Just about to buy my first boat - Urgent advice needed please

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craigdiver

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Hi,

Have went and seen a boat tonight, a 15ft dory (dory - funny hull shape i'm led to believe) with small cabin at front. It is advertised as a non-runner with electrical fault (20hp OB). It has all remotes, the engine turns freely. I believe him about the electrical fault as he has receipt for new coil which was fitted but still did not start. It is on a good road trailer. He is asking £850.

However, I have noticed a slight crack in the GRP hull about an inch long. How do you repair a hairline crack in a boats hull, and how successful can repairs be made?

How much is this small boat worth (looks quite old and had numerous coats of paint? Also how can I tell the overall condition of the hull if it is under quite a few coats of black matt paint (which I have been told is anti-foul paint?)

Any quick advice very much appreciated to let me make a decision on my first boat purchase.

PS Complete with anchor, fuel tank, lifejackets

Thanks in advance

CraigDiver
 
Remember, its a buyers market, take a deep breath and stand back.

If the engine isnt working with no clear way of fixing it, then its worth nowt.

The anti-fouling could be there for the correct purpose, but it could also be there to hide multiple problems with the hull. Single cracks are fairly easy to repair on a boat of this type, but unless you find the cause of the crack in the first place it could just reappear.

From you comments, the boat and engine are worthless. I would only make an offer on the value of the stuff that is usable about £150 ?

But remember the engine and boat could still cost £1000's to fix, even paying nothing for the rig could still be an expensive mistake.

My advice, IMHO, is to walk away and look for another. Theres loads of boats around and jumping at the first one you see could be a mistake.
 
Sounds like a heap of **** to me, ask him what he will pay for you to take the problems off his hands.
Engine Value - Nothing as it does not work.
Hull Value around £200-300 minus what it will take to fix
Is there a trailer? you need one
How clean is the fuel tank
Are the lifejackets safe?
Look on the internet, for that price you can get better one with a trailer.

More than anything is this boat really suitable to your needs, do not rush into your first boat prchace.
 
Thanks landlockedpirate (& jcmmarine), you have been very helpfull and full of advice, I do owe you a drink if we ever meet.

BUT, I am desperate and very impulsive to get my first boat, where would you reccommend I look for a boat, is it worth travelling hundreds of miles to get the right one (live in Fife, Scotland)

Regards

CraigDiver
 
Without a decent engine all your buying is a row boat. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
"Dory" Cathedral Hull type gadgies are a good stable hull.
Stable in the fact that they are good when stationary. Ie they don,t tilt when at anchor and when the "Crew" all stand sit on the same side.
Ok into the waves/sea but "bang "a bit into a head sea. Easily driven ie don't need a big engine to get them going.
Known as a "planing hull" in that they are happier on "top" of the water as opposed to sitting in the water. IE skimming along the sea. Hence the need for an engine that will have enough power to shove it along at 15 mph or more.
15 ft Dory will need a 30hp eng to perform properly with 2/3 peeps on board minimum. To make it "plane" ie skim. IMHO. What der wanna use it for and where?
The eng is the expensive bit. Hulls/boats can be bought quite cheap. Trailer is a big issue too.
Nice hull, nice trailer, nice eng. Is the package to go for.
3 Elements make for joyous boating. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
First boat I had was 16.5 ft Dory thingy with a little cabin on the front.
Decent trailer ,sound hull, proper Suzuki 65 hp eng. Had loads of fun with Her. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Lots of boats like you are thinking of for sale . look at "Boats and Outboards "for Sale/ mag Web.
Good luck Craig
 
At this time of year I dont think theres any hurry. To sevice an outboard can cost hundreds of pounds, let alone there being some thing wrong with it.

Be aware that the starting price for any boat is about ten grand and you dont get a superbe monster for 100 grand.

Parts are awfull expencive. You want a situation where the previous owner has spent the money, then parted with the boat at a loss. Not one that see's £££££££££££ looming and wants to get rid.
 
Its going to be difficult because a lot of boats are a lot further south than you.

Suggest you use this.

www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk
www.boatshop24.co.uk
www.boatshed.com
www.apolloduck.com

You can search by price. Search for boats up to 2k. The advert will tell you how long the boat has been advertised for (this gives you more leverage).

When you find a boat you like, email seller for more photos (be specific about what you want-under hull, inside cuddy, engine controls etc).

If it still looks Ok, nothing else for it but drive to see it, if you like it,take a fist full of cash and wave under sellers nose. You will be amazed how little people will take at this time of year.
 
