Dekers Posted July 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 (edited) yes but you, I think, are looking at the Thames. A lot of those floating gin palaces hardly ever move I don't deny for a second it will be a floating Gin Palace with the entire purpose being fun and pleasure...but it will move a bit, I'll have to P*** off everyone on the Thames, not just a few in a small area! Edited July 3, 2013 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickS Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 As long as you know what you are getting into, go for it! I have owned sailing and moter yachts but time commitments mean that it is more sensible for me to charter. Owning your own boat means that you can set things up exactly as you want them and it feelsmore like home. Before parting with any significant money, get a survey of the hull and machinery by a reputable surveyor. Make sure that the vessel complies with any regulations specific to where you want to cruise as some mods can be very expensive. Marine engines need regular maintenance and can suffer from lack of use. Wooden boats can be very satisfying if you enjoy DIY or have deep pockets. Double diagonal planking can be a royal PITA to repair. GRP of the 1970/1980s often used cheaper polyester resins which are susceptible to osmosis so it essential to have the hull tested as repairs of significant areas are expensive. There are other potential elephant traps with GRP so it is just as important to have it surveyed. All the best and have fun! Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 Out of interest what's it for? To live on? Holiday on or a new hobby? My godfather has a "share" of a boat in France and recons its far cheaper ( exchange rate dependant) better rivers, better food, weather and facilities as your in the south east you're not far from France Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 Definition of a boat. A hole in the water you keep pouring money into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted July 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 Out of interest what's it for? To live on? Holiday on or a new hobby? My godfather has a "share" of a boat in France and recons its far cheaper ( exchange rate dependant) better rivers, better food, weather and facilities as your in the south east you're not far from France I don't deny for a second it will be a floating Gin Palace with the entire purpose being fun and pleasure...but it will move a bit, ...................! The boat I am being drawn towards has done France and Holland. The Channel is daunting for a novice and not something I fancy at all, but the boat is set up with ship to shore, sat nav, navigation lights, echo sounder, compass etc. I know about the radio licence and I will not be heading across the channel until I get a lot more experience/knowledge/certificates, if ever, but who knows........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted July 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 Definition of a boat. A hole in the water you keep pouring money into. Many years ago I asked a pal with a boat what it was like, he said ..."it's light lighting a fire and burning £5 notes on it" I suspect the same applies now but it's £10, £20 or even £50 notes! I ran over a few superficial bits of work with the boat yard I would like done, the usual window fittings/seals/replacements, bumpers, anti foul, polish the GRP and a couple of other tiny things, estimated £3,650...... I'm very confident I'm mad............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overandunder2012 Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 (edited) hope you find what your looking for a mate of mine just got 1 looks like an expensive hobby Edited July 4, 2013 by overandunder2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 The boat I am being drawn towards has done France and Holland. ... His is a "Dutch barge" it's home marina is France auxerre and while it can travel further (not sure about sea faring) he tends to stay local he retires soon so "may push the boat out" and go further for longer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overandunder2012 Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 had a look at the boat the bloke i know bought by christ its a monster a big old beast id call it small ship lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay222 Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 The boat I am being drawn towards has done France and Holland. The Channel is daunting for a novice and not something I fancy at all, but the boat is set up with ship to shore, sat nav, navigation lights, echo sounder, compass etc. I know about the radio licence and I will not be heading across the channel until I get a lot more experience/knowledge/certificates, if ever, but who knows........... Having done the channel on a ship the sheer amount of traffic is mind boggling from French fishing boats trawling straight across your path to little coaster cargo ships zipping about and hundreds at any time on your radar of big commercial cargo ships and ferries I think you would have to know what your doing to want to cross in a 40 year old boat of unknown strength and a tiny radar signature. That said it would be an adventure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 My godfathers was bought in France and while could cross open water I don't think would attempt it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickS Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 Make sure there's no holes in the bottom It is an old Confucian saying: "To get through life, a sailor needs only one hole in the bottom". Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Shooter Posted July 6, 2013 Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 Just remember the bigger the boat you buy the less time you will actually take it out. Sold our Birchwood 25 last year, have to say best move I have done in a long time. Spent more time cleaning and polishing than actually going anywhere on it. Also if you are on a River like the Avon it take forever to get anywhere. Saying all that we have recently looked at a 55ft Dutch Barge as a holiday home!