Liza

The surveyor says I need to be plated up to the water line... well, not me as much as the boat!

Cheers Richard Do these 'shoes' come up the side at all?

Four shoes? Takes me back to where I first came in - someone said "four candles" to Drunkensailor and I have been watching a bit of TV and wondering, "who wants a fork on the canal?"

The bottom is OK - not good but OK - it is the sides that need plating plus the bottom of the bit that sticks out above the rudder. The joint between the bottom and the side is what I have to watch out for.

Hi. Thought I would add my thoughts in view of what I have found out today. I am getting rid of my white-elephant, (it was given to me by a friend). He bought it without getting a survey first - he was steam-rollered. Now, 3-4 years later I have had her surveyed. She was built in 1976 and has been steadily rusting away FROM THE INSIDE ever since. The outside of the hull is fine but there is nothing behind it. She needs plating and I've had an estimate of 6-7k for a less than 50' boat.

There is no way I am trying to hide anything - that's one reason I'm getting the quote done. That, plus the survey, will perhaps encourage someone to give me more than tuppence-ha'penny for her. In regard to getting a tupperware jobbie - I might look at the possibility but I've got used to narrow-boating now. It was my first solo but not the first trip. It will depend on whether I can get a job in the next few months. When I retired I thought that would be it but now I am looking to spend money I need to get another income too. The quote I'm getting is from the wharf at Stretton but I have been told that , (sorry cannot recall his name) at Braunston could do the job more quickly. I'm nervous about taking her that far though after the surveyor has told them to check for leaks when they put her back in the water...

Thanks for the encouragement. The surveyor says, (perhaps I shouldn't say this - or I could change her name before advertising her for sale...) that I need to find something like £5-6k. I've asked for a quote from a boatyard so that will give me some idea. She still needs a lot of other work - it was all done beautifully inside but she carried on leaking through the gunwales so that work is now spoilt too. I'm really sad as it was the first time I had taken her anywhere - and on my own - on Friday and I think I have really caught the bug now.

Because I cannot find the £££ required to plate her so I might as well cut my losses...

Ihave just been reading Drunkensailor's epic plus replies on the why and wherefores of the fuse box. It made me quite sad to know that I will not be one of the great canal people any more since my boat got the thumbs down from the surveyor today. Anyone want a boat going cheep?