Buying a GRP cruiser for liveaboard

[NB Watersnail]

I think the OP was looking for a narrow beam ideally, so the two Seamasters above would be out if the beam is a deal breaker. I reckon a Nauticus 27 would make a fairly comfy liveaboard, but the linked one above doesn't have a shower. I suppose the bathroom might just be big enough to covert into a wet room. Having owned a small cruiser for a few years, the only way we could be comfortable on it in the winter was when tucked up in the marina with electric heating on. The minute the heating was turned off it got cold very quickly. Admittedly, we didn't have any other source of heating and it was a Norman 20, which is predominantly single skinned, but I still think my biggest concern with a GRP boat would be heating.

[Naughty Cal]

I think the OP was looking for a narrow beam ideally, so the two Seamasters above would be out if the beam is a deal breaker. I reckon a Nauticus 27 would make a fairly comfy liveaboard, but the linked one above doesn't have a shower. I suppose the bathroom might just be big enough to covert into a wet room. Having owned a small cruiser for a few years, the only way we could be comfortable on it in the winter was when tucked up in the marina with electric heating on. The minute the heating was turned off it got cold very quickly. Admittedly, we didn't have any other source of heating and it was a Norman 20, which is predominantly single skinned, but I still think my biggest concern with a GRP boat would be heating.

That very much depends on the boat. Our cruiser is predominantly double skinned and even in the depths of winter the diesel heating keeps it toasty warm and it isn't reliant on being plugged in.

[Guest]

Can 4 stroke outboards be converted to run off a propane bottle, in a manner similar to 4 stroke gennies? Would seem a possible solution for the petrol problem on the cut?

[NB Watersnail]

There's been lots of discussion on LPG outboards, but a quick search doesn't bring anything helpful up. It would be a wonderful thing if you could do a calor gas conversion on any outboard!

[Phil Ambrose]

I think the OP was looking for a narrow beam ideally, so the two Seamasters above would be out if the beam is a deal breaker. I reckon a Nauticus 27 would make a fairly comfy liveaboard, but the linked one above doesn't have a shower. I suppose the bathroom might just be big enough to covert into a wet room. Having owned a small cruiser for a few years, the only way we could be comfortable on it in the winter was when tucked up in the marina with electric heating on. The minute the heating was turned off it got cold very quickly. Admittedly, we didn't have any other source of heating and it was a Norman 20, which is predominantly single skinned, but I still think my biggest concern with a GRP boat would be heating.

We lived on a GRP cruiser for 10 years and were never cold, we had choices of a 4 1/2kw Mikuni blown air, a 2kw Propex blown air and a 8kw drip feed diesel or any combination of these. Putting a flue and chimney through the roof was easy and never had any problems with BSS.

Phil

[jugular]

Sorry for disappearing for a bit, got a little caught up in life.

 

 

There is a Diesel engine GRP cruiser (not narrowbeam) for sale in our Marina - it has been a liveaboard (for a couple) for 10-15 years. A couple of years ago the owner had a stroke and the hospital / social services were not happy about letting him back on the boat, (even after a 'reasonable' recovery and fair mobility). The local council re-homed them in a bungalow.

 

They kept the boat planning to use it for weekends and the odd holiday but after 2 years it has not been used and they have reached the conclusion 'its not going to happen'.

 

Has had an offer of £4000, is wanting £8,000 - maybe there is room to meet in the middle ?

 

It is 'rough' looking and is now starting to go 'green' with mould / lichen (whatever) growing on it.

 

Would cost about £1000 to get it trucked down to London area.

 

Thanks for mentioning that, unfortunately, and I should have made this more clear in my OP, I am really not at the buying stage yet. One of things I have been doing is trying to put a few financial matters in place (paying off debt, joining a credit union etc) so that I will hopefully be in a position to buy next year.

Having petrol certainly sounds like a pain in the bum. While I wouldn't be in a position to pay more for a diesel engine I would certainly drop my narrowbeam requirement if it meant I could get a diesel boat. I will be cruising around London though, and I'm a cyclist with a pannier rack and I plan on getting a scooter. I'd want to be moving on every one or two weeks, I'd want to go a bit further than a few miles though and I can imagine I would want to be able to run my engine for power. So it wouldn't be impossible but definitely annoying.

Those boats Cal posted looked beautiful!

I really appreciate that people put the time into answering all these questions.

 

I also found this website pretty useful: http://www.thefitoutpontoon.co.uk/

My plan now is to make a few more connections with the London Boating Community and actually get on a boat and wrap my head around all the in and outs and odds and ends. Oh and find money. lol.

J

[craftycarper]

Sorry for disappearing for a bit, got a little caught up in life.

 

 

 

Thanks for mentioning that, unfortunately, and I should have made this more clear in my OP, I am really not at the buying stage yet. One of things I have been doing is trying to put a few financial matters in place (paying off debt, joining a credit union etc) so that I will hopefully be in a position to buy next year.

Having petrol certainly sounds like a pain in the bum. While I wouldn't be in a position to pay more for a diesel engine I would certainly drop my narrowbeam requirement if it meant I could get a diesel boat. I will be cruising around London though, and I'm a cyclist with a pannier rack and I plan on getting a scooter. I'd want to be moving on every one or two weeks, I'd want to go a bit further than a few miles though and I can imagine I would want to be able to run my engine for power. So it wouldn't be impossible but definitely annoying.

Those boats Cal posted looked beautiful!

I really appreciate that people put the time into answering all these questions.

 

I also found this website pretty useful: http://www.thefitoutpontoon.co.uk/

My plan now is to make a few more connections with the London Boating Community and actually get on a boat and wrap my head around all the in and outs and odds and ends. Oh and find money. lol.

J

. Dude modern four stroke petrol outboards are not the pain in the ass people seem to think, most people condemning them use diesels anyway, I can travel up the Severn to Upton and back from sharpness with a tank of fuel and a jerrycan, I pass several garages on the way that I could load up at if I needed to go further, I have a 34ft centre cockpit grp cruiser with a 6ft9" beam it has a double bed, shower, full size cooker,fridge and full size sink and drainer, also a boatman woodburner, it cost well under your budget and is cosy in the winter, one of its previous owners lived on it for 12 years, so I think your original wish list is well doable, just look at loads while you sort out your money, then make loads of cheeky offers when you have the money, and don't rush in the right boat will find you in the end, goodluck

[Southern Star]

Can 4 stroke outboards be converted to run off a propane bottle, in a manner similar to 4 stroke gennies? Would seem a possible solution for the petrol problem on the cut?

I asked a fork-lift driver at a Morrison's distribution warehouse once how long his truck's bottle of propane (18kg) lasted before it needed changing and he said "about six hours" so I guess it would be mahoosively expensive.