cheshire narrowboats

[umpire]

im now fed up with going round looking at boats that are on brokerage and being expected to pay extreme prices for pieces of basicaly junk, if you went to buy a second hand car in the condition some of these boats were in youd laugh your socks of, i dont mind paying wat its worth but hey for boats that need a refit smell of damp and need a lot of work brokerages are putting prices up that are stupid even in these times. so i think unless in the next couple of weeks i can find a reasonable boat im going down the sailaway route and would like to know if anyone has bought from cheshire narrow boats in lymm

Edited July 19, 2009 by umpire

[Guest]

im now fed up with going round looking at boats that are on brokerage and being expected to pay extreme prices for pieces of basicaly junk, if you went to buy a second hand car in the condition some of these boats were in youd laugh your socks of, i dont mind paying wat its worth but hey for boats that need a refit smell of damp and need a lot of work brokerages are putting prices up that are stupid even in these times. so i think unless in the next couple of weeks i can find a reasonable boat im going down the sailaway route and would like to know if anyone has bought from cheshire narrow boats in lymm

Exactly my story; we too enede up with a sailaway.

We looked at the place at Lymm, and the shells he had appeared to be good quality from well known makers, and at the right price. He didn't have quite what we needed, otherwise I would have gone with them. I have spoken to one or two people who dealt with them, and they seemed satisfied.

[umpire]

Exactly my story; we too enede up with a sailaway.

We looked at the place at Lymm, and the shells he had appeared to be good quality from well known makers, and at the right price. He didn't have quite what we needed, otherwise I would have gone with them. I have spoken to one or two people who dealt with them, and they seemed satisfied.

its nice to know its not just me, wat problems did you find fitting out have you a blog

[O'Mali]

im now fed up with going round looking at boats that are on brokerage and being expected to pay extreme prices for pieces of basicaly junk, if you went to buy a second hand car in the condition some of these boats were in youd laugh your socks of, i dont mind paying wat its worth but hey for boats that need a refit smell of damp and need a lot of work brokerages are putting prices up that are stupid even in these times. so i think unless in the next couple of weeks i can find a reasonable boat im going down the sailaway route and would like to know if anyone has bought from cheshire narrow boats in lymm

I know what you are saying about boats that are totally naff being up for silly money, it is very frustrating if you have travelled miles only to find it stinks in more ways than one!

 

The trouble is, there are so many dodgie gezza's (and gezzette's) about now, or so the internet will lead you to belive, that no one wants to trust no one (generally speaking) and people feel safer going through a broker and thus up's demand on them so they inflate the prices/worth.

 

There are some good bargains on ebay and boats & outboards all the time.

[Guest]

its nice to know its not just me, wat problems did you find fitting out have you a blog

No blog sorry.

I read everything I could before fitting out, including the book about fitting out by Booth. I also talked to loads of people, and looked at loads of boats that I was (by now) pretending to want to buy. The thing that finally convinced me I could do it was a man fitting out a boat at Cheshire, who was blind. TBH I didn't find it too difficult technically, but applying yourself all the time can be difficult. Time is the most difficult thing; I would say estimate the time, the cost, and then double both I cant remember how long it took in hours, but I would estimate about 16 solid weeks of work (with some limited assistance from family members), just to get the basic boat up and running. I am still doing extras/improvements 5 years on. They are never finished......

I found the lining out and electrics/ plumbing didn't take too long, it is the "finishing off" jobs that take the longest. Just like building a house in fact.

Would I do another? I wouldn't hesitate.

[Soulgirl]

Sorry to butt in, what's a sailaway?

[soldthehouse]

im now fed up with going round looking at boats that are on brokerage and being expected to pay extreme prices for pieces of basicaly junk, if you went to buy a second hand car in the condition some of these boats were in youd laugh your socks of, i dont mind paying wat its worth but hey for boats that need a refit smell of damp and need a lot of work brokerages are putting prices up that are stupid even in these times. so i think unless in the next couple of weeks i can find a reasonable boat im going down the sailaway route and would like to know if anyone has bought from cheshire narrow boats in lymm

What a reassuring thread. I too have looked at brokerage boats and thought I was missing something. This week WE looked at a boat for 30000 that stunk or mice (see another thread] and was derelict the only thing to be done was to completely strip it out. Am I missing something and what is the advantage of this over a sailaway apart from ability to do the work yourself and the obvious question of losing your cash to a failed builder?

