Historic Boats for sale online

[MtB]

7 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

and canal based water filtration system. 

 

The what??!! 

 

Could this be what is putting people off?

 

 

[cheshire~rose]

I really hoped that Elizabeth would have found the right owner before now and at a decent price too. I have always loved that boat. I have never had the pleasure of being on board but somehow I don't need to because knowing the owners means I know I would love it inside as much as outside

 

I "met" Elizabeth at exactly the same time as I "met" Python for the first time, Elizabeth was moored next to Python at Retford for Heritage day some years back, We introduced ourselves to Python's boat manager, Pete Ramsell and the next day we were crew on her!  I knew nothing about historic boats back then (and still don't compared to many contributers to this thread) but I remember thinking what an interesting and attractive vessel it was. Of course I was never likely to get a chance to steer a "proper" historic boat so Python was going to have to do - but then I came to realise that Python was as "proper" as any of them

[roland elsdon]

58 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

The what??!! 

 

Could this be what is putting people off?

 

 

Jim worked in water technology. As i recall the boat had a multiple filter system for grey water not drinking. So washing machine . Not sure if included shower. 
Some of the filters now used in third world might deal with canal water. But im not trying it.

[MtB]

10 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

But im not trying it.

 

And nor am I, and nor is anyone else it would seem....

 

 

[pete harrison]

6 hours ago, Derek R. said:

ELIZABETH has to be stepped into to really appreciate the ambience. Pictures and descriptions from a boatyard cannot do justice to a legend - Man and boat together for half a Century. Certainly an idiosyncratic craft, a one-off, but a pure treasure, a sanctuary to another time. Sadly that may be something which prospective buyers can be put off by. Looking isn't enough, she needs visiting, with the stove lit. She is a boat full of memories of course, ………………………………. What tales could be told.

Exactly the same could be said of the narrow boat WHIFFLER (what enthusiasts call a Mk1 Bantock) when I went aboard at Tardebigge New Wharf on 14 May 2006. WHIFFLER was an old conversion of an old boat and had character and charm 'by the bucket full', its interior fittings having come from a chemist and a bank both long since demolished in Birmingham. Owners come and go then ten years later WHIFFLER ends up on Apollo Duck website as a hulk in need of total restoration for £3250 - with all of the good stuff gone and about as much character and charm as a floating skip, except WHIFFLER was on the bank by then.

 

As somebody who has a passing interest in 'historic' narrow boats I do appreciate ELIZABETH's history, both as a commercial boat and as a pleasure / house boat. but if this was any other elderly riveted cut down B.C.N. day boat with an over-plated bottom and a wooden cabin then opinions here would be different. ELIZABETH deserves another responsible owner and I hope it finds one - but it definitely will not be me, especially as I have my eye on something else 

Edited November 30, 2019 by pete harrison

[zenataomm]

I remember Elizabeth in the "Freedom" days.

I helped Jim carry that bath into place.

 

Elizabeth deserves a secured future, which of course can't be guaranteed.

The new owner is going to need a thick skin and an ever open door, not to mention ears.

[alan_fincher]

17 hours ago, pete harrison said:

Recently advertised at £60K but now £30k - ELIZABETH 

 

https://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/narrow-boats-traditional/625780

 

edit = to make link work properly

Staggering reduction, though I could never relate to the one originally asked.

[alan_fincher]

16 hours ago, pete harrison said:

Oops, but at least there is now a visible link to the Apollo Duck advert 

I must admit any advert not prepared to name a price makes it very unlikely I would pick up the phone.  Is that just me, or does it deter other people?
 

7 hours ago, Athy said:

I've seen Elizabeth a time or two and she is a most striking and distinctive craft. Perhaps the fact that she's "different" has deterred potential buyers - but at that price, if she is sound, she looks like a real Black Friday bargain for the right person.

I'd say a £60K price tag is far more likely to have been the deterrent, particularly as it was (very honestly) advertised initially along the lines of "boats like this need continuous upkeep, and it's not for the feint-hearted" (Not the exact words used, but certainly that sentiment was in there from the start).

At half the price it will attract a lot more interest, but will it be the right sort of interest?

[alan_fincher]

Latest HNBC Magazine has "Princess Anne" (57' 6" shortened "Small Woolwich") somewhat surprisingly on the market as "offers over £55K".  This is an immaucale boat having recently won "best turned  out boat" at major festivals.  An awful lot of money, though, IMO.

Also LMS "butty" Dabchick/Norah at £22K

Effingham, Fern, Trent No 5 & Ure all continue to be advertised in this issue, as well as Tipton, at £42K, but now stuck through with "open to offers" across the advert.

