Er.. Can you help?

[Emily]

Hi, not sure if I'm doing this right- I know nothing about computers and less than nothing about boats. I'm interested in buying a 56' 1973 Mildon Marine cruiser stern. The owner wants 19,950 for it, it's in generally good nick though a bit shabby, but the safety cert doesn't cover the ancient diesel boiler, which needs replacing. The shower doesn't work, and the cooker isn't covered by cert either.. Survey in 07 said the hull's ok, but there is significant wear to the stern tube bearing, which needs replacing. There are a few other bits and bobs to do too. I've been looking at various boats for a while now and this one is the most expensive and the one that needs the most work to be liveable. Can anyone tell me if it's just wishful thinking, or is this a bit pricey?

[Naughty Cal]

Get a survey done. It will save you money in the long run.

[Emily]

Get a survey done. It will save you money in the long run.

How much will it cost to get a survey? How do I go about it?

[Proper Job]

If the safety cert doesn't cover the boiler or the cooker (any mention of a gas system?), it virtually worthless. The installation could be substandard and is probably the highest risk appliances on the boat.

 

Stern tube repair is an out of the water/dry dock job.

 

"generally good nick though a bit shabby" - does this mean: ' on the verge of a major refurb'?

 

"this one is the most expensive and the one that needs the most work to be liveable" - Why aren't you going for a cheaper one that needs less work doing to it then?

 

As Phylis says - get a survey of your own done if your really that interested in the boat.

[Emily]

I prob will go for a cheaper one, to be honest, but i LIKE this one! Can you tell me how to go about getting a survey done? P.S Got the price wrong, sorry- it was 19,500

Edited August 19, 2009 by Emily

[Guest User]

.... just to add; if you really like the boat then when you arrange the survey, ask the surveyor to value the boat in its present condition and provide cost estimates for repair of the basics that you mentioned .... you can use it to help you figure out the economics and to negotiate on price with the seller/broker.

[Naughty Cal]

Ask the vendor if you can have it surveyed, ring a surveyor, ring a yard to lift the boat, book it, survey done, you get a report which should tell you all you need to know including a valuation. They are not cheap but then again neither is finding out you have bought a lemon.

[Emily]

By "Not cheap"... How much, ish?

[mayalld]

Hi, not sure if I'm doing this right- I know nothing about computers and less than nothing about boats. I'm interested in buying a 56' 1973 Mildon Marine cruiser stern. The owner wants 19,950 for it, it's in generally good nick though a bit shabby, but the safety cert doesn't cover the ancient diesel boiler, which needs replacing. The shower doesn't work, and the cooker isn't covered by cert either.. Survey in 07 said the hull's ok, but there is significant wear to the stern tube bearing, which needs replacing. There are a few other bits and bobs to do too. I've been looking at various boats for a while now and this one is the most expensive and the one that needs the most work to be liveable. Can anyone tell me if it's just wishful thinking, or is this a bit pricey?

 

My first gut reaction is that this is pricey!

 

Unless the owner is prepared to come down on price to somewhere between 12 and 15 thousand, you are probably throwing good money after bad paying for a survey.

[Naughty Cal]

By "Not cheap"... How much, ish?

 

Dont know for a NB but ours was £400 for the survey plus £100 to lift the boat. Bear in mind this was for a 25ft cruiser that was slipped on a trailer and has few domestic systems. A NB, i suspect will be more.

[Chris Pink]

Hi, not sure if I'm doing this right- I know nothing about computers and less than nothing about boats. I'm interested in buying a 56' 1973 Mildon Marine cruiser stern. The owner wants 19,950 for it, it's in generally good nick though a bit shabby, but the safety cert doesn't cover the ancient diesel boiler, which needs replacing. The shower doesn't work, and the cooker isn't covered by cert either.. Survey in 07 said the hull's ok, but there is significant wear to the stern tube bearing, which needs replacing. There are a few other bits and bobs to do too. I've been looking at various boats for a while now and this one is the most expensive and the one that needs the most work to be liveable. Can anyone tell me if it's just wishful thinking, or is this a bit pricey?

