[Starting to look for our own boat]

It would be very reassuring to see records like that from previous owners.

If we buy through a brokerage, should we expect them to have copies of those records to show us?

 

We thought that buying through a brokerage would make an easier process, as we are not confident with the ins and outs of buying in England.

But it certainly would be nice to meet the previous owner, to get an impression of him/her, and to be able to ask about the boats history.

Cant´t have it both ways, I guess.

 

Edited to say: Thank you for being so kind and understanding, and answering my newbie questions!

[Starting to look for our own boat]

(...)

 

As i write this, it all sounds a bit negative, for which I apologise. I'm simply trying to say you can't give generic advice, and know it will be right. However, if when you lift the floor and look at the engine, it is clean, with no weeping leaks at any joint, with a nice clean dry catchment area in the bilge below it, you can probably be a lot more confident than if you find a filthy leaky engine, with large amounts of water, oil, grease and other contaminants sloshing around below it. It's no guarantee, but if everything looks well cared for, it probably has been - if obviously visible bits look sadly neglected, the bits you can't see may well have been ignored as well.

 

But I don't want this painted rosy red - we need to learn how to avoid at least the obvious fallpits.

And at first we also thought that we should look for a nice, clean engine/bilge area. But then we saw so many boats at the brokers, where oil had leaked into the bilge, that we wondered if we had been unrealistic about it.

[Starting to look for our own boat]

I 'm sure we can manage to change oil and oil filters regurlarly, that's not a problem.

But what about the rest of it? I want an engine that doesn't break down in the middle of Blisworth Tunnel.....

 

Would a LPW/LPWS need a lot of TLC?

 

And - how do I put this - what sort of engine hours should one expect/look for? Or is that to ask about the length of a string?

[Starting to look for our own boat]

Thank you, everyone, for your input and good wishes.

I guess that this boat needs to come down a lot in price, and that we need to keep our heads cool when looking at boats. Not easy!

 

It's very confusing looking for a boat. We've spent a lot of time on apolloduck. The nice ones are also quite expensive (what a surprise... )

 

We viewed a few trads, and I still think I would like a little more room at the stern,. Even though it means layering up for cruising in cold and wet weather.

[Starting to look for our own boat]

 

 

Not everybody is keen on the Lister LPW engines. These may be the ones which can have a surprisingly short service interval, and which suffer if it has not been adhered to.

 

 

 

That´s very valuable information, Alan. Neither my husband or myself knows much about engines. We need to learn with time. Perhaps a boat with a Beta would be an easier choice?

 

We will be using the boat for holidays and weekends. As it would be mostly just the two of us, we are thinking cruiser stern or semi-trad.

[Starting to look for our own boat]

That´s a fair point about a solid fuel stove, we would like one. Is it complicated and/or expensive to have one fitted?

The polystyrene was actually one of the points we were wondering about. Is the difference between sprayfoam and polystyrene very significant?

 

We hope to be cruising in all seasons. Have tried a week in October, in pouring rain, so I have an inkling of how cold it can be. Still loved it, though!

[Starting to look for our own boat]

I would suggest that a fair price for this boat is around £25,000.

 

Thanks, Gareth. Then my husband´s opinion on the price is not far off ....

[Starting to look for our own boat]

Thanks, Athy!

Yes, we were onboard, and not unexpectedly she was more tired than the pictures make out. We didn´t get to drive her or even start the engine. We didn´t ask, as we still thought we would like a boat with less upgrading needed.

 

Hiring, we have only used pump out toilets before, so that not a deal breaker either way.

We would at least need a new cooker (the existing is perched on a box), and a new seating arrangement, and to throw out the old armchair and sofa.

 

We also feel that the price is a bit more than we would expect from a boat this age and state, good to have a second opinion on that.

[Starting to look for our own boat]

After some years of hiring, and a little bit of madness (living in Scandinavia), we have come to the decision that we want to have our very own narrowboat.

 

So we went for the obligatory trip to Whilton and Venetian, to look at boats available. We didn´t have too many criteria and "must-have´s", but were simply looking for a boat that doesn´t need a lot of work, a boat that seemed well looked after.

 

And...... the boat that remains in both our minds, is this....

https://www.whiltonmarina.co.uk/used-narrowboats/details/3837.aspx

 

Obviously in need of a lot of interior work. But what does the most knowledgeable forum think - should we run away, or could this be a good starter boat if we update the interior?

[Talk me out of a narrow boat? :)]

We´re more or less in the same place as you, except that we´re living in Norway.....

 

After 4 years of hiring, we´re in the process of starting to look for a boat of our own.

We also thought a lot of buying a share in a boat, but finally rejected it because we felt that it would restrict our flexibility to much. Both regarding to which weeks and also which weekdays you can take the boat out.

[Buying a boat share - what to consider?]

We´re doing our best to do the sums, but are a bit unsure as to what to reckon with as extras and what is part of the monthly payments. But that is depending on the syndicate, I guess.

 

Would about £300/share, as Steven quoted, be a normal level of winter maintenance extra, or will it usually be less/more?

[Buying a boat share - what to consider?]

It´s really interesting what you say, Kevinl and Top Cat, that one or some members do the actual management on a privately managed boat. We haven´t considered private management before, because we would´t be able to do our bit, and then I would end up with a really bad conscience.

Is it really OK to leave that to the others and just turn up and have our holidays?

 

We set out to be quite flexible and willing to compromise in this venture, we will partly do this to learn. (As well as having more narrowboat holidays than we would if we were hiring, of course!)

[Buying a boat share - what to consider?]

Thank you everyone for all the good ideas!

 

Another question - does anyone know which are considered the best management companies? Or are they much the same?

[Buying a boat share - what to consider?]

Thank you, Adam and Junior.

Yes, in addition to the benefits of getting several weeks at different times of the year at lower cost, I also hope that sharing is a soft way to get knowledge about what it requires to have a boat of our own. But it will probably be 5-10 years in the future, unless we win in the lottery.

 

So - if an old boat has a new engine and generally the maintenance schemes followed - it might be as good as a new boat?

I understand that some boats also sometimes needs replating. Is that also something I should worry about? Is there any other major works I should think of?

I guess that there is no survey when one buying a share, so se will have to rely on what the sellers tell us.

That´s a good idea, Steve; I didn´t realise that boat shares companies were at the boat shows too.

[Buying a boat share - what to consider?]

Hello!

My husband and I have been hiring for a few years, but are thinking about taking the "next step" and buying a boat share. The ultimate goal is to have our own boat, but since we are Scandinavian that is too much responsibility too far away at present.

 

I would greatly appreciate any tips on what to look out for, and what to ask about. All the obvious and not so obvious things, as I might not know the obvious ones either.

 

For instance I wonder about the prices in the adverts: are those fixed prices, or is the normal/expected thing to do to offer slightly less?

How does one price a share? Can I compare 12 times the boat share (1/12-share) to prices for a boat, or is that the wrong way to see it?

 

We are looking at managed boats, since we live abroad. Is it wise to look for a newer boat, as it will have less problems (will it?), or an older boat, since that will be cheaper and a lower risk, if something should go wrong?

 

Thankful for all advice!

Sally.