Boat hierarchy

[Fly Navy]

I have recently met brokers who put themselves out to mention that certain boats should be avoided (even though they had no boat to sell me). Now why's that?

I also met 2 people on 2 seperate occasions who bought a boat because they "fell in love with it" and within 2 days for one couple and a month for another couple - traded them in for boats they were more comfortable with - what a waste of time/effort and money!

[David Mack]

 

[RLWP]

2 minutes ago, Fly Navy said:

I have recently met brokers who put themselves out to mention that certain boats should be avoided (even though they had no boat to sell me). Now why's that?

I also met 2 people on 2 seperate occasions who bought a boat because they "fell in love with it" and within 2 days for one couple and a month for another couple - traded them in for boats they were more comfortable with - what a waste of time/effort and money!

 

We bought our boat because we fell in love with it in 2003

 

We need two more to tip over your statistic

 

Richard

 

MORE: one more, @tree monkey has already said that's why he bought Dill

Edited March 3, 2019 by RLWP

[system 4-50]

Random thoughts:

Decide whether you want to spend your time working on your engine or living. If the latter get one with a Beta engine.

Decide your boat population. The more people you have the more careful you will have be with configuration of space.  

Get the best hull (in terms of age & quality of maintenance) that you can afford.

Get an epoxied hull if possible.

Get a young-ish boat.

Get a boat with no well-known faults. eg bad access to the weed hatch, poor access to the engine, etc.

Get a boat from a quality rather than fashionable manufacturer ie Colecraft.

For me known history was very important so I bought a sailaway.

But I agree with the idea that when you see a boat it usually strikes you as being, definitely wrong even when you can't put your finger on why, an uninspiring may-be, or definitely exciting.

 

[Fly Navy]

Alan.

 

Please bear in mind that my topic of discussion is narrowboats.

The reason for narrowboats is because there is 2000 miles of canal and countryside to pick from.

Anything wider and one's choice is severely limited indeed.

 

So - bearing in mind the above (essential living), my comment about "infrastructure" relates to those who NEED to live onboard a boat.

They need, schools / shops / hospitals / food, etc.

Most other design of boats are there purely for enjoyment and entertainment.  They are not 'homes'.

 

 

System 4-50.  Just what the doctor ordered - thank you for these constructive tips. Appreciated.

[Victor Vectis]

I think the OP is overthinking things here.

 

I didn't want to view the nicest house we have ever lived in, it was in the wrong location. But...........

As soon as I walked through the front door I knew it was right for us.

 

Not quite the same with t'bote, as we had looked at a lot of boats online.

'Red Wharf' was the only one we went to look at. It was love at first sight.

[RLWP]

5 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

 

Not quite the same with t'bote, as we had looked at a lot of boats online.

'Red Wharf' was the only one we went to look at. It was love at first sight.

And it is perfect in every way - right?

[tree monkey]

1 minute ago, RLWP said:

And it is perfect in every way - right?

I will answer if I may..

 

No my boat isn't perfect, not by a long shot, I mean what sort of fool buys a boat that needs a hire boat to follow it around to tow it off mud banks...

[Arthur Marshall]

24 minutes ago, Fly Navy said:

 

I also met 2 people on 2 seperate occasions who bought a boat because they "fell in love with it" and within 2 days for one couple and a month for another couple - traded them in for boats they were more comfortable with - what a waste of time/effort and money!

I bought mine in about 1980 because I thought it was great.  Still got it.  Still think it's great.

[RLWP]

Just now, Arthur Marshall said:

I bought mine in about 1980 because I thought it was great.  Still got it.  Still think it's great.

With your ridiculous air cooled Lister?

[Victor Vectis]

9 minutes ago, RLWP said:

And it is perfect in every way - right?

Well, only 99.9%

?

[Alan de Enfield]

20 minutes ago, Fly Navy said:

So - bearing in mind the above (essential living), my comment about "infrastructure" relates to those who NEED to live onboard a boat.

They need, schools / shops / hospitals / food, etc.

Those who by default must live in one area (school, work, hospital visits) do not need a NB as they will be unable to travel very far.

This is why widebeams that can (when required) still travel 1000 miles of the system are becoming more popular.

 

As younger and younger folk buy boats as a cheap 'ladder onto the housing market' the requirements that you highlight become more and more important and the ability to 'move' is way down the list of attributes.

 

I would argue that there are very, very few people who NEED to live on a boat.

[Fly Navy]

Keep it coming....

 

Each of you is surreptitiously providing what I am looking for - thank you.

 

 

Alan - I would prefer to buy a wideberth, without blinking.  A much more practical solution. But I live in the NW and wideberths don't fit!

Agree with the ratio of needy boaters too!

[Fly Navy]

OK -time to take a pop at me (again!):

 

"SO FAR".....my perfect boat

 

Colecraft sailaway with a beta engine, keel cooled, hospital silencer, zinker hull, sleeps 4, stern cruiser with entry into a galley not a bedroom!  Cassette toilet, double glazed, bow thruster, cratch, Refleks stove, Convector fans, CH, Victron inverter/charger, calorifier, LED lighting. Gas galley, PV panels, walk thru bathroom (no bath, shower only),

 

Then I woke up?

