[Nene winter stoppages (not)]

Having moored on the Nene in the past I concur, it can be a minx and often so in the winter months.

[Boat at Whilton]

Everyone says if you do not know boats take a friend who does. But not everybody has a friend who does and such people will rely on the brokers honesty (misguidedly?).

Someone earlier has picked up on slippage fees and if this is paid to the broker it is likely this is another source of income. So the more slips the better eh!

[Boat Purchase]

We have told the broker that we intend to walk away so now awaiting return of deposit.

 

As a matter of interest, are there any brokers that can be recommended? Those I have dealt with so far hide behind "nothing to do with us we are just an estate agent for boats". Quite true of course but does not fill a buyer with confidence! We have tried an outfit around Great Haywood and just walked away after talking to the sales guy. It was a bit like buying a boat from a Petticoat Lane stall!

[Droitwich Spa]

Having driven over there today we have decided the noise pollution from the M5 is too much for us. And as stated, Droitwich itself is seemingly nothing fantastic, although it probably has many hidden gems.

[Boat Purchase]

The surveyor has been good about it and has reduced costs. A true gent who also appreciates the problems.

Nicknorman I agree the bsc is about safety and the hull of a boat should form part of that. I do not mean to suggest that a 5 year old boat should have an integrity check but maybe a 15 or so year old should. My last Broads boat came up to twenty years old and the insurance company insisted I had a hull condition report before they would re-insure. Seems perfectly reasonable to me. And how can I possibly drag the rest of you down with me, And we are not just talking hull degradation.

However I do agree I can only move on and that given the circumstances it is the best £650 I have ever spent - all I need now is my deposit back!

[Boat at Whilton]

You did get your deposit back though?

Surely if you buy subject to survey then it is the result of the survey that drives your actions. As things stand, the survey is independent in that the buyer appoints the surveyor and if that surveyor finds against the boat that is the end of it, deal cancelled.

[Boat Purchase]

How ridiculous my statement is?

You are making statements that are borne of no knowledge of my circumstances past or present. I have owned boats for many years both canal and Broads based. All of those boats have come out of the water at least once every 3 years for blacking/antifouling. Would it be so difficult to have a hull integrity check at that time? If it were a general requirement I am sure the cost of the process would come down anyway. In any event better that than having rusty wrecks travelling the waterways.

There have also been comments made about having a good poke around and taking someone with you who knows about boats. Well, not everybody knows or knows someone who knows about boats. It seems though that we cannot trust the surveyors either - seems an unholy mess to me and one that requires sorting. Would I trust the sellers surveyor? Maybe, maybe not but then if the surveyor is trusted by insurance companies why should I doubt them.

Incidentally can some kind soul please explain how I poke around underwater?

[Boat Purchase]

The surveyor has said the boat is not a good proposition. He also believes given some detailed inspection of engine oil etc that the engine is in poor health.

I just cannot get my head around the fact that sellers can put something up for sale and brokers can value same at a price that does not match condition and then leave it to the purchaser to run up costs finding out why. Some of these faults, especially hull ones, mean one could buy a boat that could not be insured. True if the rectification is only a couple of thousand then a reduction in the asking price offsets the work but sometimes the amount of work required means you would end up with a boat that you possibly could not sell later.

Incidentally it has a bss until 2016. Maybe the bss should bring hull condition into the mix. that would help.

[Boat Purchase]

Having just had my potential purchase hijacked by a bad survey (well the survey was good but the boat was bad) it occurred to me that someone had put a boat up for sale without knowing or caring about its condition and at a price (set by the broker) that certainly does not represent the facts. Indeed the purchaser might even have put the boat up for sale knowing the defects but hoping some punter might just buy as seen. Either way, the net result is I pay some £650 slipping and survey costs to tell someone else their boat is not fit for purpose.

This all seems very unfair to me. Why cannot a system be put in place where no boat (or no boat over a certain age) can be sold (or at least sold via a broker) without the benefit of a full condition report. The alternative is perhaps to have the survey undertaken by the prospective purchaser with subsequent reimbursement of related costs by the seller should that survey show previously undisclosed defects. I prefer the former and under such circumstances the purchaser could recoup the survey cost in the sale price.

[Droitwich Spa]

We are thinking of moving our boat to Droitwich Spa Marina and indeed relocating to the Droitwich area to live (but not live on the boat). Can anybody give us a feel for what the general area is like and especially Droitwich as a town? It would be helpful and appreciated.

