newbie good solid build for 15k approx.

[pinkiescot]

Hi,

 

I am considering taking the plunge and getting a boat in the next few months. I am leaving a big house and want to seriously clear clutter from my life and have a year to take stock, change things round and do some other investments with my money.

 

So, I have been on a narrowboat holiday, so have very basic knowledge and always fancied living on water, plus I intend giving up my tayside location (near the beach) and moving into Glasgow instead, with my labradoodle and 13 year old daughter, who I need to persuade it's a good idea.

 

As I don't want to spend a great deal but happy to get some work done if need be, I want to buy the best boat for my limited funds. I am totally confused about all the boatmakers, obviously I need sufficient space and the mooring available is max 19m x 4m x 1.5 draft.

 

Who are the best boatbuilders for an older boat of my price that would give us sufficient space to not kill each other???

 

Thanks so much. It's my first post and I'm just confused.

 

(I initially thought widebeam, but reading previous posts on here it seems I'm mistaken if I would good navigation, so narrowboat it is.)

 

Marjorie

[MtB]

With a budget as low as that, you're in no position to be picky about the builder. For a boat big enough to even approach filling up the mooring space you have, I'd say £50k is about a minimum starting budget for anything other than a rough old heap of a boat.

 

Narrowboats are generally a good deal cheaper than anything wider but even then £15k only gets you a bargain basement, old boat with probably quite a few 'issues'.

P.S. And welcome to the forum by the way!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pinkiescot]

With a budget as low as that, you're in no position to be picky about the builder. For a boat big enough to even approach filling up the mooring space you have, I'd say £50k is about a minimum starting budget for anything other than a rough old heap of a boat.

 

Narrowboats are generally a good deal cheaper than anything wider but even then £15k only gets you a bargain basement, old boat with probably quite a few 'issues'.

P.S. And welcome to the forum by the way!!!!!!!!!!!!

oh no, I wanted to 'test' a boat for a year before upgrading!

 

need to rethink then.......!

 

Thanks for the reply though.

[Alan de Enfield]

Just to echo MtB - welcome.

 

At £15k (to be honest) you are right at he bottom end of the market and will struggle to find any boat big enough to live aboard).

You may buy a reasonable 30 footer at that price but not ideal as a liveaboard and certainly not for 2 people.

At £15k you need to plan on spending many more £'s thousands in the very near future.

 

At £15k you will get a nice GRP (Fibreglass boat). - may be worth considering.

[Burgiesburnin]

Spending £15000 on a boat fit for the purpose that you describe is a really tall order.

Even twice that would need Devine intervention even if you would be happy to fix when it breaks or get work done as required.

You have broadened the amount of boats that are available in your range by dropping the wide beam dimension though.

[Athy]

Welcome, Pinkie.

Have you found the web site "Apollo Duck Narrowboats"? Hundreds of 2nd hand boats are advertised for sale on there, by brokers and by private individuals.. There is a search function which allows you to stipulate maximum size, price etc. Why not put "£15,000" in there and see what comes up? Then, perhaps, put "£20,000" in and see what a wider range of choices that budget gives you. If there is any particular boat which you want to ask about, I am sure that people on here will let you know their opinions about it, but be warned, they may be conflicting opinions!

[Richard10002]

I'd agree with Mike except for that I'd say you could probably get something reasonable around 50ft for £25k to £30k.

 

Scan Apolloduck, eBay, and a few brokers, and you will get a flavour of what is about. Then go and see a few to see the reality.

 

I bought a very good 45ft cruuser stern in 2011, for £18k. With few updates, it is suitable for off grid living aboard - but not quite big enough for me and a youngster.

[haggis]

Welcome to the forum from a fellow Scot! There aren't many wide beam boats in Scotland so it might be difficult finding one up here for sale at any price. There are usually a few narrow boats for sale and these will often find their way to the Scottish Canals web site. If you buy a boat south of the border, you will need to take into account the cost of having it brought to Scotland on the back of a lorry. Good luck with your search

 

Just thinking though. You have had a canal boat holiday which was presumably in better weather than we tend to get in Scolands winters. You will therefore need to have a mind to how any boat you buy is heated and how much that is going to cost. If it is by coal, you will need to think how you will get coal to your boat - we don't have any coal boats up here. Also things like power, water and loo emptying tend to be taken for granted in a house but on a boat, you need to think how you will get these services.

 

haggis

[Peter X]

This topic shows the forum at its best; lots of replies within minutes and, although I only have limited knowledge of boating and of Scotland, I find myself agreeing with just about everything written so far. I can only add a little to what's already been said:

 

If you want more boat for your money on a low budget, think GRP.

 

They're not so rugged as a narrowboat, but that shouldn't matter because (1) you're not planning to play dodgems in it, (2) you might be planning to stay moored in one spot a lot, and (3) if you're not too confident about navigation you can always seek help and tuition; there may well be an expert forum member up there who'd be happy to turn up for a day trip to build up your knowledge.

