Considering Living On A Boat

[bargemast]

George did read my answer better than you did, and answered your question : "Does that mean that any problems itemised by the surveyor which are above the waterline are down to the buyer?" with the words I started with : "To name just one".

 

It's obvious that this is a completely new (dream) idea for you, and that you're very worried to make the wrong decisions, because of lack of experience.

 

That's why you should have everything in writing, as it's not good enough to say : "But you said this. ..and you said that", of course not knowing the boat you were (are) looking for, it's not easy to help you a lot more.

 

Another idea, because it's all new for you, and that it's (for the moment) far from sure if this is the life for you after the rose tinted glasses have been broken, could be to buy a cheaper boat to try out if you really like living on the water.

 

If you still like it, or better like it even more than you thought, sell the cheaper boat, which should get you your money back if you're lucky, or not lose too much when selling, which would probably still be a fairly low investment for this test-period, and then when you know more about what's important for you for your life on the water, you can search with your newly gattered knowledge for THE boat, or forget about the whole idea.

 

Whatever you do, I wish you success with it.

 

Peter.

[Time2Change]

Yes I'm worried .. but ... as Chris Bonnington said "Never climb a mountain with a person who says they are not afraid"!

 

yes will get everything in writing but getting smaller boat first etc etc sounds too sensible for me!

 

Thanks again ... will be back after the weekend viewing with more dumb questions ... BTW .. is 'the bow' the front or the back!

[bargemast]

Yes I'm worried .. but ... as Chris Bonnington said "Never climb a mountain with a person who says they are not afraid"!

 

yes will get everything in writing but getting smaller boat first etc etc sounds too sensible for me!

 

Thanks again ... will be back after the weekend viewing with more dumb questions ... BTW .. is 'the bow' the front or the back!

 

How about if Chris Bonnington would like to climb a mountain with a person who says he (she)'s afraid, as that wouldn't be reassuring either.

 

I didn't say "A smaller boat", I said "A cheaper boat", which could be smaller or bigger, just to give yourself a better idea for a better (second) boat later, or maybe no boat at all, if it worked out that you didn't like the life on the water as much as you thought you would like it.

 

Of course, if you're able to make the perfect choice straight away, then my suggestion would be an unneeded waste of time, but no one but yourself can make that decision for you.

 

If asking more "dumb" questions can help you avoiding a possibly expensive mistake, I suggest you continue.

 

The answer to your question :" Is the bow the front or back!" try to find the answer with the help of your friend GOOGLE

 

Peter.

[Phil Ambrose]

The front, sometimes called the pointy end. Good luck.

Phil

[bargemast]

The front, sometimes called the pointy end. Good luck.

Phil

 

True, but there are boats that have a blunt pointy end and a much pointier stern.

 

A good way of finding out where the bow or stern is is by starting the engine and putting the gear lever in forward, the direction the boat wants to go in should indicate were the front is........unless the the gearlever is connected the wrong way around.

 

Peter.

[George94]

"If we assume that the seller has described the boat as seaworthy and in full working order, then anything that the surveyor finds that isn't seaworthy or in full working order should be made seaworthy or made to work by the buyer."

 

Thanks for that info ... am I right in assuming that the last word in the above quote should be seller and not buyer?

 

Yes, of course. Sorry.

[Time2Change]

Have now been to see the boat

 

http://www.roseoftralee.co.uk/index.html

 

Instinctively I feel the boat is right for me and at 8 years old I have been told a survey isn't really necessary?

 

The only query I have is with the engine which is Isuzu 42 hp ... at low revs it's as sweet as a sewing machine but at higher revs it has a sound which doesn't seem right ... what would be the advice of others .... thanks.

[bargemast]

Have now been to see the boat

 

http://www.roseoftralee.co.uk/index.html

 

Instinctively I feel the boat is right for me and at 8 years old I have been told a survey isn't really necessary?

 

The only query I have is with the engine which is Isuzu 42 hp ... at low revs it's as sweet as a sewing machine but at higher revs it has a sound which doesn't seem right ... what would be the advice of others .... thanks.

 

She does look to be a very comfortable boat and I can imagine that you feel she's the right boat for you, even for me it wouldn't be too difficult to adapt to something smaller than I'm used to, as everything you need is there, I'm sure your cat will like her too (unless she's very difficult)

 

If you're worried about the engine, just get a mecanic to have a listen to her running noises, in general Isuzu's are pretty good engines.

