NB DW

Or perhaps I'm going with the general consesus across the last 28 pages?

An interesting read. If only I could understand half of it! ? I started a thread earlier this summer after selling a smaller boat with the intention of buying a larger one to live on and shared my worries over ICE and their future. I pulled out of the sale for that reason, mainly due to concerns over diesel availability and cost in the near-ish future, but mostly over what the resale value might be say 10 years from now. Perhaps scrap if it's still a diesel engine in it? Seems there's no viable alternative come about in the 6 months or so since I posted here last ?

But he's really well respected so I'd say it's worth it ? Although you might be right at £10 a foot too!

The boat's been up for sale for a good while now. I hope you worked that into the deal - especially as boats haven't exactly been hanging around recently. I sold mine in the summer and haven't kept tabs on things much since, so maybe the market's cooled off. I've seen the boat in person too, I think it was actually made in Poland, and holds some sort of relation with Amber Boats. And I did my diligence on the seller too. I've no dog in the fight here but I'd encourage you to at least perhaps see what this forum throws up. It was an interesting read and might help you make a more informed decision with your money may or may not be deposited. Lastly, I came close to buying a replacement boat in the summer and spoke with Steve Hand. He was hugely helpful and was well recommended on here too. From memory the cost of a survey was £100 per foot. Nantwich Canal Centre is supposed to be held in decent regard if you're looking for quotes on further work. Or try Midway Boats just up the road.

I'm not challenging the above but I'm curious over what it's referencing. Have you a link to anything I could read? Surely it can't include narrowboats? I doubt anyone of them would be ready in fewer the 5 years to sell boats with zero-emission capable technology. Fingers crossed that technology massively improved by 2035. Having visited a boat builder yesterday were I was told a Beta hybrid setup would cost £25K+, and yet obviously it's still reliant on diesel! Some of the smaller, new boats I looked at don't have especially large engine bays and would have no chance of accommodating a hybrid set up and battery bank.

I cancelled the viewing and explained why when I was asked. They were adamant, even after checking with somebody in the background, the 5% tolerance applies to the sale price and not the asking price. I told them their website says otherwise and it can't be just a typo on the basis it's followed up with a sentence where they justify it. Avoid.

I don't disagree... but the major difference is Great Haywood say the 5% is based on the asking price (presumably original price) and not the sale price, that's the key bit. ABNB are an exception. Deposits returned without any stipulation of the above. "Deposits are refundable if the vessel has a full out of water survey carried out by an independent surveyor and faults are found with the hull or the engine that exceed more than 5% of the asking price of the vessel (within 4 weeks of giving deposit). We will need to see the full survey detailing any faults for the hull or the engine that equates to the 5% as listed above. Otherwise, deposits are not refundable if a buyer pulls out of the sale. There is no point in taking a deposit if a buyer can just take it back."

Absolutely will. I doubt I'm much loss to them though and a 1 man stand won't be enough for them to consider a change. They'll probably think I'm a nutter. Their boats hang around 100x longer than anything with ABNB or Rugby Boats and the like. I guess now I know why.

Bollocks to it. I'm going to cancel the viewing. I can't take the stress if it were to go sour. Looking at their terms I'd have a fight on my hands if the survey through something up - they demand to view the results, and I'd bet they'd challenge the cost of work and do what they could to wriggle. No thanks. I much prefer ABNB's approach.

Thanks for the info. I'm guessing that'd make no difference though to getting your deposit back if the survey showed it to be crap. If an offer were to be accepted at less than or equal to £47.5K and a survey found up to £2.5K worth of work needing doing, there'd be no return of deposit as far as my interpretation of their terms go. Sounds lousy. My offer would be based on the idea the boat was sound.

Thanks. How so?

I assumed broker but hadn't asked. I'll check tomorrow. Those terms don't differ depending on whether they own or broker a boat though from what I can see.

https://www.greathaywoodboatsales.co.uk/buyers/the-buying-process/ Looks like somebody's emotion got in the way when writing this. It's cringeworthy.

The contract with Great Haywood is a bit draconian. It doesn't matter too much what the selling price is when it comes to the survey and finding problems with the boat. You'll only get your deposit back if it's greater than 5% of the asking price and not the selling price. I agree, age isn't the be all - I'd prefer a newer boat in all honesty though - but hull and general condition trump age for me.