 

The other commonly discussed downside of a GRP boat is that some of them are designed only for summer leisure use; you need one that has heating and insulation, or in which that can reasonably be installed (various other topics on the forum cover this).

 

Whatever boat you consider, I'd echo what haggis says that transporting a boat up from England will cost you; assuming that you're set on Glasgow you need to start by looking at what's available in the parts of Scotland from which the boat can safely be moved to the mooring. Unless it's a sea-going boat, that'll be the canals between the Clyde and Forth.

 

More local knowledge is going to be important to you; ask and haggis and others can help you with that.

[John V]

Nowt to add ( as have no experience of boating North of the border) but welcome to the forum

[Arthur Brown]

Boat living can be cheap BUT it's hard manual work. You will need to empty the toilet (tank) weekly or monthly and fetch fuel, food and water. You will also have to be wise about electricity! There are few places where mains is available after that it's DIY generation with petrol, diesel or solar. Also note that most 13 year olds will become terminally sick if deprived of 24/7 high speed internet. Using mobile broadband is expensive at £1/GB and some suppliers charge £4/GB.

 

Go to the internet sales agencies, have a look at what they offer and look at the pictures and the plans, Could you, yours, and her friend(s) live together in that space.

 

Do look at GRP boats, there are some at less than £10K that are worth you looking at, there are few steel boats below £10K.

 

Having a wide choice of boat may well mean looking south of the border and accounting for £2 - 3K for inspection, survey and transport. While a narrow boat is NOT seaworthy SOME GRP boats may be seaworthy enough for a skilled captain and pilot to bring one to you from say the Morecambe Bay area.

 

While your dog may travel to wherever the food bowl is, do check with the 13 year old first.

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

While your dog may travel to wherever the food bowl is, do check with the 13 year old first.

 

13 year olds tend to follow the 'wallet' but make a lot of noise/fuss about it.

[pinkiescot]

Guys,

 

Thanks for your replies, yes I have been looking at apollo duck for years now.

 

I've always had an inkling for a liveaboard, and it seems as I have to move anyway, and am at college in Glasgow 3 days a week, to all tie in together, but will probably be after xmas sometime, so I have plenty of time to look.

 

I wasn't aware of the scottish website, so shall have a look at that also.

 

The reason I asked about 'good' builders, is that I just wanted to know the names to research what I could get for my money, as I have to buy a buy-to-let apartment for cash first, perhaps I will be in a position to get a secured loan to up my budget after that. It would be silly to start on a bad footing, or miss a good deal because of my limited budget.

 

Anyway, thanks again for your warm welcome, I shall keep researching.

 

 

[Athy]

The first name which springs to mind in the "a lot of old boat for your money" stakes is Harborough Marine, probably hundreds of them built as hire and private boats in the '70s and '80s and quite a few still about. You can recognise them by their tall curved prows, I call them banana boats. But bear in mind that some were built with wooden or fibreglass (GRP) tops - these will probably be time-expired by now, leaky, and will cost you a lot of money to replace. Go for a boat which is all steel, baseplate, sides and top.

[haggis]

Re the Scottish Canals web site. I was prowling round it this afternoon and although it used to have a boats for sale bit, it doesn't seem to be there now. If you aren't aware of the SC web site, it might be worth your while having a look at the prices for licencing and mooring . While licencing a boat is cheaper up here, mooring charges can be expensive, especially the residential ones. Living on Water is what they call it and I gather that mooring prices are set to increase quite considerably over the next few years. A phone call to SC to discuss your plans might help you find out any available boats but also the expected annual costs.

 

Haggis

[OldGoat]

Most of the comments (appear to) have come from folks sour of the border geographical- wise.

Methinks you want to keep the boat in the Glasgow area.

 

It would cost a fair bit to move the boat by road - ? £1500 ish, so you should factor that in.

[pinkiescot]

Hi guys,

 

Thanks again. I never do anything without full approval of 13 year old daughter. The last time I had any cash we bought an old mercedes hymer motorhome and drove it to Morocco for a couple of months (sadly had to sell), although the labradoodle prefers scotland to be honest!

 

I've been in touch with living on water, but in the next couple of weeks I shall have a meeting to discuss things properly. Currently mooring is £1750 a year.

 

Now I've been putting in the relevant price brackets into searches, I see your point about prices. Even at 50k I can't find a 2 cabin boat right now. I cant spend that much for the first year, as I need to invest my cash to create income, then upgrade after that.

 

I shall look into Harborough Marine and GRP's. It's only starting research as I may not have the cash for 3 months apparently, hopefully it will be sooner.

 

I really appreciate your responses, as although I've looked at apollo duck for many years, prices are so variable that unless you know exactly what you are looking at, it's confusing.

 

Ultimately I would like a barge, as I have a lot of sewing equipment and things, but happy to start somewhere.