[matty40s]

11 minutes ago, Fly Navy said:

Keep it coming....

 

Each of you is surreptitiously providing what I am looking for - thank you.

 

 

Cleverer than a clever man in cleverville...

 

https://tenor.com/u7Qr.gif

[mrsmelly]

5 minutes ago, Fly Navy said:

OK -time to take a pop at me (again!):

 

"SO FAR".....my perfect boat

 

Colecraft sailaway with a beta engine, keel cooled, hospital silencer, zinker hull, sleeps 4, stern cruiser with entry into a galley not a bedroom!  Cassette toilet, double glazed, bow thruster, cratch, Refleks stove, Convector fans, CH, Victron inverter/charger, calorifier, LED lighting. Gas galley, PV panels, walk thru bathroom (no bath, shower only),

 

Then I woke up?

Thats a pretty good set up. There are only two big no nos, one the silly diesel stove and two the useless completely unneeded bow thruster oh and cratch ?

Edited March 3, 2019 by mrsmelly

[RLWP]

What a surprise - a reverse layout with a cruiser stern. Just what everyone with a list asks for at a brokers!

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, mrsmelly said:

Thats a pretty good set up. There are only two big no nos, one the silly diesel stove and two the useless completely unneeded bow thrister oh and cratch ?

Depending on what is meant by 'convector fans' you could add them to the list of useless items.

 

And, the list is missing the necessary method of heating water in the Summer when the fire is not lit - ie a Ebersplutter.

 

You are staying moored up in a nice spot for a few days.

No one wants to wake up wanting a shower and the calorifier is cold, you then have the noise and cost of running a big engine for a couple of hours just to get a tank of hot water.

 

The 'proper' method. The timer clicks in before you get up, the Eber heats the water so everything is ready as you emerge from your pit. 

[Fly Navy]

Thanks Mr Smelly.

Why no to the Refleks?

The alternative is a "smelly" dust filled coal/wood burner requiring lugging of such back and fore weekly. Plus they are so ugly with their wonky stove pipes and horrible grates

[system 4-50]

1 minute ago, Fly Navy said:

Compared with mine:

Colecraft sailaway with a beta engine,  yes Beta 43

keel cooled, yes, (both sides)

hospital silencer, yes 

zinker hull, I'm epoxied Jotamastic 87

sleeps 4, yes, + 3 toddlers, 1 FIXED bed (essential), 1 large dinette

stern cruiser yes, with square stern

with entry into a galley not a bedroom!  yes

Cassette toilet, no, flush Pump Out everytime! Infrequent cost is trivial.

double glazed, I wish

bow thruster, no, never

cratch, being planned

Refleks stove, no, SF stove with separate Webasto nearly installed

Convector fans, no

CH, as above

Victron inverter/charger, yes, but wish it was separates

calorifier, no, dumped as draining for winter a pain

LED lighting. yes

Gas galley, yes. Normal 60cm freestanding cooker converted to LPG.

PV panels, not yet

walk thru bathroom no

(no bath, shower only), yes

 

Then I woke up?  not yet, the dream goes on!

 

[mrsmelly]

3 minutes ago, Fly Navy said:

Thanks Mr Smelly.

Why no to the Refleks?

The alternative is a "smelly" dust filled coal/wood burner requiring lugging of such back and fore weekly. Plus they are so ugly with their wonky stove pipes and horrible grates

I dont like diesel stoves. Yes solid fuel is dusty but it doesnt go wrong much if at all and very easily regulated and cheaper to run than diesel. Just look how many boats that are for sale have solid fuel stoves and not diesel and ask yourself why. Yes some are ugly but they dont have to be. the refleks does look good. Depending on your mooring for instance the coal boat just pulls alongside and puts coal onboard for you and of course diesel if you need that. I had a diesel stove years ago it was expensive and crap, I hasten to add that it was not a Refleks. In fairness though tongue in cheek much of your wish list previously makes for a comfy boat. Mine isnt a hobby boat so I dont have an ancient engine and I do have mods cons as I am not called Fred Flintstone. In my opinion though there is nowt wrong with a hobby boat but they make life hard if you liveaboard 24/7 365.

[Fly Navy]

Alan - absolutely, didn't want the entire list regurgitated.

 

But here's more:

 

Ebersplutter/Webasto.

4 plus 1 battery bank

double alternators.

split charge relay

LPG changeover valve

 

Another cracker 4-50 thank you.

[Bee]

I am sure we all have our lists of what we would really like but when I walk past a long line of moored boats I get a bit bored by the sameness of them, and then there is sometimes something that makes me stop and look, usually half an old joey boat with patches riveted all over it, a half decent counter and a wooden top. It makes me start planning and I want to go and get the tools out of the shed and start work right away.  (might frighten the owner though)

[Nightwatch]

 I my current favourite is a Dave Clarke hull fitted out by Bromsgrove Boats.

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, Nightwatch said:

 I my current favourite is a Dave Clarke hull fitted out by Bromsgrove Boats.

Bloody good band innitt!! ?