Thanks. High hopes for the engine and bilge not being a rusty wreck given the condition of it. I prefer a table too and like the hatch opposite the pullman dinette. You'd have thought so, and I agree, but that seems to be the asking price for anything like that now. Don't worry, if I do like it I'll not be offering close to £50k!

Thanks. It's 2005. Oddly only the Apollo Duck site has a picture of the stern. https://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/severn-valley-57-traditional/641397 It's a one owner boat and looks well looked after. I've spied a big box/file of with hopefully receipts and paperwork labelled 'boat' in one of the photos which is promising. Paint looks well for its age.

Hi, I'm still on the hunt for a boat and off to view this tomorrow... what's everyone reckon? Based purely on the feedback here, the shell and builder (same people by the looks of it) were held in reasonable regard when they were still in business. Other than the lack of solar and the inverter/charger being at the cheaper end of things, and maybe the fabrics being a bit dated (trivial point), the layout looks good and so does the rest of the equipment. Great Haywood's virtual walkthrough is a great feature too. https://www.greathaywoodboatsales.co.uk/shop/razzle-dazzle/

Turley, so I'm told

I spoke to a mortgage broker today and explained the circumstance over the letting and me being on a boat with no fixed address. They came back to me 30 minutes later having spoken to NatWest - they came up cheapest - being 100% honest about my situation. They were fine with it, as my LTV is low and so long as I have a forwarding address! Even better is I've banked with them for over 20 years, so really shouldn't be an issue. I'm made up with that.

Thanks. Fingers crossed. I'm aiming for 6-12 months, assuming the doctor doesn't write me off ?

Just a quick update on where I am with things... First off, thanks again for your responses. All very much appreciated. My mind's been pretty much consumed over the last few days with nothing other than what to do. I've been changing my mind on what feels like a minute by minute basis, and it's been causing me no end of anxiety and stress. I'm naturally a cautious person and like things planned out and to feel in control. What I'm doing at the moment is leaving me feeling the opposite. I've been really honest with my finances and circumstances, and that I'd need to take on further, manageable debt of around £7K on top of the £13K I owe in order to account for a slight bridge in funding the boat itself, but also the survey, blacking, 3 months licence and mooring, new mattress for the boat, new bed and mattress for my spare room and so on. In buying a boat I'd not be just wiping out my savings but taking on more debt, as well as no contingency if things went wrong. And that leaves me feeling deeply uncomfortable. The chain of events including finding a boat, looking for a lodger, wondering about the impact of a non-resedential address might be, taking on debt etc have made me feel like I'm just a passenger on a rollercoaster, as though I've no control over things, when the opposite is true. I feel my job's safe and at the moment there's no sign of this changing. I work in distribution/warehousing servicing a number of customers, so the eggs aren't all in one basket. But despite this the consistent message of 'this is the tip of the iceberg' in terms of things has also ground me down and my naturally cautious side has won over. I've made the decision not to go ahead with the purchase. It's not so much about not wanting to make the move and get a boat to live on any longer, it's about doing it at a point where I feel nothing other than 100% comfortable the time's right. That might be as little as six months away. Who knows. It's inspired me to continue to save hard, waste little, so I can get there soon enough and make sure everything's in place. The longer I wait, the more I save, the nicer boat I'll have too. It'll also buy me time in so much as in 6-12 months I'd have thought most of the impact of Covid and Brexit will be felt and any implications in terms of work etc known too. Lastly, I've had a few health problems recently. Blood tests have revealed nothing, so I'm waiting an MRI brain scan, heart trace and some sort of cortisone/hormone test. Hopefully it'll turn out to be something and nothing, and ironically since I visited the GP a few weeks ago, the symptoms have subsided at little. That said, today I left work early due to extreme back and neck pain - something never experienced before - having never been of work sick for years. I'm just hoping it's related to tension from the last few days. I'll no doubt be back on here in months to come scouting for opinions on another boat etc. I'm grateful for what I've got and there are literally millions out there who'd love to be in my position. Ultimately, it's a selfish first-world problem on my part given all that's going on. Thanks again.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Much appreciated. Rather than repeating myself I'll update the other thread with an update.

The marina very much tolerates 'extended stays' and I've had the conversation in person with both marinas I'm interested in. But you're absolutely right, there'd be nothing stopping a sudden change of heart in the future. Looks like taking on a lodger is the best way to go.

That's the one. And I upgraded the ad too. I sent out quite a few messages and I can see most have been read but not many replies. I've somebody coming to look on Wednesday afternoon so fingers crossed.