Pennyless Too

I prefer to actually communicate with people not just obsessively troll and attention whore. A poll would not have produced the several wonderful stories, links etc. To be frank, it seems that what you consider entertainment I consider utter drivel. The internet seems awash with this crud nowdays. Why couldn't the various 'entertaining' commentees simply have PM'd each other? Why do you/they have to fill up a perfectly interesting topic with such utter dross? Nevermind. Thanks to everyone who did comment OT and adios!

And of course the owner then has a survey for free. Just as the cheapest way to get an old car back on the road is to tow it to the MOT station, get an MOT and when it fails fix only what is on the urgent list, re-submit it and sell it on ebay as t&t a week later. If someone else pays for the MOT, all the better.

Objectively, I wouldn't touch it mate. Its evidently going to soak up a lot of time and money just to get it sorted - you will almost certainly decide you want to refit the interior, the engine is old and will be tired, batteries if any shot. Its been stood so it will be damp and dirty. Its going to have a billion spiders and several tons of dust to clean. Then there's the engine: With diesel set to top £1.40 a liter in coming months, that's an issue .. As for the survey, how much is that going to cost? £500? More? I wouldn't drop 10 grand on a boat of that age anyway, but ask yourself, do you have money to burn? It will come back needing attention, then its got to come out again and be cleaned and blacked. Its winter in a month or two .. that means you won't get round to that for a few months, spring likely, then you've got to pay mooring for the intervening time and so and on. Just wait, save a little longer, get the right boat. If its too good to be true, it is. 10k is a lot of money for that size/age anyway. You could have a 57ft semi trad, build mid 90's for £18k. Trouble free. You can save that between now and summer 2009, by which time the recession will be in full swing and people will be shedding assets like mad.

Almost 50% dude!

I reckon you got what, 50:50 signal noise here. After a while I can't be arsed to read through it all to see who has actually posted something OT.

Won't a higher cost of fuel simply inflame the mooring wars? I mean, the concept of 'continual cruiser' will surely become redundant as nobody could afford it ..

I was hoping more for the parts fiche or something in PDF.

I'm Irish.

That's debatable judging by your avatar.

My boat cost £1800 .. I basically didn't have a girlfriend or any chemical addictions at the time. EDIT: The good news is, I still don't have a girlfriend.

Thanks for all these genuine answers folks .. Looks like I was dead wrong that the 'majority' of boat owners were baby boomers enjoying the fruits of cheap houses and property explosions in later years .. Suprising number of folk citing damn hard toil and relentless saving, still more loans and mortgages (a little hairy for me but meritable!) and even theft. Impressive. Seriously though, thanks a lot for sharing .. keep it coming!

Have a ~ 10 year old Honda 15. Its carb and manual pump. Are there any links to service manuals for these people know/recommend? Ideally a Haynes type affair with exploded parts diagrams and photos?

Nevermind then.

Pretty inciteful really if you put it in that perspectve.. Come to think of it the only real issue with mortgages is the time frames. I'm not sure most people on less than 30k a year could cover £800 outlay on JUST loans and expenses pcm though. Personally I have a personal loan for 5k over 3 years running at £156 pcm repayments and that along with mooring, license, petrol, food etc etc eats my entire income of around £800 net. You factor in the cost of living etc. you'd need to be banking 1500-2k a month min. just to live frugally. Sure you could do a lot of overtime but thats 50-60 hr weeks for five years in an economic climate pretty lacking in job security and uncertain times ahead. The sentiment I agree with tho and yeah sure, if you earn a decent living, it makes perfect sense!!

I was referring to the distillation process not the end product. The ethanol is less volatile than gasoline. I also refer you to the rules of the forum. If you have actually nothing to contribute to a discussion except banter and pedantry, please, don't!