happyboris

You are right to be cautious however as suggested papertrail and canal and river trust records etc. I personally have never bought a boat via a broker and have never been scammed, of course that doesn't mean it can't happen but if you keep your wits about you you should be ok. If you have records of the transaction and you know who the people are it is again unlikely to be a scam, I am assuming you don't literally mean cash you mean bank transfer this at least gives you proof of purchase and some proof of ownership. Consider asking them to prove ownership eg insurance details length of time at marina etc. If the people are genuine they will have a track record that goes back to the day they bought it themselves. Good luck and happy boating.

You accused me of giving extremely bad advice I am a little unsure why and what the bad advice was I notice you fail to substantiate what you say is it a case of the empty vessel making the most noise? I for one read the original post and commented on that not on the thread itself. The views i gave come from years of experience in small boats I would never knowingly give bad advise and on this particular issue i am right. Can only guess you bough a boat from a broker and paid way too much and now want everyone to do the same.

In all fairness it isn't rocket science here is a rough guide to hulls. Wooden don't get involved unless you are an expert with unlimited cash. Steel unless you are an expert elicit the help of a trusted welder or steel worker generally speaking these people have the equipment to measure thickness and condition of hull then follow their advice Fibreglass without a doubt the best material for novice boaters and experts alike. A fibreglass boat is virtually indestructible and lasts forever generally speaking the welder steel worker will be able to help choose a fiberglass boat. If you are told doom and gloom stories about osmosis then no longer heed the advice of that particular person.

Unfortunately I have, every marina has its field where dreams go to die. My father learnt the hard way in that respect when he bought an old wooden boat. A mistake I went on to make myself many years ago I made the mistake because I fell in love with the idea and ignored the realities, it can be a hard learning curve. That is why i would advise anyone who is considering buying a boat to do their homework.

It's not for the faint hearted my friend who has converted the dutch barge had no practical skills either, having spent years in IT however with the help of google, a huge amount of optimism and the sometimes ignored advice of friends and colleagues he now has a fantastic boat worth a minimum 0f 120k. I would never advise someone to do anything beyond their abilities however I always advocate that people should push themselves especially in new directions. The guy asked for opinions that is my opinion, you don't need practical skills to spot a bargain like my friend did with the springer and i have done many times in the past. It always annoys me when I meet new boaters who have been fleeced by marinas and yacht brokers if you can keep them out of the boat buying process the boat usually costs loads less.

This is the advice I follow and preach as it is good advice because of this advice I bought a hull for 7k carried out the survey myself fitted her out myself I spent approx 15k on renovating her and now she is now worth in the region 40k. I can't understand why that is bad advice. It's not the path for the faint hearted but by following this course your boat makes you money instead of costing you money. I notice that you call it bad advice however you don't qualify it by saying why the advice is bad, I have owned and operated, bought and sold many boats over the years both big and small in fact i have made a career of doing so are you professionally able to defend what you said about the advice? A close friend of mine has recently bought a dutch barge he paid around 50k he has spent a further 30 k fitting her out she is now worth around 120k, he managed to do the conversion himself has been able to live on the boat since day one and has been able to maintain full time employment and complete the project also he had absolutely no training in boat building or carpentry he learnt as he went along. Another friend of mine was shown a 38 foot springer at a local marina the broker wanted 18 k for the boat my friend did a little research and found out who the owner was he did the deal directly with the owner and got the boat for 5.5k he moved on immediately and has never looked back. Too many people think that because they have lived on a boat for a few years they are somehow experts. The best expert when it comes to boating is to talk to the builders and the enthusiastic knowledgable owners who have preferably done the build or repairs themselves on the particular type of boat you are considering to buy. Apparently that is bad advice.

Can't digest that lot however the general idea is fine. I for one wouldn't think twice about making such a transition the quality of life on a boat far exceeds that of living in anything other than a castle. When you look back on life you will find that money this and money that aren't so important however obviously it can be important. I will let you into a secret if you buy the correct boat it will sell for considerable more than it cost. You can get a fine boat for 50k currently there are some real bargains to be had look on apolloduck.com Do research and don't be put off by knowalls and pessimists and don't get too hung up on surveys etc. Make friends with someone who has built or fitted out their own boat don't believe what brokers tell you at marinas. It is more than possible that a boat that is advertised for 100k will sell for 50k set your sight and expectations high.