Help please

[Rob@Oxford]

Hi there,

I have joined this site because I want to buy a narrow boat for work!! I have a great idea but do not know were to start so please help....

 

I manage the Riverside Youth Adventure Centre on the River Thames in Oxford and would like to buy a narrow boat for the centre as it would give me unique waterbased access to most of the counties largest towns and a mobile centre!! I would like to buy what I can only describe as a working narrow boat, one of the 60-70ft ones which have mostly open carrying capacity and not much in the way of accomadation etc. Please excuse my ignorance around the subject this seemed like a ideal place to start my enquiries.

 

So my questions are:

Where can I buy one from?

Is there a better way to phrase what I am looking for?

Is it realistic?

How much would a boat cost?

Where do I start?

What costs are there that would not be obvious to the new person, licences, insurance etc?

Anything else of use

 

ANY help, information, guidance, support I will be so grateful for.

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Rob

[sueb]

Are you going to live on it or use it as a resource? Have you a mooring you can use at the Centre? Moorings are usually the problem, both cost and availability.

Sue

[alan_fincher]

Where can I buy one from?

If you mean a genuine ex-working narrowboat, originally intended for commercial carrying, it's pretty specialist.

 

More "run of the mill" narrow boats, built as pleasure boats, or homes, are very often sold by brokerages, but they tend not to handle unconverted ex-working craft.

 

These may sometimes be found on....

 

eBay

Apollo Duck

Boats & Outboards

etc,

or advertised in the small ads in something like Waterways World.

 

Very few will be officially on the market at any time, as they are a relatively rare beast compared to "normal" pleasure boats.

 

Some are sold more by word of mouth. Someone "in the know" passing on information about someone wanting to sell, but it may never be advertised.

Is there a better way to phrase what I am looking for?

Unconverted canal narrow boat, (or working boat, if it's already in a canal context) is fine.

 

These come as "motors" (powered, and what I'm guessing you are after), or "buttys" (unpowered).

Is it realistic?

How much would a boat cost?

That depends.

If it's a "real" one, in it's original state, or close to it, a lot of money......

Particularly if it has a "pedigree" of being one of the recognised types built for a major carrier from the past.

If you are lucky a useable motor, needing some work, might be had in the £30K to £40K ones, but nicely restored ones can easily attract double that. Cheaper, and the liklihood is it needs significant money spending on it.

 

Buttys (unpowered) are less, not that surprisingly, but you will not buy much under £20K.

 

Sometimes boats have been made out of other boats, such as the "day boats" or "Joeys" that used to be used in Birmingham. Perhaps an unpowered boat will have been modified to a powered one, and the small living cabin added.

These will cost a bit less, being less sought after generally, (but might be a cheaper option for you). Some of the base hulls of these are now over 100 years old, and you need great caution about what you are buying.

Where do I start?

Do lots of reading - if what I've said already doesn't scare you off, other facts and figures might!

What costs are there that would not be obvious to the new person, licences, insurance etc?

Anything else of use

Before it's even yours - Survey - You would be mad not to for this type of boat, and the buyer pays, including any docking or pulling out costs, to allow it to happen,

 

Licences (Different ones apply to the Thames from the canal system, (although expensive Gold licences to cover both are possible).

 

Moorings are the biggie for many people, although it sounds your situation may be different.

 

Insurance.

 

Maintenance. Even a boat of the type you described needs dry docking every 2 to 3 years to be reblacked.

Many working boats are 70 years old or more. Hence they tend to need plating repairs of some degree or another from time to time.

 

Boat Safety Certificate - A boat needs a kind of "MOT" every 4 years. Although a lot of this will not apply to a working boat, it is still an expense to be reckoned with.

 

Have I frightened you to death yet ?

 

Alan

Edited June 6, 2008 by alan_fincher

[PeterF]

if you run some form of waterways based group, charity, voluntary group or other then British Waterways are apparently looking at supplying some of their old boats to such organisations. I do not think that all of these have found new homes. Your organisation may fall into the category. However, from the description their may be work involved as these are old boats and if you can not arrange the required knowledge & support then aquiring one may be more of a liability.

 

Please have a look at New homes for old boats as this has furtehr details and a contact at British Waterways.

[alan_fincher]

if you run some form of waterways based group, charity, voluntary group or other then British Waterways are apparently looking at supplying some of their old boats to such organisations. I do not think that all of these have found new homes. Your organisation may fall into the category. However, from the description their may be work involved as these are old boats and if you can not arrange the required knowledge & support then aquiring one may be more of a liability.

 

Please have a look at New homes for old boats as this has furtehr details and a contact at British Waterways.

A fascinating link Peter, which I hadn't seen.

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Some of it almost beggars belief, in terms of how little they seem to have bothered to find out about what they are classing as "heritage" boats.

 

For example when what was clearly a 72 foot working boat, (and of well document pedigree), is now just 45 feet, it must have taken some genius to come up with....

 

There are signs that the vessel may have been shortened.

.

 

Well amaze me some more, Einstein!

 

I'm also pleased to be told that bits of fibreglass cabin may not be original - I could never have worked that out, without their valued notes!

 

Amongst the heritage boats is a derelict old "mud hopper" that has been used as a large rubbish skip at Nash Mills on the GU for years. I can't really see any heritage group taking on serious restoration of a mud hopper, but guess I could be wrong.

 

But there are some potentially very nice boats there, if the right group gets hold of them. (How can I set myself up as some charitable trust....)

Edited June 6, 2008 by alan_fincher

[Tim Lewis]

Hi there,

I have joined this site because I want to buy a narrow boat for work!! I have a great idea but do not know were to start so please help....

 

I manage the Riverside Youth Adventure Centre on the River Thames in Oxford and would like to buy a narrow boat for the centre as it would give me unique waterbased access to most of the counties largest towns and a mobile centre!! I would like to buy what I can only describe as a working narrow boat, one of the 60-70ft ones which have mostly open carrying capacity and not much in the way of accomadation etc. Please excuse my ignorance around the subject this seemed like a ideal place to start my enquiries.

 

So my questions are:

Where can I buy one from?

Is there a better way to phrase what I am looking for?

Is it realistic?

How much would a boat cost?

Where do I start?

What costs are there that would not be obvious to the new person, licences, insurance etc?

Anything else of use

 

ANY help, information, guidance, support I will be so grateful for.

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Rob

 

If you want to get involved with Historic boats it may be worth joining the Historic Narrowboat Owners club, their magazine and mailing list often have boats for sale:

 

http://www.hnboc.org.uk/

 

Tim

[Gary Peacock]

Hi there,

I have joined this site because I want to buy a narrow boat for work!! I have a great idea but do not know were to start so please help....

 

I manage the Riverside Youth Adventure Centre on the River Thames in Oxford and would like to buy a narrow boat for the centre as it would give me unique waterbased access to most of the counties largest towns and a mobile centre!! I would like to buy what I can only describe as a working narrow boat, one of the 60-70ft ones which have mostly open carrying capacity and not much in the way of accomadation etc. Please excuse my ignorance around the subject this seemed like a ideal place to start my enquiries.

 

So my questions are:

Where can I buy one from?

Is there a better way to phrase what I am looking for?

Is it realistic?

How much would a boat cost?

Where do I start?

What costs are there that would not be obvious to the new person, licences, insurance etc?

Anything else of use

 

ANY help, information, guidance, support I will be so grateful for.

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Rob

 

 

We build that kind of thing for charities etc if you want any help drop me a PM.

 

We did quite a few of these-

 

[sueb]

There is a Community Boat Association that may be helpful. Googling comes up with some links. cba

Sue