Trying to help a friend decide... if and what to offer on a boat

[alan_fincher]

16 hours ago, MtB said:

 

There is a really cute little 30ft tug on the duck at the moment for £16k IIRC...

 

 

 

 

Here:

 

https://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/narrow-boats-tugs-for-sale/808115

 

 

By a good builder too!

 

Oh, I rather like that!

Needs an angle grinder taken to those stupid and dangerous seats at the rear though!

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

Yes - it is a cutie, but in my mind 30 foot is barely managable as a liveaboard, let alone losing half of the cabin area due to the tug deck, (resulting in half of the boat being like living in a coffin).

 

Yes- I know its bigger than the old 'boatmans cabin' but todays expectations are a little different to those of the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Edited November 17, 2025 by Alan de Enfield

[MtB]

32 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Oh, I rather like that!

Needs an angle grinder taken to those stupid and dangerous seats at the rear though!

 

Yep.

 

But lovely all the same, and probably short enough to turn around mid-channel in lots of places!! 

[Tam & Di]

36 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Oh, I rather like that!

Needs an angle grinder taken to those stupid and dangerous seats at the rear though!

 I don't see the point of the fenders either. Apart from the fact they are a potential hazard they are rather meagre and all on the rear half of the hull - possibly positioned for one particular mooring place?

[Peugeot 106]

Looks a bit of fun for £16,000. Tent for visitors?

[Peanut]

If it is not going to be an historic boat, I see nothing wrong in losing the tug deck for a fake A canvas cover top, looking like what proper carrying boats used to have. Rearranging the merger accommodation to suit, would make it a delightful bargain, unless you really love it as it is.

[MrsM]

I know absolutely nothing about these - and clearly not ideal on canals - but if river-based this looks tidy for £15k

https://www.facebook.com/share/14XKThun6gK/

Edited November 17, 2025 by MrsM

[Bacchus]

A friend of mine has just bought an amazing GRP live-aboard for 17k. Ex broads hire boat (Aquafibre 40) with a sweet running BMC engine. Young lad has spent a lot of time and money on insulating and making it cosy.

[MtB]

19 minutes ago, MrsM said:

I know absolutely nothing about these - and clearly not ideal on canals - but if river-based this looks tidy for £15k

https://www.facebook.com/share/14XKThun6gK/

 

My favourite boat back in the day when I worked on river boats. Twin engines that one too, so great for turning round and for water skiing!

[Tony Brooks]

31 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

My favourite boat back in the day when I worked on river boats. Twin engines that one too, so great for turning round and for water skiing!

 

Hard to tell, but I could not find a photo of the back, and it looks to me like a single prop wash in the photo. I think they came with either shaft or outdrive, I am not sure an outdrive would be the best idea for a new boater. I agree, nice boats.

[Bacchus]

I had a P25 which was a very nice little boat. Dreamed of a P32...

 

The one linked to does look lovely. Twin throttles in the pics, so, yes, twin engined, although Princess had a habit of using volvo petrols which I wouldn't be keen on, and mostly with outdrives (aka "devil's egg-whisks")

[Tony Brooks]

6 minutes ago, Bacchus said:

I had a P25 which was a very nice little boat. Dreamed of a P32...

 

The one linked to does look lovely. Twin throttles in the pics, so, yes, twin engined, although Princess had a habit of using volvo petrols which I wouldn't be keen on, and mostly with outdrives (aka "devil's egg-whisks")

 

In that case, I wonder why it seems to be running on just one engine, maybe that is why it seems cheap for a lot of boat. I agree about petrol engines, although easier on some rivers getting petrol could involve carrying it in cans from a filling station.

[MtB]

26 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

In that case, I wonder why it seems to be running on just one engine, maybe that is why it seems cheap for a lot of boat. I agree about petrol engines, although easier on some rivers getting petrol could involve carrying it in cans from a filling station.

 

Twin Morse controls in the first photo! 

 

But yes as Baccy points out, probably cheap because they are petrol lumps which people nowadays have worked out are prone to exploding (unlike LFP batteries lol!) 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 17, 2025 by MtB
Missing words

[LadyG]

On 16/11/2025 at 22:41, pirateofthehighseas said:

I can weld, and would be happy to help my friend do so. I can by trade and experience check any engine. That wasn't the issue. 

 

The issue was, is the hull rotten?

 

But it looks like someone has made an offer anyway, so moot. 

I would think any offer would be ridiculous, haggling over a few quid would make me walk away from that prospective buyer, if the boat is actually good value.

If someone viiews a boat at £15K and hasn't got £15K then that would annoy me as a vendor. If there are genuine reasons, maybe needs overplating or has major undisclosed faults, then I reckon a newby would be best to look elsewhere.

