The Trials and Tribulations Of Historic Boat Buying ?

[alan_fincher]

Prior to starting to set out our experiences of purchasing a "new" (old!) boat "needing some work", I have recorded some of the trials and tribulations that led us to where we now are.

This is probably not of too much interest to those who come on here seeking advice on buying "modern" boats of maybe one tenth of the age we are talking about, but occasionally people have asked about the special considerations that apply to historic boat purchase.

 

For that limited audience, here are the first few instalments....

 

Time For A Change Of Boat ?

 

The Ones That Got Away - Number 1 - "Rufford"

 

The Ones That Got Away - Number 2 - "Ajax"

 

The Ones That Got Away - Number 3 - "Planet"

Edited December 27, 2014 by alan_fincher

[junior]

That's my reading sorted out for the next hour of this mind numbingly boring night shift.

 

I might be able to add some similar content of my own over the coming months I suspect!

 

Edited to add:

 

Having just read through that it seems you had 'some journey' to end up with what you have now and I hope should I end up with a new old boat that I don't go through half the stress you must have had.

 

Flamingo is a beautiful boat and I look forward to seeing it out and about next year. Do you plan to keep it in the Willow Wren livery?

Edited December 26, 2014 by junior

[GoodGurl]

topic title edited

[Burgiesburnin]

Your experience with the Ajax "seller" is certainly strange but his confusing behavior is not uncommon.

I would suspect that the boat would be best left alone as the only logical motive for him passing the boat potentially to a broker was that he wanted to remove himself from any obligations of the sale.

Maybe the broker suggested that he could get more for the boat?

Edited December 27, 2014 by Burgiesburnin

[Mike Tee]

Fascinating read - thanks for taking the time to make it public.

Ajax - what a cracking boat, there's nowt as queer as folk!

[Athy]

I am not in the market for an old boat, but still found this an absorbing read. Considering the amount of anguish, upset and time-wasting which must have been involved, it's a commendably calm and even-handed account too. Give that man a veg-coloured greeno!

[alan_fincher]

Your experience with the Ajax "seller" is certainly strange but his confusing behavior is not uncommon.

I would suspect that the boat would be best left alone as the only logical motive for him passing the boat potentially to a broker was that he wanted to remove himself from any obligations of the sale.

Maybe the broker suggested that he could get more for the boat?

Dunno, to be honest.

 

I don't think the boat remained at the brokerage long enough that they were ever given any chance to try selling it - it certainly it only ever said "details to follow, on their website.

 

It is impossible, I think, given the cut that the brokerage would have taken, that he could have achieved more money actually arriving in his bank account than we had already twice agreed to pay him. It is, in my estimation, unlikely he will ever sell the boat for any more than we had already twice agreed to pay him.

 

I think the most likely explanation remains that whilst he is no longer really able to make much use of "Ajax", when the reality of it not being his actually hits him, he can't bear to let it go. There is probably not a lot more to it than that, I think.

[Ray T]

Interesting reading, Alan thank you for posting.

[Cloudinspector]

As above.

[Neil2]

I too found this very interesting and it highlights the difference between owning/buying a true historic boat and a replica.

[madcat]

I think Catrin and Alan had a particularly awful time and a lot of grief before they found Flamingo. To be honest I think of the ones that got away the only one to maybe regret not buying is Rufford. Flamingo is in my opinion is a great boat.

 

 

The way to buy a historic boat is to get in before it gets advertised.

Some old boat owners just need to be sure of their next boat before letting the current one go.

[Derek R.]

And sometimes it's hard to accept the fact that they can no longer afford to keep a love of their life.

 

Letting go is hard.

[alan_fincher]

I think Catrin and Alan had a particularly awful time and a lot of grief before they found Flamingo. To be honest I think of the ones that got away the only one to maybe regret not buying is Rufford. Flamingo is in my opinion is a great boat.

This post could only have been made by another "Large Northwich" owner!

 

I would simply not have paid what the people selling Rufford eventually hiked the price to, though, even had I been offered the chance.

[Bettie Boo]

Good read Alan (even for those of us who do not, nor probably ever will own a historic boat), thank you for sharing

[MtB]

I think the most compelling and completely brilliant reason for owning FLAMINGO is the utterly appalling pun about how quick she is.

