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New to Boating, doing my research, need advice

Lizziebeth

By Lizziebeth
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Lizziebeth Gongoozler

Lizziebeth

Posted
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Hi Guys,

 

So I'm Liz, new to the forums and myself and my boyfriend are seriously considering the move to liveaboard status boat.gif . We have as most people are at this stage cruising the brokerage websites looking for boats that might be potentially suitable for our budget. We have seen several but realise that the good ones get snapped up pretty quickly.

 

Anyhow, I've been looking at this boat, it seems rather cheap imo for a boat of its length, or is it? I wondered if people could give me there personal opinions on this as I am sure that many of you with experience maybe able to read between the lines and offer advice regarding the advertisement that we cannot see due to lack of experience.

 

We note that the boat has last month had a survey. Are we within our rights to ask the brokerage the findings from that survey? I'm not sure how it works.

 

Anyway here is the linky http://www.venetianmarina.co.uk/used-narrowboats/details/2811.aspx The boat is called Foxglove.

 

Many thanks in advance for any insights people could offer. captain.gif

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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

Posted
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Welcome Liz and welcome to your other 'arf too.

 

Oooh, a Fox Boat! Built in the Fens (March, Cambridgeshire) by the late Charlie Fox and built to last. Prow like a Viking longboat will scare away anyone coming towards you. Almost certainly served in their hire fleet before being sold on. The firm still exists and is still in the Fox family, they still build a few boats per year. This must be one of their earliest (it will have its works number stamped in the metal of the front well deck which should enable you to verify the build date).

As for the survey, ask. The worst they can say is "no". Keep us informed.

Mike

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Neil2 Veteran

Neil2

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Most Foxboats that come up for sale tend to be photographed from the stern...

 

But the V shaped hull has a lot going for it.

 

I wouldn't have another boat with a BMC 1.8 but that's just me.

 

The key part of the boat description is "Survey Jan 2014". It looks like someone decided to buy it and had a survey done which didn't have a good outcome. The broker should let you read the survey if it's part of the boat description so that's the first step.

 

 

 

 

 

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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

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Please be aware that the survey may not be reaily available, and as someone else has paid for it, doesn't mean that you shouldn't commission your own independant survey.

 

Blacking and anodes are now 3 years since last done/checked - something to be looking at rather than be at ease with in a boat of this age.

 

Venetian is part of the same group as Whilton Marina who are known for sharp practice where previous surveys and completed works are concerned.

 

If you do get a chance to see the survey, and it recommends re or over-plating, be very inquisitive if the boat has been blacked in the last few weeks.

Edited by matty40s
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  • 4 weeks later...
ali_oh Gongoozler

ali_oh

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We have also been looking at this boat. The survey says that the hull has some pitting and that the anodes need replacing. The vendor is getting the pits welded, and the hull blacked and 4 new anodes fitted. The work is due to be done next week.

 

Does anyone have any further advice or thoughts on this boat? My boyfriend and I are really interested in this boat.

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kevinl Rising Star

kevinl

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I'm not madly impressed: 6/5/3 steel is a pretty basic spec, with pits in it too!. Spec says the anodes were checked and OK in 2011, someone has posted they're going to be replaced which is it? V hulls aren't universally popular although I have one and it means you can get closer to the bank although it makes blacking more complicated. Fit out looks functional if a little dated all that dark wood. Louvre windows, leaky and draughty. What I don't like is the layout in winter you'd need to be in the leather chairs to keep warm by the fire, with the toilet/bathroom on one side (nice) and the kitchen on the other, the sofas at the front would probably be too cold to be comfortable, be OK in summer though. But basically not a layout I'd want.

You don't say if you want the boat as a summer hobby, year round use, liveaboard or CC'ing it's not really set up for extended living.

Without seeing the condition of the engine, electrics and all the bits it's not possible to say but it's a budget boat at a fairly budget price, could be a goer, could be a money pit if any boat needed a full survey this is it. If you go off a survey someone else paid for and it turns out to be wrong as you never paid for the survey then you really don't have any come back on the surveyor, I would touch it unless I'd paid for a full survey from a reputable person and I'd want the owner to clearly indicate what he'd do if the survey said it need £10K spending on it, if I thought they just keep waiting for a sucker to turn up then I'd just walk away now.

K

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Guest

Guest

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Opinions? Not one I'd go for, personally, the engine, also those louvre (loover?!?) windows would put me off, often draughty and leaky (some of my neighbours have boat windows like that and aren't crazy about them.

They are also notoriously insecure, often you can just lift them out piece by piece unless care has been taken to fix the glass securely.

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

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Anyhow, I've been looking at this boat, it seems rather cheap imo for a boat of its length, or is it?

 

 

Strikes me as 'fully priced' for a boat of that nature and age for reasons already outlined by others. £15k would be about right in my personal opinion but that's all it is, the personal opinion of someone who doesn't particularly like the boat!

 

£10k would make it a good buy. If you have a budget of £20k there are much better boats out there. Have you looked on www.apolloduck.co.uk ?

 

MtB

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Lizziebeth Gongoozler

Lizziebeth

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Hi Guys,

 

We actually went to view the boat but decided that it just wasn't the boat for us. We are hoping (if Natwest authorises our loan) tomorrow to be putting a offer in on another boat. Very nervous but super excited if we get the loan.

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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I think there are a lot of brokers out there taking advantage of people who want to buy a narrowboat to live on, for the price of a personal loan and (in many cases) then bring it to London. The fact that boats in that price range are getting snapped up quickly as you say is telling. It's almost as if they are rounding the price up in some cases. They are making a lot of money.

 

My advice is: take your time, read this forum, don't rush.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Paul C Veteran II

Paul C

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I think there are a lot of brokers out there taking advantage of people who want to buy a narrowboat to live on, for the price of a personal loan and (in many cases) then bring it to London. The fact that boats in that price range are getting snapped up quickly as you say is telling. It's almost as if they are rounding the price up in some cases. They are making a lot of money.

 

My advice is: take your time, read this forum, don't rush.

 

But if there's lots of people with that sort of money, then that's what's driving the market value of these kind of boats upwards - a healthy market? Whilton/Venetian marina must have an awful lot of capital invested in stock, since they often buy, rather than broker, the cheaper boats.

Edited by Paul C
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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

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She's a bit of a golden oldie, but Doug Moore built well-respected boats and this one looks as if it has been well maintained. Nice manageable size too, 45 feet (says he, as owner of a 45-footer). I see that you have a rear galley so that the steerer can be fed his rations without leaving his post!

 

The raw water cooling is not to everyone's taste (this means that the engine is cooled by water sucked directly from the canal and then puked back into it) but if causes problems, you could have it replaced by a self-contained "skin tank" which circulates its own cooling water.

 

I hope you got her for a good price. You are now going to have fun, thrills, spills, adventures and near-divorces in roughly equal measure. Don't be a stranger, keep us informed of your progress and don't be afraid to ask further questions, there are specialists in most aspects of boating at large on this forum.

 

Mike

Edited by Athy
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