Another survey question...!

[dor]

Plenty of newer boats with 6'3" headroom around. you may struggle a bit with older boats though.

[Rebotco]

This isn't in any way connected to my original posting, but something I'd like to know. Perhaps if it should be moved to a new thread someone more knowledgeable could sort that out?

 

Has anyone had any problems with headroom on board narrow boats? I'm ok (5'3") but my partner is 6'3", and this is causing a problem when searching for boats. As if our budget wasn't a constraint enough, we now need to find a boat to fit him!

 

Couldn't you just saw his legs off ?

He could then become a "short standing member" !

 

Only trying to help.

 

Brian

[Queenofthenight]

Couldn't you just saw his legs off ?

He could then become a "short standing member" !

 

Only trying to help.

 

Brian

 

I have asked him, but for some reason he's not too keen!

[Tam & Di]

Couldn't you just saw his legs off ?

He could then become a "short standing member" !

 

Only trying to help.

 

Brian

 

Surely it's his head that is the problem, not the feet?

[Rebotco]

Surely it's his head that is the problem, not the feet?

 

Ah! You spotted the flaw floor in my suggestion!

 

Brian

[Grace and Favour]

This isn't in any way connected to my original posting, but something I'd like to know. Perhaps if it should be moved to a new thread someone more knowledgeable could sort that out?

 

Has anyone had any problems with headroom on board narrow boats? I'm ok (5'3") but my partner is 6'3", and this is causing a problem when searching for boats. As if our budget wasn't a constraint enough, we now need to find a boat to fit him!

 

Taking a purely unemotional view of your predicament - if one is constrained by a boat purchase budget that precludes a newer boat with sufficient headroom - it may be financially cheaper to change partners for a shorter edition

[Starcoaster]

Lol!

 

[Biggles]

My purchaser had a survey done on my previous boat with an existing 2 year old survey. The result was nothing significant had changed in the hull condition.

 

Isn't about time a thickness test could be done on a boat in the water?

[Québec]

My purchaser had a survey done on my previous boat with an existing 2 year old survey. The result was nothing significant had changed in the hull condition.

 

Isn't about time a thickness test could be done on a boat in the water?

 

According to the OH It is not necessary for me to be on a boat in order to demonstrate how thick I am.

[blackrose]

My purchaser had a survey done on my previous boat with an existing 2 year old survey. The result was nothing significant had changed in the hull condition.

 

Isn't about time a thickness test could be done on a boat in the water?

 

I think it can, but either all the floorboards & ballast, plus some lining & insulation would need to be taken out the boat, or the surveyor would need a waterproof ultrasonic thickness testing kit and full scuba gear!

[Taslim]

I think it can, but either all the floorboards & ballast, plus some lining & insulation would need to be taken out the boat, or the surveyor would need a waterproof ultrasonic thickness testing kit and full scuba gear!

 

It can be done externally. A firm I worked for as a development engineer came up with some ultra sonic kit for sea going stuff. BUT... You do need scuba gear, the kit is sensitive to bilge contents so, like lambing / human scans, requires a skilled operator to interpret results, and one can't easily give 100% coverage. Some times the MK1 human eyeball / a ball pien hammer beats high teck. 'Spect that's why we didn't sell to many.

 

Cheaper to haul the boat out is my best guess.

[ditchcrawler]

This isn't in any way connected to my original posting, but something I'd like to know. Perhaps if it should be moved to a new thread someone more knowledgeable could sort that out?

 

Has anyone had any problems with headroom on board narrow boats? I'm ok (5'3") but my partner is 6'3", and this is causing a problem when searching for boats. As if our budget wasn't a constraint enough, we now need to find a boat to fit him!

Not just head room but also bed length

[Queenofthenight]

Not just head room but also bed length

 

Yeah the cross bed type is no good for him at all! Definitely time for some DIY surgery on him I think!

[Queenofthenight]

The boat we've had our eye on is an R and D boat, which apparently has 6'6" of headroom. Before we go to look at it, does any one here have any information or views on this make? Anything we should be specifically looking for? And anything we need to be aware of?

 

Thank you!

[roggie]

As someone who is looking at the cheaper end of the scale (sub £20k) I've also been asking about surveys. Someone did say to me that its possible to get an idea without taking out of the water but I guess its nowhere near as accurate - also (I am sure this never happens) you can have a 'friend' that will write up a survey for you . After all the survey is for the client and even Price Waterhouse have been known to miss something in a financial audit (e.g. Enron). Someone said that if I tell them who the surveyor was they could let me know if it was worth the paper it was written on.

 

But, of course, if you have a £15k budget and spend £1k on a survey - and it fails the boat, then you now have £14k on the next one etc.... but can you afford to get it wrong.

[Biggles]

If I was spending more than say 30k then I would consider only consider a survey depending on what could be shown by the previous owner/s.