 

It is quite pricey for an early 70's boat.

 

One point of note about the earlier survey; if it was done for the previous owner before buying the boat then it will have a critical slant, my first boat's survey picked up on lots of things that weren't really necessary but were included as bargaining points. if the survey was for insurance it will be more honest.

 

I assume it doesn't have a current safety certificate? does it have a failure sheet?

 

The stern tube could well be done in the water but if it hasn't been out the water for a long time then it might as well be docked anyway.

 

For a 56' boat, between £19K and, say. £25K there is a lot of choice at the moment and for a 1970s boat you should be looking for a lot of more recent equipment and fit-out.

 

if you don't know and expert friend then you need a survey, depending on where it is (ie how much to get it out the water) this could be up to £800 but as the mighty Phylis says, this is a lot cheaper than fixing something major.

 

What engine and what condition is a major question.

 

Where is the boat?

Edited August 19, 2009 by Chris Pink

[RLWP]

A boiler and a cooker will cost quite a bit of money, and also time from a specialist to install.

 

Richard

[Yoda]

Hi, not sure if I'm doing this right- I know nothing about computers and less than nothing about boats. I'm interested in buying a 56' 1973 Mildon Marine cruiser stern. The owner wants 19,950 for it, it's in generally good nick though a bit shabby, but the safety cert doesn't cover the ancient diesel boiler, which needs replacing. The shower doesn't work, and the cooker isn't covered by cert either.. Survey in 07 said the hull's ok

, but there is significant wear to the stern tube bearing, which needs replacing. There are a few other bits and bobs to do too. I've been looking at various boats for a while now and this one is the most expensive and the one that needs the most work to be liveable. Can anyone tell me if it's just wishful thinking, or is this a bit pricey?

 

Interesting that you know of this problem but don't know anything about a survey.

[Naughty Cal]

but as the mighty Phylis says,

 

Why mighty

[Brummage]

Emily? Can I ask, have you ever spent any time at all on a narrowboat? I'm just curious.

[stewey]

Emily, is it this boat (unfortunately no pics):

 

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=121365

 

Stewey

[Emily]

Interesting that you know of this problem but don't know anything about a survey The boat was surveyed in 07

 

Interesting that you know of this problem but don't know anything about a survey

 

the survey i'm quoting from was done in 07

[magpie patrick]

Interesting that you know of this problem but don't know anything about a survey

 

the survey i'm quoting from was done in 07

 

If this problem existed in 2007 and it still hasn't been repaired, I would walk away now. It isn't just this fault, it reflects a very high level of neglect for at least the last two years.

 

On top of which it's way to expensive for a 1970's build

 

BOAT

 

Bring

Out

Another

Thousand

 

So don't spend too many thousands now, you'll need them later

[Christine]

edited - 'cos it was stupid

Edited August 19, 2009 by Christine

[Emily]

Sorry, i'm having a bit of trouble working out how to use this computer. Thank you all for your help! I'll try to answer some of the questions -it's got a Lister sr3 engine, which appears to be sound. No, as you can probably tell, i have bugger-all experience of boats. It does have a safety cert, but the cooker and boiler aren't covered by it. Because, presumably, they'd probably fail. Yes, it is that boat. It had a survey in 2007, which said about the bearing etc- is a 2-year old survey still viable?

[sueb]

Have you a mooring and are you planning on living on it?

Sue

[Liam]

Well made boat by reputable builder

 

If it's a well known, reputable builder then why haven't they named them?

 

Suspicious as always...

[Emily]

If it's a well known, reputable builder then why haven't they named them?

 

Suspicious as always...

Mindon marine- I thought he did name them in the ad

 

Have you a mooring and are you planning on living on it?

Sue

No and yes

[Liam]

Mindon marine- I thought he did name them in the ad

 

 

No and yes

 

I take that back.... should open eyes before engaging fingers!

[alan_fincher]

Walk away, unless that price is highly negotiable.

 

£20K is far too much for a 1973 boat needing as much sorted out as is already admitted to, yet alone everything else that will doubtless come up later.

 

In the current market, there must be much better deals than this one.