First time boat buyer, a few questions, if I may...

[ZebraSmasher]

Hello!

I've been lurking for a while, and doing as much research as I possibly can, but I thought I'd get some expert opinion before buying anything or progressing any further into boat ownership!

I've had my eye on a few boats but crossed them off my list thanks to words of wisdom found on here (specifically engines to avoid).

Anyway, I've found a couple of nice boats (Sealine 215 and a Pace Reflection 23) with petrol stern drives. I had a look yesterday and the boats look great, just perfect for myself and my sister/nephew/friends to enjoy a cruise up and down the Trent (and maybe beyond).

Diesel appears to be preferred on here, and I've seen many people advise against stern drives. Are these boats worth considering at all, or should I walk away and keep searching? They are comfortably within budget and appear in good condition internally.

Thanks!

 

[Momac]

Sterndrives need to be serviced regularly eg every two years. So some evidence when the sterndrive was last serviced might influence your choice among available boats.
I haven't had any major cost issues with sterndrives despite having boats with them since 2008 but maybe I have just been lucky.

I think it was agreed on a recent thread that petrol is okay if you are not going too far.

 

[madabouttheboat]

Sterndrives need to be serviced regularly eg every two years. So some evidence when the sterndrive was last serviced might influence your choice among available boats.
I haven't had any major cost issues with sterndrives despite having boats with them since 2008 but maybe I have just been lucky.

I think it was agreed on a recent thread that petrol is okay if you are not going too far.

i've been a sterndrive owner for around 25 years and have had no serious issues to date. So I agree with the above, although I would, and Volvo recommend, a service every year. Bellows every two, but an oil change and anodes every year. Biggest issue with petrol is availability on the water. It soon gets tiresome to fill a boat with jerry cans. If you can get it on the water then its ok, providing you can put up with the extra cost (much less efficient than diesel and more expensive per litre to buy), the inherent unreliability of old petrol engines in boats, and the increased risk of fire/explosion. (its rare but its a real risk that can be managed if you fully understand the dangers)

 

[Greg2]

Sterndrives can be fine as long as serviced and looked after but even then don’t be surprised by a curveball and finding that the oil in the leg is emulsified despite fastidious maintenance (been there and got the T-shirt). On inland waterways fishing line getting wrapped around the shaft and damaging the seal is sometimes a thing. On some boats they are the only option and on smaller baits they help with accommodation because the engines are at the back of the boat. I would own another with sterndrives if the boat suited (we have owned three with drives).

You will have read the pros and cons of petrol boats in get of fuel consumption, range how quiet they are. When it comes to safety I think there is an important distinction. A petrol outboard with the fuel tank stored on deck or in a vented locker is likely pretty safe. A petrol inboard engine with inboard fuel tanks carries inherent risk so good ventilation and extractor fans to run for five minutes before starting up are essential. People run them year in year out with sensible precautions so ultimatley it is a matter of personal choice.

On the two boats, Sealine are a well known marque but Pace less so. This might be a considering when thinking about re-sale but if the Pace sells in your market then all good.
.

 

[kashurst]

You can buy petrol at Farndon Marina on the river Trent. After that I think the next marina with petrol is Naburn Marina on the river Ouse close to York.
I don't think Hull or Grimsby sell petrol. That effectively limits your cruising range - to a point!
Everyone thinks when they get a boat they will soon be zooming off to France in it or going around the UK. The reality is those trips are possible but would be difficult with petrol engines and expensive in fuel. With a diesel engined boat the limiting factor then is time and timing. Taking a boat out to sea requires suitable weather windows. Around the UK that can get irritating. It's one reason why UK boaters go to the Med.

It is actually a lot easier and cheaper to put the boat on a trailer/truck and take it by road to a different cruising area. In the past I have done the Ouse, Trent, North Wales, East Coast and one of the best UK cruising areas the West Coast of Scotland. Few sea side marinas sell petrol in the UK. Fortunately Largs Marina on the Clyde Estuary sell it. (last time I checked)

Petrol engined boats carry risks because of the volatility of the petrol so, if/when you go looking at boats make sure there are no petrol pongs!
Diesel engined boats always have a bit of a diesel wiff in the engine bay but it doesn't matter as long as it's not a proper leak. Its usually caused by minor spills from changing filters etc.

There are zillions of petrol powered boats all over the world so don't let petrol risk put you off. It's like everything, pay attention and all will be well. There is an old saying "sailing is very safe, as long as you never forget it's actually quite dangerous" and that applies to all boats.
With boats good servicing is everything, so look for evidence of regular maintenance. DIY is fine as long as there is some sort of record or receipts for parts. One of the things to look for - especially on an older boat is the condition of the engine bay. If it is pretty clean, tidy and doesn't pong that's a good sign. Wet, smelly with oil swilling about the bilges is a bad sign.

