Help, new boy needs basic advice

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Guest

Guest
Hi

Ive decided I want to buy a motor boat with the eventual aim of taking it aroung the Med. Ive looked around and I think I could live in a 30 ft boat. I can afford 25k.

Are boats like Pricess 32, Freeman 32, RLM 32 going to be properly sea worthy?

What considerations should I make when choosing such a boat?

Ive been sold the idea that twin diesels are the way to go, but whats the minimum power I should consider (as when Im on the move economy will be very important) ?

What exams will I need to pass to be able to take such a boat around the Med?

Any advice very gratefully received, please stop me making a big mistake by buying the wrong thing or even worse taking the wrong thing out to the sea.....

Cheers
 
G

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To get to the Med, you have three options: 1. Through the canals through France; 2. Around Brittany and down the Canal du Midi, exiting at the Etang de Sete; 3. Around Brittany, across Biscay, around Portugal and in at Gib.

1 or 2 is the best. For that you will need an International Certificate of Competence (ICC) with the Cevni rules that will allow you to go through the canals. I did an ICC a few years ago with Sealine on the Hamble - most useful 3 days I have ever spent on a boat. You will also need to do a VHF course - the new ones cover DSC as well in the one license.

You shouldn't have any problems with something like a Princess 32. Try http://www.boats-for-sale.com - I found a twin diesel 1978 one for £24,950 within seconds. You might want to spend, say 20k on the boat and another 5k getting it serviced, checked and update any essential navionics or equipment (e.g. calorifier). The survey should tell you if it is seaworthy. There is another one on the website which has twin Nissan 100hp diesels through Volvo sterndrives, which should be slow but sufficient to get you there (about 10 knots cruising, I should think). Remember that it is going to cost quite a bit in diesel to get there, so bigger engines may not be the most economical option. Also, mooring fees are pretty pricey down there (if you can get one).

I haven't actually gone to the Med yet, but have planned it fairly meticulously (?sp). Maybe someone down there can point you in the right direction to take when you actually get there, like Matt "How many letters can I get published this month?" Steadman (matts).
 
G

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Re: oh, truck it!

Agree with above (even the spelling looked fine!) but poss for this size of boat twill be much more effective (cost etc) to get the boat trucked down. Unless the whole idea is The Voyage rather than the Being In The Med.

Also, I will give up on the letter writing for a bit. Good laugh tho eh?
 

hlb

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Re: oh, truck it! Or forget it!!

Not to want to put too much of a damper on things.
What your looking at is a bit too small and oldish for taking anywhere other than a nice canal round Birmingham.
Sorry just had to be honest.

Haydn
 
G

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Re: oh, truck it! Or forget it!!

Haydn, any reasons ?

Is this Gin Palace snobbery or is my proposition poorly thought out? Does anyone think that its not possible to do this for under 25K, if so how high do I have to go?

The distance isnt an issue, getting there would be half the fun, What I really need to know is if I buy a boat for £25K is it going to be up to the job.

More help please
 
G

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Re: is jason +25k up to the job?

I would have thought so -eventually. Haydn (and I and lots of others) get ain the boat now and again after hurling qtys of cash at engines and maint and lots of other stuff. Also, we're married so our boats cost loads more in carpet, toilets, en-suite toilets, ensuitetoilets working while the other one is being used, showers, microwaves, televisions, matresses, seat cleaning, hoovers, smells, sugar containers, plates for biscuits, nice looking kettles, and such and such.

Whereas you can be a touch more chancy. You could get a nice searay 290 or a princess maybe, and a sleeping bag, and nip down. If you have 25k and "that's it" then you should only spend 20 k on the boat, leaving 5k spare for stuff that breaks.

Seruiously, for the trip you'll need two diesel engines, a working depth gauge, a handheld gps, a liferaft and jacket, a portable vhf and prefarably an autopilot (otherwise you have to steer the wheel all the way). All of these things have to work reliably. The bog, cooker, tele, carpet, cleanliness and all the rest is just rubbish. Anyway it sounds jolly fun. Can I come?
 
G

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Re: is jason +25k up to the job?

Thanks for the positive replies, I can afford more money but another 10K or so doesnt seem to get me much more. And if its all down to looks and quality of fit, im sure I can find a Priceess that will be pleasant enough. If a Princess 32 can cut it across the channel and pootle around the med great. Ive taken the twin diesel thing into consieration, and as for eltronic kit I'll buy the lot eventually.

If anyone thinks a Pricess/Senior 32 is not capable of doing this, please reply. Cheers
 

byron

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Re: is jason +25k up to the job?

