Fibreglass boats

[magpie patrick]

Hi all,

 

we went to look at a Wilderness Beaver yesterday, if it had fitted the bill we'd have bought it. Basically it did, it was fitted out as a four berth with shower, the layout we want, and has been well looked after. Nearly new engine and everything else well maintained.

 

I got a bit of a shock though because the guy said it was 1983 built, which makes it 27 years old. My gut reaction is that the asking price (£13k) was a bit much for a boat of that age, but what would the difference be between a fibreglass boat 27 years old and one say, 12 years old?

[PaddingtonBear]

Wilderness Beavers have a cult following and therefore prices are at a premium but much like anything else it is all down to condition and history. We recently sold a 1970 22' Callumcraft built like a tank the hull was nearly threequarters of and inch thick!, built at a time when fibreglass was a reletively new material and before computer designed boat were built to a minimum the builders can get away with. When we bought it we had it surveyed (the only boat we have) and the surveyor said it was in near perfect condition after 35 years!! and even if it had osmosis there was very little to get excited about as the gel coat was so thick. Why not seek advice from the Beaver club and especially the builders. A new one is brain damage dear btw.

Have you got your Fourtrak yet?

[Phil Ambrose]

Hi all,

 

we went to look at a Wilderness Beaver yesterday, if it had fitted the bill we'd have bought it. Basically it did, it was fitted out as a four berth with shower, the layout we want, and has been well looked after. Nearly new engine and everything else well maintained.

 

I got a bit of a shock though because the guy said it was 1983 built, which makes it 27 years old. My gut reaction is that the asking price (£13k) was a bit much for a boat of that age, but what would the difference be between a fibreglass boat 27 years old and one say, 12 years old?

 

The only difference is the price. 8 years ago we bought our present boat for £18k , 40ft X 12ft not quite as a shell but fairly spartan (at the time) she has a build date of 1978. We have since fitted her out to suit us and to provide a nice comfortable home.

It must be said that back in the earlier days of producing GRP boats they tended to over engineer them as it was a bit of an unknown quantity. Consequently we have a really solid boat unlike some of the more modern GRP boats.

If a boat ticks all the boxes then buy it and dont stress on it's age.

 

Phil

[magpie patrick]

Wilderness Beavers have a cult following and therefore prices are at a premium but much like anything else it is all down to condition and history. We recently sold a 1970 22' Callumcraft built like a tank the hull was nearly threequarters of and inch thick!, built at a time when fibreglass was a reletively new material and before computer designed boat were built to a minimum the builders can get away with. When we bought it we had it surveyed (the only boat we have) and the surveyor said it was in near perfect condition after 35 years!! and even if it had osmosis there was very little to get excited about as the gel coat was so thick. Why not seek advice from the Beaver club and especially the builders. A new one is brain damage dear btw.

Have you got your Fourtrak yet?

 

We've seen a new one but we're not buying it! It did give us the chance to ask the current builder lots of questions though.

 

We have a two pronged plan

 

If we find a boat, on a mooring we like (and it can stay on) and we like the boat AND we can afford it out of savings, we will buy it. We nearly bought the Mallard but we were beaten to it. Having got two boats we will then move towards selling Ripple

 

If by, say, next summer we haven't found a boat we'll sell Ripple anyway and carry on the search. Ripple. much as I love her, is becoming a bit of an albatross around my neck, and the final straw is the inflexibility of the cruising range, which wasn't an issue when I was single and spent every waking moment on her, but is now I'm married, mortgaged etc.

 

Once Ripple is sold we'd have more flexibility on budget.

 

And no, I'll get the fourtrack and trailer when I know what boat it's pulling. Could be a Mallard, a Beaver or a Viking 23/26, as they are the main ones we are looking at. pros and cons to each...