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tonyone01

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We have been looking to purchase our first boat for the last 5 months and we have finally found a boat that we though was the one for us. We have had a survey which has identified a number of issues.

Bilge pumps not working
starboard engine will not tick over when hot
starboard gear box difficult to select
cooker needs replacing
radar not working
echo sounder not working
windlass not working
All extinuishers out of date

Is this what should be expected from a boat advertised as "genuinely well looked after" and "meticulous care and attention"

Am I being too picky or expecting too much ?

Your advice please.
 
Depends on the age of the boat in my opinion. If they boat were 8-10 years old or more then things like Radar and Navigation electronics would need replacing anyway, soworking or not not really an issue, unless the boat was advertised with these thing specifically in which case they should work.

Nothing on the list (apart from the idle issue) seems major. I would go back and, if the orginial advertised price included (and I mean specified in the particulars) the Radar, Windless and Echo sounder deduct 50% of the cost of replaceing these with new items.

Gear selector is more than likely a cable, again age of the boat would be useful here.

Biggest thing is the idle problem, I would want that investigated and resolved before going any further
 
tonyone01 said:
We have been looking to purchase our first boat for the last 5 months and we have finally found a boat that we though was the one for us. We have had a survey which has identified a number of issues.

Bilge pumps not working
starboard engine will not tick over when hot
starboard gear box difficult to select
cooker needs replacing
radar not working
echo sounder not working
windlass not working
All extinuishers out of date

Is this what should be expected from a boat advertised as "genuinely well looked after" and "meticulous care and attention"

Am I being too picky or expecting too much ?

Your advice please.
Click to expand...

if you want it bad enough, a LARGE discount MIGHT help, but it sounds "unfit for purpose" on face value.. good luck
 
I feel for you bud - just been through EXACTLY the same thing as you with very similar problems.
see thread http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245185
I'd be more concerned about the engine not idling and the gear engagement.
Both can be simple or not so let him work that out for you.
If you really want the boat I'd get the owner to fix those 2 issues and try to come to an agreed allowance for the rest after all they are all only bolt on bits.
In the end I walked from mine but only because the owner was unrealistic in his expectations.
I would have taken the work on to get the right boat.
Strikes me as brokers need to spend more time getting to know the product they are trying to ride you into.
N
 
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Ok ( though still no idea about the age of the boat...) so I would let the owner know the findings and double check the electrical bits really dont work (and there just isnt an isolator switch the surveyor didnt find - with three dash wired items not working this might be the case).

Again, the engine idle is the most worrying fault, all others are very easily fixed with new kit. I would want the engine idle fixed and a proper report of the problem resolved done by the vendor.

Cooker - why does it need replacing? How old is the boat/cooker (again?) and does it work at all or is it US.

One mor ething, how big is the boat because if thats it then this really isnt a big list. As for the extinguishers, I reckon 50%+ of boats in use have out of date extinguishers. I make it a point to buy new ones regardless when I buy a boat anyway - that is the one bit of Kit I want to guarantee works.

Assuming the electrics really are US then negotiat a fair reduction in the asking price. Not the cost of replacing them 100% with new mind, cos if its kit which is 10 years old you have to consider betterment etc...
 
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agree with most of above, theres nothing here that would make me walk. good bargaining points for a price adustment and nothing more. Theres hardly a boat in the marina with every system working 100% at all times. Theres always something on the fix list.
 
tonyone01 said:
We have been looking to purchase our first boat for the last 5 months and we have finally found a boat that we though was the one for us. We have had a survey which has identified a number of issues.

Bilge pumps not working
starboard engine will not tick over when hot
starboard gear box difficult to select
cooker needs replacing
radar not working
echo sounder not working
windlass not working
All extinuishers out of date

Is this what should be expected from a boat advertised as "genuinely well looked after" and "meticulous care and attention"

Am I being too picky or expecting too much ?

Your advice please.
Click to expand...

I would say that this sounds like a famililar story.
If an owner is using the boat on a regular basis, most of these items would be fixed or not occur in the first place.

Many boats for sale have been "abandoned " by the owner and not maintained or kept in good condition. They have lost interest in the boat and just leave it to decay.

What sort of boat is it and what age?
 
I was gonna say I'd bea bit more worried about the amount of fuel that boat would use rather than a few bits not working.
Me, I'd keep looking.
 
Thank you to everyone for the advice. Don't think the petrol consumption will be such an issue as we are looking to mainly use the boat on the river with occasional trips out to sea. What I am taking from this is :- Get the vendor to sort the engine idle problem and the gearbox selection and use the other problems as a point for negotiation. If the vendor is not willing to contribute - walk away.
 
tonyone01 said:
What I am taking from this is :- Get the vendor to sort the engine idle problem and the gearbox selection and use the other problems as a point for negotiation. If the vendor is not willing to contribute - walk away.
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Well, yes, but only if you really, really want this particular boat. Even for the type of use you're talking about it's going ot shift a considerable amount of petrol, have you decided how you'll get gallons and gallons of fuel to the boat? Think long and hard before you buy it, it might look a bargain but petrol engined boats are comparatively cheap for a reason.

Good luck!
 
Philiz said:
Well, yes, but only if you really, really want this particular boat. Even for the type of use you're talking about it's going ot shift a considerable amount of petrol, have you decided how you'll get gallons and gallons of fuel to the boat? Think long and hard before you buy it, it might look a bargain but petrol engined boats are comparatively cheap for a reason.

Good luck!
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you'll spend your entire time wishing you had diesels. even on the river - there are VERY few places you can refuel other than tedious jerry can ferrying. and when you come to sell.....
 
Have to agree

blueglass said:
you'll spend your entire time wishing you had diesels. even on the river - there are VERY few places you can refuel other than tedious jerry can ferrying. and when you come to sell.....
Click to expand...

When we first started we had a single petrol on a 25ft Birchwood, fuel consumption was not an issue but filling up at the riverside was a little. We were lucky to have 2/3 petrol selling Marina's near where we moored and travelled on the thames. I think two of these have now stopped selling it all together. Carrying gerry cans of fuel from filling stations to the boat and then storing spares on board gave me cause for concern. Luckily or unluckily idiot here knackered a perfectly acceptable 30 year old engone by leaving the cooloing off :-) and despite lesrning a very expensive lesson I am glad we put in a new diesel engine. I never now worry about running out of fuel or walking to a filling station from the river.

Also had a friend who bought a Princess 30DS on twin petrols for the thames, the cost of servicing, fuel etc was huge compared to what we have now

Small single petrol for the river maybe, twins with an idle issue..not for me
 
please do consider the use you will put the boat to.
twin petrols will be very thirsty and if the cost doesnt concern you then actually getting the petrol to the boat will be a nightmare.
 
Along with many others I would think extremely carefully about taking on twin petrols. Appreciate they seem cheap to acquire vs diesel but the reasons should be becoming obvious. End of the day its your choice of course, but at least from this you'll hopefully make the right informed decision. Good luck with choosing.
 
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