 

[ZebraSmasher]

@Momac, @madabout, @Greg2

Many thanks for the comments. I think that's made my life it a bit easier. I don't know anything about Pace boats, I've never seen them for sale before, so I'm not sure how well they sell here (in the Midlands). The Reflection 23 was a bit bigger and newer than the Sealine, so all things being equal I'd pick that.

I'll certainly ask about service history.

 

[onemanorthree]

From a guy who bought his first boat 3 years ago (I now have 3!!), a sterndrive. My sterndirve is a 3ltr Mercurser Gen II petrol.


Like guys above say, service each year, I do my own and it's all fairly easy. Make sure if you're over wintering, that you do that correctly. If you have it in salt water, it will age much more than in fresh imo. I have a boat on a lake for the same time and the one in the sea takes a lot more looking after.

The main issue I have with my engine is the access. The area around the engine in very tight, so fixing any tricky issues, one issue I had to take the engine out to fix.
It was basically that the nuts to the starter motor broke in the engine, so I had to remove the engine for access. Event small stuff like taking the syphon out of the petrol tank for cleaning can be an arse from an access POV, and so a lot more tools are needed.

I'm in Ireland, and one of the huge issues we have here is the dearth inboard/sterndrive mechanics. About 90% of the marine mechanics who will come out to your boat, won’t do inboards!

Overall I prefer the look of a sterndrive, think it makes the boat look better, but from an access POV, I prefer the outboard.

 

[ZebraSmasher]

You can buy petrol at Farndon Marina on the river Trent. After that I think the next marina with petrol is Naburn Marina on the river Ouse close to York.
I don't think Hull or Grimsby sell petrol. That effectively limits your cruising range - to a point!
Everyone thinks when they get a boat they will soon be zooming off to France in it or going around the UK. The reality is those trips are possible but would be difficult with petrol engines and expensive in fuel. With a diesel engined boat the limiting factor then is time and timing. Taking a boat out to sea requires suitable weather windows. Around the UK that can get irritating. It's one reason why UK boaters go to the Med.

It is actually a lot easier and cheaper to put the boat on a trailer/truck and take it by road to a different cruising area. In the past I have done the Ouse, Trent, North Wales, East Coast and one of the best UK cruising areas the West Coast of Scotland. Few sea side marinas sell petrol in the UK. Fortunately Largs Marina on the Clyde Estuary sell it. (last time I checked)

Petrol engined boats carry risks because of the volatility of the petrol so, if/when you go looking at boats make sure there are no petrol pongs!
Diesel engined boats always have a bit of a diesel wiff in the engine bay but it doesn't matter as long as it's not a proper leak. Its usually caused by minor spills from changing filters etc.

There are zillions of petrol powered boats all over the world so don't let petrol risk put you off. It's like everything, pay attention and all will be well. There is an old saying "sailing is very safe, as long as you never forget it's actually quite dangerous" and that applies to all boats.
With boats good servicing is everything, so look for evidence of regular maintenance. DIY is fine as long as there is some sort of record or receipts for parts. One of the things to look for - especially on an older boat is the condition of the engine bay. If it is pretty clean, tidy and doesn't pong that's a good sign. Wet, smelly with oil swilling about the bilges is a bad sign.

I'm a mile or so from Farndon so that's good to know! I love the iea of jetting off around the country, but there's no way I'd even entertain it until I had a few years of experience behind me.

I didn't realise that petrol was so hard to come by. That's very interesting indeed!

 

[ZebraSmasher]

From a guy who bought his first boat 3 years ago (I now have 3!!), a sterndrive. My sterndirve is a 3ltr Mercurser Gen II petrol.


Like guys above say, service each year, I do my own and it's all fairly easy. Make sure if you're over wintering, that you do that correctly. If you have it in salt water, it will age much more than in fresh imo. I have a boat on a lake for the same time and the one in the sea takes a lot more looking after.

The main issue I have with my engine is the access. The area around the engine in very tight, so fixing any tricky issues, one issue I had to take the engine out to fix.
It was basically that the nuts to the starter motor broke in the engine, so I had to remove the engine for access. Event small stuff like taking the syphon out of the petrol tank for cleaning can be an arse from an access POV, and so a lot more tools are needed.

I'm in Ireland, and one of the huge issues we have here is the dearth inboard/sterndrive mechanics. About 90% of the marine mechanics who will come out to your boat, won’t do inboards!

Overall I prefer the look of a sterndrive, think it makes the boat look better, but from an access POV, I prefer the outboard.

Thank you! I'm not very mechanical so I'd have to rely on professionals or friends for servicing and anything more complicated that putting the fuel in!

