son bought a red herring

[bux]

well my son bought a boat that is absolute rubbish, only had it three months and it sprung a leak, put it into dry dock, it needs replating in several places, son cannot afford to plough any more money into the boat, and it shook him up badly when the problem happened, is there any way he can get some money back on this boat, eg scrap yards, we have talked to a brokerage, but my son would have to plough money into the boat befor a brokerage wojuld tale the boat on, and my son is now penniless after buying the boat for 10,000, he now just wants rid of the boat, if there are any suggestions please let me know...son did buy the boat privatly, without a hull survey, so he knows he has paid the price for his stupidity, any way if any one has any possitive advice, it would be appreciated.

[Athy]

I think you may have been mistaken as to the colour: perhaps white elephant rather than red herring?

Seriously, there is a lady on this forum at the moment who is looking for a budget-end boat, and who has (I think) said that she would pay up to a certain price minus the cost of overplating. Perhaps your son's boat could interest her.

Could you tell us a bit more about the boat? Make, size, year, engine, any other problems apart from the leakiness?

[WotEver]

I'm really sorry to hear this. I've been wondering how your son would get on once the hull was properly examined.

 

How much plating does it require? If it's not an excessive amount then even if your son had to take out a loan to cover the cost of the replating, the result would be a boat that he could then sell on for a LOT more than he'll get as scrap value. Boats that float are worth much more than the value of the steel.

 

Tony

[grahoom]

Dont sell it for scrap. I am sure that your Son would get a better price selling it as a project boat to someone who is willing to take the work on. There are plenty of boats that get replated and then last for 10's of years more.

 

If no broker will take the boat on then your son needs to sell it privately.

 

It's a shame your son feels he has been burnt on this project. BUT buying any steel narrow boat for £10K, there should be the expectation that money will need to be ploughed into it.

[WotEver]

Seriously, there is a lady on this forum at the moment who is looking for a budget-end boat, and who has (I think) said that she would pay up to a certain price minus the cost of overplating.

That's a very good point

[Athy]

Trouble is, I can't remember her forum name and i can't find her thread. Help! Perhaps begins with "Star"?

Edited September 16, 2011 by Athy

[WotEver]

Trouble is, I can't remember her forum name and i can't find her thread. Help! Perhaps begins with "Star"?

Starcoaster. This thread.

 

Tony

Edited September 16, 2011 by WotEver

[Chris Pink]

well my son bought a boat that is absolute rubbish, only had it three months and it sprung a leak, put it into dry dock, it needs replating in several places, son cannot afford to plough any more money into the boat, and it shook him up badly when the problem happened, is there any way he can get some money back on this boat, eg scrap yards, we have talked to a brokerage, but my son would have to plough money into the boat befor a brokerage wojuld tale the boat on, and my son is now penniless after buying the boat for 10,000, he now just wants rid of the boat, if there are any suggestions please let me know...son did buy the boat privatly, without a hull survey, so he knows he has paid the price for his stupidity, any way if any one has any possitive advice, it would be appreciated.

 

 

Seems a bit rash to write off £10,000, I wish I could afford to do that!

 

Let's get one thing straight; the scrap value is zero, zilch, nothing. By the time you've paid for the logistics the residual value of the steel and fittings will tuppence.

 

His best bet, in my opinion, is to try and save something of his purchase. At the moment I can understand he is at a low point. But there are ways to resolve the situation. It is not expensive to put a patch on. Forget the term "replating" think "patch" and you will quickly see that it is achievable. The docking will be his most expensive cost but if it can travel then that can be ameliorated.

 

There is so much crap talked about old boats, the thinnest is made of very durable and solid material. This is not the underside of a car.

 

As Grahoom says, it would have been a lucky buy indeed if it didn't need work. If he walks away now, he loses £10,000 if he persists he'll get a usable boat.

[Dekazer]

We bought a boat for a reasonable price on the condition that overplating work was done - I wonder whether there might be scope for your son to offer the boat for sale *needs overplating* but with a very clear reduction in price to reflect that.

 

If he had got a good quote from a reputable company to do the remedial work, that might help. E.g. 'Boat for sale, it's 45 feet long with a cruiser stern and it needs some ovreplating work done. Smith & Sons have quoted £4000 for this work. This boat is for sale for £6000.'

 

Not everyone would be put off by this.

 

Sorry I don't have suggestions about scrap, but I didn't want to read and run. I do wish you a quick sale and good luck for the future,

 

Lucy

[Tim Doran]

There are many people who, when actually own a boat think that they have bought a pile of scrap. This is not the case in many instances. Go with Chris Pink's suggestion which seems sensible. Talk to local boaters rather than the marinas/boat yards to find local liveaboard welders. In my experiance they are more friendly, professional and cost effective than my local marina.

 

He might be able to cut costs by doing a barter or skills exchange or working as a gofor. There will likely to be some prep work that he could do himself rather than pay someone to do it. Boat yards are more likely to make the job more expensive than it needs to be.

 

Lets see some pictures of what he has got.

 

Tim

Edited September 16, 2011 by Tim Doran

[bux]

There are many people who, when actually own a boat think that they have bought a pile of scrap. This is not the case in many instances. Go with Chris Pink's suggestion which seems sensible. Talk to local boaters rather than the marinas/boat years to find local liveaboard welders. In my experiance they are more friendly, professional and cost effective than my local marina.

 

He might be able to cut costs by doing a barter or skills exchange or working as a gofor. There will likely to be some prep work that he could do himself rather than pay someone to do it.

 

Lets see some pictures of what he has got.

