Looking at narrowboats

[grannykins]

For various reasons there may well be a chance to buy a narrow boat sooner rather than later. Weve been looking at one or two, and intend to look at quite a few more. It would be for holidays at the moment but would need to be a potential liveaboard for the end of 2016. We saw one yesterday we quite liked.I cant post a link as were out on the boat and I dont know how to do that with my phone, but its on Venetian Marinas website- Maid of Steel. We found the unconventional layout quite appealing. The wet room isnt. Its a toilet and wash basin in a small room lined with a shower tray. We would take out the back bedroom and use part of that space to put a shower in. There is also a radiator that is connected to pipes that end at the fire but are not connected to anything. I'm not sure of the significance of a keel cooled engine. We would have a full survey of any boat we intended to buy. Just would like opinions on this boat and her price please. Thanks for reading.

[Guest]

Maid of steel linky

[Athy]

Keel cooled engine is good. It means that the engine is water cooled but that this water is not drawn straight from the canal, it's in its own tank, so less chance of blockages caused by mud, weed, dead ducks etc. It also means that, unlike most air-cooled engines, when it's running it will heat your domestic water.

[Alan de Enfield]

It doesnt look to bad for a boat coming up to 40 years old.

Bit of work to do

Price recently reduced by £2000 - maybe still more room for negotiation.

[RichLech]

Looks like a good boat but a lot of money to pay for a boat nearly 40 yrs old, and that you want to modify from the word go.

 

Loads of boats in that price range. Keep looking to find one that more suits you.

[kevinl]

Looks like a lot of boat for the money and has a nice blank canvas look about it inside. If you did take out the bedroom as you say would there be room to extend the kitchen too as well as the bigger bathroom not to great the kitchen if you live aboard, A freezer or a washer would be pretty important but where would you put them/ Bargain though if it's sound.

K

[alan_fincher]

Sorry to disagree, but to me this sounds too much money for a 38 year old boat of possibly unknown provenance.

 

Does anybody recognise the name Simon Hull that is stated to be the builder of the shell. It doesn't ring any bells with me, and I can't turn up obvious references to them building any others.

[cherswud]

Hi there,

My first and overriding impression (as chief cook and bottle washer ) is that the galley has no bench space for food prep. Second impression - the boat has 2 beds (3-4 berths?) but dining seating for only 2.

I am sure there is a boat out there for you that you could move on to without having to do substantial modifications - unless of course you love a project and part of the purchase is the blank canvas for your own stamp.

Cheers, Marilyn

[Alan de Enfield]

23 years younger - a known make, nice condition, same price,

 

Trad Stern ?

Gas heating ?

 

http://www.venetianmarina.co.uk/used-narrowboats/details/2853.aspx

[ditchcrawler]

23 years younger - a known make, nice condition, same price,

 

Trad Stern ?

Gas heating ?

 

http://www.venetianmarina.co.uk/used-narrowboats/details/2853.aspx

agree

[Nightwatch]

23 years younger - a known make, nice condition, same price,

 

Trad Stern ?

Gas heating ?

 

http://www.venetianmarina.co.uk/used-narrowboats/details/2853.aspx

Thats not a bad looking boat.

Martyn

[grannykins]

Thanks Martin for the link. And thanks to everyone else for your comments.

We have decided to pass on this one and keep looking.

 

I know many liveaboards prefer trad sterns for the extra space, but we have decided that the convoluted gymnastics required to enter the boat from the stern are not for us . And we would need a cruiser stern for the dogs really too.

 

Since arriving home I have found that Venetian marina are a branch of Another Marina which does not seem to have a great reputation. Does this then mean the same concerns expressed about The Other on here are valid for Venetian?

[bigste]

The great thing about venetian and whilton is they have lots of boats and you can look round without hard sales pressure. In my opinion they are the best places to start looking. That way you soon know what you want or don't want.

[grannykins]

Ok thanks. We do plan to visit Whilton fairly soon.

[magnetman]

I don't think its 1976

 

Just doesn't have the right 'look'

 

If it is then it has certainly had a lot of modernising invl windows and engine.

 

Looks to me a bit like a 90s Liverpool/NBC boat but they fitted Isuzu engines AFAIK.

 

I'm sure the 1976 is a typo

[MtB]

I don't think its 1976

 

Just doesn't have the right 'look'

 

If it is then it has certainly had a lot of modernising invl windows and engine.

 

Looks to me a bit like a 90s Liverpool/NBC boat but they fitted Isuzu engines AFAIK.

 

I'm sure the 1976 is a typo

 

Definitely not a Liverpool boat. Their signature 'scroll' is missing from the bow.

