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Aintree beetle/bug


Philip

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I'm interested in the idea of buying a narrowboat (preferably new) to have as my own place. I already have a GRP cruiser which I'd like to keep as a toy and more than anything to go for trips on as I do currently. I know having two boats means you have to think about costs carefully so was wondering what people thought of the Aintree beetle range as a boat to live on (at least part of the time)? They look well made with a nice fit-out from what I've seen and I'm a single guy so I don't need a 70 footer. I've seen that they go up to about 40 feet in length. Does anyone know the rough cost of a new 40ft Aintree beetle and whether it would be practical to live on? I'd like to emphasise that I'm thinking of this as something to reside on and perhaps take family and friends for a Sunday afternoon cruise, but in the main not to use for proper trips. I'd like to retain my cruiser for the tours. Thanks.

Edited by Philip
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A new 25-footer is £29,950, so I'd guess somewhere around £45,000 for the 40-footer. Aintree Boats don't quote prices for the Beetles on their web site as far as I can see.

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3 hours ago, Athy said:

A new 25-footer is £29,950, so I'd guess somewhere around £45,000 for the 40-footer. Aintree Boats don't quote prices for the Beetles on their web site as far as I can see.

I rang Aintree Boats directly a couple of years ago and they gave me the prices over the phone. I didn't keep my notes but I think the 40 footer was a tad under £49k.

 

They did email me plans of each size which hopefully I've managed to attach. You may find this helps.

 

image.jpg

Edited by MrBeethoven
Speeling misteaks
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8 hours ago, lulu fish said:

Are Aintree a well respected builder?  

As far as I know, yes. They have been going for seven years and I don't recall hearing anything bad about them. Their "Beetle", though not the most graceful of craft, has attracted good press.

 

EDIT: it has just occurred to me that, though Aintree advertise four different sizes of Beetle ("The Fab Four" as they rather neatly call them), as far as I can see the photos on their web site show only a couple of the smaller ones. I wonder if they have actually built a 40-feet Beetle yet.

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Whilst I can see that the lInk above takes you to a page of prices on the Aintree website they do not, as far as I can see, show prices for the Beetle range, only the Round stern boats (I believe the Beetles have square sterns). I quote... "Prices shown are for Round Cruiser Sterns only. Other Sterns POA"

This is consistent with their press ads.

It looks like a quick call is needed to get prices... 0151 523 9000

 

 

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5 minutes ago, MrBeethoven said:

Whilst I can see that the lInk above takes you to a page of prices on the Aintree website they do not, as far as I can see, show prices for the Beetle range, only the Round stern boats (I believe the Beetles have square sterns). I quote... "Prices shown are for Round Cruiser Sterns only. Other Sterns POA"

This is consistent with their press ads.

It looks like a quick call is needed to get prices... 0151 523 9000

 

 

My point exactly. It does seem odd that they are promoting this Beetle range but are reluctant to tell people what they will cost.

EDIT: synchronised doubting, Mr.Fincher. Great minds, etc.

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1 minute ago, Athy said:

My point exactly. It does seem odd that they are promoting this Beetle range but are reluctant to tell people what they will cost.

You must be more cynical than me as it had not previously occurred to me as suspicious, merely annoying for potential customers. But now you mention it of course, it does seem strange.

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7 minutes ago, MrBeethoven said:

You must be more cynical than me as it had not previously occurred to me as suspicious, merely annoying for potential customers. But now you mention it of course, it does seem strange.

I would stop short of "suspicious"; but they do quote prices for their other boats, so why not for the Beetle, which is the product which has attracted the most attention?

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Gotcha! £54,950 (price at Aqueduct Marina, Church Minshull). The wee 25-footer has increased steeply in price, now £34,000 - odd. The Marina's web site does show photos of what appears to be a 40-foot model (though labelled as a 25-footer!). Although it would still win few prizes for grace, it looks more in proportion than the smallest model.

It may be that this marina is Aintree's main dealer and that it's them, not Aintree, who set the retail price.

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As I said earlier, contact Aqueduct Marina:

AINTREE BEETLES

Exclusive to Aqueduct Brokerage the Aintree’s Beetle FabFour Range is an ideal way to get afloat with an impressive specification and excellent build quality as standard. There are four lengths to choose from, each with two layout options and with several opportunities to personalise you’re Beetle. Apply for a brochure or if you want to discuss a purchase, please contact us. Prices from £29,950.

