why is this boat still on the market?

[mefloquine]

Hello,

I am new to boating and need advice about my first buy; I viewed a widebeam in mid July with the specifications listed below; I was about to have a survey done but got distracted by other boats; now about a month and a half later I am surprised to see that such boat is still available and hasnt been snapped up yet; I was thinking of having it surveyed now but the fact that a boat of that price and age hasnt been sold in 1.5 months makes me wonder what other potential buyers have been put off with

Any advice gratefully received

Regards

Annalisa

 

Price: £55,000

Designer: Paul Widdowson

Builder: Allen Unwin

Make: Paul Widdowson

Model: 45 Widebeam

Year constructed: 2010

Berths: 4

Engine : Barrus Shanks 35 HP (has done 2300 hours)

Fuel type: Diesel

Drive type: Shaft drive

Length overall: 45'

Beam: 10'

Hull material: Steel

Fuel capacity: 400 Litres

Water capacity: 2500 Litres

Walkthrough bathroom with cassette toilet and shower

Multi fuel stove with back boiler providing heating to 2 radiators, gravity fed

Hot water provided by calorifier or immersion heater.

8x6v 135ah batteries.

3kw pure sign wave sterling ch/inv.12 and 230v systems

LED lighting

Fully fitted kitchen including full size cooker, fridge and sink

Washing machine

[Ex- Member]

My comments would be seems a very nice boat and nicely equipt. It's only 45 f/t though and a 10/f/t beam, that wouldn't put me off at all, however people looking for widebeams will find this boat small in comparison to most, so possibly an off putting factor and similarly with regard to length. Personally if you like it I would put in a cheeky offer subject to survey LOL 10 f/t wide is a good width, we're 60 f/t x 10.6 with ample space.

[RLWP]

I guess that will be this boat: http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=303120

 

 

Richard

[Ex- Member]

My comments would be seems a very nice boat and nicely equipt. It's only 45 f/t though and a 10/f/t beam, that wouldn't put me off at all, however people looking for widebeams will find this boat small in comparison to most, so possibly an off putting factor and similarly with regard to length. Personally if you like it I would put in a cheeky offer subject to survey LOL 10 f/t wide is a good width, we're 60 f/t x 10.6 with ample space.

This one possibly

 

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=303120

 

I thought I had seen this boat before. I note it's in Semmington which we passed last week, I recall pointing out to Lynn what a nice looking boat what with it being all portholes.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Julynian

[RLWP]

This one possibly

 

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=303120

 

Beat you by just under 60 seconds

 

Richard

[Ex- Member]

 

Beat you by just under 60 seconds

 

Richard

 

That's because I didn't know I was in a race

[RLWP]

Human race, innit

 

Richard

[alan_fincher]

The Barrus "Shanks" engine, (if that is the one based on a Chinese motor), does not seem to receive very good press at all.

 

It would be a definite minus point for me in any boat I saw for sale.

[MtB]

It's stupidly short for a widebeam, that's all the problem is! (Along with being a geigh colour, lol)

 

And of course widebeams are not universally liked as they can't go everywhere so it may be difficult to sell. QED.

 

 

MtB

[JDR]

I know the Chinese engines didn't have a great rep but they also used Yanmars as base engines which being Japanese should be a pretty safe bet.

ETA: Reread ad and it does state Shanks which I think as Alan said is the cheapo Chinese engine.

[bigste]

It's quite often that boats take many months to sell and a year is not uncommon.

[alan_fincher]

It's quite often that boats take many months to sell and a year is not uncommon.

If a boat takes a year to sell, it was probably wrongly priced in the first place!

 

Good boats that are sensibly priced often sell qickly - others don't!

[Biggles]

That would make a nice butty.

 

ETA 2300 hours. Can't be that bad an engine. Its done more than many boats will ever do.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Biggles

[Burgiesburnin]

The photographs don't flatter the boat. I think that the colour makes it look "cheap" and this combined with the threadbare couch doesn't give a good overall impression. The comments about the Chinese origin engine also adds to the "not good quality " impression.

The side on main photo of the boat is deceptive as it doesn't look a wide beam in this photo.

Needs more pics of the interior.

[Laurie Booth]

Fantastic water storage 2500 gallons!!

[BargeeSpud]

It's quite often that boats take many months to sell and a year is not uncommon.

 

That's what I was going to say, I was watching a very, very nice immaculate 70' trad at Braunston Marina for the last 4 - 5 months which has only just been sold. 1.5 months is nothing for a boat to sell & it's still early days really.

[Smudge]

Wide beam nuff said

[Athy]

The photographs don't flatter the boat. I think that the colour makes it look "cheap"

Isn't that remarkable? The first thing I noticed when I saw the photo was the attractive Cambridge blue livery which, coupled with the large portholes, gives the boat a handsome side view. Let's face it, no "widebeam narrowboats" have a handsome front view.

But the interior, though it appears serviceable, looks as if it was at the budget end of the market. The shell should be good as Paul Widdowson is a respected boatbuilder (who used to work for.....? R&D perhaps?)

Edited August 30, 2013 by Athy

[Neil2]

Think about it. How many people have anything like £55,000 to spend on a boat? And if you did, for that sort of money it would have to be the object of your dreams, and flawless in every respect. Does that apply to this boat?

 

Also I don't know why anyone would buy a WB other than to live on, and as has been said, she's a bit too short compared to the typical floating bungalow.

 

PS. - I cringe when I see expressions like "much admired" - that would be enough to put me off.

Edited August 30, 2013 by Neil2

[luctor et emergo]

Some people obviously havn't met 'their' boat yet...

[matty40s]

Wide beam nuff said

smudge says it like it is, spot on.

[junior]

Whilst i wouldn't like to comment on this specific boat, i've been studying the market very closely since november last year. I still keep seeing some boats for sale that were for sale at the same price back then.

 

An example is a boat at Whilton Marina called 'Spice of Life'. It was the first boat i viewed before last christmas. It's still there now and was thier "boat of the week" last week. It's also still at roughly the same price IIRC. I can't understand why the owner hasn't reduced the price to something more realistic (it's vastly over priced IMO) or moved it to a different brokerage to try and sell it from another angle.

 

1.5 months is nothing for a boat to have not shifted in the current market.

[Peter Reed]

Obviously cassette toilet that puts potential buyers off.

Body armour and full face crash helmet on.

[alan_fincher]

Obviously cassette toilet that puts potential buyers off.

Body armour and full face crash helmet on.

Cassette toilet is the only sound choice in a wide-beam, if many of those around our way are typical of the genre......

 

They never move, (fortunately!), so no chance of taking the boat to the emptying facility, but with cassette at least you can take that to the emptying facility, and avoid having to try and move a wide-beam!

[mrsmelly]

Cassette toilet is the only sound choice in a wide-beam, if many of those around our way are typical of the genre......

 

They never move, (fortunately!), so no chance of taking the boat to the emptying facility, but with cassette at least you can take that to the emptying facility, and avoid having to try and move a wide-beam!

Little widebeams like this one and mine are a doddle to drive. I have only owned mine 2 years and have done more boating in it than 90 percent of sewer tube owners have in ten plus years of ownership. I know many narrowboat owners have a fear of anything over 7 feet wide but we all start somewhere and progress onto proper boats over 7 feet wide at sometime or other is quite normal. My piddly little 70 foot narrowboat just became too small to live on and had to go.

Most widebeams handle and steer better than narrowboats and are far more stable on rivers etc. Remember the vast majority of boats in the world are most certainly not narrowboats but something of a much more sensible useable size, we only build narrowboats in the UK because of the narrow ditch locks that were built many moons ago.

 

Tim