 

I think gut feeling comes into play.

 

And remember most if not all surveys will have a disclaimer along the lines of "what I observed on the day".

 

Has anyone her heard of a successful prosecution of a surveyor's report?

 

I think in general at the price you are looking at you need to consider the general presentation of the boat, the anecdotal and physical evidence of the boats history.

 

Also remember that if a problem occurs £1000 will go a long way to correction it.

 

Finally how is it you are being quoted £1000 for a survey? My purchaser had one done on my last NB 60' and it was about £450 out of the water.

[wrigglefingers]

If I was spending more than say 30k then I would consider only consider a survey depending on what could be shown by the previous owner/s.

 

I think gut feeling comes into play.

 

And remember most if not all surveys will have a disclaimer along the lines of "what I observed on the day".

 

Has anyone her heard of a successful prosecution of a surveyor's report?

 

I think in general at the price you are looking at you need to consider the general presentation of the boat, the anecdotal and physical evidence of the boats history.

 

Also remember that if a problem occurs £1000 will go a long way to correction it.

 

Finally how is it you are being quoted £1000 for a survey? My purchaser had one done on my last NB 60' and it was about £450 out of the water.

 

Yes I do know of a surveyor who was sued for a report that later proved incorrect. He was unable to get insurance to continue his career as a surveyor. It an expensive process to qualify as a boat surveyor and even more so to gain insurance in the early years of practice so it's not in the interest of a surveyor to make careless mistakes.

 

At this price, I would be looking for a hull survey and an opinion on the engine. Your money is being spent on the hull as the fit-out you can assess. If you need help just try a search or ask. But do spend the money on the hull unless you know what you're doing or else budget in another £7k - 12k on overplating and a partial re-fit from the get-go.

[Albion]

The boat we've had our eye on is an R and D boat, which apparently has 6'6" of headroom. Before we go to look at it, does any one here have any information or views on this make? Anything we should be specifically looking for? And anything we need to be aware of?

 

Thank you!

 

R&D were quite well respected I believe. A member of this forum has used one to go everywhere, and I mean pretty well everywhere on the system. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to post much these days so probably won't be along to confirm his support for this make. The firm was then taken over by ex-employees of the company on the retirement(?) of the proprietor Ray Denton and now calls itself XR&D (geddit? ). See XRandD. The slightly unusual feature of the shells is the use of a slipper style stern (see the slipper stern tab on the web site that I have linked to) where the uxter plate slopes up either side of the stern swim rather than the normal style.

HTH

Roger

Edited December 19, 2011 by Albion

[bargemast]

R&D were quite well respected I believe. A member of this forum has used one to go everywhere, and I mean pretty well everywhere on the system. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to post much these days so probably won't be along to confirm his support for this make. The firm was then taken over by ex-employees of the company on the retirement(?) of the proprietor Ray Denton and now calls itself XR&D (geddit? ). See XRandD. The slightly unusual feature of the shells is the use of a slipper style stern (see the slipper stern tab on the web site that I have linked to) where the uxter plate slopes up either side of the stern swim rather than the normal style.

HTH

Roger

 

 

This slipper stern is an option, as their standard built hull has an ordinary stern.

 

I remember that one of our forum members has a wide-beam with this slipperstern built by them too.

 

Peter.

[Albion]

This slipper stern is an option, as their standard built hull has an ordinary stern.

 

I remember that one of our forum members has a wide-beam with this slipperstern built by them too.

 

Peter.

 

I may be wrong, but in the days when it was R&D, I thought the slipper stern was standard. Since the takeover by the employees then things might have changed. It certainly looks like an option now I agree.

Roger

[bargemast]

I may be wrong, but in the days when it was R&D, I thought the slipper stern was standard. Since the takeover by the employees then things might have changed. It certainly looks like an option now I agree.

Roger

 

 

Even while they were R & D, the slipper-stern was a choice, if you want the prove of it, I have to dive deep in my memories, that normally will come back during the night when I can't sleep until I remember where I have been reading about it, at least 1 year ago.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter.

[bargemast]

After only about 30min. lying down, I remembered that it was on the "tuesdaynigtclub" boat Earnest.

 

But as I've said before, I'm not very clever, and don't make use very often of the very knowledgeable "Google", I just put in : slipperstern narrowboats, and found : My link

 

were the whole story about their slipperstern is written down, and where it shows that it wasn't their standard stern.

 

Peter.

[Albion]

After only about 30min. lying down, I remembered that it was on the "tuesdaynigtclub" boat Earnest.

 

But as I've said before, I'm not very clever, and don't make use very often of the very knowledgeable "Google", I just put in : slipperstern narrowboats, and found : My link

 

were the whole story about their slipperstern is written down, and where it shows that it wasn't their standard stern.

 

Peter.

 

Correct as usual. You need to get out more

Roger