[O'Mali]

Sorry to butt in, what's a sailaway?

Is that your natural hair colour?

[Matthew Dowson]

Sorry to butt in, what's a sailaway?

Its a hull in primer only, with windows, engine fitted, it can move but its just s steel shell inside - you just sail it away to where you spend the next 2 years fitting the interior out. If I was to try it I'd still be sleeping on a camp bed.

[lemontoes]

Sorry to butt in, what's a sailaway?

 

 

Its a hull in primer only, with windows, engine fitted, it can move but its just s steel shell inside - you just sail it away to where you spend the next 2 years fitting the interior out. If I was to try it I'd still be sleeping on a camp bed.

 

 

Some builders offer sailaway plus (lined out, with wiring and plumbing?) and part fitted sailaways........we considered one, and will go back to that if we can't find a suitable second hand boat.

 

Love your avatar by the way!

[umpire]

Some builders offer sailaway plus (lined out, with wiring and plumbing?) and part fitted sailaways........we considered one, and will go back to that if we can't find a suitable second hand boat.

 

Love your avatar by the way!

yea thats wat im looking at a sailaway lined with the elecs and plumbing in, just a note if it took you two years wat were you doing i know it takes time but when all is said and done you only go as fast as you want to. this by the way is for the camper up the way

Edited July 19, 2009 by umpire

[dor]

Well, I would like to speak up for the brokerages.

 

There are one or two that are well known for trying to sell over-priced wrecks. I can't belive the way some of the boats were presented when I was looking for my previous boats.

 

However there are some brokerages that don't take on rubbish, will take you round personally, spend time talking to you and establish your wants and needs and seeing if they have anything to suit you.

 

Others give you a bunch of keys and, dragging themselves away from whatever they are watching on their PC, draw on their fag and point you in the rough direction of what is for sale.

 

Like most things in life, there is a wide range of experiences out there. Your move.

[umpire]

Well, I would like to speak up for the brokerages.

 

There are one or two that are well known for trying to sell over-priced wrecks. I can't belive the way some of the boats were presented when I was looking for my previous boats.

 

However there are some brokerages that don't take on rubbish, will take you round personally, spend time talking to you and establish your wants and needs and seeing if they have anything to suit you.

 

Others give you a bunch of keys and, dragging themselves away from whatever they are watching on their PC, draw on their fag and point you in the rough direction of what is for sale.

 

Like most things in life, there is a wide range of experiences out there. Your move.

can you tell me which ones these are please i will make a special visit, i have been to a few now and mostly i feel that the brokers are putting to high a price on the boats

[Sven_8t4]

I'll second that!

 

Been to a few brokerages in the last few months looking for a 'project' boat ie needs a internal refit and a darm good lick of paint, but what i've found is scrappers for upwards of £25000 that you can see the rain running down the inside of the walls as fast as it is outside and woodwork that is softer than my granny's victoria sponge!

 

Is there such a place that sells older hulls in a sailaway form? ( as i dont have £19k plus for a new one)

 

Sven

[umpire]

I'll second that!

 

Been to a few brokerages in the last few months looking for a 'project' boat ie needs a internal refit and a darm good lick of paint, but what i've found is scrappers for upwards of £25000 that you can see the rain running down the inside of the walls as fast as it is outside and woodwork that is softer than my granny's victoria sponge!

 

Is there such a place that sells older hulls in a sailaway form? ( as i dont have £19k plus for a new one)

 

Sven

yea well said

[umpire]

so to get back to it anyone bought a cheshire narrowboats boat from lymm

[david and julie]

yea thats wat im looking at a sailaway lined with the elecs and plumbing in, just a note if it took you two years wat were you doing i know it takes time but when all is said and done you only go as fast as you want to. this by the way is for the camper up the way

 

My sailaway came with engine,sprayfoamed,battened(top half only)windows,doors and floored. It then took me 12 months to complete working almost full time on it. I did struggle with some jobs though (sheets of ply or long lengths of timber mainly)because I was on my own all the time and could really have done with an extra hand.