 

Tim

hi Tim and all other peeps, i have just retreived the paperwork off my son's boat and i have taken some pics so i will look through the info this afternoon, after i have taken my dogs to the vets, any way i will put as much info on here and some pics if i can upload them

joy

[WotEver]

... and some pics if i can upload them

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=38816

 

Tony

[Naughty Cal]

Without being too harsh did your son not get someone who knew something about boats (not neccesarily a surveyor) to check over the boat for him. £10k is a lot of money to part with on a whim.

 

On the plus side no boat is a total write off, he can either stick with it and do some work on it or sell it on as a project, but be prepared to lose some money in the process. This will which ever wayhe takes it be a harsh lesson in boat buying.

[Stormbringer]

<<snip>>- I wonder whether there might be scope for your son to offer the boat for sale *needs overplating* but with a very clear reduction in price to reflect that.

 

If he had got a good quote from a reputable company to do the remedial work, that might help. E.g. 'Boat for sale, it's 45 feet long with a cruiser stern and it needs some ovreplating work done. Smith & Sons have quoted £4000 for this work. This boat is for sale for £6000.'

 

Not everyone would be put off by this.

<snip.

 

Lucy

 

I agree with Lucy.

I am sure if your Son advertised the boat honestly as it is there would be quite a bit of interest. It would probably make a great project boat for someone with the required skills (welder etc), and at least your Son could recoup something out of the experience.

 

Good luck anyway - whichever way you decide to go. I am sure all is not lost.

 

Regards

Andy

[Neil2]

well my son bought a boat that is absolute rubbish, only had it three months and it sprung a leak, put it into dry dock, it needs replating in several places, son cannot afford to plough any more money into the boat, and it shook him up badly when the problem happened, is there any way he can get some money back on this boat, eg scrap yards, we have talked to a brokerage, but my son would have to plough money into the boat befor a brokerage wojuld tale the boat on, and my son is now penniless after buying the boat for 10,000, he now just wants rid of the boat, if there are any suggestions please let me know...son did buy the boat privatly, without a hull survey, so he knows he has paid the price for his stupidity, any way if any one has any possitive advice, it would be appreciated.

 

Oh dear - my heart goes out to your son, but anyone who has ever owner an old boat will tell you they can break your heart if you let them. The thing is, if you are into boats you see every pitfall as part of the experience. Some sound advice has been offered which I fully endorse. All is not lost. There are lots of good welders around who work for what you and I would call a pittance, it's the docking that might be the costly bit but as a fellow boater remarked only the other day, if you baulk at the cost of having a boat lifted out every year or so you shouldn't be a boat owner.

Here's a bit of a case study I hope it helps. I recently had a miserable experience with a split in my skin (cooling) tank which I had to get sorted by a boatyard. Whilst I was there waiting my eye was drawn to a lovely looking NB alongside. The welder explained that the guy bought it for very little as an ex working boat that had been badly converted and it had a wooden cabin. He tore the inside out and the boat yard made up a new cabin in steel at a cost of about £4000 I think. He has to fit out the inside (which he is doing himself) but at the end of this exercise he will have what looks like a new boat for still only a four figure sum. It shows you what can be done with what other folk at first sight might call a pile of scrap.

Steel boats, like railway locomotives, can be made to last almost indefinately, that's the advantage of steel. It was a good point about a NB not being like a car, a badly corroded car is a waste of time and money in most cases. rarely is that the case with a boat.

I know another guy that had exactly the same experience as you son, he did have the boat surveyed but took it for granted the bottom plate would be sound. It wasn't. His philosophy was well the boat didn't cost the earth and now it has a new bottom plate which is a hell of a selling point if and when he comes to part with it.

You'll get lots of good advice and encouragement on this forum, just try and get your son to see things in t more positive light.

[Starcoaster]

Sorry this has happened to you, I thought he was going to go for the work eventually?

 

It's me that was mentioned is looking for a cheap fixer- upper, I might well be interested depending on condition and cost as I really don't have a lot of money and need something safe... But if it looks like you won't even be able to get scrap value, I'll wait to hear back from you. x

[yorkshireboats]

The boat in question isnt in Leeds by any chance is it ?

[Pretty Funked Up]

Whether he decides to stay on the cut or not I would still get the leak fixed. This way he stands a chance of getting most of his money back, maybe all of it.

[blackrose]

In 1998 I had a 45ft Springer 2/3 overplated for 2000 quid. Even if prices have doubled since then perhaps your son could still get the work done for a reasonable price if the thin aeas aren't too extensive?

[WotEver]

The boat in question isnt in Leeds by any chance is it ?

I believe it's at Aqueduct. It was a day or two back, and I can't imagine it's gone sailing very far since.

 

Tony

[robdalej]

Notice you liveCheshire. In Middlewich there is a good welder who may be able to help you, his name is Steve Edgely and he uses a dry dock in the area, his number is 07747441241.He has done some work for me and his card states he does replating, may be worth a call.Must add that , apart from using him for repairs, I have no connection to him

[Smelly]

If Starcoaster isn't interested I might know someone who is. PM me if needs be.

[WotEver]

If Starcoaster isn't interested I might know someone who is. PM me if needs be.

Pictures are up now.

[bux]

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=38816

 

Tony

thanks for the vid instructions, wouldent of managed to upload photos without your help, tried to describe boat as best, the interior is in need of updating also, i am thinking of putting it on opollo duck as a prodgect boat, so my son may get something back on it.

[WotEver]

thanks for the vid instructions, wouldent of managed to upload photos without your help, tried to describe boat as best, the interior is in need of updating also, i am thinking of putting it on opollo duck as a prodgect boat, so my son may get something back on it.

See above though. You have two forum members interested already.

 

Tony