Help and advice on buying my first motor boat

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Re: Milford Haven

Ok...pops head up above parapet

South wales is interesting! , lots of hard rocky bits and big tides and waves, BUT Milford Haven has about 20+ miles of sheltered water available when its blowing outside.
Yes, it does rain a fair bit but not always and there are some cracking beaches..... it's not the champagne cocktail/cote d'azure lifestyle tho.

£9k would get you a reasonable cuddy or shetland with a newish o/b which would be a reasonable introduction to boating, but dont expect to travel massive distances or spend anything other than days out.

Practical ability, as the learned tcm notes, this is mandatory. Checque book boating is not a lot of good when the engine stops when you are out on the water and the wind is rising! are you prepared to learn fast?
Otherwise agree totally with tcm.
 
Hi & welcome,

I used the 10K idea to get back into boating and it worked. You should be looking at a 4/5 year old quality 20/21ft Cuddy speedboat. You will need at least a 4.3l engine, maybe a 5.0litre. Any bigger is very expensive to run. Probably best to go for petrol as there is more choice in this type of boat and you probably will not do more than 50/75hrs a year in it.

First you need to decide on the layout. If you are in the Sea you need a good quality helmsman seat and secure cockpit area i.e. high sides with good protection from the windscreen. You then need to decide what the cuddy is for. If you want to sleep in it you need one with some decent sitting headroom. This means the boat will not look as sexy but will be practical. Other considerations are a porta -potti and an area where you can use a portable gas stove for brewing up/cooking.

Most of all you will need storage. You can use the cuddy but you will need some safety/wet weather equipment and this has to be stored. A little easy to get at storage is a lot better than a huge locker that you can not get too.

Also consider that you will need a decent camper canvas cover. This is the UK, it does rain a lot and the misses will soon get fed up if she is always cold and wet.

Ones to consider are Bayliner & Glastron (good Value for money), Four Winns, Chaparral, Maxxum and Mariah, (Better quality but more expensive) or a top spec boat like a Regal. There are also some good Fletchers around but build quality was suspect and they do not have the beam of an American boat. The good news is that because of the ban on speeding on Windermere there are a lot of good, low use, well looked after cuddies around (Mainly Bayliner). Most of these were kept dry stacked and have trailers with them.

The trailer is key! Do not buy a bad trailer with a good boat unless you can replace it. If the trailer does not work, the boat does not move. It must be braked and if you are launching a lot rollers are essential as it is easier than bunks (What the boat sits on). Either way learn how to change wheel bearings as this will happen to you at some stage.

Overall take your time. When you start looking you will soon notice that some boats are better designed to your needs than others and everyone has different needs. When you find a shortlist of designs you like then shop around. Check service history, damages to the hull gel coat, condition of seats and covers. Then you stand a chance of success.

Do not get too stressed though. Most people buy the ‘wrong’ boat; hopefully you will avoid some of the pitfalls.

If you could stretch your budget to 15K you will get a lot better boat, but that is always the case.

Good luck!

Paul
 
My first boat was 5k, You either love it and then move on or hate it and that is the end of it.


If you love you end up paying a lot more in the end, Purchase price as well as maintance.

tom
 
If you go down the rib route you could find yourself getting more "ning" for your £, but will want to shell out more on wet weather gear than you might on a sportsboat with cuddy, see also above re sleep ashore. A cuddy/cabin boat at least offers the prospect of a roof and loo if you picnic on the hook somewhere.

Oh, fuel £ goes up faster than speed!

Bowriders are, IMO, more suited to nice flat water and good warm weather or they end up sheeted over or half full of water.

Just to see an alternative, got to http://www.boats-for-sale.com/ and enter Hardy into the search, with your £9K limit. Not so quick as the sportsboat, but more sea kindly and can sleep 3 or 4 at a pinch.

Good luck.
 
