Jump to content

Boat Depreciation/Appreciation

Blackcountrymon

By Blackcountrymon
in New to Boating?

 Share

Featured Posts

magictime Experienced

magictime

Posted
Posted

What proportion of your boat buying is head and what heart? Saw a beautiful boat today, with a lovely 'feeling' about her, but in terms of space, layout and windows, not at all what I had in mind.

 

We bought with our head (it seemed like a nice enough cheap starter boat at a very good price and in a very convenient location); and I guess we prioritised improvements with our head (getting basics like hot water and a shower back on board). The "heart" bit came with the cosmetic stuff really - curtains, seat cushions, boat colour when the time came to repaint.

 

There's a lot to be said for liking a boat's "vibe" I'm sure - you don't want to be cooped up in a small space you just don't much like the feel of - but equally, it has to be practical in terms of the basics like storage and facilities. And it's not a difficult or expensive job to change the feel of a boat with soft furnishings etc. So on balance I'd say head has to come first - then you can treat that boring practical space as a bit of a blank canvas.

 

Look at it this way - £500 (say) is going to stretch a heck of a lot further as a rugs-and-cushions fund than it is as a partial-refit fund!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Southern Star Experienced

Southern Star

Posted
Posted

What proportion of your boat buying is head and what heart? Saw a beautiful boat today, with a lovely 'feeling' about her, but in terms of space, layout and windows, not at all what I had in mind.

With mine, it was love at first sight, although it was pretty much the exact specification I had arrived at after months of research so about 50/50 for me I suppose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
magictime Experienced

magictime

Posted
Posted

...I must say, I could very easily end up failing to follow my own advice when I come to buy a liveaboard boat, and going for something that has some kooky feature or other that just appeals to me. I remember looking at one boat on Apollo Duck that was laid out back deck, large cabin with saloon kitchen and bathroom, long mid deck with tarp covers, small second cabin with bedroom. Impractical in all sorts of ways no doubt, but I really liked it and could all too easily have talked myself round...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
boathunter Rising Star

boathunter

Posted
Posted

...I must say, I could very easily end up failing to follow my own advice when I come to buy a liveaboard boat, and going for something that has some kooky feature or other that just appeals to me. I remember looking at one boat on Apollo Duck that was laid out back deck, large cabin with saloon kitchen and bathroom, long mid deck with tarp covers, small second cabin with bedroom. Impractical in all sorts of ways no doubt, but I really liked it and could all too easily have talked myself round...

I think it's the same with houses. What I personally want with a house is something that isn't in a row of similar ones. Impractical doesn't matter, you just know when you view the right one then you make it work. I've been looking at boats for 5 years and after initially trying to spec a boat now all I care about really is the length (that's shrunk 20ft), the stern and some planks inside rather than sheets of ply or failing that something interesting and different however impractical. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
HappyDayz Engager

HappyDayz

Posted
Posted

i think comparing to making profits on cars is misleading, if you have the space to display say 20 boats you might attract the impulse buyer over the threshold, which how sales are often made. I've gone to look at a certain care and seen another. To operate that way you will need stock and soace and preferably spares and a workshop.

 

thats not to say people are unsuccesful, but it will take a lot of effort imho.

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites
David Mack Veteran II

David MackDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

It's on an agenda 21 mooring, and that is what you are paying for, the boat itself is a basket case.

 

 

No I think you will find it on a council transferable mooring there is a thread running on it.

 

 

Its not that boat. This one is clearly not on the arm at the end. As such therefore I suspect the mooring may not be transferable.

 

The boat certainly could do with some work, but I wouldn't describe it as a basket case. It has had some maintenance done in that there is a recent survey with necessary hull plating (apparently) completed. Despite what the ad says, I suspect it is no more than 7 ft beam . It is half an ex working day boat, and couldn't have got where it is without passing through narrow locks (unless it was craned into that pound). Its not 16 ft draught either!

 

It has an FR3 engine, not working at present, but which is probably recoverable.

 

The shower drains to the bilge. That really does need sorting out as it will encourage corrosion of the baseplate, as well as problems of smelly sticky soap/hair gunk filling the bilges.

 

Its well over priced, but for someone who wants a bit of a project boat and (if it can be transferred) an Oxford mooring it might be worth putting in a silly offer.

 

But I wouldn't agree that it "is also an excellent investment opportunity if purchased to be used for a housing rental." That opens up a whole other can of worms!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Witchword Collaborator

Witchword

Posted
Posted

Evening all,

I've seen a boat which I think is The Boat. It's here. Apparently all the little jobs like sticky drawers and so on will be finished; it was blacked last week; new cratch cover on the way. Is there anything I haven't thought of that could go wrong/ that you would be asking before buying? Apparently the previous owner was an engineer and a boater, so the seller thinks it's been well maintained despite its age.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WotEver Veteran II

WotEverDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Looks like a lovely boat with a sensibly positioned stove. Presumably as it's going to be out for blacking that'll save you some money on the survey?

 

Tony

 

Oh... I misread. I guess it's now back in the water?

 

If it's got damp over the winter then the sticky drawers will sort themselves out when it warms up/gets drier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Giant Proficient

Giant

Posted
Posted

I've seen a boat which I think is The Boat. It's here. Apparently all the little jobs like sticky drawers and so on will be finished; it was blacked last week; new cratch cover on the way. Is there anything I haven't thought of that could go wrong/ that you would be asking before buying? Apparently the previous owner was an engineer and a boater, so the seller thinks it's been well maintained despite its age.

 

It's a 29 year old hull. It's about to cross the threshold to 30 years old at which point the vast majority of insurers will require a current hull survey to insure it - some already require at 25.

 

And yet there's no mention whatsoever of the condition or past maintenance of the hull in the advert, which instead carefully focuses on the interior fitout.

 

It's about to have new blacking and anodes, so the hull will look all shiny and well maintained when you view it, but that says nothing about the state of the steel underneath.

 

If I were an unscrupulous person with a 29 year old boat with a knackered hull that was about to become uninsurable, this is exactly how I would try and get rid of it.

 

Might be fine! But that's what I'd worry about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Witchword Collaborator

Witchword

Posted
Posted

 

 

If I were an unscrupulous person with a 29 year old boat with a knackered hull that was about to become uninsurable, this is exactly how I would try and get rid of it.

 

 

I will get a full survey even if I don't have to. But presumably if the hull IS knackered, the survey will show that?

 

 

If I want to go ahead, what do I need to do apart from the survey and asking for a mooring? Who insures boats?

Looks like a lovely boat with a sensibly positioned stove. Presumably as it's going to be out for blacking that'll save you some money on the survey?

 

Tony

 

Oh... I misread. I guess it's now back in the water?

 

Yes, I just missed it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.