[Athy]

18 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

I'd say a £60K price tag is far more likely to have been the deterrent,

Oh yes - a seller usually starts out with an optimistic price, giving room for manoeuvre. But it is sad that they have needed to reduce the price so drastically.

[alan_fincher]

3 minutes ago, Athy said:

Oh yes - a seller usually starts out with an optimistic price, giving room for manoeuvre. But it is sad that they have needed to reduce the price so drastically.

With boats this age one can never tell.  The owner may himself be a well respected surveyor, but maybe somebody has has it surveyed by a different one.

Without knowing the story, we can only speculate, but I still think the initial price sounded too high, so the apparent reduction doesn't actually mean a halving of value of the boat.

It is a very acquired taste as well, and probably not for most historic boat enthusiasts, I would have thought.

I hope it finds an appropriate home and continues to be as loved as it clearly has been for a large number of decades.

[Athy]

11 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

.

I hope it finds an appropriate home and continues to be as loved as it clearly has been for a large number of decades.

Hear, hear.

It's difficult to put a price on uniqueness.

[ditchcrawler]

9 hours ago, Derek R. said:

Unless you are reading by Braille, of course it's Jim's boat!! Where have you been David?? ?

 

Boated along with Jim several times, and supped mulled wine in that saloon (and some home made fruit wines - deadly delicious!) on cold winter evenings when rallying - and a little home made music as well.

ELIZABETH has to be stepped into to really appreciate the ambience. Pictures and descriptions from a boatyard cannot do justice to a legend - Man and boat together for half a Century. Certainly an idiosyncratic craft, a one-off, but a pure treasure, a sanctuary to another time. Sadly that may be something which prospective buyers can be put off by. Looking isn't enough, she needs visiting, with the stove lit. She is a boat full of memories of course, but only to those who have been familiar with Jim, and the boat. What tales could be told.

Many years ago before we owned a boat we were in Stoke Bruerne one Christmas walking passed all the moored boats and people drinking wine etc. We didn't get any further as we each had a glass stuffed in our hands which was quickly filled with red liquid, we were then given a conducted tour of Elizabeth even though we didn't have a clue who anyone was and no one knew us. Such generosity and welcoming. 

[pete harrison]

22 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

It is a very acquired taste as well, and probably not for most historic boat enthusiasts, I would have thought.

 

10 minutes ago, Athy said:

It's difficult to put a price on uniqueness.

I think this is also the case with EFFINGHAM, not to all tastes and so not for most historic boat enthusiasts - even though it appears to be a good boat with an almost new cabin fitout and a Lister HR2.

 

The way things are going with 'historic' narrow boats I think I am going to have to review my opinion that they sell for about two thirds of the initial asking price and reduce it to half the initial asking price. There are a few for sale that look pretty good value to me but are not selling, and the one that interests me needs to drop quite a bit before I will go and see it 

[GUMPY]

I have very fond memories of times on Elizabeth and if I didn't already have a boat would buy it in a heartbeat at that price, provided Jim keeps that strange violin thing , however whoever buys it will have to deal with " how is Jim, isn't that Jim's boat, etc"

I had to do that with "Idleness" but after 8 years I managed to claim it as my own.

[pete harrison]

1 hour ago, alan_fincher said:

Latest HNBC Magazine has "Princess Anne" (57' 6" shortened "Small Woolwich") somewhat surprisingly on the market as "offers over £55K".  This is an immaucale boat having recently won "best turned  out boat" at major festivals.  An awful lot of money, though, IMO.

Also LMS "butty" Dabchick/Norah at £22K

Effingham, Fern, Trent No 5 & Ure all continue to be advertised in this issue, as well as Tipton, at £42K, but now stuck through with "open to offers" across the advert.

Interestingly URE is £2k more in the current H.N.B.C. NEWSLETTER than on Apollo Duck - does this mean that H.N.B.C. members have more free cash than ordinary punters on the internet ? I was all set to go and see URE a few weeks ago but the vendor pushed me away the evening before my visit 

[alan_fincher]

18 minutes ago, pete harrison said:

Interestingly URE is £2k more in the current H.N.B.C. NEWSLETTER than on Apollo Duck - does this mean that H.N.B.C. members have more free cash than ordinary punters on the internet ?

I guess it may be that at the time adverts are put into the magazine the sellers have an idea of price, but there is probably a long lead time before the magazine then gets seen?

In the meantime they may have taken a different view about pricing -which may or may not be that they have tried elsewhere to sell at the higher price without success, I suppose.

It would be raher nice to see a "big boat" paired with a "River".

(Personally I'd rather hang onto as much cash as I can at purchase, because you sure as hell end up spending a lot more than you might hope to once you have bought one!)

[pete harrison]

32 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

It would be raher nice to see a "big boat" paired with a "River".

