Your thoughts on this boat?

[junior]

I'm going to view this boat on friday. It will be my first boat and I'm a novice. If I like it on first viewing I will go back for a second viewing with a 'knowledgeable person'. I would also be getting a survey.

 

http://www.aqueductbrokerage.co.uk/#SLOE

 

My observations from the advert are that it is an attractive boat. I'm excited by the engine and controls. I think the interior looks well fitted and 'quirky'. It is just inside my budget. I'm going to be a shiney boater so the paint job is important to me. I will be living on board but in a week on/week off pattern. While I'm on the boat I plan to be cruising and when i'm off it, it will be on a LTM with hook up.

 

My concerns, some raised by other forum members already. The only way of heating water is the engine/calorifier. Lack of storage and space. Whilst the back cabin is pretty, it's kind of wasted space for me on a boat this size. My plan is to convert the drop down cross bed to a wardrobe/storage, and the drop down table to have a studio washing machine behind it. If this isnt feasable it will rule the boat out.

 

I have infomation from a source that (in their opinion) the Rayburn hadn't been fitted well and it was unfortunate there was no step/ladder to get up to the tug deck from cabin.

 

I would want to add some other way of getting hot water. As a gas free boat I appreciate its not simple. Could i fit an immersion element to the calorifier?

 

Price? Reasonable price?

 

I've tried to find out about the hull builder and interior fitter but come up a blank. Anyone ever herd of either? The boat is numberd "number one" so perhaps the only one they ever did?

 

In short, i'm in love with the engine and the aesthetics of it. I have a £35k budget and want a 45ft-50ft trad/tug with a vintage engine. Theres not many about.

 

I'd appreciate the thoughts, good and bad, of forum members. If its gone by friday then it's obviously not meant to be!

[BudgetBus]

Not thoughts on your questions, but its a very very attractive boat. If you got that i would be envious. Best of luck.

[Athy]

^{Well, you've had a few of my thoughts via PM already (I hope you received it).}

^{The Rayburn should be capable of heating water as well as cooking your food.}

^{There will almost certainly be a way of getting up to the tug deck - I suggest that the steps were removed by the photographer so that you could see under the deck.}

^{As for budget, don't be shy of haggling - not many boats go for their absolutely full asking price.}

^{Tuff Tugs did fit out more than one boat - I have seen no, 2!}

 

^{Finally, as I type this the print looks very small. I have tried the "font size" control with no effect. So if this strains your eyes, sorry!}

Edited June 4, 2013 by Athy

[junior]

^{Well, you've had a few of my thoughts via PM already (I hope you received it).}

^{The Rayburn should be capable of heating water as well as cooking your food.}

^{There will almost certainly be a way of getting up to the tug deck - I suggest that the steps were removed by the photographer so that you could see under the deck.}

^{As for budget, don't be shy of haggling - not many boats go for their absolutely full asking price.}

^{Tuff Tugs did fit out more than one boat - I have seen no, 2!}

 

 

^{Finally, as I type this the print looks very small. I have tried the "font size" control with no effect. So if this strains your eyes, sorry!}

No problem with font size here, but I'm on a tablet.

 

I've had a pm from someone who's been to view the boat but decided it wasn't for them. A couple of their observations was that the Rayburn couldn't heat water and only cooked/heated and that there was no steps to get up to the tug deck.

 

Re. The steps, I see that as no problem. It shouldn't be too hard for me to get a carpenter to make some steps. With regard to the water heating, do any plumber people know if it would be possible to add some sort of system to the Rayburn that heats the water (MTB?) ?

 

Price wise, I am aware that anything highlighted by the survey can be used to haggle the price down. I would also want the cost of the steps and the cost of installing secondary water heating taken off the asking price. Is this unreasonable?

[Athy]

Price wise, I am aware that anything highlighted by the survey can be used to haggle the price down. I would also want the cost of the steps and the cost of installing secondary water heating taken off the asking price. Is this unreasonable?

Steps almost certainly - because of the height of the deck, access would be unsafe and egress difficult AND unsafe without steps. You may be a high-jump champion but the seller has no right to assume such prowess.

The official spec. for the Rayburn 212 (if the vendor has decided that's what it is: he calls it a 212 in one place and a 121 in another) states that its purpose is cooking AND DOMESTIC HOT WATER. Not sure if you would be on solid ground asking for money off, but a Rayburn-appointed fitter should be able to get the beastie to brew hot water for you,.

 

If you like the boat when you see it, pitch in at £30,000 and haggle from there, would be my suggestion. All they can say is "Who's a cheeky boy then?" and it gives you room to manoeuvre.

