Potentially sensible or just plain stupid?

[selbstdarstellung]

Hello happy and lovely and experienced boating people,

 

I've been saving to buy a boat for over a year now, have half the asking price for this one in cash & able to comfortably borrow the rest: https://www.apolloduck.com/boat/springer-47-cruiser-stern/649013 

 

But does a 70s Springer in this price bracket have any hope of running relatively smoothly as a liveaboard or is it almost certain to be a complete disaster (as I fear it may be, despite its charming interior)? I can't shake the feeling that buying this might be a terrible mistake... 

 

Any and all input very gratefully received -

 

Cheers,

 

Gabriel  

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

7 minutes ago, selbstdarstellung said:

Any and all input very gratefully received -

For a little more you could buy a boat which will be far less trouble.

a 70's Springer is probably going to need huge amounts spending on it in the next few years (if not already)

 

Keep your hands in your pockets, turn around and walk smartly away.

 

Another thread in a similar vein (everyone seems to be clearing out the scrap-cupboard)

 

 

Edited November 14, 2020 by Alan de Enfield

[wandering snail]

GET A SURVEY!!

[dmr]

Baots, like life, are a statistical process and all you can do is tip the odds in your favour.

 

Its likely that this boat is no good, but that's very far from certain, there are a small number of Springers about in very good condition.

 

Springers are all boats and were made of thinnish steel, because they are old and cheap a lot get owned by people, often liveaboards, who don't have the funds or desire to maintain them well, hence they have a bad reputation.

The tidy engine bay is a good sign, but might be a recent cover-up job.

£30,000 is a bit high for a little Springer so its either over priced or a good one. Have a look and take somebody with you who knows about boats (and ideally Springers), if its good and you like it make an offer subject to survey and get your own survey done.

 

..............Dave

1 minute ago, dmr said:

Baots, like life, are a statistical process and all you can do is tip the odds in your favour.

 

Its likely that this boat is no good, but that's very far from certain, there are a small number of Springers about in very good condition.

 

Springers are all boats and were made of thinnish steel, because they are old and cheap a lot get owned by people, often liveaboards, who don't have the funds or desire to maintain them well, hence they have a bad reputation.

The tidy engine bay is a good sign, but might be a recent cover-up job.

£30,000 is a bit high for a little Springer so its either over priced or a good one. Have a look and take somebody with you who knows about boats (and ideally Springers), if its good and you like it make an offer subject to survey and get your own survey done.

 

..............Dave

Actually £30,000 is probably very high, even in the current boat buying boom, but if its in really good condition it might be worth it. A good survey is essential.

Edited November 14, 2020 by dmr

[Slim]

Bl**dy hell ! Is that the going price for a 46 year old 47'  Springer? 

 

Walk away.

[Tony Brooks]

Seems to be indirect raw water (heat exchanger) cooled so not a choice I would make for canal use but a few on here like them.

[mrsmelly]

To my mind 30k for any springer is an eye watering amount. You can buy a lovely sub 15 year old good builder with every mod con full length for 50k needing nothing with good engine, spec and fit out. Yes that's 20k more but five times better boat. 30k will also buy a solid older boat of a good builder in good order. 

[Athy]

18 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

The tidy engine bay is a good sign, but might be a recent cover-up job.

£30,000 is a bit high for a little Springer 

Or a recent engine - it won't be the original engine.

I'm not sure I'd call 47 feet "little", but I would call the price "big".

[Richard T]

It looks like its priced for the London market. Try looking at brokers in the midlands there boats for less Braunston have a Doug Moore boat for 26000 which is far better. There will be others if you look.

[zenataomm]

Don't be fooled by The Weasley words  used in the emotional prose ....... 5 years of looking after her ...... the space nice and light ......... keeping you nice and warm throughout the night ....... great for breakfast on a sunny morning .........  slowly making her way back into London.  None of which is quantifiable let alone relevant.

 

£30K is a lot of money for a 70s boat and an excessive amount for a Springer.

[Captain Pegg]

5 hours ago, Richard T said:

It looks like its priced for the London market. Try looking at brokers in the midlands there boats for less Braunston have a Doug Moore boat for 26000 which is far better. There will be others if you look.

Nice boat but according to the ad it “requires full overplate“ which knowing the boat doesn’t surprise me. It spent the best part of a couple of years in Droitwich and those grey chairs pictured in the well deck were donated from Vulpes’ cabin. I was a bit surprised to see it turn up at Braunston on brokerage only a week after I’d seen it at Hanbury Wharf.

 

I’d still sooner buy it than the Springer though.

[Murflynn]

9 hours ago, zenataomm said:

Don't be fooled by The Weasley words  used in the emotional prose ....... 5 years of looking after her ...... the space nice and light ......... keeping you nice and warm throughout the night ....... great for breakfast on a sunny morning .........  slowly making her way back into London.  None of which is quantifiable let alone relevant.

 

£30K is a lot of money for a 70s boat and an excessive amount for a Springer.

'tis all about "living the dream" innit?

 

shame when reality kicks in    

[LadyG]

15 hours ago, wandering snail said:

GET A SURVEY!!

WALK AWAY!!!

Edited November 15, 2020 by LadyG

[Bee]

£30k will buy you a boat that will potentially take you round the world, it will give you a lot of cruisers and small barges in, for example, Holland, that have much more potential or, apparently, an elderly Springer. Old boats from an 'entry level' builder (horrible phrase) have a maximum value and the asking price for this is about 10k too much. Sorry, I would keep on looking. 

[Sea Dog]

18 hours ago, selbstdarstellung said:

Hello happy and lovely and experienced boating people,

See, there's already a problem here:

 

You're only asking about 10% of your readership!

