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Seeking Guidance on Boat Value and Purchase Process


SarahSails

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I like boats like this, it looks well looked after. It's possibly been stuck on the market for so long purely because it's "old-fashioned" inside. I'd call it cosy and I like that personally. I bought similar age length and style boat 5 years ago without a survey. When it did come out for blacking it was in in A1 condition as I thought. I didn't know anything much about narrowboats but it "smelled" right, well equipped, PO was obviously honest and it just had the right vibe. It didn't look like a cc boat at all, but had onboard diesel generator, big expensive batteries and had been lived on for 18 years on the cut. To cc you don't have to have carp on the roof or a dog on a string. :)

I'd seen so many damp, smelly flimsy interior boats for same money it really stood out. Sadly had to sell after 18 months to get a bigger one when I acquired son as full time crew unexpectedly, but I loved that boat. BTW I got more for it when I sold it, a rare thing I believe! I'd expected them to knock me down but first to view fell in love.

 

Good luck with the survey and happy boating.

 

Edited by Slow and Steady
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On 18/01/2022 at 05:02, LadyG said:

Might be  OK at £5K less, gas heating is very  expensive.

The stove in corner does not look like a good install, too much woodwork close, and in one end of boat. 

Generally it's been modified to work off shore power, batteries often knackered as owner does not need good batteries. 

What a proper misery knickers you can be! 

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20 minutes ago, Chagall said:

What a proper misery knickers you can be! 

 

Ha, you should search back and read the threads where LG is laying into the estate agents failing to sell her flat in Scotland for 35% more than market value, and rejecting all advice on how to get it sold. I'm sure you can imagine! I gave up trying to help in the end. 

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4 hours ago, SarahSails said:

Two more questions if I might! Does anyone have any suggestions as to the prettiest canals?


You will find lovely spots all over the network when you get away from urban areas and towns. Some are busier than others, but busy is relative.....even busy canals have nice spots!

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4 hours ago, MtB said:

 

 

 

But for real unbeatable scenery, the pennine-crossing canals are prone to stoppages, winter, summer, planned, unplanned, there is no end to the variety of stoppages on the L & L 😏😏

 

 

EDITED

Edited by LadyG
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2 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Ha, you should search back and read the threads where LG is laying into the estate agents failing to sell her flat in Scotland for 35% more than market value, and rejecting all advice on how to get it sold. I'm sure you can imagine! I gave up trying to help in the end. 

Having said that, presumably she actually sold it in the end, and bought the boat??

 

So she either took the low offers that were available, or got her inflated market value?

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1 minute ago, Richard10002 said:

Having said that, presumably she actually sold it in the end, and bought the boat??

 

So she either took the low offers that were available, or got her inflated market value?

 

Yes she took sensible offer in the end, IIRC. Eventually! 

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17 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Yes she took sensible offer in the end, IIRC. Eventually! 

I think they are now selling about £8-10 k more. I did discover mine was uninsurable cos it was subject to flooding. That is to say I once had a burst pipe. Not many flats which are 500 ft above sea level and 50 feet above a stream are subject to flooding. 

I had one viewer in two years, and it was a lovely flat, if you want to live there, which I did not. 

The estate agent valued it, not me. 

I have since been trying to find a nice one bed flat for the same amount, guess what, they don't exist. 

 

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10 hours ago, LadyG said:

I think they are now selling about £8-10 k more. I did discover mine was uninsurable cos it was subject to flooding. That is to say I once had a burst pipe. Not many flats which are 500 ft above sea level and 50 feet above a stream are subject to flooding. 

I had one viewer in two years, and it was a lovely flat, if you want to live there, which I did not. 

The estate agent valued it, not me. 

I have since been trying to find a nice one bed flat for the same amount, guess what, they don't exist. 

 

But you don't have to give up your home?  Don't give up just yet. 

 

 

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9 hours ago, LadyG said:

I have since been trying to find a nice one bed flat for the same amount, guess what, they don't exist. 

 

That is certainly a problem when you 'get off the housing ladder' it is extremely difficult to get back on - particularly over the last couple of years whilst house prices have escalated at a phenominal rate (some 20%) .