[Mike Tee]

Check out the calorifier - spec shows 240v from a landline and often at fitout time its only a few quid more to include an immersion heater in the water tank (although to add as an after thought would i would think be fiddly, messy and expensive). If its got one, you have alternative water heating.

[MtB]

After a superficial look I like it! A lot of baot for the money! The only thing that grates is the signwriting. Easily changed.

 

As far as making the range heat the water I wouldn't bother. Shedloads of trouble connecting an uncontrolled heat source to a hot water service, and then you might not like the way it works. I'll go back and look more carefully at the listing.

 

MtB

 

 

P.S. there will ALWAYS be detail stuff wrong with any boat. If you like one with the fundamentals right, go for it.

Hmmmm can't check it out in detail as the PDF links to a different boat, unless my stupid is showing...

 

But I see the hot water is only available heated by the engine. This will drive you nuts. It would be better, cheaper and more suitable to fit a Morco IMO.

 

And the Rigas is a cracking engine. It's physically very small but sounds for all the world like a Gardner! A future classic IMO.

 

 

MtB

[junior]

After a superficial look I like it! A lot of baot for the money! The only thing that grates is the signwriting. Easily changed.

 

As far as making the range heat the water I wouldn't bother. Shedloads of trouble connecting an uncontrolled heat source to a hot water service, and then you might not like the way it works. I'll go back and look more carefully at the listing.

 

MtB

 

 

P.S. there will ALWAYS be detail stuff wrong with any boat. If you like one with the fundamentals right, go for it.

 

Hmmmm can't check it out in detail as the PDF links to a different boat, unless my stupid is showing...

 

But I see the hot water is only available heated by the engine. This will drive you nuts. It would be better, cheaper and more suitable to fit a Morco IMO.

 

And the Rigas is a cracking engine. It's physically very small but sounds for all the world like a Gardner! A future classic IMO.

 

 

MtB

Thanks for your thoughts. To be honest it's the engine that is pulling me to the boat. Am I likely to find a 45/50ft tug with trad engine and controls, under 10 years old for under 35k? Maybe, but I've been looking for 7 months and this is the first I've seen that gets close to ticking all my boxes. Because of this I reckon it's worth a look. And it looks like the boxes it doesn't tick could be sorted out over time.

[MtB]

Thanks for your thoughts. To be honest it's the engine that is pulling me to the boat. Am I likely to find a 45/50ft tug with trad engine and controls, under 10 years old for under 35k? Maybe, but I've been looking for 7 months and this is the first I've seen that gets close to ticking all my boxes. Because of this I reckon it's worth a look. And it looks like the boxes it doesn't tick could be sorted out over time.

 

Well yes they are about, but rare. Few peeps buy tugs new so the second hand market is very small. But why box yourself in with a ten year age limit? There are some gorgeous tugs out there 10 to 30 years old by very respected builders!

 

The fact that you appreciate a good tug suggests you'll grow out of the 'shiny boat' thing pretty quick too, once you get out and about on the cut

 

 

MtB

[Athy]

.

 

 

 

And the Rigas is a cracking engine. It's physically very small but sounds for all the world like a Gardner! A future classic IMO.

 

 

MtB

 

 

 

 

You flatter it, Mike! It's cruder and louder than a Gardner - but, from my experience of the five years that I had a Rigas-powered boat, very likeable.

Ours had been nicely tarted up by Marine Engine Services, with polished rocker cover and ample copper piping, ideal for the Brasso enthusiast such as me.

 

EDIT: if perchance you don't want a boat for life, it's worth mentioning that when the time came, the Rigas was a major factor in SELLING our last boat, which ABNB moved quickly and at almost the original asking price.

 

Edited June 4, 2013 by Athy

[MtB]

 

.

 

 

 

And the Rigas is a cracking engine. It's physically very small but sounds for all the world like a Gardner! A future classic IMO.

 

 

MtB

 

 

 

 

You flatter it, Mike! It's cruder and louder than a Gardner - but, from my experience of the five years that I had a Rigas-powered boat, very likeable.

Ours had been nicely tarted up by Marine Engine Services, with polished rocker cover and ample copper piping, ideal for the Brasso enthusiast such as me.

 

 

 

Really?

 

I was quite taken by the one in Simon Wain's small Northwich style tug, OBERON. If it's good enough for Simon, its good enough etc etc...

 

 

MtB

[junior]

 

Well yes they are about, but rare. Few peeps buy tugs new so the second hand market is very small. But why box yourself in with a ten year age limit? There are some gorgeous tugs out there 10 to 30 years old by very respected builders!