Edited by dor
cross-posted with Athy.
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10 minutes ago, dor said:

As I said earlier, contact Aqueduct Marina:

AINTREE BEETLES

Exclusive to Aqueduct Brokerage the Aintree’s Beetle FabFour Range is an ideal way to get afloat with an impressive specification and excellent build quality as standard. There are four lengths to choose from, each with two layout options and with several opportunities to personalise you’re Beetle. Apply for a brochure or if you want to discuss a purchase, please contact us. Prices from £29,950.

Indeed you did. I apologise for not checking back before making my post.

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Thanks for all the info. So £54,000 for a 40ft beetle with a rather basic fit-out, or pay another £12,000-£16,000 for an extra 5-10 feet with round cruiser stern, but (from what the pictures show) a more homely and 'finished' fit-out compares to their Beetle range.

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While I fully appreciate the thrill of owning a brand-new boat (we've had two), I wonder if a study of the nearly-new market might yield boats which would interest you. You would get more for your money, and any necessary "snagging" would already have been done.

But, of course, it wouldn't be new. It's a bit of a balancing act.

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10 minutes ago, Athy said:

Indeed you did. I apologise for not checking back before making my post.

No problem.

 

There are plenty of second-hand boats around, and some are good value.  However a friend has been looking for a 35 - 40ft boat and has been appalled at the quality of many of the boats being offered at quite high prices. I've seen some and am amazed at the prices people are asking for near-sinking wrecks.  I suspect it is because this is a popular size for people wanting to live on a boat in London and relies on the naivety of the buyer. 

 

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We've got a 30' Aintree Beetle. It's compact but cleverly designed and I reckon I could just about live on it on my own. Heating would be the main issue, but I think (?) the bigger Beetles come with a fire.

Aintree have been excellent to deal with and we're delighted with the boat.

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  • 1 year later...

Since I've recently had a small problem of a hole appearing in the fibreglass of my cruiser and not knowing the reason why yet, I'm thinking about what's best to do... Before I start making enquiries with Aintree, would anyone know if they'd be willing to alter/custom the layout of a new build 25' or 30' Beetle for me? I'm thinking of not having a front deck in exchange for more space on the back deck, since I do long cruising days and so could do with a comfy stern area. I also have a raw-water cooled Beta 20 engine in my cruiser which is fairly new and I'd like to keep if possible, so do you think they'd be willing to fit this into the engine bay of a Beetle and save the cost of fitting a brand new engine in?

 

I realise the best people to speak to about this are Aintree Boats themselves, but as it's early days I'm just considering a few ideas before committing, so wonder if anyone on here could help with my queries please?

Edited by Philip
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I looked at the larger Beetles because I quite fancied a brand new boat and thought my budget might just be made to stretch, and I emailed the company to ask if a minor layout change was possible on the 40ft boat (at extra cost).

The reply was that no alterations are possible on these boats. Keeping the costs low was one of the reasons I think they mentioned. 

I want to do extended cruises off grid for a few weeks at a time, and the 40ft Beetle (with its small water tank, among other things) didn't look like it would do that job at all easily. 

The other problem for me is that it has no real comfortable 'lounging' area- just a compact L dinette next to the galley. 

I think I could live in a 40ft boat, but not one with the Beetle's layout. 

So on balance I had to forgo the big plus points of a shiny new boat (new engine, lots of stuff protected by long warranties, etc). 

My feeling is that a larger 5-8 year old boat might be found for around the price of a brand new beetle. So you'll get more living space, and all the expensive systems will still be in very good condition (plumbing, electrics, engine still with low hours, etc), plus the hull should still be 100% sound (although it can apparently deteriorate quite quickly). 

If they could knock out a 40ft Beetle with the existing on board systems but with my preferred interior layout at under £60k, I would be thinking very long and very hard over the next 2 years - but thankfully I'm spared that decision, because they just don't. 

 

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It's like a new car - shiny and new - but as soon as you drive it of the forecourt - it's 'used'. Your first scrape against a lock - second hand.

Boats aren't like cars - there's no "standard". Each builder has his own idea of what a customer wants. some installations are 'potty', but they're built to 'what will sell' rather than to what works in practice.

 

As often stated on here - get a boat that nearly meets what you think you need, live with it for a year, keep it or move on.

Nowt is perfect, boats in particular....

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