absolutely brilliant idea but.....
In my opinion it is unlikely to be a self financing project. In the historic aircraft community there is a saying - how do you make a small fortune out of restoring and operating old aircraft?
answer - start with a large fortune!
I know that the cost of restoring and operating a historic boat is considerably less but the market for the restored boat is still small.
The people who buy, restore and run historic artifacts generally do it as a hobby so the costs are not important. Look at all the investors who spent £30000 restoring E-type Jaguars in the 80s and 90s when the prices attracted them. They are selling the best for £30000 now. Does your friend now make a profit out of his engine - including restoration costs?
There is a market for renting out e-types to people who can't afford one. The modern hireboat on the canals has the romance without the potential problems. It also has many mod-cons so you can enjoy the experience of the canals without worrying about the boat or missing Coronation Enders.
I would love it to be a sucessful venture but even the National museums can't do it properly.
I hope that the historic boats are like historic aircraft and cars - they will come into their own and be sought after. Then it will be a commercial success.
Good luck.