[haggis]

When you have your meeting with the Living on Water folk in Scottish Canals try to get them to give some commitment about mooring fees rises they are planning for the next couple of years. We have a leisure mooring so are not so affected but I hear from folk who have LoW moorings that they are very concerned about the future level of fees.

 

haggis

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

Even at 50k I can't find a 2 cabin boat right now.

 

Looking for a two-cabin boat is drastically reducing the 'pool' that are available that meet your needs.

As narrow boats are so (shall we say) compact it is not usual to get a liveaboard with multiple cabins. Ex-hire boats will have multiple cabins because that's how they make their money - squeeze as many people in as possible, but, that leaves minimal 'living space' (ie the 'lounge area may only be 6 foot x 6 foot)

 

You could buy an ex hire boat (not for £15k) and modify it internally to maximise 'living' space but it will be expensive unless you can do it yourself.

Just to give you an idea, our last Narrow boat was an ex-hire. The first 'owner' spent over £11000 having the beds modified, walls moved and the bathroom remodelled.

Ex-Hire boats are rarely sufficiently insulated to be used as live aboards in the Winter - why should they be - they are designed for a weeks usage' in the Summer months.

 

Don't rush you need to do a lot more research, into what is available, and. identify what is MUST HAVE as opposed to WOULD LIKE.

 

Do not discount Fibreglass boats, or steel 'cruisers', size for size they offer much more space and often(if around 30+ foot) will have a 2-cabin lay-out (V-Berth in the front and a 'master in the stern). You may need to add some insulation and or ventilation as Fibreglass boats can tend towards condensation when living aboard.

 

Here is an example that would appear to fit your needs and would probably be 'gettable' at £15,000

 

http://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=412313

Edited September 26, 2015 by Alan de Enfield

[pinkiescot]

Most of the comments (appear to) have come from folks sour of the border geographical- wise.

Methinks you want to keep the boat in the Glasgow area.

 

It would cost a fair bit to move the boat by road - ? £1500 ish, so you should factor that in.

Yep, already reckoned on that amount. Thanks.

 

Haggis, thanks again will check what the deal is with increases, I am not too worried about it to be honest right now, although perhaps I shall be in a year or two!

[Paul G2]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Considering the price range boat you are looking for, it would probably be a good idea for you to read this thread here on CWDF. The thread is about a common boat sale scam that you should probably be aware of.

 

Good luck with your quest!

[Peter X]

...

 

Here is an example that would appear to fit your needs and would probably be 'gettable' at £15,000

 

http://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=412313

 

Alan, you're teasing the poor woman! That's probably a very suitable boat for her needs, but being on the Medway it's as far away from Glasgow as possible in the UK, although I suppose a good sea captain could safely take it around the coast. Better buy it now to allow time for the voyage. The Medway's not far from me, but I must resist temptation, I'm not yet ready to buy a boat.

 

Of course I'm sure you meant it just as an example of the right type of boat...

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Alan, you're teasing the poor woman! That's probably a very suitable boat for her needs, but being on the Medway it's as far away from Glasgow as possible in the UK, although I suppose a good sea captain could safely take it around the coast. Better buy it now to allow time for the voyage. The Medway's not far from me, but I must resist temptation, I'm not yet ready to buy a boat.

 

Of course I'm sure you meant it just as an example of the right type of boat...

 

Just an example of what is available, and, what would PROBABLY work for her.

 

But - it would probably not be much more than £1000 (maybe £1500) to get it lifted, trucked and dropped back in somewhere close to Glasgow.

[pinkiescot]

 

Alan, you're teasing the poor woman! That's probably a very suitable boat for her needs, but being on the Medway it's as far away from Glasgow as possible in the UK, although I suppose a good sea captain could safely take it around the coast. Better buy it now to allow time for the voyage. The Medway's not far from me, but I must resist temptation, I'm not yet ready to buy a boat.

 

Of course I'm sure you meant it just as an example of the right type of boat...

OMG!!! and text speak drives me mad!!!

 

That has left me rather speechless! It would never happen, I couldn't subject myself, let alone daughter and dog, to live on that for a year, it would be an apartment if that was our only option, it just is way too basic to even consider. Although I could envisage driving it for fun!

 

Thanks for the thought though, but seriously?! I'm 46, not 20!

[Lady Muck]

If you are speechless at that, are you entirely sure you want to live onboard? Even a luxury craft can be as basic as hell when things go wrong ( and they do). Boating is the great leveller.

Thats a lot of boat for £15k though, I'm same age as you and I'm not speechless. Steel hull and looks very well maintained. Put it this way, a narrowboat for £15k would not be much different inside. If you want something that is more apartment like than boat like, you are going to have to increase your budget substantially. To get an idea how much a smarter craft costs look at ABNB boat brokers and Rugby Boats. Expect to pay 50k plus

In order to do this, maybe use your £15k as a deposit and try to obtain a marine mortgage. As there is no one doing them for the inland waterways, ( last one ceased recently), wonder if any of the yacht finance people might be doing them now?

Edited September 27, 2015 by Lady Muck