Buying Hire boats for a live abourd use...

[KarlosMacronius]

Hello all,

 

We have lived on our lovely 50' narrow boat for a year now and whilst we love it and planned to live on it for a good long time, circumstances have changed somewhat unexpectedly and we will be doubling our crew with the arrival of twins in January some time. We plan to stay on the boat for maybe another 6-12 months (basically until they are getting too big to share the same cotbed) but have started looking for a new home just to see what's out there and how much it costs (if we see the right one we will buy it sooner rather than later).

 

We want a boat with at least 2 cabins and the space to alter it to one fixed double and 2 bunks or twin beds. So far we've spotted a couple of boats with good potential but they always seem to be ex hire boats.

 

The things I can see as potential issues aren't clear cut in my mind for example:

The engine may have been abused by hirers but equally been looked after/serviced properly etc. by the hire company.

The lack of permanent storage but then enough space for up to 10 people to store a weeks worth of gear.

The hulls being battered but then they are generally not that old.

The lack of a solid fuel stove but central heating which is probably safer for babies/toddlers and an even heat distribution.

 

So basically what are peoples opinions on ex hire boats? does anyone have experience living on one?

 

Thanks for any information/advice/opinions.

[Ray T]

Useful site here: http://www.blackprinceowners.org.uk/

 

http://www.blackprinceowners.org.uk/latestupdates.html

 

Folks who have bought ex Black Prince boats.

 

BSP of this parish lives on a ex BP boat, worth PM'ing her.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Ray T

[Athy]

_{Our colleague RLWP may well have informed views on this subject.}

[RLWP]

I can assure you hire boats are very carefully maintained. Having one break down is bad news all round.

 

It is highly unlikely to still have it's original engine, hire boat engine swaps are quick as it is the fastest way of getting a boat going

 

Yep, the hull will be bruised, that's why you can afford it. One of the characteristics of steel is it's malleability- it deforms without breaking

 

You'll probably find the internal structure is already broken down into a number of compartments. Adding storage to that is easier than having to divide up the common open plan private boat layout

 

I can't comment on being a liveaboard on one, other people can though

 

Richard

[peterboat]

Hi my first boat was a share boat she was a sixty footer and I loved her dearly. She was a pinder shell with Black Prince fit out the engine wasnt marinised which never caused problems. I changed her around to suit me and left in the alde gas heating but also plumbed in a diesel bubble stove. Would I buy one again yes as it was a cheap entry into the boating world

 

Peter

[Sue]

So basically what are peoples opinions on ex hire boats? does anyone have experience living on one?

 

 

Yes I do. A Black Prince narrowboat but was only in service for a year as it was built as a 'roomy' six berth although 67ft long. Black Prince, I believe, hoped to charge the same rate as 12 berth. It didn't work so they sold the two they made.

 

We have been able to adapt NP to the way we wanted the layout and it came in at a very good price too.

[blackrose]

Some hire boats don't have AC mains systems on board, so if you're on a mooring with shore power you'd probably want to install one.

[BlueStringPudding]

Useful site her: http://www.blackprinceowners.org.uk/

 

http://www.blackprinceowners.org.uk/latestupdates.html

 

Folks who have bought ex Black Prince boats.

 

BSP of this parish lives on a ex BP boat, worth PM'ing her.

 

By all means PM me - I love my ex-hire boat. Absolutely tonnes of storage. Engine was very well looked after. Hull in good nick, a couple of dents but not corroded. I installed a multi-fuel stove myself because of being able to use free wood and I like a real fire, but the boat has diesel-fired central heating too. Boat came with a shower over a bath, which I find more practical than a shower cubicle. It even had two wc's originally - I had one taken out thought to use the space as a studio. As for drawbacks, the paint job was tired and the gearbox had a slow leak, and the previous owner had let the floor get damp, but it only cost £2k to have that area of flooring replaced. It didn't have 240v but I've lived aboard 7 years now and only use a tiny portable 350w plug in inverter for a couple of gadgets that cant charge from a cigar socket. So for a 65ft boat, I paid £23k, and still feel I got a good deal.

 

My boat slept 8 adults and had fittings for two cot beds. And it was built in 1997/8. I've slowly done a lot of work to it because I wanted something I could adapt over time (some photos of the work over the years can be found in my gallery here http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?app=gallery&album=193 amongst some general photos), but the more recent Black Prince hireboats are likely to need nothing doing to them - just have a solid fuel stove installed with a fireguard to keep the kiddies safe. I don't recommend ex AngloWelsh boats which IMHO are sold on much later in their hire life, and often have thinner hulls than BP (an AngloWelsh employee told me that!)

