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40ft 80,s springer for 17.5k.......help needed


Pablo Blanco

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I’ve been on the lookout for a cheap boat to use as a live aboard.....by cheap I mean 15k cheap

  Have come across a 40Ft springer built early 80,s with 
BMC 2.2 Commander 50hp that looks ancient to my untrained eye but has new starter, alternator pimp and injectors seller says.
  It only has 12v power but with three newish leisure batteries.

  7 year old boiler.

BSC till 2022 last survey 5 years ago by current owner........6mm plate down to 4.5 mill in places and needs some pitting welded up.

  Interior is probably best described as basic and very tired, really needs a complete rip out and start again I think but it is liveable at least until next spring/summer when i might have more clue on what I need to do to make the boat my own, if you know what I mean? 

   He wants 17.5 k

opinions and advice very much appreciated as I am a total newbie, totally green behind the ears where canal living Is concerned but I really do fancy trying it and the price is within my reach.

  Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

      Paul

  

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Not what you want to hear, but, at boat at that sort of age and that sort of price will not only swallow your budget buying it but will cost £1000's each year repairing it (+_don't forget you will need to licence it, insure it and probably pay for a mooring - another  £3,000 ?)

 

A survey will cost you approaching £1000

 

If you could get it for £10k and spend £5k making 'sea worthy' and safe it may be worth it. 

Remember the boat safety certificate is NOT considering your safety and is not considering the canal-worthiness of the boat, the BSSC simply looks to make sure it won't injure or kill any C&RT staff or passers by.

 

Recommend you keep saving a bit longer and buy a boat that is not going to need 'thousands' spent keeping it afloat. It is estimated that it costs around £5000 per year to run and maintain a 'good'boat'

 

 

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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50hp for a 40ft boat is enormous! The engine will never have had to work hard, at least.

 

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

It is estimated that it costs around £5000 per year to run and maintain a 'good'boat'

 

I'd agree with that figure, but it covers replacement of quite major components from time to time.

 

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It had only half a millimetre of steel left before its not insurable  5 years ago.

Chances are that it now needs a complete overplate which is very difficult and expensive on a Springer  of only 40 feet due to the extra wright.

Way too dear, sorry but don't consider it, it will eat your wallet.

The engine is a big monster, and an antique with spares supply dwindling.

Edited by Tracy D'arth
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So the survey said it needed some welding five years ago.

 

 Not going to be any better now, and going by the description, I doubt it has been blacked in that time either.

 

 Can you afford £1000 for a survey on top of everything else if it is already over your budget?

 

 Probably best to walk away, and consider if your budget really is enough to go boating safely.

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Just now, Tracy D'arth said:

It had only half a millimetre of steel left before its not insurable  5 years ago.

Chances are that it now needs a complete overplate which is very difficult and expensive on a Springer  of only 30 feet due to the extra wright.

Way too dear, sorry but don't consider it, it will eat your wallet.

Our Mike Sivewright 30' was completely overplated. Haven't needed a periscope, yet

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Your right, it’s not what I really wanted to hear but I am so glad I have.

   Thanks for the advice, I will give this one a miss and keep looking.

   It’s me only living on it and I am a maintenance engineer so happy to do whatever is needed including welding but I don’t want to buy a money bucket and end up regretting ever trying canal life.

  

  • Greenie 4
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Way overpriced. Oversize engine. Unlikely to have been 6mm plate in the first place, and verging on uninsurable 5 years ago. 5 year old survey is worthless. Tired interior that needs completely ripping out and replacing.

 

What on earth attracted you to this boat in the first place?

 

WalkRun away!

 

 

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Too much corrosion.Overplating costs in excess of £100 per foot + lift out/in 

.It sounds like it would be a heart breaking money pit.

Even if you got it for £5000 it would still turn out to be an expensive boat,which because it's an old Springer,you will not get your money back when you sell.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Pablo Blanco said:

Your right, it’s not what I really wanted to hear but I am so glad I have.

   Thanks for the advice, I will give this one a miss and keep looking.