If no particular reason to ask for a discount, then just pay the asking price which will secure the boat, which presumably is under offer at a lower price. When I went to buy a boat I paid a deposit, while I arranged the transfer of the rest of the money. This had to be arranged with the bank. The boat was removed from the market, immediately,  even before I had a chance to take a copy of the description.

I did my transactions on email and in writing, (signed by both parties). It's a lot of money, and you can't be 100% sure of anything. :). 

Obviously I made sure the boat belonged to the vendor before I did anything else.

 

Edited November 18, 2025 by LadyG

[Oldturn around guy]

🚭Notice this is Charlie Fox boat no 21. We lived on 33 for several years, and that was built in 1979, so this one is probably 50 years old. They were built using 1/4 inch plate with a double  chine ( ie V bottom), similar to springers. Unless it's been over plated I'd walk away.

[pirateofthehighseas]

23 hours ago, Bacchus said:

I had a P25 which was a very nice little boat. Dreamed of a P32...

 

The one linked to does look lovely. Twin throttles in the pics, so, yes, twin engined, although Princess had a habit of using volvo petrols which I wouldn't be keen on, and mostly with outdrives (aka "devil's egg-whisks")

I can't speak to the outdrives or merits or lack thereof for petrol on a boat but certain Penta engines are highly sought after in the Volvo performance car world. The marine cranks are forged vs cast for the road versions. They drop right in to the road version blocks and stroke increases to give 2.5L over the normal 2.3L in a road car. AQ151C and especially the 16V variant the AQ171C will get good money if anyone ever strips one out of a boat. The 16V cams are also hotter than the road versions, apparently as they're run hard and high RPM for prolonged periods in boats(?). 

 

2 hours ago, Oldturn around guy said:

🚭Notice this is Charlie Fox boat no 21. We lived on 33 for several years, and that was built in 1979, so this one is probably 50 years old. They were built using 1/4 inch plate with a double  chine ( ie V bottom), similar to springers. Unless it's been over plated I'd walk away.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. Solid first hand advice, thank you!  The Marina website shows :

Hull Material	Steel plate (originally 10/6/3mm)

Clearly that isn't the case.  We managed to pickup from our research many Springers are thinner steel and often due for welding due to age and thinner original construction.  My friend never ended up making an offer on it and it seems the "Offer Pending" status has been removed so someone else has also walked away for whatever reason. 

[Laurie Booth]

On 16/11/2025 at 12:24, pirateofthehighseas said:

Hello, 

 

Apologies if this is the wrong section of the forum, tried my best to place it correctly. 

 

A friend of mine is looking to get into a liveaboard narrowboat after a divorce has left him little. 

 

His budget is limited to £15k, although is a cash buyer and is thinking of offering on this subject to viewing:

 

https://www.fishandduck.co.uk/product/38-trad-narrow-boat-it/

 

I am a time served diesel mechanic by trade so happy to go over the engine for him but we're both fairly clueless about narrowboats, with only knowing what we've read online with no first hand knowledge. 

 

This particular boat hasn't been out of the water in 10 years and is 7/8 years overdue for blacking(?).  The marina would let him commission a survey, but does this boat give off any other red flags that would make you say, 'Don't even bother with it'?  10MM thick steel would take decades to rust out, no?  Is there a rough rule of thumb like "X mm of steel loss per year/decade" or "If its got an inch of growth on it, it's beyond saving?" It seems a lot of boat for the money? 

 

The reputation of the Marina seems good as far as I can see.

 

Fundamentally, friend is after a solid hull but a dated interior he can chip away at to modernise. Would buying a boat out of the water be wiser at this price point? My personal advice has been to drop the boat idea as you're at the risky end of the market, but I'm not a boater, or have any experience as one.  Diesel HGV's are my area. 

 

Thanks,

Doug.  

If you want to keep your friendship, please don't get involved with helping him buying a boat.

[pirateofthehighseas]

Down to 10k now. It must be a dog. 

[Alan de Enfield]

59 minutes ago, pirateofthehighseas said:

Down to 10k now. It must be a dog. 

 

I don't think there was ever any doubt - but - it appears to have now sold and the advert removed.

[MtB]

1 hour ago, pirateofthehighseas said:

Down to 10k now. It must be a dog. 

 

 

No-one is buying anything, we all feel too poor after Labour's 'Budget for the working man". 

 

 

[Ewan123]

On 17/11/2025 at 06:36, TID Tug Tony said:

 ...I thought it would have sold quickly at that price...

Me too, especially with that red kettle that they're so keen to point out! 

 

If it was just me on board, I'd be well up for something that dinky.