im a total newbie

[matt8hill]

hi, my names matthew and I have been offered a team picton motor boat for £125 with trailer the boat itself has no seats no wiring and the axel is broke on the trailer is this worth it? its also been standing say a year. I am a complete newbie when it come to owning a boat, but I have always wanted to own a boat. so I would like to know what you need to sail on sea and rivers what regs their are and what u need to do to get the boat ready to go on these waters. need to know whether its worth investing time and money into getting the boat ready.

any help on this subject would be gratefully received.

thanks for reading.

 

[lionelz]

Welcome. I have no idea but your first post can take time to co e through, welcome to the form, only thing I would say with owning a boat if you think it will cost 1000 then it will cost 1300. But enjoy every penny

 

[rafiki_]

If the hull is savageable I would offer £100. There will be a huge amount of work for you, but if you are not afraid of this, then go for it. When you say the trailer axle is broken, do you know what is broken? What about brakes? These are the things that fail first, due to salt water.

 

[CLB]

I would say the package you are looking at is pretty much worthless. In fact from the sounds f it you are doing the owner a favour taking it away. As a project it will cost more to put on the water than you could probably buy something that is ready to go for. If you want to do t for the fun of doing it, go for it. If you want to get boating sooner rather than later, buy a ready to go package.

 

[Hugh Foulis]

I would say the package you are looking at is pretty much worthless. In fact from the sounds f it you are doing the owner a favour taking it away. As a project it will cost more to put on the water than you could probably buy something that is ready to go for. If you want to do t for the fun of doing it, go for it. If you want to get boating sooner rather than later, buy a ready to go package.

+1

In fact run away in the opposite direction, that will save you not just £125 but £1000's and all the sleepless nights worrying and all the time polishing, cleaning, fixing and did I mention £1000's and hours spent trawling through books, magazines and chandlers buying "stuff".

Do something cheaper and less addictive - crack cocaine or heroin for instance. Oh, I know, people say they are taking up boating but its not serious and they can handle it and stop any time they wanted to, but its not long before you are in a fuddled haze wondering which anchor might be best or trying to decide between outdrives and shafts, single or twin and before you know it, it has taken all of your money, all of your time and you spend all day every day wondering how quickly you can get your next fix. Project mobos on a trailer which seem very cheap are what boat support workers call "soft gateway boats" but they all know that this only leads to a cuddy with an outboard, then twin shaft drives and from there, there is no going back you are a hardend boater with no way out.

Just read on here the mindless ramblings of those that are already trapped, I know they try and put a brave face on it all but just remember once boating has you in its clutches, your life will never be the same again.

On the other hand, its bl00dy good fun.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Is right. But who ever bought a boat with their head.

 

[oldgit]

Only a year...H,mm !!!

More probably a decade.
Go into it with your eyes wide open.
The world is full of back gardens and hardstandings full of scrap in the vague shape of a boat usually hidden away under a rotting polythene or canvas tarpulin.The trailer will be the first hidden trap for the unwary,Unless galvanised it will corrode from the inside and beware neglected wheel bearings and axle and tyres.
Usually the interiors when new give bad name to shoddy and will need sorting,the steering gear needs to be at least present and capable of movement.
The Picton,possibly a 150 GTS ? was the say the least lightly constructed and needs to be checked for cracks and damage,the metallic paint is very unlikely to have withstood the ravages of time either.
Then we get to finding an engine.The boat normally came as package with a weedy 40hp Suzuki engine adequate,but barely able to push the boat along.
You really needed 65Hp and then you are into the more expensive land of trim and tilt.
Some where out there hopefully in a nice dry garage is your boat, find a half decent one to give yourself a fighting chance.
Loads always on ebay under boat projects.

 

[kennyh]

My first boat was a real "project boat". 14ft speedboat of some indeterminate age - with an ancient Mercury engine that eventually blew up on me and left me having to paddle 2 miles to the shore (on a lake so not fatal).

I spent a LOT of hours fixing the boat and it spent months in a garage being refitted.

The trailer it came on lasted one journey (and then it went off to the scrap heap.

If you are good with your hands, enjoy learning new skills (including mechanics and electrical work) and have access to a wide range of tools, then it can be an "interesting" way to start.

From an economics perspective, although it may cost a LOT more to fix than the original £125 price tag says, if you are in no rush to get it on the water, then you can do the refit as you get paid (I'm assuming you have a job).

But, if your primary objective is to get a boat on the water quickly (one that is safe, sturdy and will not have components that fail on each outing), then spending more on a newer boat in good condition with engine and trailer is the way to go.

 

[BruceK]

I would say a boat project should only be undertaken if you are already familiar with boats and the sea (presuming that is where you will be using it). The obvious one being you may find you hate it and chunk your guts a lot, the less obvious being what to look out for, what to repair etc without going OTT or leaving yourself exposed. What is the condition of the transom, stringers, deck etc. Get into boating by all means but get a boat you can trust and trust to sell on without a huge financial loss which resto's really are. Cheap fixer uppers are rarer than rocking horse poo. Know this much at least, your first boat is very rarely one you keep long, but is the one that you cut your teeth on in terms of deciding which boat is the right one for you.

 

[matt8hill]

Ummm.. ? I guess it's a no. Thanks for your advice. If I was to get one that is good, good trailer. What are the regs to lunch it on sea and river? What u need to get and a cheap start up boat for it?

 

[matt8hill]

Lol that's funny l???

 

[matt8hill]

Hi do you know anything about the regs of owning a boat or lurching it in the sea, as I interested. I don't think I will be perchesing this one thou lol

 

[CLB]

What sort of boat are you after? Are you particularly looking for a 'speed boat' style?

