Dawncraft 32

[TheGuyUk]

Hi I'm new to site. I have a desire to buy a secondhand dawncraft 32.. United Kingdom. ( Many, many years ago when 19 had a holiday on one.)

 

For holidays and some living on.  So can anyone give me a idea how to even tell a good price on a secondhand dawncraft 32. 

 

Me, England, Manchester. Any cheap cannal moorings or dry storage near Manchester city or easy train, bus ride away..

 

Anything else I should consider?

 

Much appreciate the help folks

[Mad Harold]

2 hours ago, TheGuyUk said:

Hi I'm new to site. I have a desire to buy a secondhand dawncraft 32.. United Kingdom. ( Many, many years ago when 19 had a holiday on one.)

 

For holidays and some living on.  So can anyone give me a idea how to even tell a good price on a secondhand dawncraft 32. 

 

Me, England, Manchester. Any cheap cannal moorings or dry storage near Manchester city or easy train, bus ride away..

 

Anything else I should consider?

 

Much appreciate the help folks

There are a couple of Dawncraft projects on Facebook at the moment, £400 and £600.

Another couple in "ready to go"  condition for £4500.There are others around a bit dearer, depends how well equipped they are.

Dawncraft (apart from the Rover and Highbridge) are about the cheapest grp boats available and also Norman.

Can't help with moorings as I have no knowledge of the Manchester area.

If you buy a Dawncraft you will almost certainly have loads of ball ache fettling to do as with most grp boats that will most likely have been neglected prior to selling. 

Leaking windows, leaking air vents,leaking handrails, deck fittings, mooring cleats and the canopy.

The two most expensive items to replace on a grp boat are the canopy (£1000-£1400) and the engine.(£2-3000)

A heater is important if you are spending nights aboard, and the Dawncraft 32 is a centre cockpit, and will be a pain to heat both cabins,a better bet would be a single cabin boat. 

Best of luck with your search.

There is actually a Facebook Dawncraft owner's forum. It may be worthwhile joining.

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Mad Harold

[TheGuyUk]

Good old facebook have locked me out of my original account the twa#s. Guess I need to do a second Facebook through family.

 

Looking at leisure mooring up by me. Chorley way etc or Derbyshire. Which is dear.

Cheers for the advice. I don't mind a fixer upper. Would keep me busy etc.

 

Been looking at expensive ones ouch!

 

Any idea what the Facebook group call themselves?

 

 

[Brycgian]

The FB group is called Dawncraft owners 

[BilgePump]

Welcome to the forum. They're lovely boats but I haven't seen that many come up for sale on ebay over the years. Seem to be nowhere near as common as the 22', 25', 27' or 30'.  Added on to the problems Mad Harold mentions above, the solid oak keels and wooden rubbing strips can be problems on DCs, if they haven't been properly maintained or replaced over the years. Not impossible to sort but a big job, needs doing on the hard, and not cheap even for the materials. I really like DCs and we had a 25' when I was a kid but I wouldn't want to take on a big project one now (easier GRP boats to fix up) and couldn't afford a good example in sound order.

 

As a stab in the dark I'm suspecting that a good 32' DC if you find one on the market will be asking in the region of £10k plus. I've really only seen the smaller ones changing hands. The design though scales well so all the fleet look elegant in my nostalgic eyes. If a 32' can't be found, the DC 25' and 30' featured centre cockpit designs and the 22', 25' and 27 with aft cockpit.

 

Boat storage and mooring is never cheap. Just be grateful that we're up north and not London prices! I'd only look at keeping it on the hard until it's properly watertight top and bottom and then bite the bullet with a mooring and licence and fix up the interior with it in the water. and actually get to use it a bit. Bottom line is that a 32' boat isn't going to take up much less footprint space than a 40' container, and can't be stacked. Anyone with secure storage space, beit storage yard, marina or rough and ready boatyard will know the value of their space. I've been in a marina where yard space was charged at mooring rate for first six months and then more after that because yardspace was at a premium. Licence and mooring for a 32' boat works out about £35 per week on the towpath moorings I've seen in Lancs, Cheshire, Derbyshire. Some marina hardstanding may be more, farmers' fields and industrial yard corners less but nothing will come cheap.

[TheGuyUk]

Cheers guys. Any good go to books for beginner Dawncraft DIY repair types. I still have fond memories of Norfolk Broads holiday, in gpr boat..   any advice on better, cheap fixer uppers welcome. 👍😃

[Quattrodave]

A cheap fixer upper in the long run will cost you a fortune not to mention the skill set you'll have to learn.  If done right it will the value will increase, if bodged it won't.  What ever happens I doubt you'll get your money back on a fixer upper, it'll have to be a work of love.

