Boat purchase advice

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Louise Busby

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I'm looking to buy a boat to live and cruise in. I want to be able to go inland, as well as get across to Holland, but would like something quite compact that I can potentially manage by myself.
Of course I could buy a GRP or steel boat, but this classic cruiser seems to do everything I want, as well as looking gorgeous.
Any advice? and does the price look about right? I'm no expert on wooden boats but it seems well built and reasonably well maintained.
Be grateful for your views...
Seran Info
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I think its a good idea to ask yourself if you are the sort of person who would enjoy maintaining a classic wooden boat. It is a big commitment, but if you enjoy doing it I think many people would agree the satisfaction it gives is great.
I have no way of knowing what your level of practical experience is at the moment, skills can be learnt, only you can say if its for you.
If you do go for it, the very best of luck. I'm sure we would all like to hear how it goes.
 
Beware of buying a dream rather than the facts. Get a survey. Go & see & smell it. Give it a sea trial.

But above all, ask yourself what would I do if . . . . the engine failed, I found rot or nail sickness etc etc. Griif Rhys Jones boat was beautiful, but he had spent about twice what it was worth. Do you have £250K?

There is a view that you don't own a classic boat, it owns you & controls what you do with your life!
 
I agree with Searush............ when you have a wood boat you are a "Care Giver"

That said................ wouldn't she look good with new paint and varnish.
Now you know how I ended up with a wood boat! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Tom
 
Dont Let Them Put You Off! Have A Survey Done To Make Sure Its As Good As It Looks. The Great Thing With Twin Engines Is The Security They Give ie One Breaks Down You Can Just Go Home On The Other One. It Also With Practise Makes Them A Doddle To Steer! If Your Planing To Live On It You Want Something You Can Put Up With Looking At Every Day. Not A Lump Of Plastic!
 
You need expert advice before you fall more deeply in love with this old lady. (not difficult!) You say you are no expert on wooden boats, but if you buy this, you soon will be! The trouble is, that expertise does not come cheap, either in time or money.

She may be sound, or she may be a money pit whose size is only matched by the size of the hole she digs in your bank account!

Also, even if she is really in first class condition, you will spend a large part of your time working on her, rather than cruising around in her.

Wooden boats are strictly for enthusiasts who enjoy the boat building/maintenance aspect of ownership, and are not worried by having to take six months off the water to keep things sorted.

If thats you, then you will have a beautiful boat. But if you are not into spending several months hard labour each year on maintenance, then walk away - quick!

Paraphrasing Tom, above; "thats why I ended up WITHOUT a wooden boat"! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Louise - I forgot to mention... everyone knows wood looks better. But if you are living aboard, it has other very significant qualities: it is warmer (thermally) than GRP, making it a lot snugger in bad weather. It has better soundproofing qualities than GRP. And it is less prone to condensation than GRP. On a GRP boat I dare not close all the openings even on a cold night, as I wake up with walls wet with - well, breath basically. I agree entirely with every other post on this page I'm afraid, but I would add a couple of things: firstly, yes, wooden boats can be a money hole. But offset that against how comparatively cheap it was to buy in the first place compared to the GRP / steel one. Also, if you are going to be living on this boat, bear in mind that you would not live in a house made of poisonous resin and chooped up bits of glassfibre. You might happily live in a timber house however. Living on a boat (which I've never done) must be very different indeed to using one at weekends. It strengthens the wood argument, even though there is the undeniable maintenance / restoration issue.
 
Honest answer - based on the impression given by your posting alone - don't buy it. You will be entering quite a specialist and potentially a very expensive arena. At least be aware of this. OF
 
This has all been good advice although a little tongue in cheek!

Wood is easy to repair and in my opinion much easier to fix than GRP or steel but most "old" wood boats suffer from lack of care. there are some very good examples of well kept wood boats (I like to think mine is one) but they only become available on rare occasions or at a relatively high price. Bad ones can be found everywhere and are cheap. That said, wood is as stated a much better live aboard than plastic due to condensation.

Plastic and/or steel is not the panacea for a boat material, it was chosen to reduce the cost of building, something which in recent years has not been passed on the the end user.

If you really are looking for a wood boat give us a clue of how much you want to spend and the guys on here will probably find you something to consider.

You may be able to prise my baby from me, but, trust me.... she wont be cheap /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Tom
 
Pitch Pine and Teak on Oak are quite a good starting point.

Motor launches have to put up with a lot less stress and strain than sailing yachts so may tend to have less in the way of leaks etc. Has she been kept in fresh of sea water in recent times..sea (salt) water inhibites rot...likewise does the deck leak?..This is often where the trouble starts.

I would say that if the recent '5year refit /rebuild' appears to have been carried out well and is not just a case of 'it took a long time 'cause the owner didn't have any idea what he was doing' she may well be worth getting someone along to cast an experienced eye over her before you invest in a survey.

