Boat Prices am i missing something ?

[Southern Star]

We are going for a new Narrowboat, i dont understand why some of the prices seem rediculous, what i mean is why am i seeing Narrowboats built in around 2006 advertized for £57000 when you can go out and buy a boat of the same size brand new for £63500,

 

i dont see the point in buying a boat nearly 8-9 years older with wear and tear and run the risk of dodgy maintanance for the sake of a few k more.

 

 

This seven-year-old Colecraft boat is moored near to my home mooring, and has been on sale for £85,000 for as long as I've been there, I've never been able to work out why it has been priced so optimistically.

 

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=415298

[brassedoff]

This seven-year-old Colecraft boat is moored near to my home mooring, and has been on sale for £85,000 for as long as I've been there, I've never been able to work out why it has been priced so optimistically.

 

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=415298

 

hia, it looks stunning in condition but i dont like the paint scheme lol

 

you have to give it to them for the condition it looks to be in but, geesh that is steep.

 

maybe its like what another poster has said on here, maybe its ones mans dream and his wife wants another dream. > in the other direction LOL

 

looks nice though inside and engine.

Edited July 23, 2015 by brassedoff

[Ray T]

Attempting to use the mooring as an added bonus perhaps?

[Southern Star]

Attempting to use the mooring as an added bonus perhaps?

It's only a rented mooring, so it would be little different to me ramping up the price of my boat because the marina would be prepared to let the new owner continue to rent the pontoon. It is a nice boat, although I cannot understand the logic of raising the multifuel stove a foot above floor level on any boat. It just seems way overpriced to me for what it is.

[MtB]

An extremely well-presented boat and well designed advert too, in my opinion. If ever a boat deserved to sell for top money, this is it.

 

Not only that but it's the first reverse layout boat laid out in a manner that seems 'right'. Most feel plain 'wrong', a bit like bungalows feel all wrong!

[brassedoff]

I love the interior even the fixed double, it woud be ideal for a couple or just me to live on.

 

Not keen on the Narrowboats with the bedroom at the stern, would prefer kitchen/living area and bedroom in the bow.

 

dont like the stove where it is, seems wrong looks like they wanted a big tely and got confused lol

 

Spose it all down to taste.

 

i feel like i should keep me mouth shut sometimes on the forum a bit scared of speaking out but geesh i guess did it last night in style lol

 

some people take this piss with prices just like they do with anything else in the world, boats are no different.

Edited July 23, 2015 by brassedoff

[Boat&Bikes]

Aintree boats do seem good value but they are certainly near the bottom of the price range and you do tend to get what you pay for. Our neighbours in the marina bought a brand new but cheap boat (one mass produced outside the UK) and have had lots of trouble with it. After the first winter they had lots of mould on the cabin front bulkhead, the front door was leaking and then split, they had to have a lot of the outside repainted, plus lots of other stuff. The boat looked all shiny when new but was just not really fit for purpose, too many shortcuts with the bits you can't immediately see.

So I would continue to look for something second hand but avoid Whilton and their sister marina Venetian as they tend to be at the bottom of the second hand market. Certainly when we looked at some boats at Whilton we got the impression that someone had died in the boat, and they had just dragged the corpse out and then put it up for sale!

Rugby boat sales, ABNB, Great Haywood (although I personally dislike the latter) are good places to look for better quality boats.[/quot

 

A little unfair here Nick. Aintree boats are as good as your Hudson and I bet you a beer they will wear as well over the years. As for your comment on the mass produced foreign boat, well you know as well as I do that both uk and non uk boats can be poorly manufactured.

Ian.

e,

[Alan Saunders]

.... i just like engines and stuff a bit like Claire in Salvage Squad.

If you are able to make the effort to sort out an engine and restore the paint of a boat, even the tough task of engine bilge and water tank, and if you can put in, say, four hours/day living on and refurbishing a boat that has faults that suit your skills and inclinations it could provide a profitable therapy.

 

If I were your father I would rather see you in dirty overalls with grease and paint on your hands and doing what you like to do rather than lounging around on a 'perfect' boat. As above, most new boats are less than perfect and the effort of fighting warranty claims may be more draining than fixing a few faults revealed by a survey.

 

The Surveyor will also provide an honest estimate of the value of the boat. Like old Land Rovers the value of a boat depends on condition, not age.