Thanks

[Pubs around Droitwich Spa]

+1 again, but it does seem to do well with the cheapo food.

[We've finally gone and done it!!!]

Thanks Jus11972. Our project seems to get bigger as whilst wandering around the area we fell over Hanbury Wharf Residential Park and viewed a couple of places there. They are excellent and my only concern was the M5 noise. As the park is further away from the M5 than the marina it might be ok then...hope so. Quite fancy living at Hanbury Wharf with the boat in the Marina. We can all meet up for a beer!

Don't know the cruising area very well. Is it lock free in the immediate vicinity? I quite like easy days out on the boat sometimes :-)

[Nene winter stoppages (not)]

How are you finding mooring fees at Ely?

[We've finally gone and done it!!!]

HI Nic&Ann,

Congratulations! We are going through the same sort of thing, although we are returning to the cut after a 6 year interlude on the Norfolk Broads. Our survey is tomorrow so fingers crossed.

 

We have been looking at two marinas, Crick which we have used before, and Droitwich which looks great and has the benefit of being a new cruising ground for us. My concern re the latter is its proximity to the M5. The motorway is Ideal for getting there but on those lazty days spent in the marina or when working on the boat in the marina is not the M5 noise a bit much? We are going up there later in the week to have a look and listen but any views would be appreciated.

Sorry to wander off topic.

[Tunnel etiquette]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the best way to "attack" a tunnel passage. I have only ever done a couple and do find them slightly intimidating and I am sure first time hirers must find it likewise.

[Moorings]

Thanks, I shall get in touch with the suggested outfits.

[Moorings]

Thanks for that and what you say is apposite as evidenced by, for example, Crick Marina. I think the problem is that all I can seem to find is marinas of that quality when perhaps a "boatyard" might do.

Names/sugestions would help here

[Moorings]

Having just ended a 6 year relationship with the Norfolk Broads, which we found crowded in season and with very limited navigable miles and moorings (especially moorings where one can loiter for a few days), we have now sold our Broads cruiser and the cash is in the bank awaiting the purchase of a narrowboat to replace the one we had for 20 years before venturing Norfolk-side!

 

Buying a boat brings with it the usual quest to find moorings and certainly rates do seem more favourable on the Broads, or some of the rates do anyway. It would appear that to moor a 45ft boat somewhere like Crick Marina, Gayton Marina etc. will cost around £1800 per annum. Are there any cheaper alternatives in that sort of area (Gayton, Crick, Whilton) that does not compromise on security too much? We have considered the Nene and the Fens but it is a drag getting from there back onto the cut.

Many thanks

Colin

[Time to say farewell to the cut for now]

Ah yes, quite a bit further away. At least you'll not be phased by the low bridges when you get on to the canals.

Yes it is the drag from here to the A14 that does it. We could keep a NB on the Great Ouse I suppose but then there is the drag through the Fens and up the River Nene before accessing the canals via the Northampton Arm of the GU.

 

No fear of low bridges is true :-)

 

Colin

[Time to say farewell to the cut for now]

You wont be able to send or receive personal messages because you are new to the forum. I have an idea to suggest, can you post an email address to reach you on?

Use - mail@cgrant.co.uk

 

I am away now until Sunday.

 

Many thanks

Colin

 

Where in Norfolk are you? I live in Norfolk and a canal (well, a canalised river) runs past the end of our garden. We can get from here to our boat moored on the Oxford in just over 2 hours, and on that journey we cross the Grand Union which would be maybe an hour and a half away.

 

We are in North Norfolk, Potter Heigham.

[Time to say farewell to the cut for now]

Perhaps you could find another person willing to co-own the boat with you? Might work out as a good arrangement for someone who'd like use of a nice boat but hasn't got the funds to buy one outright.

 

Not wishing to hijack this thread but, six years ago we moved from Northants to Norfolk, sold the narrowboat (and we had been on the canals for 20 odd years) and bought a nice Broads cruiser. The boat is a gem but the Broads are not the canals and we miss them. Have now put the boat on the market with the intention of buying another nb with the proceeds. However we are close on three hours from the nearest canal (as best I can work out)and the risk is that the nb will not get used as much as it should. Syndication does not appeal but maybe, just maybe, a partnership would work. There are a lot of if's and buts I know - the idea has some appeal though.

 

Any thoughts, any body interested in such an arrangement?