I agree with most of what has been said above..both pro and con. Its so like owning an old MGB...much more pride of ownership but much more work. If you havnt ever hung a shelf you really would find owning a boat like this a challenge! However if you sign up a few courses and are practical and happy to learn it could be really rewarding.

I think she is a nice looking boat.

Why don't you ask the forum if anyone based up that way would give up a couple of hours to look her over ??

All best and good luck,

Nick
 
Heres one for you, a bit less £s and in good nick.


IMG_3338.jpg
 
[ QUOTE ]
Heres one for you, a bit less £s and in good nick.


IMG_3338.jpg


[/ QUOTE ]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Probably excellent value, but not quite in the same league of "Gentlemans' Yacht" tho' is she?

Louise; Go and see it, you will always regret it if you don't. BUT do it with your eyes wide open. Don't wear perfume, take a deep breath as you enter the saloon. That should tell you a lot, especially if she has been closed up for a while. Be aware that seller may well ventilate & heat it carefully before you arrive & may not admit that he has done so.

Have a test drive, look in all the dark corners (take a headlamp). Ask why it's for sale (you probably won't get a truthfull answer, but watch their eyes!). If you still feel you MUST have it, all is lost, get a survey & use it to drive the price down. Budget for 25% of the price for essential repairs/ mods plus 15% PA for ongoing repairs. Figures are pure guesswork - but you know what I mean.
 
She looks lovely! Can’t see where the £250k figure comes from… If you’re prepared to commit the blood, sweat and tears there’s nothing like owning a wooden boat. Conversely if you don’t commit, it soon becomes a nightmare!

I’d say: ‘Buy the ticket, take the ride’ but that’s coming from an unfairly biased wooden boat owner, who some consider being not entirely sound of mind!
 
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif But it is wood, and you hav'nt seen the inside /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif and it's got Gray teak decks, /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Hiya Louise

Nice motor boat but the only think I might query is the amount of freeboard she has and if she can 'take the weather' of the north sea. Canoe stern is good.

Before you buy, see what charts are in the boat and that might give you a clue as to where she has sailed but as I said, make sure she is capable of going across the north sea.

I was with Trinity House Pilot Service out of Harwich and know that the north sea can and does get very, very lumpy at times! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I do appreciate that a 70 foot narrow boat 'can' be sailed across but . . . . . ? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
The £250k figure is an estimate of the amount Griff Rhys Jones paid to have his boat refurbished for him professionally. It is based on the "price of a small bungalow" comment and the probable value of his boat, based on the current sale price of the sister ship.

It is just an illustration of how much money a classic wooden boat can eat, if you are willing & able to feed it.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm looking to buy a boat to live and cruise in. I want to be able to go inland, as well as get across to Holland, but would like something quite compact that I can potentially manage by myself.
Of course I could buy a GRP or steel boat, but this classic cruiser seems to do everything I want, as well as looking gorgeous.
Any advice? and does the price look about right? I'm no expert on wooden boats but it seems well built and reasonably well maintained.
Be grateful for your views...
Seran Info
Seran Photos

[/ QUOTE ]

Suggest you buy KATE, may hav eto change your cruising locationand crew numbers.


“KATE” is definitely for sale.

http://www.1906-twelvemetre.com/#12Metre

“Kate” is a First Rule (1907) International Twelve Metre.

LOA 23.75 metres (tip of bowsprit to boom end).
LOD 18.40 metres.
LWL 12.00 metres.
Beam 3.45 metres.
Draft 2.30 metres.
Displacement 20 tonnes.
Sail area 250 square metres

Frames are laminated mahogany as is the centerline structure. Planking, screwed and glued to the frames is 35 mm Oregon pine, a 2mm veneer of Okoume covers the interior planking. Deck beams are laminated Oregon pine. Decks are two layers of 10mm Bruynzeel ply with a laid deck of Oregon pine of 4mm glued over. The spars are Sitka spruce, made hollow. Sails are cream Dacron by Gowen of West Mersea. The keel of 11.5 tonnes is lead with 18 bronze keel bolts. Rigging is by Spencer of Cowes using Sta-Lok terminals and rigging screws. Ten bronze, Meissner, self tailing winches handle halyards, runners and sheets. Bronze and steel hardware is by Classic Marine in Woodbridge.

There is no engine, no tanks and apart from a masthead tricolour, no electrics. Handheld GPS and VHF are on board. The boat is a symphony in simplicity.

Accommodation is traditional with two quarter berths aft, chart table on starboard, galley top on port, settee berths and pilot berths port and starboard in the saloon, marine head on starboard and vanity opposite on port by the mast with a double cabin forward. The anchor locker and stowage is forward of a watertight bulkhead. A small lazarette is between two watertight bulkheads aft of the tiller.

Actually Kate was always for sale, this is merely a formal notification.

PS If there are any parties on this forum that are interested in purchasing Kate please contact me.

PPS anyone got a few hundred thou (US$) that they could donate this way?
 
Do it. If everyone in the market for a wooden boat read this post before they considered buying one, none of us would have them!
 
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