 

That, and the charming gap. I want a boat with a gap!

 

MtB

[junior]

I think the most compelling and completely brilliant reason for owning FLAMINGO is the utterly appalling pun about how quick she is.

 

That, and the charming gap. I want a boat with a gap!

 

MtB

You have a gap, just it's in the hull.

[bargemast]

Excellent posting Alan very interesting reading, even for someone like me who's not looking for a boat like that.

 

Peter.

[Rufford]

This post could only have been made by another "Large Northwich" owner!

 

I would simply not have paid what the people selling Rufford eventually hiked the price to, though, even had I been offered the chance.

 

Money is printed every day by the government...

 

GUCCC boats are not built every day - it is just a matter of perspective...

[Tuscan]

Money is printed every day by the government...

 

GUCCC boats are not built every day - it is just a matter of perspective...

Very true what is considered bad value to one is good value to others

[koukouvagia]

Very true what is considered bad value to one is good value to others

I'll never forget my mother-in-law's reaction to learning that we'd swapped our "nice boat" (a new Springer) for a dilapidated, half sunk josher.

[alan_fincher]

 

Money is printed every day by the government...

 

GUCCC boats are not built every day - it is just a matter of perspective...

 

Very true what is considered bad value to one is good value to others

 

Absolutely, Mark, and I'm certainly not claiming what we have ultimately ended up with is in any way "better value" than the boat being discussed here. It may ultimately prove not to be!

 

On any given day, they are, I suppose, "worth" what someone was prepared to pay on that day!

 

"Rufford" had the potential to be a wonderful boat, and certainly I don't criticise Richard's decision to ultimately stick with it, after the vendors started buggering him about.

 

If it had been me on the receiving end of the treatment he ultimately got, I would almost certainly have told them to get stuffed, simply because I would generally not wish to see anybody who behaved as badly as I understand they did, actually get away with it.

 

Ultimately that might be an example of what you might describe as "cutting of my nose to spite my face", particularly if I ended up paying as much or more for a "similar" boat elsewhere. (None of them are "similar" of course, which is what makes any decision making about a top price you would pay all the harder!).

 

Whether I would ultimately have got to the point where I was prepared to buy from someone who I thought was pissing me about, I don't know, but I'm not sorry to have missed out on the cases where either I actually was, or (as with Rufford), doubtless would have been, even had another potential buyer not appeared.

[Tuscan]

I'll never forget my mother-in-law's reaction to learning that we'd swapped our "nice boat" (a new Springer) for a dilapidated, half sunk josher.

We lusted after Aber for over 10 years as we used to motor past her when moored at Slapton then one day she had gone. Having decided to sell Canis rather than refit we spent many wasted hours looking at boats that seemed to us misrepresented and overpriced and were torn between buying a new boat or trying to find an old one to convert.

 

In the Historic boat magazine there was a well written advert with no pictures or description just Town Class for sale and a mobile number. On a whim I left a message and the next day got a call from someone I'd known for many years when he was based in the Marsworth area who had bought Aber to convert for his son but found it a bit of a handful.

 

The rest is history as the family thought we were mad buying a boat without a survey and then promptly having to replace the base plate, we subsequently spent more than the cost of buying new but ended up with what we wanted. Value for money definately not emotional value definately

[Rufford]

Its all good fun, of course buying the boat is just the start of the trials and tribulations. Because there are so few converted boats about priorities are of course steel work and the external to personal preference when buying a boat - the interior often has to be reworked. I am just nearing the end of sorting out the internals of Rufford, just a few doors and shelves to go up and somehow I need to find room to shoe horn another water tank in.

 

I hope you manage to get Flamingo fitted out quicker than I managed on Rufford!

[alan_fincher]

I hope you manage to get Flamingo fitted out quicker than I managed on Rufford!

 

Flamingo has far more to do than I believe Rufford ever required. If I manage to do it is fast as you have I'll be very surprised!

[Rufford]

Im sure you will do it faster!

 

I have just noticed water / dampness in the bilge in the area under the shower....

 

Never bloody ending....