sailaway

[zeplin]

first of all i would like to say hi to everyone as i have just joined canal world. I am currently looking at buying a narrow boat and cant decide which would be the better buy a sailaway or a second hand one. I have looked at the price of a sailaway partly lined which I could afford but that would leave me with very little to finish it off could anyone please give me a rough idea of what the cost would be to either finish off a partly lined boat or finish off a basic sailaway. much appreciate any help and advice.

[mrsmelly]

first of all i would like to say hi to everyone as i have just joined canal world. I am currently looking at buying a narrow boat and cant decide which would be the better buy a sailaway or a second hand one. I have looked at the price of a sailaway partly lined which I could afford but that would leave me with very little to finish it off could anyone please give me a rough idea of what the cost would be to either finish off a partly lined boat or finish off a basic sailaway. much appreciate any help and advice.

 

Hi

 

Having owned 6 boats and having fitted a boat completely from a new shell I would advise that for your first boat go secondhand and see what you like. Your views will change over time as you use the boat and gain more knowledge on other fit outs and fittings. You will also be able to use the boat immediately instead of waiting whilst fitting out. Boats are quite cheap at the moment. My next boat neighbour picked his latest aquisition up yesterday a ten year old 58 footer in good nick with low engine hours and a reasonable fit out for 30k all on the button and nothing to do.

 

Tim

[Guest]

Hi

 

Having owned 6 boats and having fitted a boat completely from a new shell I would advise that for your first boat go secondhand and see what you like. Your views will change over time as you use the boat and gain more knowledge on other fit outs and fittings. You will also be able to use the boat immediately instead of waiting whilst fitting out. Boats are quite cheap at the moment. My next boat neighbour picked his latest aquisition up yesterday a ten year old 58 footer in good nick with low engine hours and a reasonable fit out for 30k all on the button and nothing to do.

 

Tim

Wot 'e said ^

 

Fit out to your own spec after gaining some experience.

[RLWP]

Second hand would be best for a first boat

 

Richard

[nebulae]

My experience is that fitting a boat yourself always costs more and takes MUCH longer than you think it will.Plus you cant use it while you fit it out,but will still have to pay boatyard/mooring/licence. What they said. Buy secondhand.(But get a survey)

[zeplin]

Hi

 

Having owned 6 boats and having fitted a boat completely from a new shell I would advise that for your first boat go secondhand and see what you like. Your views will change over time as you use the boat and gain more knowledge on other fit outs and fittings. You will also be able to use the boat immediately instead of waiting whilst fitting out. Boats are quite cheap at the moment. My next boat neighbour picked his latest aquisition up yesterday a ten year old 58 footer in good nick with low engine hours and a reasonable fit out for 30k all on the button and nothing to do.

 

Tim

Thanks for the advice will start looking and visiting marinas now for moorings and boats

[Chalky]

We bought a sailaway as our first boat. The plan was that I'd take about a year of spare time to fit it out and I worked out the costs in great detail yo arrive at a cost £X. 9 years later I've still got to finish the bathroom, fit the window trims, skirting boards, sort out the heating etc. The budget was miles off as well!!!

[Guest]

We bought a sailaway as our first boat. The plan was that I'd take about a year of spare time to fit it out and I worked out the costs in great detail yo arrive at a cost £X. 9 years later I've still got to finish the bathroom, fit the window trims, skirting boards, sort out the heating etc. The budget was miles off as well!!!

That sounds familiar, even to the 9 years. Still doing bits and bobs that I forgot or never got around to.

 

For the budget, I would advise working out costs very carefully, then add at least 50%.

[PaulD]

first of all i would like to say hi to everyone as i have just joined canal world. I am currently looking at buying a narrow boat and cant decide which would be the better buy a sailaway or a second hand one. I have looked at the price of a sailaway partly lined which I could afford but that would leave me with very little to finish it off could anyone please give me a rough idea of what the cost would be to either finish off a partly lined boat or finish off a basic sailaway. much appreciate any help and advice.