I have recently gone through this. I looked at quite a few 17-21 ft Sports cuddys up to 15k. I settled on a slightly older boat at half that price, a Rinker v190. I bought this one because it just felt right, ticked more boxes than the rest, ie, was obviously well cared for, clean, not damp and mouldy in the cuddy, didn't have a full width sunbed over the engine (easier to fish as you can each stand in a corner without spreading fish guts over the sunbed) had high sides but with good access over the sides, deeper vee hull than the Bayliner type boats so better handling of weather/seas. It wasn't turquoise or some other very dated /vile colour. It came with a brand new braked trailer as the PO had his stolen. Clean looking Merc 4.3 and Alpha leg. I had a full mech survey done, which showed up a leaky seal in the leg which was replaced by the owner, plus a few other bits to the tune of 500 quid. At the same time I had a full engine service done as this was an older boat I though it wise (400 quid included new bellows an gimble bearing). The survey was 100 quid and the owner paid 500 in repairs, you can see that this pays for itself.

About another 1k in safety gear etc. etc. and I'm on the water in a safe reliable boat. You dont need to spend 25 grand to find out you're better off just sitting in the yacht club bar.

You could always join SeaStart if they operate in your area, which I imagine they do, they are the AA for the water.
 
Where do you plan on launching from?

As has been said, plenty of slipways around the Haven but other parts of the South Wales coast can be a bit sparse or very tide dependent or both.
 
Can't believe people are trying to put you off what was a perfectly sensible proposal - to spend £9k on a smallish trailerable boat for summer use for you and your family. You have recognised that a bit of training is in order, so it sounds a great idea to me and you should have loads of fun.
 
Many thanks to you all for the help and advice, particulary to BrendanS, jezbanks and Nautorius for their more structured approach on the help and advice theme.

I stated in my original message that I will complete a 2 day training course, and will become a sensible, safe, sea user. Inorder to get new boaters into the sport we all have to start somewhere, I'm looking for help and advice to get off to a safe start.

I know that it rains alot in South Wales, I know that the seas can often be rough, I know that I will need training. But I have not been discouraged by the more negative comments, I know that we will have a limited use of a trail boat on the South Wales coastline, but what are the training ground options - would a 40 footer in Marbella be the better option as a starter boat ? - I don't think so. - We all have to start somewhere, and a smaller 'starter' boat seems the more logical option to me.
 
I was thinking of Sully beach (nr Barry/Penarth) in the East, and Oxwich bay in the West.

Are you in Swansea marina? What boat do you have? What boats do you have experience on the water South Wales ?
 
Definately get a cuddy. A bow rider will be cold and wet in all but the sunniest calmest days.
 
Re: oh heck

I dont know why we dont do ribs here. Maybe it's cos it's a mobo site and ribs are sumate different. Maybe tenders, then OK. We dont do PCW's either, maybe for other reasons??

Shucklcock dont do fireballs or wayfarers do they. Does that answer your question!!
 
[ QUOTE ]

I have not been discouraged by the more negative comments, I know that we will have a limited use of a trail boat on the South Wales coastline, but what are the training ground options - would a 40 footer in Marbella be the better option as a starter boat ? - I don't think so. - We all have to start somewhere, and a smaller 'starter' boat seems the more logical option to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is just the right attitude to have. Learn the basics on a smaller boat and move up if the sport suits you. No point spending £000's on a cruiser if your family hate every moment on the water.

I hope you find the right boat and have a good couple of seasons of fun with your family. When I was growing up my dad always had boats and I really appreciated the time I spent on the water - it allowed me to get into boats alot earlier than I might have otherwise. I'm only 26, and feel I have alot of experience thanks to his love of the sea!

I have PM'd you some other helpful info you might find useful.
 
Hi, glad to see that the negative comments haven't put you off.
I started my adult boating career at about your age but with something that was rather less than £9k. It was a 15ft dinghy with a 10hp o/board on the back and cost nothing ,as the owner wanted to get rid of it. I had the engine serviced prior to taking the combi. to the sea and on my first trip down the estuary the engine seized - terminally /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Anyway, a number of years and boats later I've ended up with what is, for me, my perfect boat ( well almost - if only I could afford the next size up ) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif So, from small beginings, a lot of expense could ensue.
Enjoy yourselves and learn all you can in Milford Haven before you venture out to sea.
 
As your decision process continues, just keep coming back here and posting, there is a wealth of information and experience, and we can (collectively) give a great deal of help. Ask any questions you like, you might get a bit of banter, and no two forumites will ever agree on boat choice, but the responses will certainly help guide your decision
 
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