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Wooden narrowboat

pbuk

By pbuk
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pbuk Explorer

pbuk

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Anybody have any experience of owning a wooden hull narrowboat? I'm considering purchasing one and just wondered if there is anything I should look out for? I'm lucky enough to be able to see the boat out of the water next week.

 

Thank you for any help.

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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Rot, I suggest.

 

Which wooden narrowboat? There are only a dozen or two left I'd imagine!

 

Is it HAZEL? It's the only one I know of recently on the market...

 

 

MtB

 

Slightly off topic but Spey was on the Fossdyke last weekend on the long term moorings. Not sure if its staying or just visiting though.

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

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Yes it is a nice boat - I'm just trying to weigh up how much upkeep a wooden boat needs, I know it is quite a bit and can be costly..it won't help that I'm away a lot.

 

 

Master of the understatement on both counts in my experience.

 

You've heard the saying "you don't own a wooden boat, it owns you", I presume...

 

They deteriorate frighteningly fast compared to steel boats. And Carl will be along shortly to say I'm talking rubbish!

 

 

MtB

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Bod Experienced

BodDonate to Canal World

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You do realise this is a "Butty" it has no engine, and is designed to be pulled either by a horse, or another "Motor" boat.

Looking at the advert, room has been made for an engine, but fitting the propeller may be difficult. (read expensive)

Listen to what the wooden boat experts say, they really do know their stuff. Many may know the boat already.

 

Bod

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

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If you want to go boating, with a bit of repair and maintenance now and then, I wouldn't consider it.

 

Having said that, if the hull has been repaired as described, it will probably last a long time without giving too much trouble.

 

 

"A long time" being, perhaps, five to ten years I'd say.

 

Then you are back to square one with a boat made in part from Weetabix.

 

 

MtB

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pbuk Explorer

pbuk

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Three quarters of the planking has been replaced. Yes I'm aware it has no engine - I was looking into fitting a hybrid or electric engine - even an outboard. I'm seeing it next week out of the water while the owner caulks it with oakum. There are some metal bands at the fore of the vessel that were coming away when I saw it and I think he'll be sorting that out too.

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Richard10002 Veteran II

Richard10002

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Three quarters of the planking has been replaced. Yes I'm aware it has no engine - I was looking into fitting a hybrid or electric engine - even an outboard. I'm seeing it next week out of the water while the owner caulks it with oakum. There are some metal bands at the fore of the vessel that were coming away when I saw it and I think he'll be sorting that out too.

Are you an experienced boat owner, or is this a first or second time purchase?

 

If experienced, you've probably heard enough and can make some decisions. If not experienced, I can't understand what might possess you to consider buying an ongoing project and thinking about fitting a completely non standard form of propulsion.

 

You should do what you think is right for you but, if you are seeking advice, mine would be to run away very fast and find a more normal type of boat.

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billh Rising Star

billh

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You should do what you think is right for you but, if you are seeking advice, mine would be to run away very fast and find a more normal type of boat.

Up here, on that "awful" Ashton Canal, a wooden boat would be considered normal. There are currently 9(nine) living within a mile of where I type,only one of these is on the bottom, there are 5 motors and 4 butties/horseboats. The majority are used and move around the system quite frequently. None are lived on and condition varies from brand new rebuild to "awaiting serious rebuild" (the sunk one). As a wooden boat fan of many years, I would say you need to keep up with regular maintenance and sort any problems out ASAP, don't leave it.That's much like any other type of boat that I know of.

Bill

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

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Thirty years ago there were approximately 30 wooden butties moored and being used as houseboats at Woodham, Surrey on the Basingstoke canal. I considered buying one once! Now there are none. All replaced with steel boats, or in a few cases, sitting in steel cases built around the hopelessly rotted hulls.

 

This is what happens to wooden boats that aren't scrupulously maintained. It's the saddest thing to see a wooden boat falling apart and dying from lack of expertise and/or funds on the part of the owner.

 

Unless you have considerable sums of money to maintain it with, along with the knowledge to DIY or employ experts, I'd run a mile too. Steel boats are an order of magnitude easier to look after. Especially as you have the money to afford one (given the price of Starcross).

