cruiser

[Timx]

Hi,

Have offered 7 k for a 70's Creighton,question is, when i look at it is there really any point in getting a survey,i understand a nb but a cruiser isnt the same, or am i wrong

[Guest]

Well they are made of different stuff that most NB's for sure but I would say at least get somebody that knows about GRP boats to give it a look over before you settle. They can have their own issues distinct from steel NB's, such as osmosis of the GRP hull for example.

 

However if you are confident in what you know to look for you may be OK to go ahead but there is never any harm in getting a second pair of eyes to look with you especially a knowledgeable pair.

[Naughty Cal]

I probably wouldnt bother with a survey on a £7k boat but do budget for having a whole host of small jobs and repairs to keep the boat running.

 

A boat of that age is likely to have a degree of osmosis, most of them do and it doesnt adversely affect them.

 

Just bear in mind that as boats get older people tend to become a little more lax with their servicing and maintenance regime. Budget for a full service on it straight away.

 

On the plus side you should have many years happy boating from it and still get your money back at the end of the day. It has lost its money already and wont depreciate further.

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

Osmosis is where water seeps behind the gel coat and swells the fiber mat causing separation . On the Freeman's it is bad but Creighton an not as prone to it. If you can get the boat out of the water you can check. Only worry if swelling as as big as your palm. Damage to the corner of the front cabin and deck is a problem when locking. One Creighton I saw advertised has the gas heater in the back cabin which is a no no if you sleep there. Very strongly made boats you will have a lot of fun with it. Are you joining the Mersey Motor Boat Club? We had one for years 32 ft with a Perkings 4107 under the sun deck.

Edited April 29, 2013 by The Bagdad Boatman (waits)

[carlt]

On the Freeman's it is bad but Creighton an not as prone to it.

Whilst agreeing that Creightons are not prone to osmosis I would also say that I have inspected at least 20 classic Freemans, out the water, over the past year and only found one with osmosis that was worth mentioning (and he did mention it in the ad).

 

That said the Creighton is the better boat, for the money, as Freemans are dearer by reputation, as opposed to quality.

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

Whilst agreeing that Creightons are not prone to osmosis I would also say that I have inspected at least 20 classic Freemans, out the water, over the past year and only found one with osmosis that was worth mentioning (and he did mention it in the ad).

 

That said the Creighton is the better boat, for the money, as Freemans are dearer by reputation, as opposed to quality.

On the Lancaster I saw a few Freemans with osmosis, but they are a cracking boat a pity they had petrol engines

[Barry]

Before I bought my Princess 32 I looked at a Freeman 26 that was completely unmodified, i.e. everything inside was original right down to the folding stainless steel sink mounted above the sea toilet.

 

It also had a diesel engine and I think that was original also.

 

I vaguely remember being aware that there were some diesel engined Freemans, though few and far between, which is why I went and looked at it

[Naughty Cal]

On the Lancaster I saw a few Freemans with osmosis, but they are a cracking boat a pity they had petrol engines

There are some diesel engine Freemans around as Bazza quite rightly pointed out.

 

There is a lovely 32fter in our marina that has twin diesels and is in cracking condition. A real credit to her owners. There was slight osmosis when she was last lifted but nothing that would cause any concern.

[Timx]

Thank you for all comments.So decision is buy it for 7 , it has the sun deck at back,so unseen all is well, not going to do the survey if everything seems ok.Now , i go this week ,we agree the sale, I get paperwork,[a trail] last bill of sale and fill in a new bill of sale, he has i d home addy paperwork, driving licence or passport. So far so good[possibly]now I want the sea toilet changed to a cassette type,so toilet 350 ish, how much to get marina to fit it you reckon?, plus does not have a shower, how much to sort that, I know how long is piece of string etc, looking for ball park figure, obviously want toilet sorted first ,but if best to get both done together will do that , or wait till get home mooring to sort shower at leisure,what you think?and how much am i looking at. any ideas comments appreciated.

[Timx]

also if I decide to buy, i need insurance , can i do that same day

[Guest]

There are some diesel engine Freemans around as Bazza quite rightly pointed out.

 

there is indeed - this tidy one is on the Duck at the moment.

 

Freeman 23 linky

 

I know some don't rate the Nanni diesel as an engine - but a tidy little boat non the less. It reads to me as if it originally was a petrol and has been converted,

[Barry]

Thank you for all comments.So decision is buy it for 7 , it has the sun deck at back,so unseen all is well, not going to do the survey if everything seems ok.Now , i go this week ,we agree the sale, I get paperwork,[a trail] last bill of sale and fill in a new bill of sale, he has i d home addy paperwork, driving licence or passport. So far so good[possibly]now I want the sea toilet changed to a cassette type,so toilet 350 ish, how much to get marina to fit it you reckon?, plus does not have a shower, how much to sort that, I know how long is piece of string etc, looking for ball park figure, obviously want toilet sorted first ,but if best to get both done together will do that , or wait till get home mooring to sort shower at leisure,what you think?and how much am i looking at. any ideas comments appreciated.

