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Concerning the Luck of a Gravy Boater


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Okay here's my situation.

 

I eventually sold my house early in March and moved in with my sister and her family on the understanding that I was buying a boat to liveaboard and would be gone in a few weeks.  I had already been looking at boats for months.  I put a (non-refundable) deposit on a boat a few days before the lockdown was announced and paid out for the full survey.  So far I'm about £1500 down.

 

As the lockdown hit the marina that owns the boat closed for business and the sale was put on hold.  I wasn't too bothered about this as the boat needed some work that the seller had agreed to do at their expense and this would take time.  The boat is also long overdue for blacking and needs the completely perished anodes replaced.  Other than this the hull is in great condition for its age, although there is no galvanic isolator and as far as I know it has been sat in a marina for at least six months.

 

The marina has since completed all remedial work on the boat and it looks like they are going to open on Wednesday, although I have not heard from them yet.  My quandry is that I will not purchase this boat until I have inspected the work done and are able to move out onto the cut as a liveaboard.  I also have the issue of needing to get the blacking and anodes done.  Ideally I also need to let a locksmith and an electrician do some work as soon as possible.

 

Technically, the marina could say that the boat is now ready for sale and require me to either buy now or lose the deposit, but if I were to buy and the lockdown was reimposed it could be trapped at the marina with them asking for mooring fees while the boat rotted away for an indeterminate length of time, with my only choice being to pay them to do the required maintenance work at rates that are well above average.

 

I have a fairly good relationship with my sister but the house is crowded.  In moving, I would — from my point of view — be moving to my home address and avoiding potential damage to a relationship.  However, I also have all these risks with the sale and potentially finding it hard to get necessary work done at a reasonable price anytime soon (if I cannot get out on the cut as a liveaboard and move to a boatyard with competative prices).

 

Ultimately I may decide to just accept the financial hit and let this one go... but what would you do in my shoes?

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 If it is the boat you want, take it on.  Move to just outside the marina as soon as you have the keys.  You can then arrange to have your work done in the marina, or elsewhere.  Even in lockdown you can move to services etc.

 

If the hull is in "great condition for its age" it will not become a disaster area in 6 months or so, even with Knackered anodes and no blacking.

N

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You have cash,, other people desperately need your cash.

You dont need to worry, negotiate on your terms.  make sure you are having things done your way.

Sounds as though you do not trust the marina or whatever. You might be correct [85% of the time], you may be wrong [ie  no one is screwing you].Buying anything is a risk. £1500 is fluff!

Is the boat out of th water.

Have you had it surveyed or did someone tell you it is a good hull?

 

Edited by LadyG
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6 minutes ago, LadyG said:

You have cash,, other people desperately need your cash.

You dont need to worry, negotiate on your terms.  make sure you are having things done your way.

Sounds as though you do not trust the marina or whatever. You might be correct [85% of the time], you may be wrong, no one is screwing you, buying anything is a risk. £1500 is fluff!

 

 

5 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

If u want it buy it and move it. Blacking etc is a nowt job. 

 

I have brought LadyG and MrSmelly together on an issue... my work here is done.  ;) 

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4 minutes ago, The Gravy Boater said:

 

 

I have brought LadyG and MrSmelly together on an issue... my work here is done.  ;) 

Not at all, Tim is a well respected boater, and I am not, we all agree on that! ?

Edited by LadyG
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7 minutes ago, Slim said:

Well, he's a boater.

One who isn't girlie enough to have anyone whatsoever on ignore. I can deal with all comers at any time in any situation. 

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17 minutes ago, Slim said:

I'm not too clear as to what work is so urgent. Blacking? a few months not That critical. Depleted anodes? You can always hang a few overboard bonded to the hull with a bit of wire or chain. Galvanic isolator, no big deal if not on shorepower or in a marina. Others may shoot me down but I think you're overthinking the issues. 

You are right regarding the isolator... it would only be an issue if I bought the boat and was trapped in the marina as a liveaboard... in which case I could buy one.  It's also not going to happen... I'd rather be homeless than live in a marina with all those curtain twitchers living cheek by jowl. ;)

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1 minute ago, The Gravy Boater said:

You are right regarding the isolator... it would only be an issue if I bought the boat and was trapped in the marina as a liveaboard... in which case I could buy one.  It's also not going to happen... I'd rather be homeless than live in a marina with all those curtain twitchers living cheek by jowl. ;)

Most marinas have quite a low percentage of live aboards and most of them can be very helpful to a new boater

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3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Most marinas have quite a low percentage of live aboards and most of them can be very helpful to a new boater

True. Whilst marina living is not for me I have done a little when needs must. The better marinas will put a liveaboards in a situation where the boats either side etc are hobby boats so not on board all the time. Barton turns for one do that and it's a nice place. 

