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Gone and done it! What now...?


Erin42

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So many great boats I've seen are 'oop north' and not being able to drive is making it difficult!

 

I'm going to have a look at this boat on Thursday, actually: http://www.boatshed.com/narrowboat_40ft_cruiser_stern-boat-170343.html

and the previous owners did quite a bit of research on her history, too... http://www.canalscape.net/Total%20Eclipse/Total%20Eclipse.htm#specification which makes interesting reading.

 

I just think the layout is quite odd. To have the bed next to the kitchen, and then the living area at the bow... Seems mighty strange.

The killer for me would be that there is no permanent bed. You'd either have to sleep on the sofa or make the dinette bed up every night. Or eat all your meals on the sofa.

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The killer for me would be that there is no permanent bed. You'd either have to sleep on the sofa or make the dinette bed up every night. Or eat all your meals on the sofa.

 

Yep, exactly. The first thing I'd do is install a permanent bed, but it doesn't look like there's anywhere it could go apart from next to the kitchen!

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Unfortunately, the price bracket and upwards you are currently looking at is supplying Londons crowded wateways with many new boats every month, Whilton has installed a new right pointing direction sign opposite the entrance saying London this way. This means that you are going to be bidding against other similarly minded people unless you are very quick, or prepared to go very much North.

The last month and a half has seen boat sales rocket, and it does appear that it is starting to be a sellers market again.

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Yep, all the marinas I've called have said that their boats for under 30k are selling as quickly as they're getting them. Popular areas of London are quite crowded, but there are still a few places that are aren't so bad but still commutable. My cousin's boat is moored in Hackney at the moment, next to the olympic park, and it's so peaceful.

 

I'll have to live in London for work, at the moment, but with any luck will be able to travel and live in different areas of the country once I have my boat. I think if I just wanted to stay in London it wouldn't really be worth it.

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So many great boats I've seen are 'oop north' and not being able to drive is making it difficult!

 

I'm going to have a look at this boat on Thursday, actually: http://www.boatshed.com/narrowboat_40ft_cruiser_stern-boat-170343.html

and the previous owners did quite a bit of research on her history, too... http://www.canalscape.net/Total%20Eclipse/Total%20Eclipse.htm#specification which makes interesting reading.

 

I just think the layout is quite odd. To have the bed next to the kitchen, and then the living area at the bow... Seems mighty strange.

 

I find myself falling for boats that are far "oop north" too, and I'll tell you, being able to drive doesn't make it any easier!

 

Bed next to kitchen is odd. In the few years that I've been looking for a boat, I've discovered I'm really quite fussy about the layout. Oh, and if it's any consolation, the first boat that stole my heart had alarm bells ringing when my friend (technical advisor!) and I went to look at it... and then it disappeared, never to be seen again... Keep the faith. You'll find the boat that's just right for you.

 

SF

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An update! I've put the deposit on the 44ft springer I saw weeks ago! (It came back again, and I suppose third time's the charm) A bit of trouble with the seller, yes, but speaking to him made it clear it was a bit of a misunderstanding, nothing dishonest. Certainly not helped by my own naivety in not putting down a deposit as soon as possible. The last survey was 2 years ago, and the owner has done everything suggested in the survey and has the receipts. He took me and my dad out for a quick trip, and showed me in detail everything I showed an interest in, from the shower pump to the way the engine is cooled. On advice from the helpful folks on the forums I grilled him a bit about why the previous people had pulled out, and all sounds fine - they sound a bit like me, haha, Londoners looking for a lifestyle change - except they didn't really do their research and got cold feet when they realised that boating is a bit more hard work than they thought.

 

Feeling very positive about it and she's ready to move on board... dependent on survey...

 

Fingers crossed I can get the survey done at Harfield Marina, next friday. Here's hoping I've done as much as I can in the way of preparing myself, and that I don't just blow 200 quid slipway and 350 quid survey fee on a boat that is, to use a term I've seen on these forums, a "colander"

Edited by Erin42
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An update! I've put the deposit on the 44ft springer I saw weeks ago! (It came back again, and I suppose third time's the charm) A bit of trouble with the seller, yes, but speaking to him made it clear it was a bit of a misunderstanding, nothing dishonest. Certainly not helped by my own naivety in not putting down a deposit as soon as possible. The last survey was 2 years ago, and the owner has done everything suggested in the survey and has the receipts. He took me and my dad out for a quick trip, and showed me in detail everything I showed an interest in, from the shower pump to the way the engine is cooled. On advice from the helpful folks on the forums I grilled him a bit about why the previous people had pulled out, and all sounds fine - they sound a bit like me, haha, Londoners looking for a lifestyle change - except they didn't really do their research and got cold feet when they realised that boating is a bit more hard work than they thought.

 

Feeling very positive about it and she's ready to move on board... dependent on survey...

 

Fingers crossed I can get the survey done at Harfield Marina, next friday. Here's hoping I've done as much as I can in the way of preparing myself, and that I don't just blow 200 quid slipway and 350 quid survey fee on a boat that is, to use a term I've seen on these forums, a "colander"

Good luck!