This is why it is often recommended that if you are not 100% sure about adapting to boating life, you rent out your house / flat and let the rent pay for the loan on your boat. You at least then always have your bricks and mortar to return to.

 

Have you considered some of the local Council supported schemes, where you are as independant as you want to be, but one 'pull on the string' and a warden comes and sorts out any problems. Mother in Law had a lovely little 1 bedroom detached bungalow, on a small 'estate' of similar houses, with regular bus pick-ups and even a 'community hall' for party / bingo / old time music hall etc etc.

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16 hours ago, SarahSails said:

Does anyone have any suggestions as to the prettiest canals? 

"Pretty" is in the eye of the beholder, and several beholders have made valid recommendations already. To those, I'd add the Ashby Canal, winding, pastoral and lock-free. Because you turn off a larger canal through a bridge to get on to it, it's a bit like a country branch-line railway. Hinckley is a bit of a blot (waterside factories) but you can be through it in half an hour, and anyway it's useful for shopping. It's quite a way from where your boat currently lies, but you may get there one day.

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IMO Chesterfield very pretty and quiet. North East waterways generally quiet and very pretty in many places, also an excellent variety of canals and rivers. Marina moorings also tend to be more reasonable in the north east compared to Midlands and the South which are generally the busiest.  

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20 hours ago, SarahSails said:

 

Two more questions if I might! Does anyone have any suggestions as to the prettiest canals? I work from home and don't need to be near any towns etc. I just hope to explore the English Countryside, cruise onward every few days, take a lot of walks and hunt for peace and quiet. I expect some canals are far busier than others due to their proximity to things ...

Welcome to boating!  Exciting isn't it?

 

The best thing about exploring the canals and rivers is that there's so much diversity.  If you don't think where you are is pretty enough, move on.

 

That said, the Gloucester and Sharpness where your boat is, is one of my favourites, so don't miss the opportunity to explore it a bit.  It will also give you time to get used to cruising before you hit your first lock which will be Gloucester lock onto the Severn.  Gloucester Lock is manned by a lock keeper so it won't give you any concerns, just follow the lock keeper's advice and let them know you're new to things.  Lock keepers can be a very useful source of info and advice.

 

From there, if I was you, I'd head up the Severn and onto the Avon at Tewkesbury.  The Avon is my vote for prettiest waterway in the country.  The locks can be hard to work, but not beyond single-handing, just take your time.  The scenery is just gorgeous.  Come off the Avon at Stratford and onto the Stratford canal, another very pretty canal.  Heading up the Stratford you can continue up into Birmingham, which is not alway pretty but is very interesting, or turn onto the Grand Union towards Warwick.  By then, I reckon you'll have your own ideas about where you want to go...

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2 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

 

 

That said, the Gloucester and Sharpness where your boat is, is one of my favourites, so don't miss the opportunity to explore it a bit.  It will also give you time to get used to cruising before you hit your first lock which will be Gloucester lock onto the Severn.  Gloucester Lock is manned by a lock keeper so it won't give you any concerns, just follow the lock keeper's advice and let them know you're new to things.  Lock keepers can be a very useful source of info and advice.

 

From there, if I was you, I'd head up the Severn and onto the Avon at Tewkesbury.  The Avon is my vote for prettiest waterway in the country.  The locks can be hard to work, but not beyond single-handing, just take your time.  The scenery is just gorgeous.  Come off the Avon at Stratford and onto the Stratford canal, another very pretty canal.  Heading up the Stratford you can continue up into Birmingham, which is not alway pretty but is very interesting, or turn onto the Grand Union towards Warwick.  By then, I reckon you'll have your own ideas about where you want to go...

I think getting down the sharpness end is lovely overlooking the Severn by the old railway bridge. You could spend several months down there CCing. 

 

If when you leave the G&S if you go onto the Avon at Tewkesbury then you have to buy an Avon licence on top of your CRT one, take your time and enjoy all your licence on there.