(Personally I'd rather hang onto as much cash as I can at purchase, because you sure as hell end up spending a lot more than you might hope to once you have bought one!)

There are only two 'blue tops' that remain as unconverted buttys, URE and WYE, whilst YEO now has the appearance but I think is still motorised.

 

These boats have a certain appeal to me, partly for their rarity and partly for their generous accommodation and partly because historically they pair well with a 'big boat', but clearly the choice is severely limited to URE as WYE is a C&RT museum exhibit and currently in secure storage at Ellesmere Port. The owner of URE has already pushed me away (I think I know why) and I am not prepared to buy a converted boat then deconvert it, unless it is very cheap which is unlikely. I have my eye on another boat if its price becomes more realistic, but I am in no rush and really ought to complete one project before getting involved with another 

[roland elsdon]

4 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Many years ago before we owned a boat we were in Stoke Bruerne one Christmas walking passed all the moored boats and people drinking wine etc. We didn't get any further as we each had a glass stuffed in our hands which was quickly filled with red liquid, we were then given a conducted tour of Elizabeth even though we didn't have a clue who anyone was and no one knew us. Such generosity and welcoming. 

Christmas day was shared with Jims birthday. The towpath was the venue.

[Anniemac]

N.B. Elizabeth 

Hello, 

I’m Jim’s wife and after reading some of these comments on here I thought I had better put the record straight. 
Elizabeth is on the market because Jim has Alzheimer’s, and is now unable to lavish the care on her he once did.

How do you put a price on the oldest surviving conversion of a narrowboat? we asked many people, some who worked with historic boats and some who owned them, everyone gave vastly different answers! we originally priced her at 60k to try to avoid her becoming a cheap live aboard, (Jim lived on her full time for 32 years, so nothing against live aboards) the price was always negotiable. We included the fact that she needs to be regularly maintained because with 83 year old wooden cabin she does! 
Foolishly we waited a year for a certain boat museum to get funding together to purchase her for their collection, as she is such an important boat, due to certain issues within their hierarchy we are still waiting and have frankly given up.

Elizabeth has just been surveyed and the hull and engine are in very good order, her top is showing wear and tear but nothing that a little tlc can’t put right.

We really hope that whoever purchases her will carry on caring for her the way Jim has over the last 53 years, she really is the most incredible vessel and I can guarantee the new custodians will never be short of conversation, because Elizabeth attracts attention wherever she goes.

Annie

 

 

[NB Esk]

7 minutes ago, Anniemac said:

N.B. Elizabeth 

Hello, 

I’m Jim’s wife and after reading some of these comments on here I thought I had better put the record straight. 
Elizabeth is on the market because Jim has Alzheimer’s, and is now unable to lavish the care on her he once did.

How do you put a price on the oldest surviving conversion of a narrowboat? we asked many people, some who worked with historic boats and some who owned them, everyone gave vastly different answers! we originally priced her at 60k to try to avoid her becoming a cheap live aboard, (Jim lived on her full time for 32 years, so nothing against live aboards) the price was always negotiable. We included the fact that she needs to be regularly maintained because with 83 year old wooden cabin she does! 
Foolishly we waited a year for a certain boat museum to get funding together to purchase her for their collection, as she is such an important boat, due to certain issues within their hierarchy we are still waiting and have frankly given up.

Elizabeth has just been surveyed and the hull and engine are in very good order, her top is showing wear and tear but nothing that a little tlc can’t put right.

We really hope that whoever purchases her will carry on caring for her the way Jim has over the last 53 years, she really is the most incredible vessel and I can guarantee the new custodians will never be short of conversation, because Elizabeth attracts attention wherever she goes.

Annie

 

 

 

Hello Annie and welcome to the forum.  We've never met but I hope things go well for you and Jim and Elizabeth finds the new home she deserves.

Best wishes.......

 

 

[Ray T]

For those who may not know what a lovely characterful boat Elizabeth is.

 

Photo'd by me at Coventry Basin April 2010.

[Tuscan]

Friendly  owner and lovely boat. Saw in the millennium at Cassio wharf. Hope she goes to a caring owner

[ditchcrawler]

1 minute ago, Tuscan said:

Friendly  owner and lovely boat. Saw in the millennium at Cassio wharf. Hope she goes to a caring owner

If I didn't have a boat I would buy it, I think it looks lovely

[magnetman]

I bought an old fashioned single socket windlass from Jim Mac about 15 years ago. Still have it. He said it was the wife's lock key.  (Edit to add £5 he was not greedy). It is a nice boat yes. He told me something about a bridge on the Trent in fog but I don't remember the whole story. I do remember the dog. And cassio wharf which is a very interesting mooring. 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2019 by magnetman