 

Taking the sea toilet out - if you are going to remove it entirely you will be left with two redundant skin fittings closed off by valves, unused and begging to be a problem in later years when, forgotten about, they corrode through. When I changed mine I took the decision to have the old outlet skin fitting completely removed, hull patched, and glassed over. I kept the inlet skin fitting because I still use it to flush my loo into the holding tank I had installed

[PhilR]

I used to own a 30 foot Creighton, built in 1972 and with a Perkins 4/107 and Enfield outdrive.

 

The Creightons were of excellent quality and osmosis would be rare, even on a boat of that age.

 

The only downside with mine was the Enfield leg, which was very vulnerable to propellor damage in shallow canals. The alloy props are easily damaged (and not cheap).

Some of the Creightons had engines mounted under the centre cockpit with traditional prop shafts.

 

I presume yours will be a 32 footer? the 30 footer (not many built) had a shorter rear deck and the 27 footer had no rear deck.

[zinfandel]

Creightons are very solidly built boats with thick hulls made of higher quality fibre glass than some modern GRP hulls.

 

As for sea toilet, i removed mine myself when out of water easy job and not costly.

 

Insurance cant usually be passed on to new owner, however you could get a quote then just ring them with date and time to start cover

 

these are usually good www.insuremyboat.co.uk .

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

When you remove the toilet replace it with a shower tray and place the cassette toilet on that.

[Timx]

Thanks for the replies all of them have been usefull,the state of play is this, the creighton 7 k, have to replace sea toilet and buy new cassette, 500 quid or so, but that should be it, rest looks fine, wont take it out of the water for ante foul on the advice seen here [that was plan a] so result is 7.5k for what seems unseen nice boat, its 28ft wth sun deck at back,with diesel engine, however then saw a Nauticus 27 foot with new diesel, only 4.5k flush toilet installed, although think electrics may need some work, so decision is get the better or cheaper, like the crighton lay out better to have friends to stay, and sure will have to spend some money on it, the Nauticus will need a few bob spent to get it for more than a day boat as it has been used, but have a 8 k budget but dont have to spend it,so still things to think about.will find out tomorrow. Other thing I could need advice when I looked at insurance quote, it asked about needing to be out the water if'' over 30yrs old and more than 23' in length for full survey within last 5 yrs'',so plan'A' with creighton is negated so will have to get that done with extra cost, as the Nauticus has recently been out of water, for antefoul.So lots to think about and ask about. Any advice or thoughts welcomed. Going tomorrow hopefully to see.

[Barry]

Nauticus 27 is one of of my dream boats. In their day they were close to top of the range for GRP cruisers, well built and strong, light and airy inside too.

 

To my eye they have some beautiful lines, especially around the curve where the sides meet the transom.

[Naughty Cal]

Creightons are very solidly built boats with thick hulls made of higher quality fibre glass than some modern GRP hulls.

 

As for sea toilet, i removed mine myself when out of water easy job and not costly.

 

Insurance cant usually be passed on to new owner, however you could get a quote then just ring them with date and time to start cover

 

these are usually good www.insuremyboat.co.uk .

Whilst they are more heavily laid up than some modern river cruisers that doesnt necessarily mean they are any better. The technology of GRP wasnt really understood way back then so they had a guess and laid them up much more heavily than really needed. They stand the test of time mind.

[Timx]

Saw Nuticus, great engine poor inside, needs a lot doing to be able to take a girly on board, so move on lol

[Naughty Cal]

Is that not a bargaining tool? Interiors are easy enough and cheap enough to refit if you are a bit handy.

[Timx]

its priced about right ,but I don't want a project

[Timx]

Is it a difficult job to take out the sea toilet and either get a pump out or cassette, or how much would this be if done professionally

Taking the sea toilet out - if you are going to remove it entirely you will be left with two redundant skin fittings closed off by valves, unused and begging to be a problem in later years when, forgotten about, they corrode through. When I changed mine I took the decision to have the old outlet skin fitting completely removed, hull patched, and glassed over. I kept the inlet skin fitting because I still use it to flush my loo into the holding tank I had installed

[Timx]

and how much is it to take a cruiser out of water and antifoul

[Naughty Cal]

Depends where you go.

 

At our marina, which is expensive as they go, it's £100 for a lift and chock, we do the painting ourselves at about £40 including paint and rollers etc, then £100 back in and back on our mooring.

 

You can do it cheaper than that if you shop around but it is convenient for us here!

[Timx]

well decided not to do anything to boat, take it on trust, have give a couple of ton till buy it in week then sail it back and think about it later

Depends where you go.

At our marina, which is expensive as they go, it's £100 for a lift and chock, we do the painting ourselves at about £40 including paint and rollers etc, then £100 back in and back on our mooring.

You can do it cheaper than that if you shop around but it is convenient for us here!

Thanks that gives me an idea to work off