[TheGuyUk]

Oh I'm use to adding value, I bought my 3 bedroom, 1 kitchen, 2 living room and etc home for £8000 out right when 18. I'm 60 years old now..

The right fixer uppers are fun..😃👍

Why pay someone else to clean, wash and deodorise a boat, just to charge £4000-10000 more..

That's how traded in car sales work.   Just a wash and legal mechanical checks then resell for more.😃🤔👍

[TheGuyUk]

Unsure if allowed but lovely list of Dawncraft models with photos here..  like the dawncraft 27 👍

 

https://www.jonesboatyard.co.uk/boat-sales/dawncraft-boats-for-sale.html

[Jim Riley]

I had a DC 22 for years, always hankered after a Highbridge 32, built on the DC moulds but with a well deck at the front and a rear cockpit. They were layed up extra thick too. 

Our DC was heated with a small pot belly woodstove. An ecofan will spread the heat around the cabin. Of course they need work, but what doesn't. A tin sewer tube anywhere near the price of a DC will need even more work and it will be harder to do. DAMHIK! A Highbridge in good condition would probably be around 10k, from the last time I looked seriously at them. I didn't go that route in the end because SWMBO needed help getting on, the gunnels on a DC are quite high and arthritic hips couldn't manage when the banking was low, a really cheap 35ft NB project turned up, so we took that on!

Go for it Don't pay any heed to the grumpy lot on here (especially re ecofans🤣). It's a good way to start. 

There are also moorings on the Rochdale, Todmorden or Hebden, possibly a couple in Littleborough, all on the train line from MCR. 

 

[TheGuyUk]

Yeah, what are the moorings near Piccadilly station Manchester, and new Islington.. Hardly every packed full and mostly empty. Who runs them anyone know?

[Stroudwater1]

I would look at boat clubs to moor if possible and suits you. Most expect some volunteer work 
Many have a good number of GRP boats, check the AWCC website for details. Quite a few have crane days or facilities to take out in the Winter.

 

[Tracy D'arth]

13 hours ago, TheGuyUk said:

Yeah, what are the moorings near Piccadilly station Manchester, and new Islington.. Hardly every packed full and mostly empty. Who runs them anyone know?

The drug dealers, drunks, thieves and perverts

[Barneyp]

15 hours ago, TheGuyUk said:

Oh I'm use to adding value, I bought my 3 bedroom, 1 kitchen, 2 living room and etc home for £8000 out right when 18. I'm 60 years old now..

The right fixer uppers are fun..😃👍

Why pay someone else to clean, wash and deodorise a boat, just to charge £4000-10000 more..

That's how traded in car sales work.   Just a wash and legal mechanical checks then resell for more.😃🤔👍

Unfortunately boats aren't like cars or houses. 

Houses go up in value even if you don't improve them, and most improvements will add more value than they cost, even if you pay someone to do it.

Cars can be washed, polished, maybe a few minor repairs and a new MOT, and then sold at a profit.

The difference between a £1000 boat and a £10,000 is very likely to be several thousand pounds of materials and lots of work. The chances of making a profit on a fixer upper are small to non-existent. 

Get a fixer upper because you will enjoy the project, not because it will save you money.

 

I'd be careful about looking for one specific type of boat, if you widen your search there is more chance of getting a good boat at a good price, if you stick to one relatively rare boat you may end up paying to much for a bad example due to not being able to find something else.

 

[TheGuyUk]

You should no talk about Manchester councilors like that!🤣😜😁🙊🙉🙈

Just now, TheGuyUk said:

You should no talk about Manchester councilors like that!🤣😜😁🙊🙉🙈

Ment for drug dealer reply..

[Tracy D'arth]

You have obviously never moored there.

[TheGuyUk]

2 minutes ago, Barneyp said:

Unfortunately boats aren't like cars or houses. 

Houses go up in value even if you don't improve them, and most improvements will add more value than they cost, even if you pay someone to do it.

Cars can be washed, polished, maybe a few minor repairs and a new MOT, and then sold at a profit.

The difference between a £1000 boat and a £10,000 is very likely to be several thousand pounds of materials and lots of work. The chances of making a profit on a fixer upper are small to non-existent. 

Get a fixer upper because you will enjoy the project, not because it will save you money.

 

I'd be careful about looking for one specific type of boat, if you widen your search there is more chance of getting a good boat at a good price, if you stick to one relatively rare boat you may end up paying to much for a bad example due to not being able to find something else.

