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Does it matter how old a boat is?


Brian 65

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I am at the moment looking for my first boat. Soooo many questions. Does it matter how old a boat is? I have seen narrow boats of all ages on here. What apart from a survey do you need to take into consideration when looking at the age of a boat?

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5 minutes ago, Brian 65 said:

I am at the moment looking for my first boat. Soooo many questions. Does it matter how old a boat is? I have seen narrow boats of all ages on here. What apart from a survey do you need to take into consideration when looking at the age of a boat?

Also when buying a boat, is there any benefit from using a brokerage?

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Obviously age is always a consideration, as is the way the boat has been looked after. A newer boat could be in a worse condition than an older one simply because the owner (s) have not looked after it. That said always get a survey especially if you do not know much about boats.

As for brokers there are good and bad, remember they are in business to sell boats so their first consideration is not the purchaser of the boat.

Good luck and do as much research as you can before committing any money.

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6 minutes ago, KenK said:

Obviously age is always a consideration, as is the way the boat has been looked after. A newer boat could be in a worse condition than an older one simply because the owner (s) have not looked after it. That said always get a survey especially if you do not know much about boats.

As for brokers there are good and bad, remember they are in business to sell boats so their first consideration is not the purchaser of the boat.

Good luck and do as much research as you can before committing any money.

Thank you

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The older the boat the more likely it is to have corrosion problems, a worn out engine and fading paintwork but there are still plenty of well looked after older boats out there. Also, older boats will have dated interiors and probably be less well appointed, if interiors matter to you. 

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32 minutes ago, Brian 65 said:

Also when buying a boat, is there any benefit from using a brokerage?

 

Yes, you get to pay the maximum the market will bear when buying from a broker ;) ... Brokers rarely sell bargains.

 

But yes there are advantages. You can usually arrange a viewing whenever you like, and a broker will usually help you with docking and a survey. Also, few brokers (except Whilton) will list total dogs so you can reasonably expect brokers only to offer you boats actually worth looking at. 

 

 

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4 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Yes, you get to pay the maximum the market will bear when buying from a broker ;) ... Brokers rarely sell bargains.

 

But yes there are advantages. You can usually arrange a viewing whenever you like, and a broker will usually help you with docking and a survey. Also, few brokers (except Whilton) will list total dogs so you can reasonably expect brokers only to offer you boats actually worth looking at. 

 

 

Thank you. It was just that there is a 1935 boat for sale that I have seen. Looks really nice.

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28 minutes ago, Brian 65 said:

Thank you. It was just that there is a 1935 boat for sale that I have seen. Looks really nice.

 

You're in a different ballpark once you go back beyond the first welded steel hull leisure boats of which very few pre-date the 70s. When folks say 'old' in relation to buying a narrow boat the assumption would likely generally be you mean 70s or 80s.

 

Boats of that age (1935 that is) are a labour of love, condition will be a function of maintenance and not of build quality. Ultimately the only reason anything gets to be old in the first place is because it's been well looked after so that's a good start. 

 

Anyway, which one? Ariel, Pavo, Pine...

 

Edited by Captain Pegg
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I'm thinking buying a 1935 boat would be the equivalent of buying a 1960's car.  There aren't many Ford Anglia about, they weren't built to last and they will come in all kinds of states of repair.

 

You need a surveyor who knows about the type of boat you are looking at. As Captain Pegg says, totally different ball park

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You will probably  far more information on the history of a 1935 boat than a modern one.

However you have to decide if rivets, draft, width, weight and the burden of history are for you.

I had a ‘modern’ once in 1981. It lasted two years. Since then I have had 20 s and 30s boats.

Ill give up and hire rather than have another modern. But i admit that the old boat for me is the pull. ( says the bloke who has just done 5 ten hour boating days..)

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5 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Good shout, although it's composite as are a couple of those I mentioned which doesn't tie in with the OPs other thread on overplating, albeit I may be putting two and two together and getting five there. That's probably why they are hanging about on sale for a while.

 

To be frank if you're looking for a boat and have £58.5k spare and you aren't considering ALCOR then what you need is probably white, made of fibreglass and has wheels.

 

The OP just needs to know they really want it, recognise it will need working rather than cruising, and be prepared for the little surprises and sudden expenses that upkeep of anything vintage requires,

 

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On 22/10/2021 at 14:49, MtB said:

 

...and a broker will usually help you with docking and a survey. 

 

 

A broker organising docking for you is fine, but don't let any broker help you organise a survey. Commission the survey yourself. Only then can you be sure it's completely independent and uninfluenced by the broker.

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On 22/10/2021 at 14:54, Brian 65 said:

Thank you. It was just that there is a 1935 boat for sale that I have seen. Looks really nice.

I have a theory that an old boat will cost you £80K.  You can either buy it cheaper and do the work yourself; or you can buy a boat that's already had the work done.  Believe me, you need deep pockets to own and maintain an historic boat.

 

 

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On 22/10/2021 at 14:54, Brian 65 said:

Thank you. It was just that there is a 1935 boat for sale that I have seen. Looks really nice.

Bear in mind that whoever you insure with will require the boat to be surveyed every few years if it's over 25 years old.

 

Keith

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5 hours ago, Steilsteven said:

Bear in mind that whoever you insure with will require the boat to be surveyed every few years if it's over 25 years old.

 

Keith

 

Only if you want comprehensive. If happy with 3rd party, a survey is not generally required.

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