Looking for a Narrowboat "Consultant"

[SarahSails]

Hi Everyone,

 

Bit of a strange question, but after hiring for a long time, Im looking to buy a boat. There are loads of brokers and surveyors out there - but Im looking for someone who might be happy to act as a consultant to help me put an offer in on the right boat. 

 

I've googled high and low, but can't seem to find anyone out there ... perhaps someone on this forum might have some ideas, or contacts who could help?

2 minutes ago, SarahSails said:

Hi Everyone,

 

Bit of a strange question, but after hiring for a long time, Im looking to buy a boat. There are loads of brokers and surveyors out there - but Im looking for someone who might be happy to act as a consultant to help me put an offer in on the right boat. 

 

I've googled high and low, but can't seem to find anyone out there ... perhaps someone on this forum might have some ideas, or contacts who could help?

I also just want to add, its a paid gig - and I'd be open to help from anyone with a lot of experience with Narrowboats!

[booke23]

I don’t think such a thing exists. However you could ask on here for opinions on any boats you find. You’ll get plenty of advice from very experienced boaters for free. 

[tree monkey]

3 hours ago, SarahSails said:

Hi Everyone,

 

Bit of a strange question, but after hiring for a long time, Im looking to buy a boat. There are loads of brokers and surveyors out there - but Im looking for someone who might be happy to act as a consultant to help me put an offer in on the right boat. 

 

I've googled high and low, but can't seem to find anyone out there ... perhaps someone on this forum might have some ideas, or contacts who could help?

I also just want to add, its a paid gig - and I'd be open to help from anyone with a lot of experience with Narrowboats!

@matty40s used to help people in the process of buying, I don't think he does anymore but may be able to suggest someone, a top bloke by the way

[BEngo]

The role you're looking for is usually filled by a Surveyor.  The hard part is finding the right one, as many are only really interested in the survey rather than the advice side. They will at least have Professional Indemnity insurance, which is not likely in an individual 'adviser'.

N

[SarahSails]

13 minutes ago, BEngo said:

The role you're looking for is usually filled by a Surveyor.  The hard part is finding the right one, as many are only really interested in the survey rather than the advice side. They will at least have Professional Indemnity insurance, which is not likely in an individual 'adviser'.

N

So, I guess im looking to help for all the parts leading up to the survey, sifting through advertising, engine specs etc etc. Surveys are expensive so I'd rather just do one, on the boat I am buying! 

5 hours ago, tree monkey said:

@matty40s used to help people in the process of buying, I don't think he does anymore but may be able to suggest someone, a top bloke by the way

Amazing! I'll get in touch and maybe he can advise who might be able to help! 

[Tracy D'arth]

Where are you?

[MrsM]

Hi Sarah. If you shortlist boats you are interested in and share them here you will get tons of good advice from very knowledgeable people. That might help you decide whether or not to proceed to the survey stage. Good luck.

[Arthur Marshall]

To be honest, if you've been hiring regularly for years, you probably know as much about boats as most boat owners. The only things to worry about when buying , really, are the internal layout you want, the amount and type of power you want, size of boat and state of hull and engine. Most of those are up to you .

Engine advice you can get on here in spades, though just like everything else on the net check out the adviser's other posts to make an educated guess as to whether they are worth reading, and the hull is pure guesswork depending on whether you believe in surveyors or not. A better guide is a stack of paperwork saying its been blacked regularly. If the inside's not been looked after, nor, probably, has the outside.

 

[MtB]

34 minutes ago, SarahSails said:

So, I guess im looking to help for all the parts leading up to the survey, sifting through advertising, engine specs etc etc. Surveys are expensive so I'd rather just do one, on the boat I am buying! 

 

 

This is the normal process. Moat people do it. 

 

Then when they start actually looking at boats they find they don't actually 'like' the boats that look good on paper.

 

Then by chance you, I mean they, will go aboard a totally unsuitable boat for a look at <something or other>, and the boat will make you fall in love with it and you'll buy it, and all your spreadsheets will have been for nothing.

 

Hope that helps...  

[Tonka]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

 

This is the normal process. Moat people do it. 

