The cost of fitting out a 65' x 12' Widebeam shell

[RLWP]

2 minutes ago, Dee Kay said:

Are we coming up to the' boat buying season'?

End of summer...

 

People start buying again before next Spring?

 

We thought maybe at the end of summer there'd be a lot of sellers...and around Spring there'd be a lot of buyers....

 

?

Are prices 'seasonal'?

 

The market is no longer seasonal as buyers for boats to live on have changed the dynamic

[Dr Bob]

2 minutes ago, Dee Kay said:

We  thought it might be better to do it from scratch rather than try to renovate a doer upper.

Will check out the guy on YouTube...the master craftsman whos doing his own boat...

Its incredible how much material there is on YT...so many people have taken the time to share their experiences and knowledge...amazing...

 

6 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

In which case don't buy a boat 12ft wide as your original plan!

 

It will be a right ball ache to cruise in.

 

 

 

 

Nobody except Mike has really challenged your choice of a wide beam. You are obviously new to canals so it may be prudent to do some research on here about widebeams on inappropriate canals. Up our way in Warwickshire, widebeams are a pain in the backside and the majority of boaters think it is wrong for them to be there. They are great for living accommodation but not for cruising on these narrow canals. Good if you are on a river. If you want to cc, then get a NB.

[dmr]

If you really want to continuously cruise, as opposed to bridge hopping, then a narrowboat makes a lot more sense. You could get a big one (about 69 foot) to get the extra space. I have only met a very few people who successfully and enjoyably continuously cruise on a widebeam.

 

Most of the best canals are narrow.

 

...................Dave

[Dr Bob]

4 minutes ago, Dee Kay said:

Are we coming up to the' boat buying season'?

End of summer...

 

People start buying again before next Spring?

 

We thought maybe at the end of summer there'd be a lot of sellers...and around Spring there'd be a lot of buyers....

There are a lot of buyers now and far too few sellers.

By end of October there will be more buyers

By Christmas there will be more. 

Next Spring there will likely to be more buyers again.

............at least that is what happened in the last 12 months. You rarely see such a strong buyers market. The brokers are crying out for good boats. That's why good boats sell very quickly.

[Dee Kay]

Noted...the comments re widebeams and cruising.

 

I can see that they could be seen as self indulgent...especially when it comes to flights of locks where it would be much better to be able to put two boats at a time in...

We are both keen cat swingers...and thought that a widebeam would provide more space to express ourselves.

 

Hmmmm

So much to consider...

[Alan de Enfield]

45 minutes ago, Dee Kay said:

" There is a reason why a 'sailaway' widebeam shell is £38,000 and a finished boat is £120,000 "

 

We are both beginning to slowly grasp this one now!

It might appear that virtually all of the post so far are basically "you cannot do it" - this is not being negative, but being constructive and realistic.

marinas and boat yards are "littered" with the half-done shells of narrowboats and wide-beams,  bought with the best of intentions but after 'blowing the nest egg' and several years of getting it wrong,, ripping out, re-doing it ad infinitum they just give up.

It is nothing like doing up a house / flat.

For a start nothing is straight, you cannot use a spirit level - if you move across the boat then the boat tilts with you, you don't have space to store materials and fit them, and live at the same time.

Just a small example - Things like MDF board just crumble in a 'marine' environment,.

 

Seriously - buy a ready done boat (narrow or wide) and try it for a year or so, you will then have better ideas about what you NEED as opposed to what you WANT.

the way prices are going you'll not make a loss if your decide to sell up

4 minutes ago, Dee Kay said:

Noted...the comments re widebeams and cruising.

 

I can see that they could be seen as self indulgent...especially when it comes to flights of locks where it would be much better to be able to put two boats at a time in...

We are both keen cat swingers...and thought that a widebeam would provide more space to express ourselves.

 

Hmmmm

So much to consider...

I know the feeling - one of my boats is 14 foot wide, the other is 23 foot wide (and is a Cat - so I am a cat-swinger)

 

 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2018 by Alan de Enfield

[MtB]

11 minutes ago, Dee Kay said:

Noted...the comments re widebeams and cruising.

 

I can see that they could be seen as self indulgent...especially when it comes to flights of locks where it would be much better to be able to put two boats at a time in...

We are both keen cat swingers...and thought that a widebeam would provide more space to express ourselves.

 

Hmmmm

So much to consider...

 

It takes a certain degree of thick-skinned-ness to cruise around in a 12ft Widebeam, especially when in places the canal is only 25ft wide. Imagine meeting yourself coming the other way, or trying to pass yourself moored up. Bear in mind the edges are usually rather shallow. 

 

CCers with 12ft wide wide beams usually give up in the end and express themselves in a marina instead...!

[LadyG]

2 hours ago, Dee Kay said:

Noted...the comments re widebeams and cruising.

 

I can see that they could be seen as self indulgent...especially when it comes to flights of locks where it would be much better to be able to put two boats at a time in...

We are both keen cat swingers...and thought that a widebeam would provide more space to express ourselves.

 

Hmmmm

So much to consider...