 

The survey fee won't be wasted anyway, as if it shows up with something 'orrible, you could view it as having not wasted the cost of a boat you are then stuck with, as it would be unsaleable. Have you joined the Springer boat group on facebook yet? Incidentally, a fail on a survey could mean that the pitting on the hull is a little bit too deep for the insurance companies to let you have fully comprehensive insurance, while being perfectly safe for day to day use, but there are third party policies available that will let you licence and use the boat, if you are willing to take on the very small risk of it sinking or being broken into.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/272909672827999/

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Yep, exactly. The first thing I'd do is install a permanent bed, but it doesn't look like there's anywhere it could go apart from next to the kitchen!

 

There's little wrong with that. You're close to the tea making facilities upon awakening. If you're up earlier than that for a pee, then you're also very close to your en-suite facility. If you can reach the sink, that is.

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There's little wrong with that. You're close to the tea making facilities upon awakening. If you're up earlier than that for a pee, then you're also very close to your en-suite facility. If you can reach the sink, that is.

Errmmm.... Oh, never mind, I'm sure you'll see the problem with that and a girl soon enough.

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Fingers crossed for you on Survey day Erin. Who is doing the survey for you?

 

William Flannery, who is also qualified to to bss certificates, though the boat doesn't need one until mid 2015.

 

I'll have to drive her half an hour down the canal to the dry dock, though, and getting her out of the marina is going to be a challenge. I've only driven a boat for a couple of days before, and it was a hire boat with rather nice steering. I had a go on this boat the other day, when I went for a second a final viewing, and was a bit of a shambles at the tiller... oh dear... wacko.png

 

If anyone happens to be around harefield marina next tuesday lunchtime your help would be very much appreciated...

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It could be worth your while to get him to do a BSS whilst he is already checking virtually everything he would check for the BSS - (may be an extra £50 ?).

That would give you a BSS until April 2018

 

That's an idea... thanks! I'll ask him about that.

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I'm afraid I won't be around as I'm abroad until Wednesday but there are a few forum members around Harefield, hopefully one will come forward. Perhaps a separate thread asking for help might get better views/responses.

 

Thanks Junior! Panic averted, though, as the owner has said he is happy to take her down the canal to the dry dock on tuesday

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Survey took 5 hours, was incredibly thorough. The surveyor noticed a lot of pitting around the sides, which I was prepared for, but what I wasn't prepared for (bearing in mind the last survey was only two years ago and was fine!) was that the bilge area at the stern, a cruiser style, was very corroded and looked like it had had concrete poured into parts of it. Alarm bells, for me, because I wondered what the boat is hiding if parts are covered in concrete...

 

The hull under the engine was in a bad way, and after scraping at the metal there to try and get a reading, the surveyor noticed some dripping. Then a leak.

 

In short, there was a hole under the engine. Metal rusted so thin that it was only kept afloat by the blacking, presumably. After scraping, the hole was about 5mm wide.

 

This is too much work for me, even if I could get the boat very cheap. I'm gutted, back to square one sad.png

 

Upsetting that I've spent half a month's earnings on the dry dock and survey combined, but I'm so glad he spent the time to check so thoroughly. And I learnt a lot.

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Survey took 5 hours, was incredibly thorough. The surveyor noticed a lot of pitting around the sides, which I was prepared for, but what I wasn't prepared for (bearing in mind the last survey was only two years ago and was fine!) was that the bilge area at the stern, a cruiser style, was very corroded and looked like it had had concrete poured into parts of it. Alarm bells, for me, because I wondered what the boat is hiding if parts are covered in concrete...

 

The hull under the engine was in a bad way, and after scraping at the metal there to try and get a reading, the surveyor noticed some dripping. Then a leak.

 

In short, there was a hole under the engine. Metal rusted so thin that it was only kept afloat by the blacking, presumably. After scraping, the hole was about 5mm wide.

 

This is too much work for me, even if I could get the boat very cheap. I'm gutted, back to square one sad.png

 

Upsetting that I've spent half a month's earnings on the dry dock and survey combined, but I'm so glad he spent the time to check so thoroughly. And I learnt a lot.

 

Well that's a sad outcome. HOWEVER, a brilliant lesson.

 

Looking on the bright side, the survey saved you from buying one of the basket case boats you seem to magnetically attract, so half a month's income is anything but wasted.

 

In addition, the more a lesson hurts, the better you learn it. Here, the pain is not just the depleted back balance, but the fact that you could have seen this problem for yourself in the first place had you looked carefully enough, and recognised what you were seeing (i.e. poured concrete in parts of the engine bilge).

 

The next boat you find that you like, I predict you'll spot any poured concrete in the bilges at 1000 paces.... :D

 

Thanks for the feedback and the very best of luck with your search...

 

 

MtB

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Well that's a sad outcome. HOWEVER, a brilliant lesson.

 

Looking on the bright side, the survey saved you from buying one of the basket case boats you seem to magnetically attract, so half a month's income is anything but wasted.

 

In addition, the more a lesson hurts, the better you learn it. Here, the pain is not just the depleted back balance, but the fact that you could have seen this problem for yourself in the first place had you looked carefully enough, and recognised what you were seeing (i.e. poured concrete in parts of the engine bilge).

 

The next boat you find that you like, I predict you'll spot any poured concrete in the bilges at 1000 paces.... biggrin.png

 

Thanks for the feedback and the very best of luck with your search...

 

 

MtB

 

Indeed - the next boat I look at I'm going to take a little toffee hammer with me so I can see if what looks like painted metal is actually nice smooth concrete!

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