Would you buy an overplated boat?

[roland elsdon]

We gritblasted to bare, discovered 2.5 pits and general wear, in notional 6 mm so overplated in 5mm.

it will outlast us and means crashing over lumps on the worcester and birmingham  birmingham and fazeley ,and dudley no1 and 2 only makes us cringe not break out in a sweat. Would i do it again yes. But it was done properly on clean steel.

[Captain Pegg]

Greeno to Neil2 for a well reasoned response.

 

Vulpes was originally built with 1/4" bottom and 1/6" sides. It was overplated in 1987 by the same fabricator who built the hull and after 18 out of 25 years of ownership by the same person. I will worry about it when it sinks.

 

The real question is whether you get what you pay for and whether or not you are prepared to deal with the consequences that may occur. For me it meant I was able to buy a boat of considerable character and heritage in good working order at the sort of price where the market is pretty much all Springers or project boats. That was a risk I was willing and able to undertake.

 

The overplating vs replating debate is a bit of a red herring. It's only really relevant to historic ex-working boats where there is no internal fit-out to be stripped out to facilitate re-plating or if the boat is significant enough to make an internal refit worth the expense. For the average modern leisure boat overplating is the method.

 

JP

 

 

[zenataomm]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Did you pay the same price as if the boat had not been a rust bucket in the first place? Or did you factor in a discount?

 

I'd certainly buy one if cheap enough to overplate it again properly, as Alan put his finger on the problem. Overplating is often done when selling to cover up the issues in a slapdash way, and ramp up the price. Once done, it is hard to tell what horrors lie behind. As Jim illustrated with his photos of the HAMPTON overplating when he had it all cut out and done properly. 

I surely did.

1969 all steel 35ft Whilton Marina wanted £19500. 

My surveyor confirmed a new bottom had been put in recently and the sides were 4mm as per original.

So to keep the insurers happy they agreed to over plate to 18" above the water line at their cost and dropped the price by £4.5K

That was 10 years ago.

 

She comes out of the water every other year for two coats of looking at, and to date all is kushti.

 

However I fully appreciate the price and my finances don't reflect anything like what you guys are coughing out, but she's a characterful little boat and does me just fine.

[Movin' on]

11 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Another 'avoid'.

 

If you buy a boat needing overplating you can control how it is done and who does it and to what level it is done. Buy a boat already overplated that has been done as a quick bodge job to stop it sinking and to enable it to be sold - expensive disaster for the buyer.

Couldn’t agree more wise words - I would add if you know who did it that might make a difference as there are some VG overplaters with the right reputation out there Streethay and Springers to name one ............

10 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Greeno to Neil2 for a well reasoned response.

 

Vulpes was originally built with 1/4" bottom and 1/6" sides. It was overplated in 1987 by the same fabricator who built the hull and after 18 out of 25 years of ownership by the same person. I will worry about it when it sinks.

 

The real question is whether you get what you pay for and whether or not you are prepared to deal with the consequences that may occur. For me it meant I was able to buy a boat of considerable character and heritage in good working order at the sort of price where the market is pretty much all Springers or project boats. That was a risk I was willing and able to undertake.

 

The overplating vs replating debate is a bit of a red herring. It's only really relevant to historic ex-working boats where there is no internal fit-out to be stripped out to facilitate re-plating or if the boat is significant enough to make an internal refit worth the expense. For the average modern leisure boat overplating is the method.

 

JP

 

 

Have always liked Vulpes

[jetzi]

I created a poll here just to try it out. If you've commented on this post please go and cast your ballot!
 

 

[b0atman]

some pitting can be filled by welding .Where does this fit into the scheme of things ?

[Captain Pegg]

11 hours ago, Halsey said:

 

Have always liked Vulpes

I like Vulpes too; that's why I bought it!

 

Didn't you have Persia? Cast an admiring glance at it when we passed near Atherstone last year. If I ever get away from the home mooring I'll cast an eye for your latest.

 

JP

 

ETA - er, yes you did. Says so in your profile. Doh!

1 hour ago, b0atman said:

some pitting can be filled by welding .Where does this fit into the scheme of things ?

It would seem to me to be the obvious solution.

Edited July 22, 2018 by Captain Pegg

[Movin' on]

On 22/07/2018 at 19:37, Captain Pegg said:

I like Vulpes too; that's why I bought it!

 

Didn't you have Persia? Cast an admiring glance at it when we passed near Atherstone last year. If I ever get away from the home mooring I'll cast an eye for your latest.

 

JP

 

ETA - er, yes you did. Says so in your profile. Doh!

It would seem to me to be the obvious solution.

Latest not so sexy but nevertheless we love her as she fits our needs very well - I see Persia is back on sale - the new owners were very green and I guess it just didn’t work out - great boat for someone

[rusty69]

57 minutes ago, Halsey said:

Latest not so sexy but nevertheless we love her as she fits our needs very well - I see Persia is back on sale - the new owners were very green and I guess it just didn’t work out - great boat for someone

I've never seen a sexy narrowboat, they all look like floating skips to me.