 

One thing that has not been mentioned is 'lead times'; it may be several months before hull build commences and another six months to complete the fitout. The most popular builders have a waiting list of a year. You could find your nearly ideal secondhand boat and own it within a month.

 

Alan

[brassedoff]

If you are able to make the effort to sort out an engine and restore the paint of a boat, even the tough task of engine bilge and water tank, and if you can put in, say, four hours/day living on and refurbishing a boat that has faults that suit your skills and inclinations it could provide a profitable therapy.

 

If I were your father I would rather see you in dirty overalls with grease and paint on your hands and doing what you like to do rather than lounging around on a 'perfect' boat. As above, most new boats are less than perfect and the effort of fighting warranty claims may be more draining than fixing a few faults revealed by a survey.

 

The Surveyor will also provide an honest estimate of the value of the boat. Like old Land Rovers the value of a boat depends on condition, not age.

 

One thing that has not been mentioned is 'lead times'; it may be several months before hull build commences and another six months to complete the fitout. The most popular builders have a waiting list of a year. You could find your nearly ideal secondhand boat and own it within a month.

 

Alan

 

Alan your post has just put a new Narrowboat out of our window, for reasons i cant mention we need to get a move on really my dad needs something to keep him busy and to be honest we were hoping to be on the water within the next 6 months max.

 

So a second hand Boat it is going to be, at least i know now it was never going to be a quick hows your father heres your new narrow boat in 4-5 months thanks for putting me right on this its really much appreciated Alan.

 

The situation i am in at the moment is pretty grim, ive not left my flat anywhere for 2 years besides sections and going to mum n dads, i need to change my lifestyle pretty quickly and stop relying on dr's throwing tablets at me.

 

What ever happens me and my mum n dad will be getting a boat as soon as possible and now we know we need to be looking at second hand rather than waiting for new build we can get on with it.

 

I like engines and tinkering, my dream is to get away from Mental Health System/off Benefits and Repainting Boats at some

 

Marina thats freindly and full of nice people.

 

just enough days a week to keep me cruising and enjoying life again.

 

just need a change of life away from shit you know.

 

Thanks Alan.

Edited July 23, 2015 by brassedoff

[MtB]

Y'know there are loads peeps on here who once had office jobs but eventually found their resourcefulness meant they could earn a living doing stuff for boaters on the canals.

 

You sound like one of these types of peeps. For starters there is endless demand for painting of boats. Some peeps want a Rolls Royce job so need to pay a yard £ks to do it immaculately inside a dry dock. At the other end of the spectrum there are peeps who are happy with a far cheaper hand brushed but respectable job done under a bridge. And for every customer you do a good job for (at anything), you'll have gained a permanent customer who will always come back to you first, whatever they need doing.

 

And once you have experienced a boater paying YOU directly for your work, it feels very personal that they trusted you, and all the shit you describe will fall away, bit by bit, then the real you can emerge blinking into the sunshine

[Loafer]

But you MUST keep taking those pills. Getting repeat prescriptions as a Continuous Cruiser can be a bit of an arse.

[brassedoff]

Y'know there are loads peeps on here who once had office jobs but eventually found their resourcefulness meant they could earn a living doing stuff for boaters on the canals.

 

You sound like one of these types of peeps. For starters there is endless demand for painting of boats. Some peeps want a Rolls Royce job so need to pay a yard £ks to do it immaculately inside a dry dock. At the other end of the spectrum there are peeps who are happy with a far cheaper hand brushed but respectable job done under a bridge. And for every customer you do a good job for (at anything), you'll have gained a permanent customer who will always come back to you first, whatever they need doing.

 

And once you have experienced a boater paying YOU directly for your work, it feels very personal that they trusted you, and all the shit you describe will fall away, bit by bit, then the real you can emerge blinking into the sunshine

 

Mike you know what, i dont want to be rich i dont want a posh car i just want a nice Boat away from the rat race and the ruff arse estate I live on, i have never worked in an office did 16 years at a audi/vw crash repair centre.

 

Job enjoyment and satifaction reward is nice reward

 

I dont want much but god it would be nice to get some bloody self worth back and to give someone a nice shiny boat back that would mean loads to me not just a wage.

