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Considering a boat that has had 5 years without blacking and has no sellers survey

Piran

By Piran
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Piran Engager

Piran

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I have been to see a boat that I really like and would superficially would really suit me. However, it hasn't been blacked since 2015, doesn't come with a sellers survey and the history of the hull has not been provided. Should this be an instant write off or should it still be considered for a survey? 

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nicknorman Veteran II

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You don't mention the age of the boat. If the boat was built and blacked in 2015 then it probably isn't a problem, becoming more of a problem if the boat is older.

What type of blacking did it have? If 2-pack then it should easily last more than 5 years.

Seller's survey not really worth anything.

Why not have a close look yourself and preferably take along a friend who knows what to look for.

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nicknorman Veteran II

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So 30 years old but a good builder. I don't think I would necessarily put too much concern into the lack of blacking since 2015. If the boat hasn't been used much and the blacking was done well, it could be fine. What does it look like around the water line?

 

Any 30 year old boat carries some risk of serious corrosion, damage may or may not have accumulated in the 25 years before it was blacked in 2015. If it was well looked after until 2015 it will likely be fine.

 

Put it this way, you could look at another boat that had been blacked in 2019 ...  but previously left to rust for many years and newly blacked to cover up all the corrosion!

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RichM Experienced

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If it's priced accordingly, i.e. to factor in the lack of maintenance then I wouldn't necessarily discount it if it otherwise ticks all your boxes, but I would definitely have a survey done. If any issues are highlighted during the survey, you can potentially use it as a negotiating point to bring the price down. 

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Piran Engager

Piran

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Thanks @nicknorman,   The water line doesn't look amazing but its hard to tell. Its been in full use as a continuous cruiser for liveaboards in London until the last few months - so has been used consistently over the last 5 years. 

 

Here is the advert with a couple of pictures...

 

https://www.tingdeneboatsales.net/boat-spec.php?BoatID=7549140

 

 

Just to note I would be offering well below the asking price if I was to make an offer and take it to survey. 

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PD1964 Experienced

PD1964

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Why should it come with a sellers survey? I would never trust a sellers survey unless I personally knew the Survey and could ask him about it. Please see this Post for an example of not having a survey on a 30 year old boat and taking the sellers survey as legit. At least it’s not a Spinger though.

 

Edited by PD1964
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Piran Engager

Piran

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Yeah, I would never buy without a full survey ! I am just trying to work out if its worth the risk to spend money surveying this one... A sellers survey just would of been useful to give me some indication as to whether I should bother doing my own

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WotEver Veteran II

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5 minutes ago, Piran said:

Yeah, I would never buy without a full survey ! I am just trying to work out if its worth the risk to spend money surveying this one... A sellers survey just would of been useful to give me some indication as to whether I should bother doing my own

The trouble is, at your price point you’re going to have a similar worry with any boat. 

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GUMPY Veteran II

GUMPYDonate to Canal World

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11 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

Only 2 photos of the exterior and none of the interior. Are they seriously trying to sell that boat?

Click on one of the pictures and you can then scroll through them.

No more than £25k IMO

If memory serves me in its early years it used to be based at Cowroast on the GU

Edited by Loddon
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nicknorman Veteran II

nicknormanDonate to Canal World

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6 minutes ago, Piran said:

Yeah, I would never buy without a full survey ! I am just trying to work out if its worth the risk to spend money surveying this one... A sellers survey just would of been useful to give me some indication as to whether I should bother doing my own

To be honest it seems reasonably well equipped for live aboard. If it has been out continuously cruising then at least it hasn’t been plugged into shore power in recent years with the consequent risk of electrolytic corrosion.

 

Against is that kitchen and bathroom are pretty dated and the saloon area isn’t really “fitted out” - obviously it is a lot cheaper to give a boat a basic fit out that relies on freestanding furniture. Some people like that however (not me!).

 

It probably is worth a punt but as I said, you might get some idea by a having a close look at the waterline. As to what it’s worth, no idea but you are London way which adds a %.

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Machpoint005 Veteran II

Machpoint005

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The only thing that leaps out at me is the water tank capacity - 550 litres seems small, especially for a liveaboard, but perhaps my boat happens to have an unusually big water tank (I should know, I've been inside it enough times recently!). Apart from that it does look quite a nice 'blank canvas' sort of boat, and it was re-engined in 2010. I agree its not worth the asking price, but if the OP is really taken with the boat they might make a silly offer "subject to survey" and see what the reaction is. It costs nothing to start the dialogue. 

 

If it's worth £30k to the OP, who are we to say it isn't? We are (presumably) not talking about a long-term investment here (ie it will lose value over time anyway), and any boat comes with its own set of problems which you don't find out about until later.

 

Edited by Machpoint005
sp and footnote
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enigmatic Rising Star

enigmatic

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I'm no expert but have looked at this boat recently (not remotely interested: I'd wanted to see something else at that marina).

 

Quite a lot of rust just above the waterline which might be superficial, but might not. Maybe people on here with better knowledge than me can infer more from my photo than the broker's. 

spacer.png

 

Superficial rust on the stern deck, but underneath looked better than I thought it would

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7k recorded hours on the engine, so if it was retrofitted in 2010 it must have been fairly regularly used. Stove looked newish and the solar installation substantial, but most of the rest of the fit is original, or stripped out. The interior is basically the beginnings of a DIY project (that can actually be lived in and cook food etc) but I'm guessing that's what you like about it.

 

Pricey for what it is though, even if a surveyor thinks the condition's great

 

 

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Bee Veteran

Bee

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You do need a hull survey.  30 years ago I didn't have grey hair, I still chased women (didn't catch many) could drink several pints and still talk sense - well I thought so and was fairly cheerful. The deterioration over 30 years has been alarming. If I had a steel bottom 30 years ago it would be giving me all sorts of problems now despite fairly regular maintanance.

  • Haha 4
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Richard10002 Veteran II

Richard10002

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2 hours ago, Piran said:

Just to add a bit more info the anodes weren't replaced when she was last out the water in 2015 and she was blacked with bitumen... 

 

 

The hull/waterline looks like my boat, (45ft Cruiser Stern), did just before it was lifted for blacking a year ago, (bit of surface rust, easily treated with a jet wash and some Vactan. The engine space looks much better than mine did before I derusted it and painted it a couple of years ago. The internals look just like my, (built 2000), boat in terms of finish and datedness, (is that a word?).

 

Mine was valued by our surveyor at £26,000 in 2011.

 

If it were around £25,000, (maybe up to £30,000 if it's the only boat that has given you "the feeling"), I'd be offering and having a survey.

 

It's very easy for someone to say that a bit of rust in a photo could be catastrophic, (and it definitely could!!), but if you have looked at the boat, and given it a tap and a feel, you will have a sense of whether it is serious or superficial.

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enigmatic Rising Star

enigmatic

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Continuing the theme of sharing rusty hull photos, any opinions on this one? Asking mainly because I was surprised considering the paintwork and [trad] engine bay are in good condition. ~15year old boat, reputable builder, apparently blacked in 2017

 

spacer.png

 

Light rust on bumps and scrapes not too concerning, more questioning the waterline. And yes, I know the correct answer if I decide to get either boat is to get a survey :D 

 

 

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