Looking for a boat (newcomer)

[RichM]

Hi there,

I'm totally new to the world of boating. I saw online that boats can be acquired for much cheaper than I previously thought and as I've always had an interest in boating, I'm looking into the possibility of buying a boat.

I've decided against a yacht even though they tend to look much nicer. Ideally I'd like a nippy cabin cruiser (with berths) for less than £5000. If it could be towed behind a BMW 320d, that would be great.

What sort of boats should I be looking at?

Cheers

Rich

 

[neale]

Hi there,

I'm totally new to the world of boating. I saw online that boats can be acquired for much cheaper than I previously thought and as I've always had an interest in boating, I'm looking into the possibility of buying a boat.

I've decided against a yacht even though they tend to look much nicer. Ideally I'd like a nippy cabin cruiser (with berths) for less than £5000. If it could be towed behind a BMW 320d, that would be great.

What sort of boats should I be looking at?

Cheers

Rich

A good starting point would be to find out the max towing weight of the car. I am guessing you are limited to something like 1500kgs. So something like a little Shetland Family Four might fit the bill.

 

[Jim@sea]

Your first £500 is going to be putting a tow bar on the BMW.
If I was you I would I would buy a 20 year old speedboat with a rubbish outboard.
Get something that is at least 16 - 18 ft WITH A CUDDY. Perhaps pay £2000.
The rubbish outboard will have depressed the price of the speedboat.
But the hull could be in very good condition, as could the trailer.
With having £3000 to spare you go to someone like Bill Higham and part exchange your rubbish Outboard for a nearly new 4 stroke japanise outboard with electric start, etc.
So you then have something to be proud of. and when you come to sell the outboard will ensure you find a buyer.

 

[PCUK]

Good advice from Jim. Alternatively you could buy a project boat off Ebay for a few hundred and do it up yourself. No better way to get to know a boat. You can then decide if you really like the reality of boat ownership at a knock down price.

 

[Locki]

Are you sure you want to go to sea? You could spend your first season on a river (in something like an old Viking 22), and really get a feel for boating first. There was a large group of Viking 22 owners that used to meet on the Thames. I'm sure it's similar for other non-tidal rivers...

 

[dsw]

Your first £500 is going to be putting a tow bar on the BMW.

£500 for a tow bar !!! cooor id like to sell you a few .

 

[landlockedpirate]

Your car will tow 1800kg, but it will struggle on steep slipways (expect a lot of burning clutch and spinning wheels)

Tow ball for the 320 runs about £250 (Or its a fairly easy DIY job with a £130 kit)

You will find lots of boats in your price range, you need to decide your priority. A lot depends on the number of berths you are looking for.

Some suggestions:

Sealine 195 or 210 (Pocket Cruiser)
Bayliner 2155 (Pocket Cruiser)
Glastron 209 (Cuddy)
Maxum 1900 (Cuddy)
Fletcher 19 GTO (Cuddy)
Shetland Family 4 (Or possibly 4+2) (Basic Pocket cruiser)

Give us as much information as you can, where do you want to use it, how many on board, how long do you want to stay etc etc and you will get some great suggestions.

 

[neale]

You'll need to remember that the trailer will probably weigh around 300-400kgs so if your BM can legally tow 1800kgs you need to look for a boat with an all up weight of not more than 1400 ish kgs.

Don't go on brochure or spec weights either. They don't usually include much and a bit of cruising gear, a few extras, and a tank of fuel can add up to quite some weight.

 

[rafiki_]

Towing an 1800kg rig with a Beemer 3 is one thing, recovering the boat on a slipway sounds a bit of a challenge. Please ensure that there is someone available with a vid cam to capture the proceedings.

Apologies for being cynical, but inevitably the rear wheels will be in the damp bit, which will be very slippery.........

 

[gjgm]

Your first £500 is going to be putting a tow bar on the BMW.

£500 for a tow bar !!! cooor id like to sell you a few .

Tow bar is probably £150-ish. Official relay unit for BMW... hundreds...
You can usually get by with a non-official relay, as long as you dont mind waving goodbye to any BMW electrics warranty.
It certainly isnt as easy as it once was.

 

[gjgm]

Hi there,

I'm totally new to the world of boating. I saw online that boats can be acquired for much cheaper than I previously thought and as I've always had an interest in boating, I'm looking into the possibility of buying a boat.

I've decided against a yacht even though they tend to look much nicer. Ideally I'd like a nippy cabin cruiser (with berths) for less than £5000. If it could be towed behind a BMW 320d, that would be great.

What sort of boats should I be looking at?

Cheers

Rich

Where do you hope to use the boat, and what do you hope to be doing with it?
Sleeping on it on a river is obviously different to waterskiing at sea...