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Purchasing an Ex Hire Boat, whats your view?


huami

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So, I have been given some very positive reviews on purchasing ex hire boats. Normally I would personally stay clear of ex (anythings!) but on reflection I can see and understand the logic of looking to purchase an ex hire boat. 
Why you may ask? .... Because hire companies need to keep their fleet in top condition as they don't want problems when a boat is out on hire for someones holiday. As far as I have understood they will check and service their engines far better and more often than a private individual. They also tend to repair all and everything immediately in readiness for their next customer. 
I wonder if anyone (other than the person who advised me to look at ex hire boats) could give me their views? Positive or Negative, I would like to find out more.

 

Thanking you all in anticipation .... Neil 

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9 minutes ago, Gayzingalone said:

So, I have been given some very positive reviews on purchasing ex hire boats. Normally I would personally stay clear of ex (anythings!) but on reflection I can see and understand the logic of looking to purchase an ex hire boat. 
Why you may ask? .... Because hire companies need to keep their fleet in top condition as they don't want problems when a boat is out on hire for someones holiday. As far as I have understood they will check and service their engines far better and more often than a private individual. They also tend to repair all and everything immediately in readiness for their next customer. 
I wonder if anyone (other than the person who advised me to look at ex hire boats) could give me their views? Positive or Negative, I would like to find out more.

 

Thanking you all in anticipation .... Neil 

It can be a very good idea, designed to be robust and easy to service and as you suggest well maintained,  buy from for example Black Prince and you can negotiate a respray and other odds and sods, worth considering 

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We brought our boat, just about a year ago, directly out of a hire fleet.  She was an ex-ABC Goose (Bean Goose to be precise but we soon changed that!).  14 years old, 69 foot long, fully maintained and we paid £40k for her.  The surveyor was very happy, and commented on the amount of boat for our money, he did find some things that needed doing, but nothing major, or concerning.  As you say, there are clear advantages that you have already listed, and I agree with. Keep in mind, the fit is functional and hard wearing, on most hire boats (think Ikea), but for us this was an advantage, it has enabled us to personalise the boat, rip out a few bits and change the layout (again nothing major) without thinking well that’s a waste of someone else’s effort, so definitely a blank canvas approach is required.  One disadvantage, depending on your timing, and I recall from another post that you might be flexible, is that they tend to advertise them for sale at the beginning of their last season in the fleet, and then release them at the end of the same season.  So this means looking in April, but not taking delivery until October.  If you look at ABC boat sales now, there are a few left, they listed about 18 this year, but probably these are the scruffy ones that others have passed over in favour of something a little more tidy...

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3 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

It can be a very good idea, designed to be robust and easy to service and as you suggest well maintained,  buy from for example Black Prince and you can negotiate a respray and other odds and sods, worth considering 

Hi tree monkey .... Thanks for your reply. Spooky! ..... Both the other friends who mentioned about looking at an ex hire boat mentioned the same firm "Black Prince" ....... Do you know where they are and do they have a website?

Thanks Neil

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6 minutes ago, The Dreamer said:

We brought our boat, just about a year ago, directly out of a hire fleet.  She was an ex-ABC Goose (Bean Goose to be precise but we soon changed that!).  14 years old, 69 foot long, fully maintained and we paid £40k for her.  The surveyor was very happy, and commented on the amount of boat for our money,

Hi Dreamer ..... Thanks for saying hello .... It sounds like a fair comment.

Have a lovely day ... Neil

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5 minutes ago, Gayzingalone said:

Hi Dreamer ..... Thanks for saying hello .... It sounds like a fair comment.

Have a lovely day ... Neil

No worries.  It worth noting that ABC sell for private owners too, so look for the bright yellow (with Viking names), or the red and green ones (with double barrel bird names).  At the moment they are also selling a few for a hire firm called Valley Cruisers, who recently went bust...

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Hi Neil,

It depends to a large extent on what type of boat your looking for, you won't find a trad ex-hire boat.

For me, my main consideration would be, does the ex-hire boat give me the layout I think I want, does it have the character and style that tells me this is my boat, irrespective of the layout, I thought I wanted!

I would agree with the principle that Hire boats will be well maintained, but they need to be, as they will probably clock up more hours actually being driven than most private boats. It is also reasonable to say that some of the hirers wont have driven the boat with the care a private boater tends to take for their beloved, most can all testify to this. 

 

I  personally would not be put off because the  boat was an ex-hire boat, if it ticked all the boxes for me, however, when buying a boat privately or through a brokerage  you can often arrange to meet or have a dialogue with previous owner, from which you can form an opinion on how the boat has been looked after, this would not be as relevant in buying an ex-hire boat, they may do the maintenance, but not the driving.

 

Very best of luck in finding the "One"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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7 minutes ago, Glynn said:

Ive seen too many of them smashes into stone walls & bridge holes and sunk in locks.

