I've done it!!!!!

[ETS Jess]

I put the deposit down on my first Narrowboat on Thursday! SOOO excited! Any tips for a first time owner in regards to exchange of ownership? I'll have her lifted and surveyed before committing, but she's a lovely boat looked after really well, last survey was 2011 and she passed with flying colours (know this is no guanentee)

Can you remember the day you got your first NB? any questions you wished you'd asked? Any thing you would have doen differently? any advice appreciated

 

Kind regards,

A very happy Jess

[Guest]

I put the deposit down on my first Narrowboat on Thursday! SOOO excited! Any tips for a first time owner in regards to exchange of ownership? I'll have her lifted and surveyed before committing, but she's a lovely boat looked after really well, last survey was 2011 and she passed with flying colours (know this is no guanentee)

 

Can you remember the day you got your first NB? any questions you wished you'd asked? Any thing you would have doen differently? any advice appreciated

 

Kind regards,

A very happy Jess

 

 

Congratulations and welcome to the forum.

 

I would have run and tested each and every appliance and system on the boat, electric, water - if we had it would have unearthed a couple of irritating problems that came to light that we sorted but I would have got the vendor to do it or negotiated a further price reduction.

 

For example we didn't run each and every tap and had to sort the one in the kitchen which was clogged with limescale, the bathroom ones were fine.

 

Your survey may not cover the operation of each and every system on the boat so can bring a false assurance, in particular they don't normally disassemble items to look at waste tanks and the like, even when they may be relatively accessible.

Edited April 16, 2013 by The Dog House

[Grace and Favour]

Welcome to the Forum, Jess.....

 

 

I can well remember that feeling of excitement when getting our boat

[Dyad]

I put the deposit down on my first Narrowboat on Thursday! SOOO excited! Any tips for a first time owner in regards to exchange of ownership? I'll have her lifted and surveyed before committing, but she's a lovely boat looked after really well, last survey was 2011 and she passed with flying colours (know this is no guanentee)

 

Can you remember the day you got your first NB? any questions you wished you'd asked? Any thing you would have doen differently? any advice appreciated

 

Kind regards,

A very happy Jess

 

 

Hi Jess, welcome to the forum.

 

I cannot offer you any buying advice as you are further along the process than me but good luck with your purchase.

[Phil Ambrose]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum.

 

I would have run and tested each and every appliance and system on the boat, electric, water - if we had it would have unearthed a couple of irritating problems that came to light that we sorted but I would have got the vendor to do it or negotiated a further price reduction.

 

For example we didn't run each and every tap and had to sort the one in the kitchen which was clogged with limescale, the bathroom ones were fine.

 

Your survey may not cover the operation of each and every system on the boat so can bring a false assurance, in particular they don't normally disassemble items to look at waste tanks and the like, even when they may be relatively accessible.

 

Ah waste tanks, a chap on our marina bought a wide beam from a young woman who had never left the marina, he discovered that the holding tank was FULL of compacted poo, all she ever did was use a drill pump to skim the fluid of the surface! He has no chance of pumping it out, now using a portapotti

 

Phil

[MtB]

I put the deposit down on my first Narrowboat on Thursday! SOOO excited! Any tips for a first time owner in regards to exchange of ownership?

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Never mind all the survey stuff, in my view the thing that should concern you most is whether the seller of your boat actually owns it and is entitled to sell it.

 

Are you buying it from a marina or is it a private sale? If the latter, I suggest you ask the seller for sight of all the paperwork he has relating to the boat, in particular, his receipt for when he bought it. Check the date tallies with how long s/he says thay've had the boat, and their name is on it.

 

In addition, s/he should have a big fat file of paperwork relating to the boat. Moorings and licence and repairs receipts, old BSSs, insurance certs etc. If there is no paperwork, then back away fast!

 

MtB

Edited April 16, 2013 by Mike the Boilerman

[Guest]

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Never mind all the survey stuff, in my view the thing that should concern you most is whether the seller of your boat actually owns it and is entitled to Sell it

Almost ~

 

I totally agree proof of ownership is vital but as important is a survey at least of the hull condition. It's pointless buying something from someone that will sink next week because the hull is perforated, even if they can prove they own it.

 

Saying 'never mind' implies you can dismiss a survey when it would be folly to do so, or at the very least a hull survey.

[luctor et emergo]

Not all of us are retentive, and keep every bit of paperwork that crosses our path. Amazingly, not all of us who don't, are rip off merchants looking to diddle you out of all your money. Unless not having a paper trail for all of my life means that I have something to hide?

[Greedyheron]

Nor will a survey assure that your boat does not have holes in it!

Welcome to boat ownership, enjoy the beautiful days in beautiful places , they are worth every pulled out hair, penny and ounce of sanity they cost.

