BUYING MY FIRST BOAT, PLEASE ADVISE ME

[Alan de Enfield]

I will be sure to comply with all the regulations but that is not something that scares me. Getting a broken boat scares me more

 

 

 

 

 

Just an example from experience ... bought my latest narrowboat 6 months ago ...

 

Money spent so far ...

 

Initial costs .....

 

£854 licence

£160 insurance

£250 ... gas/diesel/inventory/initial moving costs

 

Running repairs ect......

 

New batteries £540

Boat out of water for new tiller bearings + blacking etc. £600

Engine lift out to replace cylinder head gasket and decoke £150

Head gasket and decoke gasket set, thermostat and belts £ 210

Service kit and oil £60

Eberspacher service kit £35

New stove glass, stove rope and adhesive £47

Gas/ smoke and C02 Detectors £145

 

 

And I expect the surveyor gave the boat a 'glowing report'

[brassedoff]

I hope the OP does not mind me asking a dodgy question

 

Can Engineer's be bought ?

 

Ba Dump >?

Edited July 28, 2015 by brassedoff

[dccruiser]

 

And I expect the surveyor gave the boat a 'glowing report'

After varying experiences over the last 30 years of buying and selling boats I resisted the temptation to pay £1000 to be told that the boat was as good as the day it was made and then find out otherwise!

Fortunately i had the hull checked whilst out for blacking and it is solid, all 5.8 and 5.9 readings of the original 6mm on the waterline, the only thing it needed was a plate welding over a hole left by an unused skin fitting, albeit a foot or more over the waterline but as i spend time on the river i thought i would do it while i had the chance.

 

Rick

[Alan de Enfield]

After varying experiences over the last 30 years of buying and selling boats I resisted the temptation to pay £1000 to be told that the boat was as good as the day it was made and then find out otherwise!

 

 

Good man.

We are a growing band, as more people realise that a survey means absolutely nothing.

[MtB]

I've never had a boat surveyed before buying it. And I've never had a boat sink.

 

(Oh, except for one! Reginald. He didn't actually go right down but I do have an A1 survey report from three years ago from a highly respected historic boat surveyor... who missed all the wafer-thin bits in the baseplate. )

Edited July 28, 2015 by Mike the Boilerman

[Guest]

..

Edited July 28, 2015 by MJG

[brassedoff]

Er, you are the OP (original poster)

 

MJG lol

 

Nooo BoatNoob is

 

But the question i am still wondering can a Boat Assesor Engineer be bought, i.e

 

cough cough ignore those problems here £500

 

the hull is un-insurable/rotten around waterline/swim or what ever its called.

Head Gasket gone

Water Intrusion around driveshaft bearing.

 

Can £500 give a glowing report to a buggered up lemon of boat thats what i mean ?

 

i suppose any engineer's report is as only as good as an MOT as assesed on the day, the next day that assesment is worth nothing really.

Edited July 28, 2015 by brassedoff

[brassedoff]

looks like engineers not wanted lol

 

but i still wonder if the big brokers invite the engineers to their christmas party's if you catch my Drift ?

Edited July 28, 2015 by brassedoff

[MtB]

looks like engineers not wanted lol

 

but i still wonder if the big brokers invite the engineers to their christmas party's if you catch my Drift ?

 

 

I think it unlikely. Surveyors (i imagine this is who you mean by 'engineers') are generally self employed sole traders and word gets around pretty quickly when one cocks up by issuing a good survey on a bad boat. So what would their incentive be, other than to make the odd £500 here and there at the expense of their reputation?

[brassedoff]

 

 

I think it unlikely. Surveyors (i imagine this is who you mean by 'engineers') are generally self employed sole traders and word gets around pretty quickly when one cocks up by issuing a good survey on a bad boat. So what would their incentive be, other than to make the odd £500 here and there at the expense of their reputation?

 

Mike thanks that is exactly what i wanted to hear and its a huge relief to me and my dad we did discuss it a few times.

 

I guess if i did not ask the question i would of been wondering while the survery was going on, it was not about scare mongering just finding out what goes on in the boaty world as its all new to me/mum n dad.

 

much appreciated.

Edited July 28, 2015 by brassedoff

[Tuscan]

Mike thanks that is exactly what i wanted to hear and its a huge relief to me and my dad we did discuss it a few times.

 

I guess if i did not ask the question i would of been wondering while the survery was going on, it was not about scare mongering just finding out what goes on in the boaty world as its all new to me/mum n dad.

 

much appreciated.

Make sure you are there when the boat is surveyed , you can learn a lot

[MtB]

Make sure you are there when the boat is surveyed , you can learn a lot

 

Seconded.

 

The surveyor will tell you TONS of things that he's never put in the written survey report...

[brassedoff]

Thanks Tuscan / Mtb, thats a good thought you know what that is something we would of not thought about especially if it was like ABNB and we were Manchester way, even if i end up hiring a car i will be their on myself.

 

Scary when 1000's are being spent. it does not grow on trees thats for sure.