 

MtB

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tony p Explorer

tony p

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It certainly looks like it's had some money thrown at it! I remember that boat from the 1990's and Nigel ( the then owner) used to spend most of his time patching it with tin and pitch to stem the frequent leaks .... ;)

Lovely cabin tho. I'm sure it used to have an engine too, I remember Pete downer fitting swim plates to it at some point.

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pbuk Explorer

pbuk

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Ok - as a newbie forum member, I have to protest a bit...

 

I've posted about a couple of boats on here in order to get advice and insight from those more experienced than I as yes, I'm a first time buyer, but guys and gals, with all due respect, that doesn't make me stupid :-) Lots of people have been very generous taking the time to offer words of wisdom and I'm extremely grateful to them, what I don't really understand are the 'run away, run a mile' statements and a few comments that are well,..... supercilious and a little patronising.

 

I'm going to be buying a used boat for sure and like anything that has been used or pre-owned it will come with a degree of risk, of course. As a diligent buyer I want to be as informed as I can be so as to minimise that risk - you know how it is...remember when you bought your first boat - so I'm researching as much as I can and hoping that folk on here will furnish me with insightful nuggets of knowledge.

 

A large degree of what I've garnered from this forum has been fantastically helpful and much advice has been given by members in the way of 'consider this and that, the pro's and cons' etc. which is great, but while I don't want people to tell me what I want to hear, the finite sweeping statements of doom and gloom are not very constructive - I'm just saying.

 

A chap on a different thread to this who told me to 'run a mile' from another boat also said 'there are loads of boats out there' but for me personally there isn't. An important criteria for me is that as well as the boat being between 65 and 72 ft, it also has to be a bit different. It has to have character, so that means I'm probably looking at something old or in this case a wooden boat, particularly for the budget I have. I'm not averse to doing a bit of work and I am handy but my job can take me away quite a lot so major maintenance or refurbishment is not ideal.

 

I'm going to go and see Starcross next week out of the water and also another Butty, a steel hulled one, in Cambridge and I won't be running away from either of them or any boat I see for that matter. I'll do what we all do - I'll weigh up the situation according to my personal preferences and take the risk of purchase or not... If not, I'll walk away, having learnt a little more about this fascinating world of narrowboating. :-)

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Richard10002 Veteran II

Richard10002

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Posted (edited)

Anybody have any experience of owning a wooden hull narrowboat? I'm considering purchasing one and just wondered if there is anything I should look out for? I'm lucky enough to be able to see the boat out of the water next week.

 

Thank you for any help.

You are entitled to protest, but you asked the above question, and you got some advice. Some of the advice was to run away and not even consider a wooden boat, some of it was to look out for rot and be wary, some of it was to be aware of the maintenance required on a wooden boat, and some was that wooden boats are great.

 

You didn't mention in your question that you need a 65ft plus boat, that's a bit different and quirky, and so on.

 

I've had some experience of a wooden boat, and what looked cheap on paper became a money pit. Spending a little more up front on a GRP hull would have saved a lot of angst and money in the long term. With narrow boats, steel seems the usual alternative to wood.

 

If you are considering a long wooden butty, with a view to adding an engine, on the basis that this is what your budget allows, rather than having a passion for wooden boats, and the work and expense involved, I think you should think long and hard.

 

As I said in previous posts, you should do what suits you. I merely suggested that, if it was me, (and it's not me, it's you), I would be retreating in a manner that seems to offend you :)

 

BTW Run away is a figure of speech .. I don't think anybody intends that you should actually be doing any running.

Edited by Richard10002
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Stilllearning Influencer

Stilllearning

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Taking into account what you are saying about your needs and wishes, and work demands, the real worry I would have is being away from a wooden hulled boat for extended periods. Minor leaks that a pump can deal with can suddenly become drastic leaks that sink a boat. There is a thread on here at the moment about such a situation, and I used to moor opposite a wooden motor that had a habit of trying to sink as soon as the owner went away for the weekend, despite having two bilge pumps fitted, and dry docking it regularly.

But whatever you choose, good luck.

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smileypete Veteran II

smileypete

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Posted (edited)

A wooden boat can be a labour of love.

 

Easy to know if you have the love cloud9.gif but do you really want to labour away for it?

 

If you are considering a long wooden butty, with a view to adding an engine, on the basis that this is what your budget allows, rather than having a passion for wooden boats, and the work and expense involved, I think you should think long and hard.

^^^ This!

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited by smileypete
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