[MtB]

Almost ~

 

I totally agree proof of ownership is vital but as important is a survey at least of the hull condition. It's pointless buying something from someone that will sink next week because the hull is perforated, even if they can prove they own it.

 

Saying 'never mind' implies you can dismiss a survey when it would be folly to do so, or at the very least a hull survey.

 

I wasn't dismissing a survey completely, I was meaning to say it is best to establish the seller's entitlement to sell BEFORE stumping up hundreds of quids on docking and surveying, rather than after. It will probably be fine but if doubts surface after spending on a survey, it would be an unnecessarily expensive lesson.

 

MtB

[BlueStringPudding]

Ah waste tanks, a chap on our marina bought a wide beam from a young woman who had never left the marina, he discovered that the holding tank was FULL of compacted poo, all she ever did was use a drill pump to skim the fluid of the surface! He has no chance of pumping it out, now using a portapotti Phil

And he didn't smell it the moment he walked in to view the boat!?

[Guest]

@Mtb

 

Never mind all the survey stuff???

 

Easy for a newby to misundertstand though.

Edited April 16, 2013 by The Dog House

[BlueStringPudding]

Ah waste tanks, a chap on our marina bought a wide beam from a young woman who had never left the marina, he discovered that the holding tank was FULL of compacted poo, all she ever did was use a drill pump to skim the fluid of the surface! He has no chance of pumping it out, now using a portapotti Phil

And he didn't smell it the moment he walked in to view the boat!?

[MtB]

@Mtb

 

Never mind all the survey stuff???

 

Easy for a newby to misundertstand though.

 

Agreed.

 

I should have written "Never mind all the survey stuff until you've established proof of ownership".

 

MtB

 

And he didn't smell it the moment he walked in to view the boat!?

 

Of course not. Unlike boypoo, gurlpoo smells of sugar and spice and all things nice, doesn't it?

 

MtB

[Jackster]

Congrats Jess and welcome to the forum. Am only just further down the road than you having bought four weeks ago, check what keys you get and what they do, I have a number I have not found a home for yet. Check paperwork as much as you can, go round with surveyor if possible, I found this very helpful.

 

Above all get used to the big smile you will be wearing from now on!

[Barry]

Of course not. Unlike boypoo, gurlpoo smells of sugar and spice and all things nice, doesn't it?

 

MtB

 

Errrr........No

[Starcoaster]

YES IT DOES.

(Anyway, gurls don't poo...)

Edited April 16, 2013 by Starcoaster

[DeanS]

Congrats

Just so you know....that feeling....when you first walk on to "your" boat........never leaves

[Sean & Coral]

Hi Jess and welcome to the forum!

 

We took delivery of our sailaway widebeam last month and haven't stopped smiling yet; even though the fit out is going slower than planned and the dead line for moving onboard is fast approaching......as Dean states, you never lose that feeling!!!

[sassan]

My advice is to check when it was last blacked. If it was more than a year or so ago then save money by blacking it while it's out for the survey.

 

That's what we did, saved ourselves a few hundred quid.

[MtB]

My advice is to check when it was last blacked. If it was more than a year or so ago then save money by blacking it while it's out for the survey.

 

That's what we did, saved ourselves a few hundred quid.

Ah but that rather takes away your ability to re-negotiate the price if the survey throws up problems!

 

Vendor will be qute at liberty to say "nah, not changing the price but thanks for blacking my boat"...

 

 

MtB

[Guest]

My advice is to check when it was last blacked. If it was more than a year or so ago then save money by blacking it while it's out for the survey.

 

That's what we did, saved ourselves a few hundred quid.

This is a good tip and I wish we had done this.

[comfortably numb]

Hi Jess, welcome to the forum and this great life afloat.

 

You said the boat passed its survey with flying colours in 2011. Make sure you see a copy of it. Find out who comissioned it and if it was the seller then treat it with caution. We were keen on buying a boat last year which the sellers had provided quite a glowing survey for. But despite the cost, I arranged to have my own survey done and I'm glad I did because it stopped me buying a dud.

[jenboater]

Always very exciting and even better than buying a car - coz you can't cook in a car!

You can't always be there for the good eyeballing that you really should carry out.

We had to get a friend to do it as we are in Australia - but it worked out pretty well - the only thing we missed wasn't visible and should have been picked up by the survey ans wasn't - engine was misaligned and the shaft broke when we went sailing - more on that later!

Edited April 18, 2013 by jenboater

[Moonchild]

Hi congrats!! Im not yet at your stage,but this topics been very useful for me! Seen a boat I really like,there's loads of oil beneath engine which owner said is because he accidentally pulled oil top off and all came flooding out!! Also weird little jump starter lead attached to battery which he said is to operate bilge pump,not sure whats going on there,if any one has any ideas would be very helpful?

Thanks!