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I'm surprised that everyone so far is sympathetic to my situation, I guess however remarkable the times are you can all relate to the issues.  Given all the recent threads I was waiting for someone to say that I shouldn't be doing this at this time because it's moving home 'unnecessarily'.  Seems like the debate has moved on.

 

There is a waterpoint and elsan pretty near to the marina and it is a rural location, so actually my main worry now is power generation as the boat is not set up as a liveaboard and I cannot cruise to charge the batteries.  I had planned to get a solar install done ASAP and new batteries come the winter, but this will be the priority now.  Hopefully movement restrictions will be eased further so I'm able to move to a decent boatyard and get the rest of the stuff done ASAP.  

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You don't need to actually cruise to charge he batteries - just run the engine. Something like 1200 revs to start with, tailing off as the batts become more charged. Don't forget the 8:00 p.m. to 8 a.m. no-running-engines rule.

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30 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

One who isn't girlie enough to have anyone whatsoever on ignore. I can deal with all comers at any time in any situation. 

Incompetent, yes. Girlie, no. I thought I put you on ignore but given that I read your comment I obviously didn't. Your balls are big but your brains are small. I can resort to on line insults but have never before found it necessary. 

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27 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

True. Whilst marina living is not for me I have done a little when needs must. The better marinas will put a liveaboards in a situation where the boats either side etc are hobby boats so not on board all the time. Barton turns for one do that and it's a nice place. 

As they do where we moor, the boat next door to us is liveaboard, we are hobby boaters.

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9 minutes ago, The Gravy Boater said:

I'm surprised that everyone so far is sympathetic to my situation, I guess however remarkable the times are you can all relate to the issues.  Given all the recent threads I was waiting for someone to say that I shouldn't be doing this at this time because it's moving home 'unnecessarily'.  Seems like the debate has moved on.

 

There is a waterpoint and elsan pretty near to the marina and it is a rural location, so actually my main worry now is power generation as the boat is not set up as a liveaboard and I cannot cruise to charge the batteries.  I had planned to get a solar install done ASAP and new batteries come the winter, but this will be the priority now.  Hopefully movement restrictions will be eased further so I'm able to move to a decent boatyard and get the rest of the stuff done ASAP.  

In some instances one needs to spend a little money that is not a good investment. A smallish petrol generator and an isolated spot might be your way forward.

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2 minutes ago, Col_T said:

You don't need to actually cruise to charge he batteries - just run the engine. Something like 1200 revs to start with, tailing off as the batts become more charged. Don't forget the 8:00 p.m. to 8 a.m. no-running-engines rule.

Thanks.  I know the whole thing about it being damaging to the engine if not under load is not really true with newer engines.  Perhaps it being the only source of power with no backup is the main worry, but hopefully I can find an electrician soon enough.  The electrics on the boat are of the 'add more stuff when stuff breaks' variety so it's going to take a while to clean up the install.

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1 minute ago, Slim said:

In some instances one needs to spend a little money that is not a good investment. A smallish petrol generator and an isolated spot might be your way forward.

I have thought about getting one of those Honda LPG generators second hand.  I'd probably end up selling it on once everything else is up to spec.

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1 minute ago, The Gravy Boater said:

I have thought about getting one of those Honda LPG generators second hand.  I'd probably end up selling it on once everything else is up to spec.

You will be lucky to live on solar in the winter months so it may pay you to keep it

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35 minutes ago, The Gravy Boater said:

I have thought about getting one of those Honda LPG generators second hand.  I'd probably end up selling it on once everything else is up to spec.

Buy a boat first, I will sell you mine, warts and al.but only if you hand over £66K in used £10 notes in Tesco bags

Edited by LadyG
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3 minutes ago, The Gravy Boater said:

I have thought about getting one of those Honda LPG generators second hand.  I'd probably end up selling it on once everything else is up to spec.

Medium term an LPG generator might be a way to go. Short term petrol might be better. A gallon petrol can is lighter to cart down the towpath than a 25 -30 kg gas cylinder.

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