Whereas privately owened boats tend to fend of the wall or bridge by finding a suitably placed fibreglass gin palace, at least that’s what one video, posted on these parts, recently showed!

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11 minutes ago, Glynn said:

I wouldnt buy one ( personal choice)

Ive seen too many of them smashes into stone walls & bridge holes and sunk in locks.

And still survive. I have friends who do own them and who have owned them, the after sales service from Black Price seems especially good from their comments

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12 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If it is the 'business' selling them they will have to charge VAT, so, just ask the question is the price inclusive of VAT or is VAT to be added.

Invariably you are actually buying the boat off of the sponsor, who is in most cases a private investor and is unlikely to be VAT registered.  In which case they will have not claimed the VAT back at purchase, so nothing is owed to HMRC.  However, even where they are VAT registered, or if the boat is owned directly by the hire company, law states that where it is a reasonable assumption that the end buyer will be the consumer, rather than a business, prices must be displayed VAT inclusive...

Edited by The Dreamer
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3 minutes ago, The Dreamer said:

law states that where it is a reasonable assumption that the end buyer will be the consumer, rather than a business, prices must be displayed VAT inclusive...

You are so trusting.

 

I would suggest that the majority of hire boats are 'owned' by the business and few are simply sponsored boats.

 

The Black Prince boats clearly say INC VAT, others are not so clear about it.

 

I was simply highlighting a 'check' he can do when talking to the vendors.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You are so trusting.

 

I would suggest that the majority of hire boats are 'owned' by the business and few are simply sponsored boats.

.

I would suggest that it may be vice versa. When Valley Cruises were recently wound up, it was stated they owned only three of their 14 boats. The rest were sponsored.

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1 hour ago, Fender151 said:

 

It depends to a large extent on what type of boat your looking for, you won't find a trad ex-hire boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may, but they are less common than cruiser-stern ones.

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1 minute ago, Athy said:

I would suggest that it may be vice versa. When Valley Cruises were recently wound up, it was stated they owned only three of their 14 boats. The rest were sponsored.

Yes I'm sure that many of the boats operated by the smaller hire companies are sponsored but that is simply as a way to 'look bigger' and ease the financial situation - it is normally these companies (operating on a shoestring) that go bust - as highlighted by Valley Cruisers.

 

I would suggest that the major players are, in the main, 'owner-operators'

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The only thing with hire boats for a single gay bloke is that they tend to have a lot of bedrooms and not that much living space (the boats, I mean!). Which may not suit you. Then again, if you have lots of relatives in UK and or like a party, maybe it would suit.

 

When Jeff and I bought our boat, it was to be just for us so just the one bed, and lots of big open space in the living area. Well unfortunately we ended up with a dinette that can make into an occasional bed so we do have to tolerate guests from time to time!

 

Also as said, the type of stern may be limiting. Most hire boats have cruiser sterns, great sociable area for several people whilst cruising. Not so good in the winter when you are exposed to whatever the weather chucks at you. We went for a trad stern which is not only great for winter cruising but also ensures that there is only room for the 2 of us at the back!

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You don't say what use you will put it to, but the fit-out on hire boats tends to be robust but inelegant. Hire boats are seldom fitted for winter use, so if you wish to live on it you'd probably have to do something about the insulation and heating. Also cooking etc facilities tend to be simplistic and may require upgrading for longer-term use.

 

Tam

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8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I would suggest that the major players are, in the main, 'owner-operators'

Fair to say none of us know for sure, but we bought our ex-ABC from its sponsor, and looked at two others from their fleets, that were also sponsored boats...

Edited by The Dreamer
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2 hours ago, Fender151 said:

Hi Neil,

It depends to a large extent on what type of boat your looking for, you won't find a trad ex-hire boat.

For me, my main consideration would be, does the ex-hire boat give me the layout I think I want, does it have the character and style that tells me this is my boat, irrespective of the layout, I thought I wanted!

I would agree with the principle that Hire boats will be well maintained, but they need to be, as they will probably clock up more hours actually being driven than most private boats. It is also reasonable to say that some of the hirers wont have driven the boat with the care a private boater tends to take for their beloved, most can all testify to this. 

 

I  personally would not be put off because the  boat was an ex-hire boat, if it ticked all the boxes for me, however, when buying a boat privately or through a brokerage  you can often arrange to meet or have a dialogue with previous owner, from which you can form an opinion on how the boat has been looked after, this would not be as relevant in buying an ex-hire boat, they may do the maintenance, but not the driving.

 

Very best of luck in finding the "One"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmm. Our "Ex-Hire" boat :-

 

566653589_Helvetiatrip2015014.jpg.b2421aeba825367832199a90513509c1.jpg

 

 

 

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