 

Then when they start actually looking at boats they find they don't actually 'like' the boats that look good on paper.

 

Then by chance you, I mean they, will go aboard a totally unsuitable boat for a look at <something or other>, and the boat will make you fall in love with it and you'll buy it, and all your spreadsheets will have been for nothing.

 

Hope that helps...  

He is right. We were looking for a boat no bigger then 57ft with windows.  If it had portholes then it had to have windows in the front bulkhead. 

So our boat is 62ft with portholes and no window in the front bulkhead. 

[David Mack]

9 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

This is the normal process. Moat people do it. 

 

Then when they start actually looking at boats they find they don't actually 'like' the boats that look good on paper.

 

Then by chance you, I mean they, will go aboard a totally unsuitable boat for a look at <something or other>, and the boat will make you fall in love with it and you'll buy it, and all your spreadsheets will have been for nothing.

 

Hope that helps...  

If you are a slave to spreadsheets and checklists of 'must-haves' you will end up with a boat that just meets the requirements you thought you wanted, but almost certainly won't have the wow factor that makes you think 'I really want that boat!'

[SarahSails]

45 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

To be honest, if you've been hiring regularly for years, you probably know as much about boats as most boat owners. The only things to worry about when buying , really, are the internal layout you want, the amount and type of power you want, size of boat and state of hull and engine. Most of those are up to you .

Engine advice you can get on here in spades, though just like everything else on the net check out the adviser's other posts to make an educated guess as to whether they are worth reading, and the hull is pure guesswork depending on whether you believe in surveyors or not. A better guide is a stack of paperwork saying its been blacked regularly. If the inside's not been looked after, nor, probably, has the outside.

 

thank you! that is super helpful! 

[Stilllearning]

You have been given some very sage advice!

My second boat (note, second) was exactly what I wanted, the moment I got in the back, down into a big bathroom, through the bedroom and opened a side door and leant out, I realised it was for me.

The maker of the boat was almost unknown but so what? The steelwork was flat, the paint job was really good (sprayed by someone who really knew their job). And the boat had no name painted on, so I could  get the name I wanted put on without damaging the existing top coat.

Oh and headroom even for me at 6'3.

Good luck.

[Pluto]

51 minutes ago, MtB said:

This is the normal process. Moat people do it. 

 

Especially those who live in castles.

[Paul C]

If you approach buying a boat in a logical fashion, sooner or later you will arrive at the most sensible conclusion: don't buy a boat.

 

Thousands of people have "been there and done that" and gone ahead and bought a boat anyway. Its fun - its a lot of money, but its boating.

[mark99]

Don't be tempted to consider other people like family or visitors/friends requirements. Choose exactly what you want. They will adapt on the odd occaision they visit.

[Jon57]

On 21/07/2023 at 23:33, SarahSails said:

Hi Everyone,

 

Bit of a strange question, but after hiring for a long time, Im looking to buy a boat. There are loads of brokers and surveyors out there - but Im looking for someone who might be happy to act as a consultant to help me put an offer in on the right boat. 

 

I've googled high and low, but can't seem to find anyone out there ... perhaps someone on this forum might have some ideas, or contacts who could help?

I also just want to add, its a paid gig - and I'd be open to help from anyone with a lot of experience with Narrowboats!

You need to plan on getting 3 boats. The last one will be the perfect boat, well that what I was told by an old boater. Good luck with your search 👍

[MtB]

5 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

You need to plan on getting 3 boats. The last one will be the perfect boat, well that what I was told by an old boater. Good luck with your search 👍

 

My granddad (who was a boatbuilder) used to tell me this as a child! 

 

The fist boat will be what you think you want, the second will be what you discover you actually wanted in the light of a year or three of experience, and the third will be exactly right but will take you a lifetime to find. 

 

 

[Grassman]

When I began looking to buy a boat I couldn't understand why the prices differed so much for what appeared to be same specc'd boats, and it was only after hours of trawling through loads of boats for sale adverts and going to view quite a few, that I began to gain the knowledge as to why.

 

Also, many people told me that you'll know when you find the right  boat because it will 'feel right'. How the heck this can be so I still don't know, but it was so true in my case as well. And now, 10 years of owning the boat later it still 'feels right'.