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6 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I think getting down the sharpness end is lovely overlooking the Severn by the old railway bridge. You could spend several months down there CCing. 

 

If when you leave the G&S if you go onto the Avon at Tewkesbury then you have to buy an Avon licence on top of your CRT one, take your time and enjoy all your licence on there.

Good advice there.  Sarah - you would be best buying a short term licence for the Avon if you go that way.  A week is £50, fortnight is £60, month is £70. 

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Having done the Llangollen last summer I would definitely recommend it as a generally very pretty and rural canal. It gets very busy in the summer but a lot of that is hire boaters, and the whole crew is usually in a good mood, so it has a nice holiday vibe in general. 

 

The Shroppie was quite nice as well, but I think the nicest waterway I've been on was probably the River Nene and the Great Ouse.

Only slight snag for a single hander is that flight of 17 locks to get down to those.  Its a hard day's graft for a newbie single handing, but well worth it for the rivers.

 

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On 20/01/2022 at 16:24, Tony1 said:

The Shroppie was quite nice as well, but I think the nicest waterway I've been on was probably the River Nene and the Great Ouse.

Only slight snag for a single hander is that flight of 17 locks to get down to those.  Its a hard day's graft for a newbie single handing, but well worth it for the rivers.

 

The Northampton flight is quite good fun if you're fit tbf. Actually prefer it to the long wait and bouncing about of your boat involved with the guillotine gates on the Nene locks.

And you happen to have a bottle of cider handy, you always could get Leon (local unofficial volunteer) to do the hard work for you!

 

The rivers are scenic but you do have to plan where you moor a lot more carefully

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1 hour ago, enigmatic said:

The Northampton flight is quite good fun if you're fit tbf. Actually prefer it to the long wait and bouncing about of your boat involved with the guillotine gates on the Nene locks.

And you happen to have a bottle of cider handy, you always could get Leon (local unofficial volunteer) to do the hard work for you!

 

The rivers are scenic but you do have to plan where you moor a lot more carefully

 

I'm just not a fan of locks at all really, so 17 of them is not a welcome prospect no matter how fit I am. 

In fact I usually tend to run out of enthusiasm after about 5 or 6 locks.

 

But that was on a very hot and still day with the sun burning the back of my neck, and I'd made a very late start thanks to some bad advice, and I was also warned by a guy who went up ahead of me that there was a group of homeless guys about half way up who were letting water our of the locks and asking for money to 'help' the boaters coming through. So as a newbie singlehander, going up became a slightly more unsettling prospect, in fact a mission to just get them finished and not stop. until I was clear of the homeless gang (who in fairness were not as intimidating as the guy described them).  

 

I'm sure the younger/fitter boaters will not find them hard work, but on that day I certainly did, and I suspect many of the older newbies would as well.  To be fair the OP is an experienced sailor, and so perhaps wouldnt find them as much hard graft as I did back then. 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 17/01/2022 at 18:31, SarahSails said:

Hello All!

 

Moving from the sailing world into the much calmer waters of the UK canals — and, looking to purchase my first narrowboat. I was wondering if anyone out there might have some time on their hands to give advice and guide.

 

I am looking at this boat:

 

https://www.lakelandleisureboatsales.co.uk/properties/view/rattler

 

And would love some guidance as to what to offer. The price seems high, however it's a boat I like. Does anyone have a keen eye for these things and have an eye for what might be reasonable?

 

Thank you so much for your time! Your expertise is so much appreciated. 

I looked for about a year before deciding to go to marinas & seeing what they had available 'round the back.'

Like car dealers, they have stuff that isn't ready for sale, part-ex boats, donor boats, projects & boats awaiting repair. I bought a project boat. Asider from the bathroom, it's completely gutted except for some hideous plastic cladding. It was basically all I could afford but it was out of the water so I could have a right good look at everything. I could also lift all the floors which sealed the deal because under the floor's where the money is. I don't care about furniture - everything I'm going to use to fit out the boat will come from home, including all the 40+ year old wood cladding which will come from my hallway. It'll be a lot of work but I have the time & hopefully the skills to finish it. 👍

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