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How would you advise someone with £10k to spend?

Neil2

By Neil2
in General Boating

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BilgePump Rising Star

BilgePump

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Definitely GRP cruiser. Highbridge 32 around £7-8k. That Norman 32 is a damned good cruiser too, always liked the styling. GRP route is the safer option as problems tend to be cheaper to fix. If the guy is an HGV driver a 32' boat will have more space than a lorry cab. An extra year or two of saving and he would be able to buy a NB with fewer problems than his current budget allows. With GRP I would also be happy to go without a survey and just on personal viewing, seeing systems working etc. A decent steel boat under £10k takes a good deal of hard slog and good luck to find. With GRP though he would have a choice of well maintained boats where he could recoup his money come tradeup time.

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Jrtm Experienced

Jrtm

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Ok so your asking for the best way to spend 10k here is my op. Wait till feb then spend it on new decking???

 

If its to buy a boat i would suggest fiberglass boat you can pick a few smaller 3-4 birth ones up for between 4-8k

 

We saw a nice 3 birth avertised at 5k if you dont spend all the cash on getting the boat youll have a little left over for licance and any new fit out parts needed or even a bit to have say the engine overhalled

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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If you look around and keep your head, it is entirely possible to get a sound small-ish steel boat for 10k. Obviously many of these will be dated inside and a survey would be highly recommended, but I disagree that you'd need to double your spend to get it sound or liveable.

My boat is 30ft and a perfectly good liveaboard with everything I want.

 

I'm glad you popped up, because I was thinking of your boat.

 

I think you were lucky with your purchase, and doing as well as you did is quite rare, but clearly, as you say, it is possible.

 

It does demonstrate very adequately the following certainly does not have to be true.

 

 

1) You will not get a decent steel NB for £10k

2) If you buy a £10k steel NB it will PROBABLY need the same again spending on it in the first year or two.

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Neil2 Veteran

Neil2

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Definitely GRP cruiser. Highbridge 32 around £7-8k. That Norman 32 is a damned good cruiser too, always liked the styling. GRP route is the safer option as problems tend to be cheaper to fix. If the guy is an HGV driver a 32' boat will have more space than a lorry cab. An extra year or two of saving and he would be able to buy a NB with fewer problems than his current budget allows. With GRP I would also be happy to go without a survey and just on personal viewing, seeing systems working etc. A decent steel boat under £10k takes a good deal of hard slog and good luck to find. With GRP though he would have a choice of well maintained boats where he could recoup his money come tradeup time.

 

That's the closest to what I actually said to the guy. I've seen Highbridges and Dawncraft Rovers under £10k and I would be quite happy to cruise the canals in one of these boats.

 

As you say, many HGV drivers are used to existing in a very small space and in any case a 30-35 foot boat should be more than enough for a single person. Our first boat was a mere 23 foot and was occupied quite happily by a liveaboard. And one advantage of such a small boat (by todays standards) is that it's entirely practical to spend the colder months in a marina/boatyard at reasonable cost, most of them will have/find space for a little boat.

 

But, I suggested the wisest course of action would be to spend a couple of years doing lots of research and saving a bit more money. He would then be in a far better position in every respect and who knows he might even have come to his senses...

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Bee Veteran

Bee

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£10,000 is going to be a project. Not a lot around at that price but I wouldn't bother with cruisers, stick to looking for a manky steel boat and give it a good tidy and a bit of a refit and in a year or so it will make a bit of a profit. I would avoid cruisers and Springers - they both have a maximum value even if you fit gold plated taps and radar. If he's a lorry driver he probably spends nights out in some horrible places so a tatty boat will be perfectly ok while he does it up. As he has an income then he can afford to do it.

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Dave_P Veteran

Dave_PDonate to Canal World

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£10,000 is going to be a project. Not a lot around at that price but I wouldn't bother with cruisers, stick to looking for a manky steel boat and give it a good tidy and a bit of a refit and in a year or so it will make a bit of a profit. I would avoid cruisers and Springers - they both have a maximum value even if you fit gold plated taps and radar. If he's a lorry driver he probably spends nights out in some horrible places so a tatty boat will be perfectly ok while he does it up. As he has an income then he can afford to do it.

£10000 manky steel boats which don't turn into horrendous money pits are few and far between. For the same money a nice tidy GRP can be had. One proviso, I'd make sure it had an inboard diesel engine. A friend bought a lovely 35' centre cockpit cruiser with an inboard Perkins not so long ago, for £1500. Needed work though, obviously.

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Jim Riley Experienced

Jim Riley

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When we had a Dawncraft 22 we hankered after a Highbridge 32. But climbing in and out with the high gunnels was getting problematic. Came across a steel project very cheap, 35ft,completely refitted, new steel top, stands me at £11.5 K. I could live on it.

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magpie patrick Veteran II

magpie patrickDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

I'm going to add that, my own current experience suggests that spending more on someone else's finished project isn't a good idea. The amount of time (and money) I and others have spent on unfixing bodged jobs means I would probably have been better off with a 10k "runner".

Edited by magpie patrick
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peterd Gongoozler

peterd

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I bought my 32ft steel nb for well under £10000. Very tidy inside, stove, mains power, shower etc. Reliable Ford 1600 engine. Had a survey done and the examiner said the the hull was in the condition he would expect for a 1984 boat, and did not need any immediate remedial work. I would have no hesitation using it as a liveaboard. Yes the outside could do with a repaint, and a new cratch cover would smarten it up, but it proves that if you are in the right place at the right time, there are bargains to be had.

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