 

[twbm]

No mention of it being out of the water in recent times, no survey, and I'm not sure what 'refurbishing the bilge' means. Blacked every two years could mean just down to the waterline.

To be fair the interior is not unpleasant, but if it's all held up by wafer thin steel it's only a matter of time until it's a derelict. Even if it 's OK it's not worth £30k.  

If you must pursue it, insist on an out-of-water full survey.    

[dor]

Way overpriced.  Looking carefully at the photos, it would appear to have a load of white paint splashed about to try and cover up the poor quality of the interior.  Note bits of wood falling off!

A load of bullshit description trying to make it look the dream, but will more likely turn out to be a nightmare.

 But hey, that’s just my opinion.

 My advice, for what it’s worth, is to go to the midlands/ north west, where you should be able to find a half decent boat fo £30K.

[Alan de Enfield]

20 minutes ago, dor said:

My advice, for what it’s worth, is to go to the midlands/ north west, where you should be able to find a half decent boat fo £30K.

According to one very frequent poster, the North East is the place to go for cheap narrowboats and cheap marina moorings.

[Laurie Booth]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

See, there's already a problem here:

 

You're only asking about 10% of your readership!

 

As many as that

 

[noone]

A friend of mine has a 48ft 80's Springer that was "over-plated to a high standard" in 2000.He paid £28k 10 years ago,which I considered a high price back then!.If it is original steel,don't walk away...RUN!.?

Best advice is what other have suggested,look further North.They are cheaper up here,and if you live in the south,you will get to know your boat on the journey home!!?

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

According to one very frequent poster, the North East is the place to go for cheap narrowboats and cheap marina moorings.

I don't know if I post more frequently than your good self, but I did advise a trip up north, to The Midlands.

[Alan de Enfield]

You repeatedly say "North East" despite having explained to you that the Chesterfield canal & Retford is not in the North East, they are in the East Midlands

 

 

"The town of Retford is located within the county of Nottinghamshire. Retford is situated in the East Midlands (England) region of the UK and is governed by Bassetlaw, council. The town of Retford is in the North Nottinghamshire region ......................"

 

Teeside and Durham is in the North East (ask Dominic)

 

Maybe you could list the canals in the 'North east' ?

 

Is this not one of your postings ?

 

"There are wide canals up here in t'north east, and lots of folks here have proper motor boats, so , if he finds one ............"

[LadyG]

39 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You repeatedly say "North East" despite having explained to you that the Chesterfield canal & Retford is not in the North East, they are in the East Midlands

 

 

"The town of Retford is located within the county of Nottinghamshire. Retford is situated in the East Midlands (England) region of the UK and is governed by Bassetlaw, council. The town of Retford is in the North Nottinghamshire region ......................"

 

Teeside and Durham is in the North East (ask Dominic)

 

Maybe you could list the canals in the 'North east' ?

 

Is this not one of your postings ?

 

"There are wide canals up here in t'north east, and lots of folks here have proper motor boats, so , if he finds one ............"

Other views are available, I used to spend my hols in The Midlands  ie Birmingham

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/yorkshire-and-north-east

see map

PS I don't think anyone will find any wide boats on the Chesterfield, I am thinking of canals north of the Chesterfield ie the wide canals, where wider boats are ideal, probably east of the pennines but definately north of Retford., north of Nottingham, and north of Watford Services 

?

Edited November 15, 2020 by LadyG
Last word

[Murflynn]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You repeatedly say "North East" despite having explained to you that the Chesterfield canal & Retford is not in the North East, they are in the East Midlands

 

 

"The town of Retford is located within the county of Nottinghamshire. Retford is situated in the East Midlands (England) region of the UK and is governed by Bassetlaw, council. The town of Retford is in the North Nottinghamshire region ......................"

 

Teeside and Durham is in the North East (ask Dominic)

 

Maybe you could list the canals in the 'North east' ?

 

Is this not one of your postings ?

 

"There are wide canals up here in t'north east, and lots of folks here have proper motor boats, so , if he finds one ............"

nah!

 

everybody knows that the North is anything beyond Hatfield, as per the infamous road sign on the A1 "Hatfield and the North".   So the Northeast is obv anything to the right of the A1 as you drive away from the Smoke.  Places like Grantham, Lincoln, etc.

 

Durham is way beyond the pale - furrin kind of place.    Ask George gently.    

 

 

 

 

PS : perhaps madam still thinks Kansas-style even though she insists she isn't there any more.    She used to be in a place called Pitlockry, that AFAIK is only the name of a small neighbourhood in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina.  Of course I may be mistaken 'cos she's probably travelled the world far more than most of us during her 40 years of salty water sailing.  Or perhaps the good lady bases her travels on the inaccurate bumph published by Trip Advisor who think there is also a place in Bonnie Schottland by that name.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You repeatedly say "North East" despite having explained to you that the Chesterfield canal & Retford is not in the North East, they are in the East Midlands

 

 

"The town of Retford is located within the county of Nottinghamshire. Retford is situated in the East Midlands (England) region of the UK and is governed by Bassetlaw, council. The town of Retford is in the North Nottinghamshire region ......................"

 

Teeside and Durham is in the North East (ask Dominic)

 

Maybe you could list the canals in the 'North east' ?

 

Is this not one of your postings ?

 

"There are wide canals up here in t'north east, and lots of folks here have proper motor boats, so , if he finds one ............"

The Canal and River Trust refer to the likes of the Aire & Calder as the 'North East' waterways. Along with numerous other waterways.

 

Not because the majority are in the North East of England as such but rather because they are in the North East of the main connected system.

 

The one that is of course actually in the North East is the Tees and its barage. (Very few, if any boats for sale there though).

 

Edit - I see that they now have extended the region to include Yorkshire and its now 'Yorkshire and the North East'.

 

Edited November 15, 2020 by The Happy Nomad