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted July 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 Spent more time cleaning and polishing than actually going anywhere on it. Big learning curve for me this, so perhaps this is daft........................... What do you use to clean/cut/polish..the yard have quoted me £650 for a machine polish. The GRP looks ok but is a little dull, can I do this myself? I know pretty much about car cut/polish, but this tends to leave things slippery..do you get NON slip polishes for boats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old rooster Posted July 6, 2013 Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 Had a few boats myself, currently a rather tidy Orkney 24 footer (see avatar) Couple of comments which might be worth considering. Don't buy an old GRP boat without having it lifted and checked for osmosis. Better off to save a bit more and get something a bit newer perhaps. If you plan to spend a fair bit invest in a survey. Don't consider anything as grand as crossing the channel (not suggesting you would) until you've got a fair bit of experience. The shipping lanes are some of the busiest in the world and half the time nobody seems to be on watch for small craft in the area. If you do go to sea consider having AIS so they can at least see you electronically. Hull polishing, use Farecla to brighten the gel coat but be careful to keep the hull wet so you don't "burn" it if using a mechanical polisher, if possible use one that runs slowly. My boat hull was polished by hand professionally over 2 years ago, the previous owner had it done and as I was so impressed with how well it held up I contacted the guys that did it and found out they finished it with hand polished 3M boat polish, if you are interested I can dig out the actual part code for it, I've got a couple of bottles on the boat. They deffo can be darn expensive things to have but if you buy right and look after them they will have reasonable residual value. First boat I bought I sold 3 years later for the price I paid for it, second one I bought really well, used it for about 3 years, had the outboard stilen so sold the boat on trailer less engine and once the insurance had settled came out about a grand up on what I paid for her. The current one is very tidy and I plan to keep it that way so if/when I come to sell it shouldn't be too horrendous. Have you had a look at the Broom range if you like that sort of boat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted July 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 Had a few boats myself, currently a rather tidy Orkney 24 footer (see avatar) Couple of comments which might be worth considering. Don't buy an old GRP boat without having it lifted and checked for osmosis. The boat has been lifted by the yard selling it and looks ok, anti fouling seems ok as well. Better off to save a bit more and get something a bit newer perhaps. If you plan to spend a fair bit invest in a survey. Despite the high estimated survey cost it will be done before I part with my hard earned. Don't consider anything as grand as crossing the channel (not suggesting you would) until you've got a fair bit of experience. The shipping lanes are some of the busiest in the world and half the time nobody seems to be on watch for small craft in the area. If you do go to sea consider having AIS so they can at least see you electronically. Hull polishing, use Farecla now that's a Brand name I remember from my dingy days but had completely forgotten, that has been going 35+ years to my knowledge, I wonder if the formula has changed? to brighten the gel coat but be careful to keep the hull wet so you don't "burn" it if using a mechanical polisher, if possible use one that runs slowly. My boat hull was polished by hand professionally over 2 years ago, the previous owner had it done and as I was so impressed with how well it held up I contacted the guys that did it and found out they finished it with hand polished 3M boat polish, if you are interested I can dig out the actual part code for it, I've got a couple of bottles on the boat. They deffo can be darn expensive things to have but if you buy right and look after them they will have reasonable residual value. First boat I bought I sold 3 years later for the price I paid for it, second one I bought really well, used it for about 3 years, had the outboard stilen so sold the boat on trailer less engine and once the insurance had settled came out about a grand up on what I paid for her. The current one is very tidy and I plan to keep it that way so if/when I come to sell it shouldn't be too horrendous. Have you had a look at the Broom range if you like that sort of boat? Been looking, but can't find anything Broom that fits the bill size/price wise at the moment. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old rooster Posted July 6, 2013 Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 With all due respect you ain't going to see osmosis, even when the boat is lifted, well worth getting an older hull checked for it IMHO. At least with the boat out of the water you can check for basic major damage before committing to the cost of a survey. From some of your previous posts it seems you want a river cruiser that will also serve as a boat to take out to sea perhaps later? Kind of narrows down what will be suitable and practical for both. Will be interesting to see how you progress with the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted July 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 (edited) With all due respect you ain't going to see osmosis, even when the boat is lifted, well worth getting an older hull checked for it IMHO. At least with the boat out of the water you can check for basic major damage before committing to the cost of a survey. From some of your previous posts it seems you want a river cruiser that will also serve as a boat to take out to sea perhaps later? Kind of narrows down what will be suitable and practical for both. Will be interesting to see how you progress with the project. As above #41, it will get a survey! I don't really know what I want to do with it. The boat IS apparently Sea worthy, but it has a single, and not exactly powerful engine. The sea is not a priority and for the river just makes a heavier boat, at 31ft it is not something I will ever want to spend much time at sea in, especially the channel, but it may be fun to do France or Holland sometime, the boat has already been there. Going back with the clipboard to have another look at it later today! Edited July 7, 2013 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 Sounds like you have found your ship cptain deker sir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 Just remember the bigger the boat you buy the less time you will actually take it out. Sold our Birchwood 25 last year, have to say best move I have done in a long time. Spent more time cleaning and polishing than actually going anywhere on it. Also if you are on a River like the Avon it take forever to get anywhere. Saying all that we have recently looked at a 55ft Dutch Barge as a holiday home!!! My mate brought a birchwood25 last year from the Avon. where about was yours? Got my new to me one on Friday and love it. and sold my old one in 2 days with a grand profit after four years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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