Am I doing the right thing??

[magpie patrick]

Hi, he does have a wide dock available, but thats another 100 quid, making the docking £300 in total I think he said. I know there's more water to pump out, but thought it a bit steep to be honest

 

Ex hire boats are normally pretty robust, the hulls are intended to take a hammering so are usually rather over specified (through sheer use, 30-40 weeks a year takes it out of a boat) and the interior, if it hasn't been modified, will have been built with a view to easy access to things like pumps so that maintenance could be done in a five hour window between hires.

 

However, any sensible business man, faced with someone buying a boat, wanting it surveyed and having only the more expensive dock available, would offer the dock at the same rate as the one that is "occupied". His marginal cost won't be £100, BW can pump a lock full of water for less than a fiver. it's just what he can charge for a widebeam dock because there aren't many of them. He either lacks business nouse or is trying to put you off.

 

I will admit, I sold Ripple with no survey, but I had a clean conscience. I'd just had her docked and whilst she was reblacked the previous blacking hadn't come off below the waterline. I also bought Juno with no Survey, but I docked her and got in the dock myself to look at the hull (GRP in this case).

 

On the basis of "never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence" I suspect he just genuinely doesn't see why you want a survey, but it's not up to him.

[Neil2]

Thanks for all the info. Troy at snaygill can't get it in for 5 weeks due to a full paint job on a boat, so will have to consider other options.

 

I'd spend the time looking at a few more boats.

 

Or you could take it down to Hainsworths at Bingley where they can drag the boat out.

 

However, for a start I'd definately ring Mike Boulton at Blue Star - Mike's a great guy and loves a chat, he may well know something about this boat, and/or have suggestions. It sounds like you have really set your heart on this boat and you need someone to bring you down to earth, as it were.

[shaggs]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all your input. With regret I have decided to walk away from the deal.

I went up on Thursday to have a good look round with everything fired up, and found four or five problems, nothing serious, just the likes of the starter motor battery not charging enough, shower mixer leaking etc etc.

I decided I didn't want to take a chance on the hull, so pointed this out along with the faults I found and was offered a possible reduction in price. I declined this as I'd rather the owner got a survey done, and only then I'd proceed if all was favourable. I do not think they have taken me up on the offer as Rosemary is now back up for sale.

It was too much money to take a chance on, although I'm sure it will make a lovely boat for somebody.

 

Thanks again for all the help,

Mark

[Neil2]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all your input. With regret I have decided to walk away from the deal.

I went up on Thursday to have a good look round with everything fired up, and found four or five problems, nothing serious, just the likes of the starter motor battery not charging enough, shower mixer leaking etc etc.

I decided I didn't want to take a chance on the hull, so pointed this out along with the faults I found and was offered a possible reduction in price. I declined this as I'd rather the owner got a survey done, and only then I'd proceed if all was favourable. I do not think they have taken me up on the offer as Rosemary is now back up for sale.

It was too much money to take a chance on, although I'm sure it will make a lovely boat for somebody.

 

Thanks again for all the help,

Mark

 

Good decision.

 

There is always another boat.

[richardf]

When I was young and thought I knew everything, I bought an ex hire boat from a seller in Kidsgrove, it was a David Piper hull (considered a good name in those days - maybe still are!)and the seller assured me that it was fine. On his word I bought it without a survey; subsequently I was in the chandlery at Red Bull and got talking to David Piper himself - he hinted that the boat had flogged up and down the shallow Llangollen for many years and that hire boats that had been on this route often had a problem 'in each corner' due to hirers running the bow and stern into the bank when mooring and setting off. Sure enough, at the first blacking I had it surveyed - the sacrificial edges were like razor blades and it ended up costing me a new bottom (60ft)- at the time, it was money I didn't have.

It looked great above the water - but was a horror show below it - I would never buy another boat without a survey

[shaggs]

Wow Richard that sounds like a real stinger, which was what I was afraid of and had in the back of my mind.

I lifted a very small hatch inside the cabin, felt around with my hand, and it came out red with rust and felt as if the steel was bubbling up quite a bit - although to be fair it was dry. I guess you can get a bit of this from condensation etc, but it did my suspicions no favours. Rosemary may well work out a bargain for someone, who knows.

Back to the drawing board for me lol.

Edited June 25, 2012 by shaggs

[Paul & Julia]

Very,very fond memories of Rosemary. We had the first week of our honeymoon on her and she was our first Narrow boat experience. Good luck and enjoy her

 

Paul