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Just brought a widebeam riveted house boat advise needed..

Davestampy1

By Davestampy1
in New to Boating?

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Davestampy1 Engager

Davestampy1

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Hi as the title says. The boat yard owner came on the boat and said its riveted and is proberly early 1900s. He advised to get a survey done before we buy it and we done the opposite and used this against the seller to get the price down as it seems a gamble. We plan to get her out of the water to be blacked and noticed it will need some welding.

What else should we be looking out for ? We have noticed its concrete on the floor and there is one area that has been broken up and is some water there. We just hope the hulls not too bad with a plan to refurbish it inside and out as i am a carpenter. Some general advice would be great. Not seem a boat like it and has a sqaure looking stern...

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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If it is an over 100 year old riveted iron or steel boat, and has had poured concrete put into the bottom it is simply impossible for anybody to say what you might face.

 

If the bottom proves to be largely "shot", then the presence of tons of concrete, (if that's what you have), would certainly make fixing it a whole heap harder.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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I suppose I could say "define common", but no, if it is a riveted steel canal or river craft, (and without a picture I'm not quite sure what you have!), then 100-120 years old is relatively rare, though by no means exceptional.

 

Anything over 20 or 30 years old is an unknown quantity really, depending on what it was, what it has been used for, what maintenance has been done, etc. One of my 80 year old riveted boats is currently having some significant platework done to put it into good order, but then it is only 80 years old, with no poured concrete in the bottom.

 

Where's that picture?

 

EDIT: I see it now, but have absolutely no idea what you have bought! My initial reaction is I'm not sure it is that old. Riveted canal and boats were still being built in the 1950s or so, so the fact it is riveted doesn't necessarily make it mega-old.

Edited by alan_fincher
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Tam & Di Influencer

Tam & Di

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Hi as the title says. The boat yard owner came on the boat and said its riveted and is proberly early 1900s. He advised to get a survey done before we buy it and we done the opposite and used this against the seller to get the price down as it seems a gamble. We plan to get her out of the water to be blacked and noticed it will need some welding.

 

I can't understand what advice you are seeking. You've already ignored the advice to have a survey and I suspect you are just looking here for people to say how clever you are. It does depend to a large extent on your experience of floating objects. You've bought a 'boat' which is over 100 years old, which from the sound of it has a completely shot bottom which someone has filled with concrete to keep it afloat. It would be extemely difficult to do any welding to the bottom as a) it will probably be iron, requiring a welder with experience in this material, b.) is backed with concrete which will absorb the heat and make it difficult to weld, c) is possibly too thin to weld to anyway.

 

On the other hand you may have stumbled on something which has none of these problems and will last you as long as you want it to. So what is it you want us to say?

 

Tam

 

edit to get rid of annoying b bracket problem and a bit more explanation

Edited by Tam & Di
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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

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1. Get it surveyed - you will need to do this for insurance (probably - if you want comprehensive)

2. I am not convinced from the picture it is anything like 100 years old

The squared off stern looks more modern, but without seeing the hull, all we really get is a modern cabin on top of - what?

 

Richard

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Phil Ambrose Veteran II

Phil Ambrose

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The squared off stern looks more modern, but without seeing the hull, all we really get is a modern cabin on top of - what?

Richard

The top is interesting too, looks like tongue and groove while the roof/cabin top looks as if it's covered in something, maybe vinyl ,roofing felt or something, you can see the covering puckering up in places.

Phil

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Romans had concrete - what's your point?

 

Richard

 

Did they build boats with it?

 

(.... And yes, I know some canal boats HAVE been built with a form of concrete, but they were planned that way, rather than the concrete being added as a last ditch attempt to plug holes in metal......)

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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

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Did they build boats with it?

 

(.... And yes, I know some canal boats HAVE been built with a form of concrete, but they were planned that way, rather than the concrete being added as a last ditch attempt to plug holes in metal......)

Julius Bodgerus was famous for his techniques used in extending the lives of second hand, dodgy triremes in the second century

 

Richard

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Thanks for all your above replys i will get it surveyed and hope for the best.

 

I'm sure you realise but no reasonable survey can be done in water. How near is the boat to a facility where it can be docked, or otherwise got on to dry land. I'm assuming it is an unpowered houseboat? If so, how will you move it?

 

I'm no expert, but a nagging voice is telling me that the instruments normally used to measure the thickness of the metal may not work effectively, (or at all?), if there is concrete on the other side.

Julius Bodgerus was famous for his techniques used in extending the lives of second hand, dodgy triremes in the second century

 

Richard

 

I think it is possible you spend too much time watching "Up Pompei" videos!

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