 

Anyway - feel free to ask me any specific questions you might have.

Edited September 15, 2014 by BlueStringPudding

[Pykebird]

I also have an ex hire boat and one of the things that attracted me was the sturdy hull and the large water and diesel tanks!

I have however completely hanged the whole of the boat into the opposite of what I originally went to buy!! So I have removed everything that was in her and replaced with all the luxuries I wanted.

Well it was 12 years ago and a woman is intitled to change her mind!

[KarlosMacronius]

Thanks for the posts folks, they have certainly put my mind at ease and I wont be put off buying an ex hire boat (subject to survey of course!).

[Richard T]

We too have an ex-hire boat. It was built as a corporate boat for the Bank of England for use by staff and after 4years sold on when it became a hire boat. It is from a good builder and has a very solid fitout and has been well maintained. We don't live aboard but the boat would quickly adapt if we chose to do so. We have added a solid fuel stove, cratch, solar panel, extended the 240v power circuit and rebuilt the dinnettte so far. We think the boat was and still is good value for money. We have done some of the work ourselves and paid professionals to some ( 240v power, fitting stove and cratch cover). We changed the boats name so another cost was sign writing.

[Tam & Di]

We too have an ex-hire boat. It was built as a corporate boat for the Bank of England for use by staff and after 4years sold on when it became a hire boat. It is from a good builder and has a very solid fitout and has been well maintained. We don't live aboard but the boat would quickly adapt if we chose to do so.

 

I would have thought the insulation would not be as good as on a boat designed for winter living, so better heating would need to be installed than if the hull was properly insulated. But poor insulation could also lead to condensation problems. Do people who live full time aboard an ex-hire boat find this?

 

Tam

[RLWP]

I would have thought the insulation would not be as good as on a boat designed for winter living, so better heating would need to be installed than if the hull was properly insulated. But poor insulation could also lead to condensation problems. Do people who live full time aboard an ex-hire boat find this?

 

Tam

Why would you assume the insulation was any different? Ours has 2" polystyrene, the standard solution for its age

 

Richard

[Tam & Di]

Why would you assume the insulation was any different? Ours has 2" polystyrene, the standard solution for its age

 

Richard

 

That's fine; I've nothing but abstract interest in the OP's question. On our own boat fitted in the late 80s we used 2" sprayed foam which keeps us several degrees cooler than many other craft in the summer and takes very little to heat in the depths of winter. I just assumed that a hire boat would be built with minimal insulation as it was built to a price and for summer use.

 

Tam

[Richard T]

 

I would have thought the insulation would not be as good as on a boat designed for winter living, so better heating would need to be installed than if the hull was properly insulated. But poor insulation could also lead to condensation problems. Do people who live full time aboard an ex-hire boat find this?

 

Tam

Like Tawny Owl our owl has 2inch polystyrene insulation. Where i have dismantled areas for alterations I've checked the insulation and increased/improved it as needed. It has an Ellis boiler which may not be the most efficient but does do the job it was built for. Rather than spend a lot of money on a fancy fan for the stove I have wired in an old computer fan which does the same job and draws only a small amount of current.

[The Pipe]

 

That's fine; I've nothing but abstract interest in the OP's question. On our own boat fitted in the late 80s we used 2" sprayed foam which keeps us several degrees cooler than many other craft in the summer and takes very little to heat in the depths of winter. I just assumed that a hire boat would be built with minimal insulation as it was built to a price and for summer use.

 

Tam

Also a poor assumption that they will be built to a price. They cost more than the equivalent private boat and built for a hard comercial life with low maintinance and sale value after a ten year service life.

[RLWP]

Also a poor assumption that they will be built to a price. They cost more than the equivalent private boat and built for a hard comercial life with low maintinance and sale value after a ten year service life.

 

And it can get bloody cold in the summer!

 

Richard

[Pykebird]

I went over the top with insulation when I re did my boat, but seems to have paid off as cool in summer and warm in winter(even did the floor).

[Terryb]

Have a look on the ABC site there are some really nice S W Durham boats ( ex Canal Club) well looked after and bullet proof fit outs.

Only 10-12 years old. And as they are syndicate owned, have been cared for too.

[Graham Davis]

Have a look on the ABC site there are some really nice S W Durham boats ( ex Canal Club) well looked after and bullet proof fit outs.

Only 10-12 years old. And as they are syndicate owned, have been cared for too.

 

Whilst they might be built like tanks with a solid but basic fit-out, when we had to use one early in the season we found that the insulation was a lot poorer than our (broken down) shareboat.