day. All the best to you and the Admiral.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

You've been missed the Last few months Fred, Hopefully you will be back as time allows.God bless!

 

[FF]

Thanks for all the kind thoughts ,I am as fine as ever, no problems.

Busy attempting to photo the boat , which is awash with gear.
Here are some shots ,

galley and deep sink,
gymboled propane range , the Dickinson oil range is fwd of this shot.

fore deck with 2 bow rollers for 60 Danforth ,and 60 CQR, hyd windlass and bollard for lines.
the windlass and anchor gear are mounted on the transom of a 42 ft fish boat about 1 1/2 thick.

You can still read the name.

The oval aluminum hatch is to the self draining rope and chain locker, which is built in in front of the collision bulkhead.

instrument panel, mechanical tach Flow scan autopilot , operating switches for lights and VHF

Yes the pilot house is offset to one side , this widens the stbd. deck for easy movement fwd or aft.

 

[FF]

KISS

Lucy is quite low so the engine is built under the floor of the PH.

One can get down to change the oil (hand aircraft rotary pump ) , and access storage but its seldom a requirement.

The Twin Disc 3-1 is from a landing craft and has/needs no cooling , pumps , heat exchanger .
Da Book does caution to not shift at full throttle "too often".

The batterys are under the salon floor as are the Raycor 1000 fuel filters and change valve as well as fuel tank L/R selector valve.

Never a need to visit the engine room with the engine operating , lift a hatch , check all is good, done.

KISS

 

[cafesport]

Hello Fred we've all missed your contributions. Good luck with finding a new caretaker for Lucy. You need to focus on Fred for now. Btw your Barograph survived getting tossed across the salon a couple of months ago and is still ticking, so I'm sure that acorn didn't fall far from the tree.

 

[BruceK]

That so many of us missed your posting says how valued you are. Best wishes for an easy sale, and for the health issues.

 

[kapnd]

I just gotta say that Fred's boat is a real bargain, especially for anyone who desires to have a really strong and well built hull. The taxpayers who initially purchased this boat spared no expense, I don't even want to know how much the Navy paid for it.
This boat is built the way we wish all boats were built!
The original design specs include fireproof, self righting, floating upright when swamped, and able to survive turnkey being shoved off an aircraft carrier deck.

 

[Art]

Hi Fred

I'm sorry to learn of your health making boat sale necessary. Wishing you best results in curing your ills and in selling Lucy. I've always been interested in your KISS inputs and have learned from you.

Looking forward to when you feel up to begin posting again on a regular basis.

 

[FF]

Here are some more photos .

When purchased there was no interior so KISS was easy enough to contemplate and install.

With store bought boats most builders want to maximise on board feeling of space , so equipment service , adding goodies 20 years later and even std maint takes a back seat.

It is very difficult to use KISS concepts on an OTS boat, but always worth contemplating when the Sawzall is out.

The windows in the PH (in previous batch of photos) were a source of leaks , so the front of the PH was replaced to hold frames for bus windows.

The big one is lexan and tinted , the smaller is glass so a wiper can be used. Both tilt out 90deg for open air FL cruising.

EZ KISS

 

[FF]

PRICE REDUCED to $34,900

 

[Nomad Willy]

FF,
I want you to stay but I've thought about bailing too. Gett'in old is hard to do. Ha ... your problem may have nothing to do w old. I think my knees are fixable if I don't get infected in the hospital. Then there's the other things a 77 yr old body accumulates.
If you start posting again I'll go easy on the "cruise prop"......
Wonder when your Lucy was made. I worked at Uniflite about 1975. May have seen Lucy in the shop or the yard. I loved the lobsterboat hulls but most were 40 or 50'. Wanted a 33' but very few of them were made.
Wishing you well and a good sale on your Lucy.
Eric

 

[Pack Mule]

FF ,
Sorry to hear of your recent health condition and your need to put Lucy up for sale . We have talked a couple times on the phone and that was a HOOT to say the least . Lucy is a cool boat for sure .
I bought some old teak blocks for hoisting my dinghy on davits and some really nice heavy duty bronze cleats from Fred . Fred is the Real McCoy . I hope you get better soon .

 

[FF]

"Paint Sells Da Boat" so we have painted -in prime- the pilot house and saloon cabin top.

The hard work is done , bring a roller and your choice of color paint.

 

[Art]

"Paint Sells Da Boat" so we have painted -in prime- the pilot house and saloon cabin top.

The hard work is done , bring a roller and your choice of color paint.

New Good Paint atop old sell most things... except - seldom onto a woman. Just joking Fred... get better. Hope you can still find spans of boating time ahead

 

[FF]

"Hope you can still find spans of boating time ahead"

Thanks , mostly back to normal, but it was October till now to get most energy back.