 

I don't think you save any cash fitting out yourself compared with a good second hand boat. You can get it exactly how you want it - assuming you know what you want. We had hired a lot of boats and were confident we knew what we wanted and so far no regrets.

 

It also allows you to spread the cost out over a couple of years.

 

It helps if you are an engineer or tradesman or have some DIY skills. I really enjoyed it but wouldn't advise anyone else either way.

 

Paul

[DeanS]

first of all i would like to say hi to everyone as i have just joined canal world. I am currently looking at buying a narrow boat and cant decide which would be the better buy a sailaway or a second hand one. I have looked at the price of a sailaway partly lined which I could afford but that would leave me with very little to finish it off could anyone please give me a rough idea of what the cost would be to either finish off a partly lined boat or finish off a basic sailaway. much appreciate any help and advice.

 

 

Most of the replies have advised that you get a 2nd hand boat.

However, if you are multiskilled, and have somewhere to live while fitting it out, it is possible to create a decent living area, within weeks. It depends on your personal abilities. We spent about £4000 to fit out a widebeam to a liveable standard. Some say it's best to get a 2nd hand boat until you know what you want, but it is not an easy thing to buy one boat, learn the lessons, sell it, and then try build your own. (thats what I had to do. I started on a narrowboat with 3kids on board. After a year, the only lesson I learned was...what I thought would work for us, was too small for the long haul.). I'd personally recommend you go directly for the sailaway route, unless you find a boat which suits your needs exactly. I wouldnt have been able to afford a widebeam which was already lined, so had no option but to fit it out myself. It's true that it will take years to complete fully, but you'll get it to 80% of what you want, in the first phase. Hope you find what you're looking for, and either way...living on a boat is great

[RLWP]

Most of the replies have advised that you get a 2nd hand boat.

However, if you are multiskilled, and have somewhere to live while fitting it out, it is possible to create a decent living area, within weeks. It depends on your personal abilities. We spent about £4000 to fit out a widebeam to a liveable standard. Some say it's best to get a 2nd hand boat until you know what you want, but it is not an easy thing to buy one boat, learn the lessons, sell it, and then try build your own. (thats what I had to do. I started on a narrowboat with 3kids on board. After a year, the only lesson I learned was...what I thought would work for us, was too small for the long haul.). I'd personally recommend you go directly for the sailaway route, unless you find a boat which suits your needs exactly. I wouldnt have been able to afford a widebeam which was already lined, so had no option but to fit it out myself. It's true that it will take years to complete fully, but you'll get it to 80% of what you want, in the first phase. Hope you find what you're looking for, and either way...living on a boat is great

 

Where did you start Dean?

 

Richard

[alan_fincher]

I agree with the "go secondhand for first boat" as well as the "self-fit out will take a lot longer and cost a lot more than you estimate" advice.

 

But you also need to factor in that unless you get incredibly lucky, a second hand boat may well end up giving you at least some unexpected expenditure too.

 

Make sure if you buy secondhand that you will have a contingency fund in case your purchase ends up needing some unplanned for work.

 

If it proves to be problem free, you can then either make some improvements, as you get to understand your real needs in a boat, or, if the boat also proves to be a perfect match to your requirements, congratulate yourself, and you'll have more to spend in the pub.

[Sean & Coral]

We've bought a sailaway, but had it lined and fitted with a couple of extras to suit. Our reason - having looked at many boats we couldn't quite find what we were looking for and thus decided to go down the sailaway route. I'm and engineer and looking forward to the challenges of fitting out our home - mind you, we're also moving on board not long after it's delivered next March so the adventure really begins then!!

[simon&jan]

We too were going for a sailaway WB but after adding everything up found it was stretching the budget , so a 2nd hand NB it is !! Cant bloody wait

[John V]

ONLY 9 YEARS!!! Its NEVER finished.....12 years and still bits to do

[nbfiresprite]

ONLY 9 YEARS!!! Its NEVER finished.....12 years and still bits to do

 

Cost equal to the national debt of a small third world country, or it just seems like it. Your always running out of fivers.