 

I've met the guy who owns LMBS on several occasions both at Lymm and at my eventual builders. I would have bought a boat off him but at the time he was a bit inflexible about changing his standard format. I do think he has very fair, safe and straightforward payment terms and for that reason alone if he had (or could get) what I wanted, I would use him.

 

I've seen several of his lined sailaways and the standard has varied considerably - that said - the more recent were the better ones.

 

My advice would be to line,plumb and wire you own(all quite easy really) and use the money saved to help pay towards having it professionally painted - trying to do a decent paint job outside is by far the worst part of the whole job.

[umpire]

My sailaway came with engine,sprayfoamed,battened(top half only)windows,doors and floored. It then took me 12 months to complete working almost full time on it. I did struggle with some jobs though (sheets of ply or long lengths of timber mainly)because I was on my own all the time and could really have done with an extra hand.

 

I've met the guy who owns LMBS on several occasions both at Lymm and at my eventual builders. I would have bought a boat off him but at the time he was a bit inflexible about changing his standard format. I do think he has very fair, safe and straightforward payment terms and for that reason alone if he had (or could get) what I wanted, I would use him.

 

I've seen several of his lined sailaways and the standard has varied considerably - that said - the more recent were the better ones.

 

My advice would be to line,plumb and wire you own(all quite easy really) and use the money saved to help pay towards having it professionally painted - trying to do a decent paint job outside is by far the worst part of the whole job.

good advice thanks

[soldthehouse]

My sailaway came with engine,sprayfoamed,battened(top half only)windows,doors and floored. It then took me 12 months to complete working almost full time on it. I did struggle with some jobs though (sheets of ply or long lengths of timber mainly)because I was on my own all the time and could really have done with an extra hand.

 

I've met the guy who owns LMBS on several occasions both at Lymm and at my eventual builders. I would have bought a boat off him but at the time he was a bit inflexible about changing his standard format. I do think he has very fair, safe and straightforward payment terms and for that reason alone if he had (or could get) what I wanted, I would use him.

 

I've seen several of his lined sailaways and the standard has varied considerably - that said - the more recent were the better ones.

 

My advice would be to line,plumb and wire you own(all quite easy really) and use the money saved to help pay towards having it professionally painted - trying to do a decent paint job outside is by far the worst part of the whole job.

Hi how did you batten the bottom half after sprayfoam Thanks

[david and julie]

Hi how did you batten the bottom half after sprayfoam Thanks

To the pieces of angle which - on mine - run the full length of the boat.

[soldthehouse]

To the pieces of angle which - on mine - run the full length of the boat.

Do they have no insulation on them at all is this ok as I will be refitting a boat and sprayfoaming it and assumed it would all have to be done to prevent condensation although I havent done this before your guidance would be appreciated thanks

[david and julie]

Do they have no insulation on them at all is this ok as I will be refitting a boat and sprayfoaming it and assumed it would all have to be done to prevent condensation although I havent done this before your guidance would be appreciated thanks

Yes I have insulation on the angles but this was removed wherever I wanted a batton fixing. I then used a piece of flashband between the batton and the steel.

[soldthehouse]

Yes I have insulation on the angles but this was removed wherever I wanted a batton fixing. I then used a piece of flashband between the batton and the steel.

thanks for that

[david and julie]

thanks for that

I'll assume by that response your confused?

 

The angles run horizontally along the boat and the battons are placed vertically, therefore you only have to remove a small part of insulation(the width of the batton) you then offer up your batton with a piece of flashband (easier because its self adhesive) sandwiched between it and the steel. You then drill through the timber and steel frame and use countersunk stainless steel nuts an bolts to fix the battons.

 

Flashband.

http://www.cwatson.co.uk/index.html?lang=e...target=d97.html

[soldthehouse]

I'll assume by that response your confused?

 

The angles run horizontally along the boat and the battons are placed vertically, therefore you only have to remove a small part of insulation(the width of the batton) you then offer up your batton with a piece of flashband (easier because its self adhesive) sandwiched between it and the steel. You then drill through the timber and steel frame and use countersunk stainless steel nuts an bolts to fix the battons.

 

Flashband.

http://www.cwatson.co.uk/index.html?lang=e...target=d97.html

splendid

 

splendid

its this kind of thing that only comes with experience and is invaluable thanks