 

Best of luck, and congrats with your choice,

 

Peter.

Edited July 11, 2015 by bargemast

[mark99]

Who told you the survey was not necessary? the seller?

[Time2Change]

Yes ... that was the seller's comment yesterday ... but ... today I got talking to an English chap with a boat on the canal with 20 years experience and I asked his opinion and he also stated that ino an 8 year old boat did not necessarily need a full survey ... i have looked down into the engine 'housing'? and there is no rust and confirmed today that the engine has only done 1100 hours ... thanks for replies.

[ditchcrawler]

Yes ... that was the seller's comment yesterday ... but ... today I got talking to an English chap with a boat on the canal with 20 years experience and I asked his opinion and he also stated that ino an 8 year old boat did not necessarily need a full survey ... i have looked down into the engine 'housing'? and there is no rust and confirmed today that the engine has only done 1100 hours ... thanks for replies.

I do that much in a year

[MtB]

I do that much in a year

 

 

Well I do that much in a DAY!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

.....errrrr

[mark99]

Well notwithstanding the boat looks a very well looked after example, the seller would say that......... a surveyor never says "no problems - in fact you should pay more".

 

I would have a hull survey just in case and get an expert (could be your surveyor) check the engine concern out.

Edited July 11, 2015 by mark99

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

Well I do that much in a DAY!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

.....errrrr

So how much do you think you would do in 5 years extensive cruising in France? forgetting the canals and rivers of southern England.

[Phil Ambrose]

Now then boys, no willy waving, it's not a competition you know.

Phil

[Bettie Boo]

Now then boys, no willy waving, it's not a competition you know.

Phil

 

and besides not all of us can play that game

[ditchcrawler]

Now then boys, no willy waving, it's not a competition you know.

Phil

Its just it would bother me to have a boat the is 9 years old, cruised extensively but only done 1100 hrs. Just 120 per year.

[MtB]

I agree really, it doesn't add up. That's three weeks' full time cruising a year. Either that or the engine time log has been misquoted and it's 11,000 hours. That would be more consistent with 9 years of extensive cruising.

 

Would also explain why the engine sounds like a bag of nails....

[ROBDEN]

 

and besides not all of us can play that game

I know where you can borrow one to wave around .

[Time2Change]

Thanks again . As usual food for thought and a good laugh!

[bargemast]

There are lots of boats in the South of France that hardly ever move, they just go very occasionally for a little cruise and tie up, if possible somewhere in the shade, and socialise with other boaters (moorers).

 

I don't think that you can compare the more or less standard boater cruising on the canals in the U.K., with what's more generally the case in the South of France.

 

Peter.

[Time2Change]

A 'quality' build barge in UK which resembles the rose of tralee in shape and spec but is 60 x 11 works out at approx £121 per sq foot .... the price for the rose is approx £162 per sq foot ... i would have expected the rose to be cheaper as it is a less popular size .... would others agree and if not what would be a more realistic price per sq foot for rose?

[ditchcrawler]

There are lots of boats in the South of France that hardly ever move, they just go very occasionally for a little cruise and tie up, if possible somewhere in the shade, and socialise with other boaters (moorers).

 

I don't think that you can compare the more or less standard boater cruising on the canals in the U.K., with what's more generally the case in the South of France.

 

Peter.

I would agree apart from the owners comment

"We have cruised extensively around this part of the French canal network enjoying the beautiful river and canal side villages and stunning countryside of South West France."

[Peter-Bullfinch]

I feel that we have cruised "extensively" around the system in the last nine years in our current boat. However, the boat probably moves only on about a hundred days or so between April and October. The rest of the days in the year we are moored up over winter or moored up exploring somewhere.

Each year we only seem to average around 350 to 400 hours. I wonder how typical our pattern is?

[MtB]

A 'quality' build barge in UK which resembles the rose of tralee in shape and spec but is 60 x 11 works out at approx £121 per sq foot .... the price for the rose is approx £162 per sq foot ... i would have expected the rose to be cheaper as it is a less popular size .... would others agree and if not what would be a more realistic price per sq foot for rose?

 

 

You can't validly use square footage to price a boat.

 

All the expensive things (bow, stern, engine, heating system, water system, electrical system, kitchen, bathroom) cost much the same and have to be there in any length of boat. A longer boat is mostly the cost of the extra steel.

 

So the shorter the boat, the higher the square footage price climbs even from the same builder.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Mike the Boilerman