Saul Bee

One of the things I am grateful to this forum for is tempering my enthusiasm. I have been to see a couple of boats and not bought either for various reasons though, I could have been tempted by one of them if I had been offered it for a couple of grand less than I was. In fact I would probably have paid the price I was asked for if the cost of any engine and hull work that needed doing after a survey was guaranteed to be taken off . My plan is to spend a couple of grand below budget to take into account the inevitable jobs which will need to be done and, above everything else make sure that the engine and hull are sound.

I have also spotted these and received a reply to an enquiry. Unfortunately no hope of getting up there on Saturday but I did get this reply. Looks like they are being sold by an auctioneer so the £14000 price might just be an opening bid price.

Cheers peeps, saved me some time.

Is this worth having a look at, hull looks like it has rust patches on the top but at that price I might be able to find a couple of grand to try and get that sorted. Stove also looks rusty but I might be able to get a deal on a replacement and I can't see any sign of any internal electrics. Everything else seems good. Separate space for a bed, reasonable amount of storage, fridge, cooker, shower room etc.. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/32ft-cosy-narrowboat-liveaboard-houseboat-near-London/162370312702?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38661%26meid%3Da93f41f1784b48449e93066cf6dc7686%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D162352557732

Thanks people, having read through I am now well versed in brand names and have come to the conclusion that this is really going to be more of a project than I want to take on. About an hour or so drive from me so might have been worth a punt if it had just meant some basic diy stuff but I think replacing stove, toilet and probably having to rewire starts to bring it into the realm of meh. Especially as the price is still climbing.

Hmm, just gone back and looked at the picture of the stove. Is that because there isn't a lot of surround? I could see that might be an issue when it came to getting a bssc cert. I know there could be some work to be done, so next question. What would be a reasonable top bid do you reckon? I'm thinking there is no way it's worth more than 10000 and that is if the hull is sound and the engine reliable.

Obviously I would take a look in person before I even considered putting a bid in but the question is. Is it worth my while to go and have a look at it? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NARROW-BOAT-CANAL-BOAT-/332092744856?hash=item4d52452498:g:6RAAAOSwo4pYe2Jr

Cheers for the heads up.

Thanks for the info again. I'm starting to get an idea, next thing you know I will be actually asking for transport company names but, let me get a bit closer to owning a boat first.

Indeed how much was it, and how long was the boat.

Really useful info people thanks for the help. I can't tell you much as this is entirely speculative. As of yet there is no specific boat, a few months back I saw a 36ft springer that would have been OK, and at the moment there is are both a 30ft and 40ft which I have seen, narrowboats obviously. I didn't want to make plans to enquire about them or go and view if I would not be able to budget for getting them moved somewhere which would be accessible for me. As it stands 2-3 grand for the right boat could be manageable as an added expense, and I may have gleaned the names of a few companies which could do the job. Thanks all.

In my quest for a boat I have seen a few that are on the Monmouthshire and Brecon which appear to be quite reasonably priced. In part I guess because they are on a closed network. I was wondering if anyone knows an approximate cost for moving a boat from a closed network onto something bigger or at least better connected like the Shropshire Union for example. Not looking to move the boat a long way but just between one network and another really as obviously it would have to be figured into any purchase costs.

Chris B who is a member here is an absolute diamond. I saw him at Pyrford Marina just before Christmas and he was straight down the line honest and incredibly helpful.

Chris fantastic to meet you today, the coffee was excellent, the banter fine and I was glad you had the opportunity to show off your remarkable manoeuvring skills. Shame you didn't manage to sell me a boat but, there is still time (though not until January obviously) and having met you I feel a hell of a lot more positive about the whole thing. Really sound advice even when you realised that I was not going to be walking out with the keys to SMEW and some really really nice photo's. I will definitely keep you in the loop with my future boat hunting enterprises, thanks so much.

Yeah I try to be a bit cynical, right up to the point where if a boat looks really nice at a cheaper than average price I imagine it is just about to sink. On my budget I don't expect to get everything I would like straight off and know that there are some compromises I will have to make. Still I am fairly sure that the right boat for me is out there.