Hancock and Lane Norseman qu...

[rawpaul]

hi newbie here : )

looking at a 45' norseman, but know nothing abt them, and not aweful lot online...

i realise they're 40+ yrs in age, so corrosion could be issue

does anyone have any facts abt construction -esp steel thickness (base plate?)

-its got heavy corrosion on keel under g/box

i'm thinking if its 10mm base, and heavy sides i can risk buying w/o survey 

..but i may stand corrected later on : )

any hancock and lane old hands?

look fwds to ur replies,

(prob be frequent visitor here if/when become afloat again!)

thanks in advance 

paul : )

..not sure if qu is in right section...

...looks like this one-

 

[David Mack]

A boat of that era is likely to have 6mm bottom and hull sides and 3mm cabin sides and roof. Condition is more important than original build specification on a boat of this age. A cruiser stern boat is likely to have had water swilling around in the engine bilge for all of its life, so it's not really surprising there is some corrosion down there.

[BEngo]

Hancock and Lane  Norseman hulls were generally built out of 1/4 or 6mm plate,  sides and bottom the same. They were quite well thought of and made up a few hire fleets.

Quite a few were built by Roger Farrington and a handful of other boat builders also amade a start there.   The steel plate work  was also available as a DIY kit, ( just add welding🤣).

 

Many will now have been overplated, most of the rest will be in need, soon if not immediately.  The very few DIY built hulls  will be pretty obvious and are best left alone.

 

Fully comprehensive insurance is only available if the hull is over  4 mm thick, so there is not a lot of margin for neglect.

 

If the stern gear is original it may well be tired, ditto the engine.  Both depending on usage of course.

 

I would want a very careful and detailed hull survey before I bought one, unless you are prepared to spend lots of money overcoming surprises.

 

N

 

[Alan de Enfield]

If you intend to insure it 'comprehensive' then your insurers will require a survey anyway (some insurers require a survey at 20 years old and some at 25 years old)

 

So you may as well have a survey before you buy, rather than buy it and then be forced to have a survey and it 'fails'.

 

 

[LadyG]

Seems expensive, but has been smartened up for sale.

Edited November 4, 2022 by LadyG

[Alan de Enfield]

14 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Seems expensive, but has been smartened up for sale.

 

The OP says "it looks like this one" - NOT 'it is this one'

 

Always worth reading what is posted before responding

[Tracy D'arth]

Hancock & Lane?  isn't 1983 a bit late for them?

[alan_fincher]

11 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Hancock & Lane?  isn't 1983 a bit late for them?

Just within bounds, I think.

 

Last ones allegedly 1984.

[rawpaul]

thanks peeps, appreciate your replies -useful indeed

yeah looks like i'll need a survey 

-got a mate who rebuilds/welds boats in newbury and he's promised come out have a look soon

the boats up for £15k, but i'm dont think i'll interested in rebuilding her if thats a likely 

it dont look like its been out the water for awhile, so yeah, may be full of surprises!

(i was involved with rebuilding a 40' de-groot coastal mv, abt 30yrs ago, so got some knowledge)

i'll wait til mate visits, he works in dry dock in newbury and been doing it all his life, so he'd prob my best bet

i'll drop a note here and let you know : ) 

respect and thanks for now

paul

 

[Mike Todd]

If it really is 15K then you might (esp if a first time buyer) consider it as a throw away item so long as there are a few years in it. After all, that sum is probably less than a year's depreciation on a really good boat! Main thing will be being comfortable that it will keep the water out for a small number of years.

 

No quite so relevant today, but that is what many of us did with cars in the dim past!

[MtB]

4 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

If it really is 15K then you might (esp if a first time buyer) consider it as a throw away item so long as there are a few years in it. After all, that sum is probably less than a year's depreciation on a really good boat! Main thing will be being comfortable that it will keep the water out for a small number of years.

 

No quite so relevant today, but that is what many of us did with cars in the dim past!

 

 

Yep. Back in the day when my cars leaked excessively, it was time to scrap them or sell them on.

 

I remember my wife driving really fast in my 1968 Mini through a road flood and passenger getting utterly soaked from the fountain through the rust holes in the floor. 

[Bacchus]

11 hours ago, MtB said:

 

 

Yep. Back in the day when my cars leaked excessively, it was time to scrap them or sell them on.

 

I remember my wife driving really fast in my 1968 Mini through a road flood and passenger getting utterly soaked from the fountain through the rust holes in the floor. 

 

I had the same in my 2CV (except for the "driving really fast" bit, obviously)

[harrybsmith]

Probably worth you having a look at my ongoing rebuild thread of a boat of a similar age which may be a H&L. All steel below the waterline was thinned in general to about 2mm, with some places being pitted all the way through. It visually looked a bit pitted but largely OK, save a couple of areas. (I bought it knowing this, it essentially was free as it included the steel to do it which was worth more than I paid for the boat). DIY replating is possible if you can weld or are willing to learn. 

 

 

 

[rawpaul]

hi ppl : )

thanks for info/links (harry above)

still trying figure things, i'm reluctant to take on a resto project, but waiting hear from dry docks in newbury give pricing for time and survey (i got no idea on total price) 

see how it goes...

i'll drop another message on progression, in case interested

thanks again 

respect : )