Jason, it isn't snobbery, some of the richest people in the boating world have very modest boats. the late Lord Goring had a 20' cruiser with an old Johnson on the back. Capt. O'Neil had a Freeman 22 as did Ernie Wise. Never make the mistake of judging someone by their boat. Many are strapped up to the nines and as a big broker once said to me they are all "kippers & curtains". Watch the boats come on the market when there's a recession and they can't make the H.P.
For 25k you will find something to play with, better yet you will own it. In my experience boat snobbery doesn't exist to any large extent boaters are boaters no matter what boat they got. Little boats Biggle boats its who's in 'em that counts assoles are two a penny in any walk of life.

©2001
 

markc

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Re: is jason +25k up to the job?

Jason, just take a look at all the ancient 25' fishing boats you see out at sea, all with single engines and in need of overhaul. Just make sure that you choose calmish conditions , make sure your engines are well serviced, have a full quota of spares on board and know what to do with them. Remember that if someone can row across the Pacific then a sound twin screw MY can coast hop to the med, even if it is 30 years old!

Mark
 

hlb

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Re: Ahh But

I was thinking of the wider isues.
An old fishing boat might do it but there built to industrial strength just like my machines at work that have been going round since 1964 with little or no maintainance.
Now Volvo and others build comercial engines and leasure engines. Ive replaced four gearboxes on my last two boats
dont forget. The last two at Four and a half grand each.
Through the canals is a posibility but round Biscay, its just not going to have the range and anyway alot of the 25 grand is going to go in fuel and mooring alone.
I just dont want the bugger to bancrupt himself or drown in
the process.
Now a sailing boat would do it no problem and much cheaper.
Quicker too cos it can go straight across and not keep having to go round the edges looking for fuel.
I came across a bloke in Weymouth with a 20 foot boat
thats sailed half way round the world umpteen times .
The boat might have been small but it was built for the job and not for the Leeds, Liverpool canal.

Haydn
 
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Re: Ahh But

I don't know enough about a Princess 32' but I have a Coronet 32' [1973 vintage] and I would feel happy in most conditions as she is a superb seaboat, in fact most reports state that the boat will take far more than the crew!? Learning how to steer a boat through big waves will make a great difference! I know reality is that we all seem to throw money at our boats but it doesn't mean that's a pre-condition!

From what I have heard the Med is pretty calm anyway with no tide to interract with the wind. I accept that there are occasions when storms blow up and as long as you listen to weather reports and read the clouds, barometer, etc then you shouldn't get caught out? As for crossing Biscay - well, not many [in motor boats] would probably undertake that and anyway it's far more boring than hugging the coast and popping in to the ports and there is a canal which [sort of] runs parallel to the Pyranees, exits into the Med and cuts Spain out if you want? If you have the time to do this then use the time and enjoy the voyage to the full! I had wondered about fitting skegs to mine for the canal voyage as planing hulls are a bit skittish in winds at low speed and it may make all the lock work a bit less stressful?

Another point I will bring to your attention is Air Draft! My Coronet [a sort of flybridge] is about 30 cm too high to clear some of the bridges on some of the French canals so get as much info as you can on the subject and a lot of boat magazines have done good articles on the French canals over recent years and plan your route! I am planing to do all this in my 32' in the not too distant future!
 
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Re: so there

A 32 footer at sea with no problems. But I don't fancy the canals much, having seen severely dented metal boats in Lyons, amazing river currents etc. Much nicer to trot round the outside surely?

I feel sure that the weather forecasts in channel , biscay and such are much more predictable than in the med. The med has local "sea breezes" which in reality can blow 6 or 7. Gulf of Lyons is the ratbag where a force 8 can arrive out of calm conditions in 20 mins, no forecast or anything.
 

hlb

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But Matt!!

The questions have been asked many times and I've never
seen the answer. And not wishing to buy all the charts and stuff for the sake of argument.
Are there good harbours with say max distance 100 miles.
All the way round Biscay. I thought there were bits with not much harbours for a few hundred miles.

Haydn
 

suzanne

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Re: Basic Answer

A straight answer to your original question is yes any of the boats you mentioned are sea and canal worthy. Know someone who had a Princess 32 and went to France, Belgium and Holland and up the canals. In 1990 we had a Freeman 30 and went accross with to Dunkirk on that trip and had many holidays on the French canals and Belgian. In regards to money you'll pay what ever someones asking for it that may be a fair price, an overprice or if your fortunate an underprice, also at the end of the day you'll spend and pay out what you can afford, when its gone its gone! Good Luck!

Suzanne xXx
 
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Re: Strange Ways in Manchester

No, they have harbours in France too. Lots of them. Of course, they all wear onions around their necks and talk laike zees. There are lots of places for fuel, requiring a range of 100miles includng safety.

Closer to home, you may have noticed that there are a few ports nearer Altrincham than er Plymouth, although I admit not many much nicer. Mind you, most towns nearer Plymouth might be nicer than the Big Rain.
 
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Re: Phwoar Suzanne

So, when it's broken it's broken, when the money's gone it's gone, when you fall overboard that's that. Are you sure that it's a bloke in a yellow shirt? or is it a banana?
 
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