Oh, not sure what a cat swinger is.  I don't want to know, all I can say is, there are proper boats, and there are canal boats. There are maisonettes, and there are widebeams.

I don't think you understand canals enough to buy a canal boat........................yet

Edited August 24, 2018 by LadyG

[blackrose]

I spent about £22k finishing the fit-out of my widebeam which was already lined and had some plumbing and some electrics already installed. And it already had an engine, gearbox and stern gear. 

Edited August 24, 2018 by blackrose

[rusty69]

9 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I know the feeling - one of my boats is 14 foot wide, the other is 23 foot wide (and is a Cat - so I am a cat-swinger)

I had my  suspicions, that was the case! 

[MtB]

5 hours ago, blackrose said:

I spent about £22k finishing the fit-out of my widebeam which was already lined and had some plumbing and some electrics already installed. And it already had an engine, gearbox and stern gear. 

 

That’s a helpful benchmark from someone who has actually done it. I think you did all or almost all the work yourself didn’t you Mike? The op is planning to employ tradesmen so triple that figure at least! 

 

And yours is 10ft wide iirc not 12ft. What are your views on ccing a 12ft x65ft boat Mike? I believe you have always had a mooring. 

[cereal tiller]

8 hours ago, LadyG said:

Oh, not sure what a cat swinger is.  I don't want to know, all I can say is, there are proper boats, and there are canal boats. There are maisonettes, and there are widebeams.

I don't think you understand canals enough to buy a canal boat........................yet

A Cat Swinger is some one who likes plenty of Space ,as in Room to Swing a Cat.......?

[LadyG]

1 minute ago, cereal tiller said:

A Cat Swinger is some one who likes plenty of Space ,as in Room to Swing a Cat.......?

Well, in my innocence, I thought it involved car keys, gender bending and so on..................

 

Edited August 24, 2018 by LadyG

[bizzard]

8 hours ago, LadyG said:

Oh, not sure what a cat swinger is.  I don't want to know, all I can say is, there are proper boats, and there are canal boats. There are maisonettes, and there are widebeams.

I don't think you understand canals enough to buy a canal boat........................yet

Swimging the cat ie,  Cat'o'nine tails.  a lash used usually by yhe bosun for flogging naughty crew members.

[rusty69]

4 minutes ago, cereal tiller said:

A Cat Swinger is some one who likes plenty of Space ,as in Room to Swing a Cat.......?

Probably not a good idea to live on a boat then. 

1 minute ago, bizzard said:

Swimging the cat ie,  Cat'o'nine tails.  a lash used usually by yhe bosun for flogging naughty crew members.

That's Alans cue for posting his usual stock picture. 

[Dr Bob]

15 minutes ago, bizzard said:

..........flogging naughty crew members.

Ah. Now I'm back in my comfort zone.

[X Alan W]

In the paragraph in the OP's post #42 we want to cruise as much as possible, you have several problems   you need to source & have fitted all the kit required to propel it along ,put aside £5/15000 dependent on engine & fitting charge"Leccy set up no Idea as no idea on whats there but time & money again once you are mobile where are you going to store your raw materials while cruising & I doubt if you would get boat fitters/mechanics to travel to different parts of the system with no facilities to work, the other point is if you are dependent on others how long are you prepared to wait for your chosen guy to get to your boat  If you could devote full time & were a competent or better chippy& can turn your hand to other trades it might be a go unless you get fed up before completion  sorry to be so negative but it comes across as a Rose coloured glasses project problem is it could be the proverbial white elephant project & you would end up losing a good amount of money& a project boat appealing to a small number of punters who are only willing to pay very little  as said buy a narrow beam boat live /cruise on it for a year at least including a least one winter you will then have an idea of what suits & what's not required & what is involved in canal& boat living & when the time comes that you say not for me or this would be good with a 60' wide beam you will lose very little or even make a profit on the sale of your NB to put toward whatever the next phase of your life be it another NB a WB or a sum of money toward a land based dwelling & having a lot less hassle

[rusty69]

5 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

Ah. Now I'm back in my comfort zone.

Stop roasting that flaming duck! 

[MtB]

20 minutes ago, bizzard said:

naughty crew members.

 

Naughty crew members who won’t eat their peas or who poke their tongue out at the captain I imagine. 

 

Flogging seems a bit harsh for this.... 

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Naughty crew members who won’t eat their peas or who poke their tongue out at the captain I imagine. 

 

Flogging seems a bit harsh for this.... 

They more likely give the captain the fish finger, specially if its cpt birds eye. 

[MtB]

Just now, rusty69 said:

They more likely give the captain the fish finger, specially if its cpt birds eye. 

 

I don’t think fish have fingers...

 

[rusty69]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I don’t think fish have fingers...

 

Wot they have at the end of their arms then? 

[MtB]

7 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Wot they have at the end of their arms then? 

 

I think if you check, you’ll find fish dont have arms either. 

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I think if you check, you’ll find fish dont have arms either. 

 

[WotEver]

16 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I don’t think fish have fingers...

Maybe they don’t but my missus loves prawn balls...