There are plenty of small cheap boats out there that can be used with minimal, or even no, work. Trouble is you are not going to get something usable for a couple of hundred quid.

Another way to answer the question, what are you planning to do with it?
Watersports, if so, what ones?
fishing, if so how many people?
cruising, if so whereabouts and how far?

Of course the bottom like is: How much do you want to spend?

 

[matt8hill]

I want to use it for fishing, sea and river there 3 to 4 people. Have you got any names of good boats or any info on motors, so on. And laws covering it

 

[Murv]

Warrier 175 will fish 4 fairly comfortably, assuming you want a fast-fisher type boat http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/Fishing-Boats-for-sale/warrior-175/120609#mDL1GpbcyR6zRp6Q.97
There are no regulations in the UK to use a boat at sea, you can just rock up and go.
Only requirement is for a VHF license and operators certificate, but you don't even need a VHF.

OF course what you need and what you should have are very different things! The sea is a big, scary place and lots can go wrong.
Probably worth you heading over to the WSF forum, they have a boat owners section there which is far more geared up to the small boat angler. Lots of threads and advice there that should give you an idea of what's involved.
Good luck!

 

[BruceK]

You are not really on the best forum to get a deep dive into that. Best advice I can give you is go down to the local boat fishing club and view / talk. As an opinion I'd say look for a 17-18 foot boat. Warrior or Wilson Flyer, Seahog, there's a whole genre out there that are good boats, pick a preference. 70 -90 hp engine and a starter budget of 6-7k. Tack on another 2 grand on saftey equipment and electronics if not present. Get yourself on a RYA course PB2 or equivalent and a VHF SR course.

http://www.findafishingboat.com/
http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/forums/boat-owning-equipment-and-maintenance.77/
http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/

 

[CLB]

I want to use it for fishing, sea and river there 3 to 4 people. Have you got any names of good boats or any info on motors, so on. And laws covering it

Ok, but budget is still a big question mark. You could buy a brand new Warrior or Orkney for around £20k but that's no good if you only have £1k. In the case of the latter, perhaps have a look at something like a Dijon 14 or a Mayland 14 or 16. The digital boat mag did up an old Mayland last year for just over £1k so it is possible, although lots of DIY involved before getting on the water at this price.

I think if I wanted to go out with 4 people I would be looking at 20ft minimum.

On rivers you will need a waterways license for the boat. Wherever you go you will require insurance, third party at least. At sea I would suggest having a VHF radio and the right paperwork to use it. You will also need safety kit such as a lifejacket for everyone on board and maybe some flares. I would also recommend an anchor, although for fishing this is probably a standard requirement.

 

[gjgm]

hi, my names matthew and I have been offered a team picton motor boat for £125 with trailer the boat itself has no seats no wiring and the axel is broke on the trailer is this worth it? its also been standing say a year. I am a complete newbie when it come to owning a boat, but I have always wanted to own a boat. so I would like to know what you need to sail on sea and rivers what regs their are and what u need to do to get the boat ready to go on these waters. need to know whether its worth investing time and money into getting the boat ready.

any help on this subject would be gratefully received.

thanks for reading.

A decent secondhand trailer for 17ft boat will probably sell for about £1k. A decent 60hp outboard, maybe £1.25-2.5k. Then add a boat ! Clearly a £125 is going to be scrap, I am afraid !
Have a look through boatsandoutboards.co.uk and see what a simple package costs ( and I don't mean to assume there are no duds advertised there too!)
So, you will need quite a few several thousand to get started, I would suggest, and quite alot each year to run it, and in all probability the cheaper your purchase, the more you will then have to spend as it blows up,breaks,sinks etc
If you just want to get on the water, have a look at small inflatable packages such as Honwave with a small engine; you might manage a second hand package for £1k+; pack it into back of the car and pump it up at the beach or river.

 

[Bazzer]

+1

In fact run away in the opposite direction, that will save you not just £125 but £1000's and all the sleepless nights worrying and all the time polishing, cleaning, fixing and did I mention £1000's and hours spent trawling through books, magazines and chandlers buying "stuff".

Do something cheaper and less addictive - crack cocaine or heroin for instance. Oh, I know, people say they are taking up boating but its not serious and they can handle it and stop any time they wanted to, but its not long before you are in a fuddled haze wondering which anchor might be best or trying to decide between outdrives and shafts, single or twin and before you know it, it has taken all of your money, all of your time and you spend all day every day wondering how quickly you can get your next fix. Project mobos on a trailer which seem very cheap are what boat support workers call "soft gateway boats" but they all know that this only leads to a cuddy with an outboard, then twin shaft drives and from there, there is no going back you are a hardend boater with no way out.

Just read on here the mindless ramblings of those that are already trapped, I know they try and put a brave face on it all but just remember once boating has you in its clutches, your life will never be the same again.

On the other hand, its bl00dy good fun.

BOAT is acronym for "bring out another thousand" but hey so much fun to be had.

 

[Spi D]

As mentioned among all the other good info, focus on your budget. Two parts: Investment and operation.

Only then will you be able set the frames for search/look and viewing. If you find something that 'just need at bit of cleanng and TLC' give some thought to why the seller did not already do this to improve value? Right, more than often needed work is not 'just..'

Within your budget you also need to keep an eye on ROI - the thing really should achieve a value that reflects what you put into it (value in this context being monetary or life quality )

Finally make an estimate of time vs. cost. Would you gladly work on it for years before being able to use it - or rather pay more to get something ready to go?