 

just enough money to pay the bills and buy coal and beer

 

Bring on that sunshine, who knows

Edited July 24, 2015 by brassedoff

[brassedoff]

But you MUST keep taking those pills. Getting repeat prescriptions as a Continuous Cruiser can be a bit of an arse.

 

Quite lucky we have a Marina not to far away from land address., and i can get 5 weeks meds before i go cruising.

 

Were stones throw from Macc Canal.

 

thanks loafer.

Edited July 23, 2015 by brassedoff

[Phil Ambrose]

+1 for both of those points.

 

When you have owned a boat for a few years it becomes your boat and no amount of derisive comments will persuade you that it is in any way inadequate or inferior. "A boat is not just for Christmas!".

 

Alan

It's a fact that we all own the best boat in the world.

Phil

[BruceinSanity]

If you are able to make the effort to sort out an engine and restore the paint of a boat, even the tough task of engine bilge and water tank, and if you can put in, say, four hours/day living on and refurbishing a boat that has faults that suit your skills and inclinations it could provide a profitable therapy.

 

If I were your father I would rather see you in dirty overalls with grease and paint on your hands and doing what you like to do rather than lounging around on a 'perfect' boat. As above, most new boats are less than perfect and the effort of fighting warranty claims may be more draining than fixing a few faults revealed by a survey.

 

The Surveyor will also provide an honest estimate of the value of the boat. Like old Land Rovers the value of a boat depends on condition, not age.

 

One thing that has not been mentioned is 'lead times'; it may be several months before hull build commences and another six months to complete the fitout. The most popular builders have a waiting list of a year. You could find your nearly ideal secondhand boat and own it within a month.

 

Alan

Yes to all of the above! Next Braidbar build slot is a start in April 2017, would you believe. I only know of two second hand Braidbars on sale atm, Luisa at Venetian and Shiraz at New and Used Mercia. Both are quite old but I know Shiraz and she's in good nick, has been a liveaboard with the same couple all her life.

 

Saloon at the bow, though, so may not be what you are looking for.

[brassedoff]

Yes to all of the above! Next Braidbar build slot is a start in April 2017, would you believe. I only know of two second hand Braidbars on sale atm, Luisa at Venetian and Shiraz at New and Used Mercia. Both are quite old but I know Shiraz and she's in good nick, has been a liveaboard with the same couple all her life.

Saloon at the bow, though, so may not be what you are looking for.

Thanks

 

just been looking now, they look ok but think maybe a little older than we were planning originally

 

This looks ok too , but I dont know which boat builders are the good//bad and the ugly just yet need to ask this on here.

 

at least I know braidbar are good now.

 

http://www.newandusedboat.co.uk/used-boat.php?boatID=587

Edited July 24, 2015 by brassedoff

[cuthound]

Sorry I'm a bit late to this thread, been trying to train the new rescue dog! Welcome to the forum Brassedoff.

 

Whilst I would not buy a secondhand boat from Whilton Marine, I would recommend that you go there to look at their boats. They let you wander around their boats unsupervised, by giving you the keys to 3 or 4 boats at a time.

 

It is a great way to quickly see a lot of boats in a short time, so you can see what you like and dislike.

 

Also they sometimes have quality boats there too.

 

When we were looking last year they had a 70 foot Hudson, asking price £117K.

 

We looked at ABNB, Rugby Boats and Braunston as well, but eventually bought a 7 year old Kingsground from Great Haywood Boat Sales, simply because "the one" was on sale there.

 

I have not had any problems with the boat at all, but have fettled may things to make the boat exactly how I want it.

 

Things I would look for are a hull by a good manufacturer (CTS, Norton Canes, Stoke on Trent Boatbuilders, Hudson, Jonathon Wilson, Alexander, Colecraft to name a few), quality insulation (spray foam, thinsulate or rockwool in that order), quality fit out materials (no chipboard kitchen units) and if possible, a boat that has had 2 pack epoxy blacking from new.

 

Good luck with your boat hunting.

 

Edited for spilling.