 

thanks

 

ps if i dont give no one a greenie its because i cant from my xbox but i would if i could

Edited July 28, 2015 by brassedoff

[patty-ann]

Make sure you are there when the boat is surveyed , you can learn a lot

The other consideration would be to record what he tells you or make notes because to much info in short space time overload..you will get report but if you are there you will learn loads more.

Every time guy who fitted my boat out opened his mouth to speak out came my pen and paper and I later added most info to my blog cept for the bits of paper I mislaid.....and yep I did forget stuff

[brassedoff]

The other consideration would be to record what he tells you or make notes because to much info in short space time overload..you will get report but if you are there you will learn loads more.

Every time guy who fitted my boat out opened his mouth to speak out came my pen and paper and I later added most info to my blog cept for the bits of paper I mislaid.....and yep I did forget stuff

Thanks patty-ann

 

i will try and rememeber that lol

 

No seriously thanks thats a good idea.

Sorry for asking questions on your Thread BoatNoob, i hope it helps you too.

[BoatNoob]

I will be sure to comply with all the regulations but that is not something that scares me. Getting a broken boat scares me more

 

 

 

 

 

Just an example from experience ... bought my latest narrowboat 6 months ago ...

 

Money spent so far ...

 

Initial costs .....

 

£854 licence

£160 insurance

£250 ... gas/diesel/inventory/initial moving costs

 

Running repairs ect......

 

New batteries £540

Boat out of water for new tiller bearings + blacking etc. £600

Engine lift out to replace cylinder head gasket and decoke £150

Head gasket and decoke gasket set, thermostat and belts £ 210

Service kit and oil £60

Eberspacher service kit £35

New stove glass, stove rope and adhesive £47

Gas/ smoke and C02 Detectors £145

 

Things i have found i needed to add for serious cruising but are my choice ...

Smartguage +smartbank

Victron bvm 702

Axium mains and 12 volt switch/breaker panel

10 metres of 70mm cable + lugs

Sterling 145 amp auxilliary alternator

Sterling 3kw pure sine inverter

Sterling ultra battery charger

compact washing machine and dryer

Folding electric bike for the next time i come to an abrupt halt miles from anywhere!

Steel doors front and rear and a steel hatch(as mine were wood) along with high security locks

A gsm alarm system

 

Along with the above i have shelled out £3k for a residential mooring to use until i have my ready to cruise continually around the system ... again a personal choice as i would never be a CMer on principle

 

I obviously dont know what the spec is on the boat you are buying or what you need to be happy, but i suggest that you at least allow for new batteries and a few quid for upgrades and running repairs and allow more for diesel than you thought!

 

Rick

Excellent post (I just found out about the upvoting button!)

 

Another general question, how do you do without a fixed address in terms of registering with a doctor/voting or receiving important letters?

[Alan de Enfield]

Excellent post (I just found out about the upvoting button!)

 

Another general question, how do you do without a fixed address in terms of registering with a doctor/voting or receiving important letters?

 

1) Use a friends / family member address, have them open them and read them to you, or scan and email them to you.

2) Use a mail forwarding service, who will save them up and forward them to you when you tell them where you are.

3) Don't get ill and don't vote.

 

There are a huge number of previous threads on this subject, do a search with something like " doctor continuous cruising".

[Lmcgrath87]

 

1) Use a friends / family member address, have them open them and read them to you, or scan and email them to you.

2) Use a mail forwarding service, who will save them up and forward them to you when you tell them where you are.

3) Don't get ill and don't vote.

 

There are a huge number of previous threads on this subject, do a search with something like " doctor continuous cruising".

 

agree, I use my mum's address for everything.

[brassedoff]

 

agree, I use my mum's address for everything.

Yer thats what i am going to do as well.

[MtB]

 

1) Use a friends / family member address, have them open them and read them to you, or scan and email them to you.

2) Use a mail forwarding service, who will save them up and forward them to you when you tell them where you are.

3) Don't get ill and don't vote.

 

There are a huge number of previous threads on this subject, do a search with something like " doctor continuous cruising".

 

 

Good advice.

 

Every single question BoatNoob has asked so far has been covered here many times over in depth.

 

Use of the search button would help him enormously in his quest for education.

[BoatNoob]

 

1) Use a friends / family member address, have them open them and read them to you, or scan and email them to you.

2) Use a mail forwarding service, who will save them up and forward them to you when you tell them where you are.

3) Don't get ill and don't vote.

 

There are a huge number of previous threads on this subject, do a search with something like " doctor continuous cruising".

Thank you, I will look for the "doctor continuous cruising" thread as this is what concerns me the most. The voting I can do without.

 

 

Good advice.

 

Every single question BoatNoob has asked so far has been covered here many times over in depth.

 

Use of the search button would help him enormously in his quest for education.

 

I just like to interact with people

[brassedoff]

Thank you, I will look for the "doctor continuous cruising" thread as this is what concerns me the most. The voting I can do without.

 

I just like to interact with people

Nothing wrong with a bit of that. cheers.