 

Hi I've been to the Braunston gathering in the past. My sister Margaret in in he 70's now with arthritis and her son Martin had a recent car crash. Else they would advise me.  Her friends call here Cassie by the way... In case someone recognise the names used.. They had Kestrel a wooden narrow boat.  Her son Martin undid the dirty deed and turned her back to original type wood narrow boat..

2 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

You have obviously never moored there.

No I live there or actually 6 miles out in Higher Blackley...

But visit city centre alot.

 

Welcome all opinions though folks, thank you to every reply, and point of view. 💯👍😁🤔

[Mad Harold]

I agree with Barneyp about a fixer upper.A boat is far more difficult to "fettle" than a house and you will put far more money into it than you will be able to sell it for.

If you enjoy DIY then that is a good enough reason for buying a project, but personally, I would rather pay extra for a boat with a current BSC and pretty much "ready for use" rather than a project.Even a ready to go boat will still need work,as the boat that needs nothing doing to it has yet to be built!

Regarding mooring in the Manchester area, I have been through the Rochdale nine (AKA ' anal street) a couple of times with no problems, but I have heard that some people have had 'incidents'

[TheGuyUk]

My Sister and her family always made more than costs etc on any boat they bought. But yes many make thousand scaring new people off from up selling their boat..

Just look how poor condition many boats are sold in ..

 

Tens of thousands to be made..in the right hands. 🙈🙉🙊💯

[Barneyp]

22 hours ago, TheGuyUk said:

Cheers guys. Any good go to books for beginner Dawncraft DIY repair types. I still have fond memories of Norfolk Broads holiday, in gpr boat..   any advice on better, cheap fixer uppers welcome. 👍😃

I'm currently refitting a Norman 23 (a GRP canal cruiser), not aware of any books aimed specifically at that type of boat.

Most canal magazines and books are aimed at steel narrowboat owners.

Practical Boat Owner magazine has some relevant stuff in it, although it also covers steel and wooden boats, and is probably more focused on lumpy water boats. I found a helpful article on their website on repairing GRP.

Lots of stuff on YouTube, Facebook and forums, you just have to Google it.

Alternatives to the Dawncraft 32 would include the Norman 32, Norman boats generally had a thicker/better lay up so are normally more durable.

[Quattrodave]

6 hours ago, Barneyp said:

Unfortunately boats aren't like cars or houses. 

Houses go up in value even if you don't improve them, and most improvements will add more value than they cost, even if you pay someone to do it.

Cars can be washed, polished, maybe a few minor repairs and a new MOT, and then sold at a profit.

The difference between a £1000 boat and a £10,000 is very likely to be several thousand pounds of materials and lots of work. The chances of making a profit on a fixer upper are small to non-existent. 

Get a fixer upper because you will enjoy the project, not because it will save you money.

 

 

Two other points to add to this; any work done on a boat must be done to 'code' this in itself can be a steep learning curve.  Secondly, any parts/materials used on/in a boat will cost more, sometimes vastly more.  You know what they say, BOAT = Boat Owner Add Thousand! 

 

Not trying to put you off but please do your research!  There are many, many half finished boat projects out there for a reason!

Edited February 12, 2023 by Quattrodave

[TheGuyUk]

1 hour ago, Quattrodave said:

 

Two other points to add to this; any work done on a boat must be done to 'code' this in itself can be a steep learning curve.  Secondly, any parts/materials used on/in a boat will cost more, sometimes vastly more.  You know what they say, BOAT = Boat Owner Add Thousand! 

 

Not trying to put you off but please do your research!  There are many, many half finished boat projects out there for a reason!

It is just glass fiber in resin , not rocket science, been around for years. That and a gel coating..

Not even carbon fiber..👍

All to marine standard..

[BilgePump]

Let's get this right. You want a very rare boat, to do up, to make a few quid, with cheap storage/mooring round Manchester. Good luck!

 

eta: not trying to insult the OP but wanted to point out that messing around with boats is generally an expensive hobby and not a profit making business.

Edited February 12, 2023 by BilgePump

[TheGuyUk]

No non of that. That just your wrong assumptions

Actually cheapest leisure mooring is now down to £175 for 12 months and only a train journey away.

 

Some on here so negative, they should cool down more 😜☺️

Well my sister lived on boats messed on boats for over 30 years. But now arthritic etc..

 

Trying scare folk off don't wash with me ... 

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, Quattrodave said:

Two other points to add to this; any work done on a boat must be done to 'code' this in itself can be a steep learning curve. 

If you have an old boat the work has to be done to Boat Safety Scheme requirements and to meet any requirements of your insurers. But beyond that there is no 'code' to which work must be done. The BSS is pretty straightforward to comply with if you familiarise yourself with the requirements.