   It’s me only living on it and I am a maintenance engineer so happy to do whatever is needed including welding but I don’t want to buy a money bucket and end up regretting ever trying canal life.

  

 

you know it makes sense - del boy | Meme Generator

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28 minutes ago, Pablo Blanco said:

BMC 2.2 Commander 50hp that looks ancient to my untrained eye but has new starter, alternator pimp and injectors seller says.

Unusual engine for a Springer. I wonder if it is the same one I boated on in the late 70's/early eighties. It had that engine, a blue boat, square stern and was called 'Billie' at that time. I would be surprised if it were still around but you never know!

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I think the 2.2 BMC are rare now. I found two lying in an old boatyard iirc in Guildford just before being skipped! and Richard P (where is he?) went to the yard and hoovered them up prob for spares. There were three 1.8 BMCs too, the bog standard ones.

Edited by mark99
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We've been working on one for the last few days, managed to get it started today as BobBeck did something to the pump they had previously reconditioned, but they said it was OK, and it works now.

On a 40 ft Springer, you can probably tow 2 water skiers.

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2 hours ago, Mike Adams said:

Unusual engine for a Springer. I wonder if it is the same one I boated on in the late 70's/early eighties. It had that engine, a blue boat, square stern and was called 'Billie' at that time. I would be surprised if it were still around but you never know!

Same name as its owner I seem to recall.

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3 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Its out of a BMC truck, Austin  FG  or an ancient JCB   Thornycroft marinized them as the Commander. 

Isn't it the 2,178cc London taxi engine? If so there should still be plenty of spare parts about.

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14 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Not what you want to hear, but, at boat at that sort of age and that sort of price will not only swallow your budget buying it but will cost £1000's each year repairing it (+_don't forget you will need to licence it, insure it and probably pay for a mooring - another  £3,000 ?)

 

A survey will cost you approaching £1000

 

If you could get it for £10k and spend £5k making 'sea worthy' and safe it may be worth it. 

Remember the boat safety certificate is NOT considering your safety and is not considering the canal-worthiness of the boat, the BSSC simply looks to make sure it won't injure or kill any C&RT staff or passers by.

 

Recommend you keep saving a bit longer and buy a boat that is not going to need 'thousands' spent keeping it afloat. It is estimated that it costs around £5000 per year to run and maintain a 'good'boat'

 

 

Can't argue with that. 'Entry level' (awful phrase) narrowboats are usually way overpriced. Nothing especially wrong with a Springer, I would be happy with one if it fitted my budget and needs but they were always budget boats to say the least and if you think that 17k represents a whole year of full time take home pay - very approx. - it is about twice as much as its worth by my pessimistic reckoning. How you would get it for that price though is a problem when the market dictates the value.

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14 hours ago, Pablo Blanco said:

Have come across a 40Ft springer built early 80,s

You may find this article of interest :

 

 

https://canalrivertrustwaterfront.org.uk/heritage/a-thrifty-beginning/

 

Sam Springer spotted the growing market for purpose-built live-aboard boats in the late 1960s when he was working as a steel fabricator making water tanks in Market Harborough, close to the Grand Union and River Welland. He decided to move into boat-building later claiming “I used to build water tanks, building boats is the same thing but in reverse”.

  • Greenie 1
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29 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

“I used to build water tanks, building boats is the same thing but in reverse”.

It's one of those bons mots which is so well known that I do hope it's true.

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10 hours ago, Athy said:

Isn't it the 2,178cc London taxi engine? If so there should still be plenty of spare parts about.

The FX4 taxi engine was 2.25 ltr, not the same.

It was a horrible engine in my opinion, the later 2.5 ltr was better.

These engines owe their heritage to Land Rover mainly whereas the 1.5, 1.8 and 2.2 were BMC/Leyland truck and bus engines

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15 hours ago, David Mack said:

Way overpriced. Oversize engine. Unlikely to have been 6mm plate in the first place, and verging on uninsurable 5 years ago. 5 year old survey is worthless. Tired interior that needs completely ripping out and replacing.

 

What on earth attracted you to this boat in the first place?

 

WalkRun away!

 

 

Why is it unlikely to have 6mm plate?

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