 

Academic though as the OP has dismissed this boat.

 

MtB

[adam1uk]

Thanks Martin for the link. And thanks to everyone else for your comments.

We have decided to pass on this one and keep looking.

 

I know many liveaboards prefer trad sterns for the extra space, but we have decided that the convoluted gymnastics required to enter the boat from the stern are not for us . And we would need a cruiser stern for the dogs really too.

 

Since arriving home I have found that Venetian marina are a branch of Another Marina which does not seem to have a great reputation. Does this then mean the same concerns expressed about The Other on here are valid for Venetian?

 

Don't rule out trad sterns just because you've seen one that's badly designed inside. There are plenty with easy access.

[nigely]

If you go to Whilton try Braunston not far away also same rules no pressure you can browse yourselves.

[grannykins]

Thanks

[Jim Batty]

For various reasons there may well be a chance to buy a narrow boat sooner rather than later. Weve been looking at one or two, and intend to look at quite a few more. It would be for holidays at the moment but would need to be a potential liveaboard for the end of 2016. We saw one yesterday we quite liked.I cant post a link as were out on the boat and I dont know how to do that with my phone, but its on Venetian Marinas website- Maid of Steel. We found the unconventional layout quite appealing. The wet room isnt. Its a toilet and wash basin in a small room lined with a shower tray. We would take out the back bedroom and use part of that space to put a shower in. There is also a radiator that is connected to pipes that end at the fire but are not connected to anything. I'm not sure of the significance of a keel cooled engine. We would have a full survey of any boat we intended to buy. Just would like opinions on this boat and her price please. Thanks for reading.

 

If you have moved on, that's great. But some comments on this one:

 

- If it is a 1976 hull its probably 6mm steel ... and I would ask when it was last overplated, not if. If it hasn't I would be very wary -- and it would be very helpful to see a recent hull survey (from the last 2 or 3 years)

 

- Looks in pretty good shape inside ... still £27K seems quite high for a boat that age. I'd probably offer something at least 20% less than that.

 

- The compact loo looks ok to me. How much time will you spend in it? I'd live with it for a year to see how it works out.

[alan_fincher]

 

Definitely not a Liverpool boat. Their signature 'scroll' is missing from the bow.

 

You could apparently, specify a build that didn't include those bits on the front.

 

Sounds strange, but that has definitely been said before on here.

 

However, that saisd, that stem post doesn't look like any Liverpool Boat I have ever seen, nor does the back end exhibit Liverpool features of several years ago. I don't think it is Liverpool.

[junior]

 

 

 

If it is a 1976 hull its probably 6mm steel ... and I would ask when it was last overplated, not if. If it hasn't I would be very wary

 

- Looks in pretty good shape inside ... still £27K seems quite high for a boat that age. I'd probably offer something at least 20% less than that.

 

 

Just to give a different view, I bought a 1977 boat last year (so only a year younger) that was made with 6mm steel. It hasn't been overplated and survey showed a minimum of 5.3mm in the worst places.

 

I also paid a figure around what you think is overpriced, and I haven't met anyone yet who's said it wasn't a good deal.

Edited April 30, 2014 by junior

[Neil2]

Just to give a different view, I bought a 1977 boat last year (so only a year younger) that was made with 6mm steel. It hasn't been overplated and survey showed a minimum of 5.3mm in the worst places.

 

I also paid a figure around what you think is overpriced, and I haven't met anyone yet who's said it wasn't a good deal.

I have met so many folk with boats from the 1970's that have never been overplated, I am persuaded by the view that steel was better quality in those days.

 

Occasionally I wonder if the trend towards thicker plating was a response to the deterioration in the quality of steel.

 

But at the same time outside of the narrowboat world modest sized steel boats never have anything thicker than 6mm plate. Boat builders tend to use the lightest plate they can work with.

 

But on the cut there is so much paranoia about the thickness of steel these days, the canny buyer can use this to his/her advantage.

[Alan de Enfield]

junior, on 30 Apr 2014 - 12:29 PM, said:

Just to give a different view, I bought a 1977 boat last year (so only a year younger) that was made with 6mm steel. It hasn't been overplated and survey showed a minimum of 5.3mm in the worst places.

 

I also paid a figure around what you think is overpriced, and I haven't met anyone yet who's said it wasn't a good deal.

 

It may be an idea to show a newbie what can happen after purchase :

 

Have you got a list of the problems you have had ?

[junior]

It may be an idea to show a newbie what can happen after purchase :

 

Have you got a list of the problems you have had ?

Most of them are documented on the forum in one form or another and most are to do with the engine which is well over 50 years old and nothing to do with the thickness of the hull.