[Tony1]

 

On 22/07/2023 at 09:11, MrsM said:

Hi Sarah. If you shortlist boats you are interested in and share them here you will get tons of good advice from very knowledgeable people. That might help you decide whether or not to proceed to the survey stage. Good luck.

 

This is great advice. The collective wisdom of the members here will point out scores of issues with any boats you like, that a single person wouldn't spot. 

Once you get to a shortlist of say 2 or 3 boats, you can post detailed specs and photos, and the folks here will highlight any red flags, potential fixes or upgrades needed, things to watch out for with the engines/electrics, and so on. 

You will get some hasty and ill-considered advice too, but hopefully people will comment on those posts. 

 

For me, a big question would be- is the boat intended for extended cruising trips, or full time liveaboard use?

If its full time liveaboard you might want to give more consideration to energy sufficiency, solar panels, a powerful battery charging system, maybe lithium batteries, space for a washing machine, overall storage space available, and length of boat- the list goes on. 

But for extended cruising, those issues are not so important.  

Boat length is a factor, as you'll probably already know. If its longer than 60ft, some of the Northern canals will be off limits due to the size of some locks, for example. If its shorter than 50ft it may feel too cramped, and you may end up throwing your crew overboard. 

 

But in summary, I would say the folks here can advise you on the pros and cons of any given boats, and help you to form a shortlist of say half a dozen that are worth a visit in person. 

For a hands on assessment of the boats that you still like (after a visit), then you need someone with a lot of experience, and surveyors are too expensive to use them for say three boats. Its in that process where someone like Matty might be a real help.

 

It may be worth paying for a surveyor on the final boat choice, because people say that the faults they find will often pay for their fee by enabling you to negotiate a price reduction, and it may save you some heartache and hassle too. 

 

In terms of the buying process itself, you may find it's simple enough that you can manage it yourself, especially via a broker. 

If you buy privately, then some advice from folks here about the risks and the appropriate documentation might be a real help. 

 

People do say that well-priced boats sell quickly though, and that looks like a lot of steps to squeeze into what you hope will be a fairly short time (before someone else snaps it up).  So there's not going to be a rigid process, there may need to be flexibility if a very suitable boat appears at a great price. 

 

 

ETA- final point I would add is that the older you go, the higher the possibility that some fixing work will be needed (with exceptions of course). So more of the overall budget will have to be set aside for the post-purchase work that is either needed, or is very much wanted. 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by Tony1

[MtB]

6 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

For me, a big question would be- is the boat intended for extended cruising trips, or full time liveaboard use?

 

And for me, separate engine room with full access around a charming vintage engine or modern buzzy thing stuffed under some floor panels somewhere you can barely get at it for essential maintenance.

 

Once a boater has experienced and lived with both, they'll rarely tolerate the latter! 

 

 

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

@SarahSails I thought you went through the process of buying a boat and bought a boat in January 2022 as in your thread about buying a boat then you wrote:

“I have put in an offer on "Rattler" aka "Bethany Bear" and It was accepted! Now to survey and hopefully to cruising come June. I hope to see you out there, please stop and say hi if you see this boat!”

What happened to “Rattler”?

Here’s the thread:

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[Cheese]

10 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

You need to plan on getting 3 boats. The last one will be the perfect boat, well that what I was told by an old boater. Good luck with your search 👍

Isn't the perfect boat always the next boat ... ?

[Lily Rose]

10 hours ago, MtB said:

 

My granddad (who was a boatbuilder) used to tell me this as a child! 

 

The fist boat will be what you think you want, the second will be what you discover you actually wanted in the light of a year or three of experience, and the third will be exactly right but will take you a lifetime to find. 

 

 

 

Is that how you ended up owning 3 boats?

 

Did he forget to tell you that when you buy the 2nd you should sell the 1st and so on?

 

[ditchcrawler]

59 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

 

Is that how you ended up owning 3 boats?

 

Did he forget to tell you that when you buy the 2nd you should sell the 1st and so on?

 

That's the problem, parting is so hard to do