[Arthur Brown]

Second hand you get a lot of done work and a "to do" list, If you have a design you like then get a lined hull with engine and some systems and do the trim yourself, you can live in it but it will NEVER be finished. Alternatively look for a second user boat that you cauld actually move straight on to.

[John V]

Cost equal to the national debt of a small third world country, or it just seems like it. Your always running out of fivers.

 

A truer word etc. etc.

[Ex- Member]

ONLY 9 YEARS!!! Its NEVER finished.....12 years and still bits to do

 

Hi John

 

Coming up 9 years for us too, we are nearly finished though, even to the point of hanging pictures, we'll be on the water next March but completely finished so can enjoy next summer hopefully without to many teething issues.

 

Glad we went this way though, boat is totally designed for us, and we've fitted every screw nut and bolt ourselves, only 5 years over the original plan, but a most enjoyable journey getting here.

 

If we were to do this again, looking for an abandoned project would be our first port of call.

 

 

 

[Dr Bradley]

I went the sailaway route, was living aboard and cruising quire extensively. I won't do it again. You are planning on living aboard whilst fitting out, don't. Get a flat for 6 months and get it fitted before moving on board. As for costs, at least 10000 plus a 50% contingency fund. Fitting out whislt living and cruising is hard.

[by'eck]

If you are a skilled carpenter and good all round DIY'er you should be able to make a good job of fitting out a stationary say 57 foot sailaway for upwards of £20,000 working full time for a year or so before moving aboard.

 

Anything less in skills, cash or time and the only option you have is buying secondhand.

[OldGoat]

If you are a skilled carpenter and good all round DIY'er you should be able to make a good job of fitting out a stationary say 57 foot sailaway for upwards of £20,000 working full time for a year or so before moving aboard.

 

Anything less in skills, cash or time and the only option you have is buying secondhand.

 

 

Sensible and practical words.

Having been there and done it - I had the advantage of my hull being on dry land with a double garage as a workshop - even so it was a long and sometimes tedious process.

Gettting the angles right and in three dimensions is full of pitfalls for the uninitiated.

 

I'm suer many others will disagree.

[John V]

Sensible and practical words.

Having been there and done it - I had the advantage of my hull being on dry land with a double garage as a workshop - even so it was a long and sometimes tedious process.

Gettting the angles right and in three dimensions is full of pitfalls for the uninitiated.

 

I'm suer many others will disagree.

 

on a boat you have to accept that angles that look right ARE right whatever the spirit level says

[Bazza954]

Hi,

new on here also, but thought I would comment.

we bought a second hand boat with a view to updating during the winter months.

Original thoughts were to re-do the galley, so started on that first.

Got carried away and ended up ripping the whole boat out,to reorganise completely, I can remember spending xmas day 2006 cutting out the old toilet holding tank (corr what a stink !!!)

Anyway, it took me 2 years (every spare minute)to get it to a finished state.

Got my pal,an engineer to make me a square that measured 4 foot by 4 foot, great for getting things straight.

just sold her and now waiting for the new one to be built by someone else !!!!!

Best of luck.

 

Bazza

[Pykebird]

Best of luck whichever way you decide to go. I did things probably the wrong way round totally. I bought a second hand ex hire boat with a non exitant survey!. I then had her properly surveyed, found she needed totally over plaiting...opps! I found a shit hot welder and got her done really cheap. When I first was looking for a boat my needs were specific as people on here have already mentioned, you do change your mind(especially us ladies!).

The more boats and boaters you meet, you more you "quite like" what they have done to their boat and so it begins.....

The easy part is removing the old stuff, the hardest part cramming eveything back together, the job just seems to escalte, made worse by your determination to do things right this time so it doesn't have to be done again! Yeah right!This is why the "budget" very rarely gets stuck to as well.

But for my a total re build was the only way I could get the layout that I wanted, and if you stick to it and limit the amount of t breaks, you will get there a lot quicker.