Advice needed

[Ady33]

Hi all,

I am to begin building a motor cruiser shortly, it will be my first boat. I have narrowed down to a choice of two plans. My question is about after a boat is built. Once the boat is built what is the next procedures to undertake ? I presume insurance and safety certificate. Is there any other things and in what order do they need to be completed before a boat can be placed in the water. I would like to know these things so I can add the cost into my budget and look locally for where the various services can be provided. I am from the North West of the UK.

If anyone could advise or point me towards relevant information I would be very grateful.

many thnx,

Adrian.

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[MeritaII]

Hi Adrian,
Yes there is a lot to know , first source of information is the "Statutory Instrument " produced by HM gov @ : www.hmso.uk/si/si1996/Uksi_19961353_en_1.htm

This tells you what you need to know about CE marking and so on and is the document that refers to the Recreational Craft Regulations. There is probably an updated version. There are also some exceptions to the rules so read the rules carefully to se what applies to your build.
A lot of it applies to companies that are building for sale , but it might help to give it a read.

There is also a practical guide published by : Ward and McKenzie ( East Anglia) ltd

3 Werry Lane , Ipswich, Suffolk, 1P4 ILG Tel 01473- 255200.

This is a very informative booklet and details , in more practical terms, what is probably going to affect you and the standards you will need to meet. It is a mine of information and you should get hold of a copy before you start , I think it will help you , I think I paid about £15.00 but don't quote me.

The other thing that might help is the Inland waterways pack ( I think it is free if you give them a ring) that gives you a lot of detail about fitting out to prepare your boat for this certificate. Even if you do not intend to use your boat on the Inland Waterways it is all good safety advice and it helps to get things right from the start so you don't end up having to do things twice over because of some rule, it all helps to get things right first time.

I do know that from day one you should keep everything that relates to your build, including all the VAT documents .

I am no expert at this but I thought about building a 45ft steel boat and even bought the plans, and still have them , Bruce Roberts power boat. By the way on their web site they sometimes have plans that are on special offer, if that is your chosen route. So I have all these booklets and instructions and used them to draw up a plan for the build, instead I bought an old wooden boat ( don't ask !) , but I'm glad I did now, but it hasn't been an easy 2 years.

Good luck with your build, I hope some of this information may help you .

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[Ady33]

Wow, thanx for your reply I really appreciate it. There is a lot of useful stuff for me to follow up on in it. I want to make sure I know the full picture before I start, I am sure mistakes can be very costly.

I have seen the bruce roberts site you mentioned there was some good stuff there. I am torn between two boats at http://www.hartley-boats.com/home.html
One the Vixen 25-27 and the other the Blue Marlin 30. The Marlin is a ferro cement build. I am a plasterer by trade so working with ferro appeals to me as I have many years experience working with it although not on boats lol. Anyway the plans seem reasonably priced and come with full size frame patterns.

So I know I need to make sure all is up to spec and I have a good understanding of what will be required etc.. before I start.

Do you think you will ever build the boat you bought the plans for one day ?

Thnx for your time,all the best,

Adrian.

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[MeritaII]

Hi again,
Yes there is a lot to think about , and it is wise to do plenty of reading in advance.
I would be the last person to try to put anyone off of trying anything, we are only here once you don't want to get to 75 years old and be the one saying, "I wish I'd done that " so good for you.
I went to live in Russia for a few years , everyone said I was mad, I loved it, every second of it, they were wrong, so people arn't always right, they just think they are and normaly it is about things they don't quite understand!


I dont know much about Ferro Cement, I know a couple of people who have them and love them, I was in Gritvicken whaling station (South Georgia) a few years ago and a couple turned up in a 55 footer made of ferro' so I guess that is about as tough a test as you need, the South Atlantic isn't the kindest place on the plannet!

Ive seen two yachts built this way, the plastering seemed to need a lot of good friends with some time to give as it pretty much has to go on all in one go ( no doubt someone will tell us otherwise now !) . building the steel frame was the difficult part getting everything straight and so on .
Our boat is wood and I have rebuilt her from the keel up, every rib and nail and rove(6000 of 'em!) in her, all planks above the water line and 70% below, new stern post , new decks, short beams , re-done the scarf joints in the hog , the whole thing. So I think I have a fair idea of what you will be taking on.
I have a beautiful boat now , 63 years old and still looks it ( I hope) and I have learnt skills I thought I would never have. But in time and money I would better have built a new boat, in satisfaction I like what I have done.

Will I ever build form my plans? I just don't know , probably not in all honesty, the boat we have now will see me out I reckon. We are going to take her to France and live on the cannals for a while 'till we find a house, it's our plan, we shall see !
It is why I have fitted her out as I have , because just about everything in her was rotten or dated I decided just to gut it and start again. There was so much work to do on the hull and I couldn't face the thought of putting in good timber next to rot.

So basicaly I have done a lot of the jobs that you are going to have to do, it's trying to sort out what will work best for 'you' and your situation/plans that is sometimes the hardest part. It is not always obvious what will be 'best' suited for the job, you will have to learn a lot about pumps and valves and seacocks and sternglands and cuttlass bearings and propellors and gearboxes and engines and on and on and on .

Have you ever seen the adds' in the magazines for "Uncompleted projects" , ( I always think it is very sad !) you will almost always find that home builders fail ( if they are going to fail )at the same stage, once the hull is completed.
This is when you get into the technical part , it gets complicated because a lot of people who sell plans only go as far as the completed hull , after that the choice is yours.
And it's hard , you have to be or become multi skilled, plumber , electrician , engineer and so on, I can see how it can be very daunting.
Not many people want to fail, and lots of us have dreams , but sadly there are a lot of people around us ( and you) who will be very quick to try and put you down if you try anything that is a little different , the world is full of them , so be prepared for them, and keep focused.

You will lose count of the folk who will ask you " Think it will ever float" or " when will it be finished then captain"? ( this is normally accompanied by a stupid grin).
Every time me and my mate Tony put in a nail and rove I used to say "thats another glass of Burgundy red Ton'e" , and thats how we worked , hour after hour, every full rib was four bottles !!!!! , And I'm looking foward to every one !

You can send me a private e-mail if you want, adrian.wade@btopenworld.com











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