Edited July 24, 2015 by cuthound

[MtB]

The shell builders who are held in generally high regard, and no-one will look at their shoes and shuffle about nervously when you tell them who yours is by, are (and this is not an exhaustive list, others will add builders I've overlooked):

 

Norton Canes

SM (Steve) Hudson (beware another low volume builder also called Hudson)

Orion

Colecraft

Braidbar

Dave Harris

Barry Hawkins

Dennis Cooper

CTS (Canal Transport Services)

Reeves

Kingsground

Stowe Hill Marine (good engineering but strange-looking boats)

Roger Farrington

Brinklow Boat Services

 

 

The less universally highly regarded are:

 

Liverpool boats

Springer

Collingwood

 

But even with these have many highly satisfied customers who will argue with me endlessly that I'm wrong!

 

 

There are, however, dozens or even hundreds of low volume builders out there building perfectly good hulls, (and some top quality names who stopped trading decades ago e.g. Hancock and Lane, and whose boats still command staggering prices e.g. Doug Moore), so don't let an unheard-of hull put you off a boat you like.

 

It's perfectly in order to ask on here for a review of any boat you've seen advertised and like the look of. It will get examined and dissected for you with ruthless and surgical precision!

 

 

 

(Edit to correct a wrong worm.)

Edited July 24, 2015 by Mike the Boilerman

[Ray T]

Numpty edit as Mike had already mentioned Reeves, doh

Edited July 24, 2015 by Ray T

[MtB]

Numpty edit as Mike had already mentioned Reeves, doh

 

 

Hey where did you get that DOH! smiley from Ray??!!

[Boat&Bikes]

I wouldn't take some peoples lists of boats to avoid to seriously. There is a bit of snobbery at times, much like bmw drivers who think paying twice the price of a ford automatically makes it twice the car. You only need to look at boats for sale to realise that makers such as Liverpool have produced hundreds of boats . They generally hold their resale values better than the so called top builders boats. Study a boat you like the look of on its own merits rather than its makers reputation ! Ian

[MtB]

I wouldn't take some peoples lists of boats to avoid to seriously. There is a bit of snobbery at times, much like bmw drivers who think paying twice the price of a ford automatically makes it twice the car. You only need to look at boats for sale to realise that makers such as Liverpool have produced hundreds of boats . They generally hold their resale values better than the so called top builders boats. Study a boat you like the look of on its own merits rather than its makers reputation ! Ian

 

 

This is quite correct, but the better hulls are not 'snobbery'. They are better for the million little (and big) ways in which the builder does things the better way rather than the cheaper way. Corner cutting is a fine art that results in a decent boat at a lower price. Some builders take (or took) it too far.

 

Liverpool/Aintree spring to mind. Although they built hundreds of boats, every single buyer I ever met when I worked for NBC (doing the gas bit of their PDIs) was highly dissatisfied with the sheer number of faults on their brand new boats. Yes the boats are fundamentally good in that they don't sink but the sloppy workmanship had to be seen to be believed. It got so bad that NBC decided to stop doing business with Liverpool Boats, and they were selling two or three a WEEK!

[Boat&Bikes]

 

 

This is quite correct, but the better hulls are not 'snobbery'. They are better for the million little (and big) ways in which the builder does things the better way rather than the cheaper way. Corner cutting is a fine art that results in a decent boat at a lower price. Some builders take (or took) it too far.

 

Liverpool/Aintree spring to mind. Although they built hundreds of boats, every single buyer I ever met when I worked for NBC (doing the gas bit of their PDIs) was highly dissatisfied with the sheer number of faults on their brand new boats. Yes the boats are fundamentally good in that they don't sink but the sloppy workmanship had to be seen to be believed. It got so bad that NBC decided to stop doing business with Liverpool Boats, and they were selling two or three a WEEK!

I will take your word on that Mike. Was this a long time ago? Also unfair to link Liverpool and Aintree as companies is it not?

 

Ian.

[MtB]

I will take your word on that Mike. Was this a long time ago? Also unfair to link Liverpool and Aintree as companies is it not?

 

Ian.

 

 

Yes it was about ten years ago, in the heyday of Liverpool boat's 'success'.

 

I was under the impression that Aintree was the phoenix company that arose from the wreckage of Liverpool, same people different hat. If this is wrong then I apologise unreservedly and will edit my post accordingly.

[Tonka]

I would delete Collingwood from your list

They are the ones that go mouldy within a year and the wide beams have steering probs. I thought Liverpool boats became Collingwood. Bit suprised Brinklow were not on the list.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Tonka