Retiree Builds 33-Ton Sailboat in Backyard

by David Moye

Many people dream about spending their golden years cruising to glamorous tourist destinations such as the Caribbean, Europe or Asia.

So did Tom West, a former schoolteacher in Poland, Ind. But he didn't want to sail on ocean liners owned by others. Not when he could make his own.

And that's what the 71-year-old self-proclaimed farm boy has doing for the past two years.

It may sound crazy, but the boat is no dinghy -- it's a 57-foot, 33-ton sailboat that's being built on a converted tennis court in his front yard.

Although West has never built a boat before -- or even sailed on the ocean -- he has been dreaming of being the captain of his own ship for years.

"When I was a young man, I thought it would be great to go from port to port," West told AOL News. "When I was in my 60s, my wife and I went to Hawaii and I did a lot of loafing and playing tennis and saw a lot of boats and started looking on the Internet for plans on building one."

West isn't leaving anything up to chance. Although most boats like the one West is building are constructed out of fiberglass, he's using lots of steel in order to ensure that the vessel is protected from potential pirate attacks.

"We have a steel bar across a door that they'd have to remove, and the door to the master bedroom is made of steel," he said.


According to the Brazil Times, the boat is also housed with various pumps, radios, hydraulic systems and four individual power sources for maneuverability. "The goal out on the open sea is to use the sail and the wind," West said.

He said other amenities include enough room inside for 12 people to sleep comfortably, two complete bathrooms, a spacious kitchen, a lounge and a large technology/navigation center.

There's also plenty of room for any family that might decide to sail with them -- up to 100 people, but West's wife, Marsha, says she "can't imagine we'd want that many."

West still needs to finish the inner woodwork, but if all goes well, the boat -- which has been named "Faith" -- will set sail next spring.

He doesn't know where he'll sail, but he has ideas on where he'd like to go.

"I have several places in mind," he said. "I don't like to make plans that much in advance, but I'd like to go to Greece, China or Italy, maybe the Amazon or the Galapagos -- a lot of islands."

As amazing as it is that West has built a boat in his backyard, it wasn't as hard as convincing his wife.

"She wasn't pleased at first," he admitted. "But we've been subscribing to magazines and she's found out more about life at sea and now she's excited."
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