Deposit paid - on my way to the survey

scubaman

scubaman

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First off, please note that the survey took place a week ago. After the things went the way they did, I didn't get around posting these. But then I thought these might serve as a reminder that surveys don't always go the way you hoped they would. It'll also serve as a background for my future posts regarding my boat searching saga...
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Hi All,

I'm typing this on an airplane on my way to Spain to attend a survey on a boat we've paid a deposit on. By the time I get a change to post this the sea trial is probably already done and I have some details, but more on that as things develop.

Long story short: my brother and I have been searching for a boat (a three cabin 45 -50 feet flybridge) for quite a while now and I've almost lost count on the number of boats we've seen. The old saying about boat purchasing being a compromise has been proved right once again, in fact so much so that we failed to find our perfect boat. This, coupled with some domestic pressures from my brothers side, forced us to re-evaluate our position and the sensibility of investing a lot of money into a hobby we can only enjoy max. 5 - 6 months a year. So it was back to the excel sheets to carefully analyze our situation…

And now before you think "Chr1st, yes, but buying a boat is never sensible", wait a mo.

On a holiday in southern Spain in October I saw a beautiful semi-displacement boat that had a few issues but I instantly fell in love with the style and space which seemed perfect for boating with small kids. Further, the trawler-type would suit perfectly our waters which are narrow at many places and littered with small dories/ dinghies in the summer. On a planing boat this would mean constantly going on and off the plane, a bit tiresome on a 50-footer.

I shot a video of the boat which I then showed to my brother and she has been lurking on the backs of our minds ever since. However, at the time we we're focused on finding a planing boat.

So after our re-evaluation we decided to carefully ditch the excels and put in an offer we thought reflected her condition. After a few rounds of haggling, we've now paid a deposit on her :) :) :)

We have a long list of upgrades planned, but first we need to establish that the fundaments are in order. For that purpose I've requested a UK based surveyor, who reportedly knows these boats very well, to conduct a thorough survey which I'm now flying over to attend.

As said, I'm aware of few issues that need a careful looking into, so I'm fully prepared to walk away should something nasty turn up. At the same time I'm very excited!

I'll post more details as things develop.
 
Dear All,

I'm typing this on an airplane on my way back from the survey. I didn't get around to posting my message above while I was there, as things got a bit hectic…

The very issues I mentioned earlier turned out to be of 'the worst case scenario' -severity. Quite a bit of O of various stages in the hull, water ingress in the cored decks -types of things. :(

I know these can be fixed (and osmosis even expected) but as much as I liked the boat, I feel very hesitant to take on the project. Including the list of upgrades we had planned, the overall cost starts to climb pretty high and pouring money into a 20 year old boat is only going to increase it's value that much.

So, it's time to walk away and carry on… Back to the excel-sheets, I guess :):(

BTW, Jim Pritchard did the survey on the boat and he did an absolutely fantastic job. I was very impressed with both his experience and his very professional attitude and way of working. I would highly recommend him to anybody purchasing a boat.
 
BACK TO PRESENT DAY...

My brother has now decided to focus his attention to other matters, so I'm looking for a boat on my own. This obviously means a lower budget (150 - 200 k£ all in) to start with.

What I'm looking for is a 40 feet flybridge planing hull cruiser (actually a a SD or D would do nicely, but I haven't managed to find suitable candidates.

I've already made some enquiries regarding potential boats and highest on my list are a slightly older Fairline Phantom 43 and a slightly newer Sealine F42/5. I would really fancy a Princess 42, but those are above my current budget...

I like the looks and substance of the Phantom but I only have one slight worry I was hoping to get your views on.

These boats have TAMD74's or TAMD75's. After googling this forum, I've found several references suggesting a bit of soot being a feature. I have no problems with minor mopping after a run but I also plan to keep a dinghy on the bathing platform.

Would keeping the boat covered be enough to keep the boat clean or is the black stuff likely to find it's way under the covers?