I was also impatient to buy my first boat and ended up paying £1200 for a 16' fletcher with (which is what seduced me..!) a 125hp johnson o/b. It did run (sort of).
When sanity prevailed and I looked at the state of the engine (given that i wanted one that wouldn't break down every 30 minutes) I had to fork out another £3500 for a brand new 75hp mariner o/b.
Lesson learnt! You pay your money and you gets what you pay for.
 
Do not buy the first boat you see. You will soon learn that there are better ones about.
Even if the engine runs you may find that after 10 or 15 minutes problems show up.
Bill Higham is a respected Outboard dealer near Manchester and he told me he was getting low on secondhand stock so bought some motors from eBay adverts. Every single one had problems. Luckily he could strip them for spares, but you might not be so lucky. He couldn't sell them as he gives generous warranties.
Like buying and old Range Rover, the item may be cheap but the spares are full price.
Only consider a boat you can have a run on. An engine run for 5 minutes in a dustbin full of water only proves it starts and the gearbox works. You must run it under load for at least 10-15 minutes on the water.
Agree with the comments about the antifoul. If you buy a boat that's been dry-sailed. That is, kept on the trailer between outings, it's likely it wont have antifoul so you can see the hull easily.
My first boat was a Shetland Suntrip with a 65HP Evinrude on a good trailer. As has been said. Get a decent outfit and save a lot of heartache.
 
Walk away and look elsewhere, plenty ofothers that will have a working motor and be undamaged.

Don't buy someone elses crap, you'll live to regret it.
 
Would you buy a car that's a non-runner ?

Particularly if you are starting out, get one where you have had a chance to be shown that it all works, by asking for and getting a sea-trial.
 
Craig, buying a boat usually gets all emotional, and that very often can mean two things- wrong boat, big financial mistake. You are sensibly sticking to your budget;most of us are unfortunate enough to have to do the same. How ever excited you are, whatever you buy is going to be pretty much unused til April; the only reasons for buying at this time of year are there is usually a good supply of boats, price,and you are not competing with lots of others. If its not a good deal, please walk away. You are going to have a terrible first experience if you buy a ruin. Marine repairs are multiple of car repairs, and even if you struggle on, being afloat with worries about reliability isnt going to mean enjoyment, never mind safety. You want a boat in 4-6months. You have plenty of time to look through adverts, maybe travel much further afield on occasion. After you ve looked at maybe 10 boats you will be delighted you didnt buy the first. Buy the first and you are almost guaranteed to find out that was a big mistake.Do listen to the other posts; you have the wise and possibly unfortunate experiences of many people who, like you, all started somewhere.
Put you money away again, and give youself til April to find something in good and working nick. If you really cant for £850, maybe save a bit more. Reread the post about £3500 to replace the outboard. You, and the missus, really dont want to go there!
 
All the advise has been so negative thus far and not what you want to hear, but I am adding to it - sorry.

As summarised previously, the trailer is worth a hundred quid or so, the hull less than that with all the paint and at least one crack.

With your budget of 850 you should be looking for boats advertised at over 1000 (due to time of year as well as general market condition).

You are probably going to have to travel, but then you have the advantage of wanting a trailer.
 
maybe you could buy a boat and trailer with the 850 and spend a few months looking for the right engine.
there are bargains to be had this time of year but it takes lots of looking. you need to spend the same time looking no matter if the boat is 1000 or 1million. being in scotland is a disadvantage but i reguarly see boats and trailers for sale on ebay on some of the small scottish islands going cheap because they are remote.
 
I once rescued a family of four whose double (cathedral) hulled dory sank – at least it 95% sank. It was vertical in the water with only the tip of the bows showing with the family swimming around their possessions in the water.

It was their first outing having recently bought it. The problem seemed to be that water got in between the two hulls. The boat went OK downwind to their destination but when they returned back into the wind and waves it had become so heavy and unstable it nose dived into the water. They were lucky they were spotted.

I agree with the others, if there is any doubt about the integrity of the hull, walk away. There are plenty of other boats out there.
 
Hard to say. We have a 5m rib with a 90 hp but this goes quite quick. I would say anything between 30 and 50 would be OK but it depends a bit on how many are going to be on the boat and the total weight of stuff.

You could do worse than give Bill Higham a call and discuss it with him. He has loads of 2nd hand engines for sale and they come with a 3 month warranty. You will need to know the make and model of boat etc and tell him what you want to do with it.
 
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