 

 

MtB

Not at all. Ill consider all ages, I just haven't seen anything this 'new' for this sort of money. Only other tugs I've seen is a maroon 45ft called 'Aslan' that is 23 years old. It has no fixed berth only the back cabin and it also has no side hatches so that rules it out. The other is one called 'Invincible' that is in London. It has no storage space or potential to make some and it doesn't have a trad engine. It is 16 years old. So age doesn't really have much to do with it. This one just ticks more of my boxes than anything else.

[MtB]

Not at all. Ill consider all ages, I just haven't seen anything this 'new' for this sort of money. Only other tugs I've seen is a maroon 45ft called 'Aslan' that is 23 years old. It has no fixed berth only the back cabin and it also has no side hatches so that rules it out. The other is one called 'Invincible' that is in London. It has no storage space or potential to make some and it doesn't have a trad engine. It is 16 years old. So age doesn't really have much to do with it. This one just ticks more of my boxes than anything else.

 

Ok I thought I read you saying an age limit of 10 years. My apologies!

 

But like I said, good tugs are about, but rare. Keep looking. The day you buy one, 800 will appear on the market immediately after!

 

 

MtB

OTOH, this one seems to be as close as you're gonna get to what you want. I think you should buy it NOW and enjoy a summer of cruising...

[junior]

 

 

.

 

 

 

And the Rigas is a cracking engine. It's physically very small but sounds for all the world like a Gardner! A future classic IMO.

 

 

MtB

 

 

 

 

 

Ours had been nicely tarted up by Marine Engine Services, with polished rocker cover and ample copper piping, ideal for the Brasso enthusiast such as me.

 

 

OMG. Seriously?! I can get shiney bits for the engine? I have to have this boat!!!!

[sherbert]

PM sent

[Athy]

OMG. Seriously?! I can get shiney bits for the engine? I have to have this boat!!!!

You takin' the P, J? If you aren't, yes, a forum member who used to supply these engines may be able to advise you.

I have photos of my gleaming Rigas somewhere, but not findable at the moment.

[junior]

You takin' the P, J? If you aren't, yes, a forum member who used to supply these engines may be able to advise you.

I have photos of my gleaming Rigas somewhere, but not findable at the moment.

You wouldn't believe the amount of times I've looked at the pic of the engine in this boat and thought "It's a shame it doesn't have a shiny rocker cover".

[MtB]

You wouldn't believe the amount of times I've looked at the pic of the engine in this boat and thought "It's a shame it doesn't have a shiny rocker cover".

 

The Rigas is disappointingly small when you see it. But when you are ready, you can change it for an AWESOME Kelvin K1 (wihich you can buy from MEE when u r ready )

 

 

MtB

[Caprifool]

I think it's a gem.

Edited June 4, 2013 by Caprifool

[junior]

 

The Rigas is disappointingly small when you see it. But when you are ready, you can change it for an AWESOME Kelvin K1 (wihich you can buy from MEE when u r ready )

 

 

MtB

From what I've heard the Rigas is an ideal engine for someone like me (who doesn't know one end of a spanner from the other) to learn on? I.e., I wouldn't be 'over engining' myself.

[MtB]

From what I've heard the Rigas is an ideal engine for someone like me (who doesn't know one end of a spanner from the other) to learn on? I.e., I wouldn't be 'over engining' myself.

 

I agree actually. It is a perfect engine on which to learn what you REALLY want in a klassik engun. And when you figure this out, you will already have a suitable bote in witch to stick it.....

 

Well this Beaujolais is GOOD tonight....

 

 

MtB

[Ange]

Looks like a really nice boat. My only reservation would be if the rayburn is the only means of cooking.

 

It'd be a pain to have to fire it up on a hot or even warm day - could make it unbearably hot in the cabin.

 

Apologies if I've missed another means of cooking mentioned.

[LoneWolf]

 

OTOH, this one seems to be as close as you're gonna get to what you want. I think you should buy it NOW and enjoy a summer of cruising...

 

very good advice there

[MtB]

 

very good advice there

 

I agree...

[alan_fincher]

Looks like a really nice boat. My only reservation would be if the rayburn is the only means of cooking.

 

It'd be a pain to have to fire it up on a hot or even warm day - could make it unbearably hot in the cabin.

 

Apologies if I've missed another means of cooking mentioned.

Pedant alert!

 

It has a range in the back cabin too!

 

You can cook on that, of course, but with similar reservations to the Rayburn, I guess!

 

I don;t think it is the only problem for a live-aboard boat though - if the engine is the only way of getting hot water, I would have thought that would be a real pain, unless you plan to be constantly on the move.

 

Presumably fitting a gas water heater is a non starter, because the boat is gas free, and I don't imagine there is any easy way to add a gas locker, is there?

Edited June 4, 2013 by alan_fincher