The Sealine has D-series Volvos and I suppose this wouldn't be an issue. It would also be great for family boating.
 
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BartW said:
scubaman, do you mind telling us what the first boat was ?
a 20yo "trawler type" flybridge,
very intriguing !
Click to expand...

It was a Fleming 53. I Did like that boat (sigh).

I was a bit hesitant to reveal the boat in question but I was now told it had been sold as a "trade sale". So will probably turn up at some point refitted. She'll make a fine ship for someone.
 
scubaman said:
It was a Fleming 53. I Did like that boat.
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waw,
yes I can understand that you liked that boat, so would I !
I assume Flemings are very rare in Europe,
haven't you considered other boats in that segment,
such as Grand Banks, Defever, Selene, Hatteras ?

there is a very nice Hatteras 56 (Belgium flag lying in France) for sale for a long time, if you like I'll find her.

and as you don't mind SD speeds in your cruising area, why did you give up looking for a boat with such a Character ?
 
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BartW said:
waw,
yes I can understand that you liked that boat, so would I !
I assume Flemings are very rare in Europe,
haven't you considered other boats in that segment,
such as Grand Banks, Defever, Selene, Hatteras ?

there is a very nice Hatteras (Belgium flag lying in France) for sale for a long time, if you like I'll find her.

and as you don't mind D or SD speeds in your cruising area, why did you give up looking for a boat with such a Character ?
Click to expand...

I'm actually browsing Berthon site right now, so haven't given up. Just running out of ideas.

Very few grand banks's fit the new budget and on the other hand staying with a main stream manufacturer is a safe choice (if less exciting...)
 
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have you looked on

mondialbroker.com

and

Cosasdebarcos.com

these are my used boat catalogs :)
many Hatteras and Grand banks on the market.
 
scubaman said:
BTW, Jim Pritchard did the survey on the boat and he did an absolutely fantastic job.
I was very impressed with both his experience and his very professional attitude and way of working.
I would highly recommend him to anybody purchasing a boat.
Click to expand...
+1.
I had the pleasure to assist him in the survey of a boat, and I can confirm everything you're saying.
It was also a nice opportunity to learn from him. The guy knows a thing or three about boat building!

That aside, all the very best for your search!
...but now that you spilled the beans, be aware that we'll expect regular updates on what you're looking at.
You know, if there's one thing which is even better than looking for a boat, that's giving suggestions to someone else about that, without having to spend anything in the process! :D
 
How are you getting on scubaman, still browsing the net for a nice old trawler, or playing save and selecting a popular standard brit build ?
 
MapisM said:
+1.
I had the pleasure to assist him in the survey of a boat, and I can confirm everything you're saying.
It was also a nice opportunity to learn from him. The guy knows a thing or three about boat building!

.....
Click to expand...

I have 5 survey reports on my boat from Jim Pritchard, last owner had him survey the boat every year and any issue was booked into HYS to be put right.... very thorough surveys! My guess is last owner and Jim knew each other..
 
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volvopaul said:
Scubaman, it was good to speak to you yesterday, im curious though where did you get my number from?
Click to expand...

Hi Paul,

And you. A bit of googling brought up a long list of positive references to your work and a few had posted your number as well :-)

Eg. here http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=253668

Thanks again for you help. It looks like yours will be there for you a bit longer ;-)
 
BartW said:
How are you getting on scubaman, still browsing the net for a nice old trawler, or playing save and selecting a popular standard brit build ?
Click to expand...

Funnily enough, there is a 1991 grand banks 42 for sale in the neighbouring shed we used to keep our boat in. Drove down to have a look on thursday, but as nice a boat as it was, the owner and I had just too different views on her value. He has had it for 11 years and is still in love with the boat, so little room for negotiation.

So, with the spring is approaching fast, I've decided to take the main stream route and am about to put down a deposit on a 10-year old brit flybridge. More details will follow when things progress.
 
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