"About 90% of the marine mechanics who will come out to your boat, won’t do inboards!"

Is that common outside of Ireland?! I hadn't even considered that.

 

[Momac]

Servicing is available at Farndon and Newark marinas.
I believe there is petrol at Burton Waters . You will almost certainly want to explore that way.

 

[simonfraser]

Thank you! I'm not very mechanical so I'd have to rely on professionals or friends for servicing and anything more complicated that putting the fuel in!

"About 90% of the marine mechanics who will come out to your boat, won’t do inboards!"

Is that common outside of Ireland?! I hadn't even considered that.

choose one with an outboard, easier access, so easier to find some one to service it
can lift it out of the water whilst the boat is afloat

 

[ZebraSmasher]

Servicing is available at Farndon and Newark marinas.
I believe there is petrol at Burton Waters . You will almost certainly want to explore that way.

Thanks. The lack of petrol options does bother me a bit. I didn't realise it was that bad.

 

[ZebraSmasher]

choose one with an outboard, easier access, so easier to find some one to service it
can lift it out of the water whilst the boat is afloat

That's a good idea. They don't seem as common in the ~15-20k price bracket as inboard though (at least I haven't noticed as many).

 

[Momac]

Thanks. The lack of petrol options does bother me a bit. I didn't realise it was that bad.

There are only limited opportunities for diesel also. With boats you do have to plan your passage even it its a quick check of the fuel gauges before the trip.

The Sealine you are looking at has 200 Litres fuel capacity according to the advert. Not sure how long that will run for exactly buts lets say 6 litres per hr at 5kts river speed that would get you 25 hrs running (125 miles) and still leave 50 litres in reserve if you start with a full tank. That's plenty on the speed restricted river .
If you want to get you to Hull which is around 90 miles you will not want to stick to 5kts when you get to the lower part of the Trent and the Humber. You can add fuel via the road fuel station at Gainsborough but lugging petrol in jerry cans is no fun. Again petrol at Hull is walk to the road fuel station which would not be fun.

 

[ZebraSmasher]

There are only limited opportunities for diesel also. With boats you do have to plan your passage even it its a quick check of the fuel gauges before the trip.

The Sealine you are looking at has 200 Litres fuel capacity according to the advert. Not sure how long that will run for exactly buts lets say 6 litres per hr at 5kts river speed that would get you 25 hrs running (125 miles) and still leave 50 litres in reserve if you start with a full tank. That's plenty on the speed restricted river .
If you want to get you to Hull which is around 90 miles you will not want to stick to 5kts when you get to the lower part of the Trent and the Humber. You can add fuel via the road fuel station at Gainsborough but lugging petrol in jerry cans is no fun. Again petrol at Hull is walk to the road fuel station which would not be fun.

Thanks. I thought (and I'm not sure why) that there would be more refuelling opportunities, But in the early days we'll be going a couple of miles up the river at most.

I thought the Volvo AQ211 was a bit thirstier than that, so that's reassuring. I wouldn't expect us to wander past Scunthorpe to the North (maybe even Lincoln) or Nottingham to the South during our first year. Though I think in the future I (and certainly my nephew) would like to adventure around the coast, but that will require our 2nd boat!

 

[Momac]

I thought the Volvo AQ211 was a bit thirstier than that, so that's reassuring.

That was my guess at fuel consumption.

 

[simonfraser]

looking at the mobos in the yard / moorings, i doubt many go on 'long' journeys so the petrol bit is manageble
maintenance is a bigger deal imo

 

[madabouttheboat]

The Sealine and the reflection are very different boats. If I had to go on a sea passage in one, I would not choose the Reflection.

 

[ZebraSmasher]

@Momac, thanks

@simonfraser, can you elaborate on the maintenance aspect? Is that petrol vs diesel or because of the stern drive? (or both!?)

@madabouttheboat, I very much doubt I'd be doing any sea journeys; to a beginner they seem very similar, what are the differences and would they matter to someone looking for bimble up and down the Trent?

Thanks to everyone that's been commenting. It's really appreciated, and is helping us pick the right boat. My sister and nephew have been following along too!

 

[madabouttheboat]

@Momac, thanks

@simonfraser, can you elaborate on the maintenance aspect? Is that petrol vs diesel or because of the stern drive? (or both!?)

@madabouttheboat, I very much doubt I'd be doing any sea journeys; to a beginner they seem very similar, what are the differences and would they matter to someone looking for bimble up and down the Trent?

Thanks to everyone that's been commenting. It's really appreciated, and is helping us pick the right boat. My sister and nephew have been following along too!

Absolutely fine for a bimble up the river. The differences are down to build quality and hull design. The Sealine will deliver a much better ride and will be more capable of dealing with less than perfect conditions.