Looking for first (in a long time!) boat. Advice please. :)

[Sianna]

Very well done you. Looks like you had a very good launch party. Nick is Nick Burnham BTW

I know, bloody autocorrect, for some reason it does that on my MacBook, it changes "Burnham to Turnham", no idea why. That was Beaulieu Rivers 50th anniversary and a great day, not bad for our first boating year

 

[madabouttheboat]

Porthcawl insurance. Been excellent for me.

I would check small print. Often they won’t ask you for one, until you try and claim. Then point to the t&cs where it says something along the lines of “all boats over xx years old must have a full survey carried out within the last x years”

Even their quote page hints at such a clause.

 

[Marcus1971]

Hi Marcus, we were in the same position as you 18 months ago, we bought a KAD43 powered Leader 805 ( the same model Nick Turnham has on his Aquaholics you tube channel, it's worth looking at to see some of his costs for running a single engined 27ft boat)

I had a survey done, we used it to negotiate the price and saved about £1k after the cost of the survey, that said the market is now moving so quickly now that option may have changed. We paid £30k for a sound boat that needed updating and some TLC, it is 18 years old after all. The UK market has gone bonkers, our boat has increased significantly in price but I know someone who has just bought the same model in France, had it shipped back and paid the relevant duties for low £30's so boats are out there you may just need to look further afield.
That said the last 18 months have been bloody fantastic, I'm based on the solent and have experienced the chop that can pop up from nowhere but the 805 has always felt safe along with enough power to get up and go when needed. So my advice would be to look at as many boats as you can, personally I found the Sealine S23/5 a bit narrow in the beam and the 805 less tippy but it's all about personal preference, buying the wrong boat is a very expensive mistake, buying the right boat has been great fun.
View attachment 128129

Hi Flip272,
Many thanks for the advice. I’ve been looking at as many boats as I can, although not in the flesh yet! The difficulties I have at present is that firstly, funds are not yet available (soon!) and with the pace the market has been moving, I’m holding off on looking at boats until I’m ready to buy. The other issue is that choices are very limited, particularly given my limited budget. I’m familiar with Nick Burnham aquaholic channel and would definitely consider the 805 if it was within budget!
I think I’ve done enough research now to get a good understanding of the options open to me and hopefully a much better understanding of plus/minus points to each of these options. It will undoubtedly come down to making an informed decision based on boats on the market at the time, understanding that pretty much any boat will come with its own compromises!
I had discounted buying from abroad, thinking that duties, shipping charges etc are likely to be prohibitive. Maybe it’s worth me reconsidering!

 

[Nito]

Hi Marcus,

It may be worth viewing a few boats in the flesh now you are getting close. Very quickly you’ll get a feel for what nominal condition is like and what is and isn’t acceptable to you.

No two boats will be the same and it will be a compromise somewhere along the line, but on seeing a few your expectations will align and you’ll be able to spot the boats that have been looked after and loved, those that have potential, and those which are a definite walk away from.

It’s easy to fall in love with the first one you view whereas if you view a couple now to get a feel you’ll be amazed how much you start to pick up on and how you’ll quickly come to ask all the right questions. Helps to understand what you’re looking for from a boat much more than seeing pics, even picking the brains of the people you are dealing with is also very useful.

With the current market it’s easy to miss a good boat because you need to be quick. If you already have a clear mind of what you’re looking for, you can be far more decisive, also in terms of what boats are overpriced and which ones represent much better value in the market.

Good luck with your hunt. We took about 9 months waiting for the right one, we viewed quite a few and each one helped us to understand ourselves and the boats better and listening to what owners/brokers had to say also helped.

 

[chillee]

I would check small print. Often they won’t ask you for one, until you try and claim. Then point to the t&cs where it says something along the lines of “all boats over xx years old must have a full survey carried out within the last x years”

Even their quote page hints at such a clause.

View attachment 128142

hmm, thanks for sharing.. I will have a dig into my documents.

 

[Marcus1971]

Hi Marcus,

It may be worth viewing a few boats in the flesh now you are getting close. Very quickly you’ll get a feel for what nominal condition is like and what is and isn’t acceptable to you.

No two boats will be the same and it will be a compromise somewhere along the line, but on seeing a few your expectations will align and you’ll be able to spot the boats that have been looked after and loved, those that have potential, and those which are a definite walk away from.

It’s easy to fall in love with the first one you view whereas if you view a couple now to get a feel you’ll be amazed how much you start to pick up on and how you’ll quickly come to ask all the right questions. Helps to understand what you’re looking for from a boat much more than seeing pics, even picking the brains of the people you are dealing with is also very useful.

With the current market it’s easy to miss a good boat because you need to be quick. If you already have a clear mind of what you’re looking for, you can be far more decisive, also in terms of what boats are overpriced and which ones represent much better value in the market.

Good luck with your hunt. We took about 9 months waiting for the right one, we viewed quite a few and each one helped us to understand ourselves and the boats better and listening to what owners/brokers had to say also helped.

Hi Nito,
Some very valid points. I was planning on some views starting beginning of feb in the hopes that one may still be available when the time comes, but I may start looking at some of the more local ones sooner. It’s scary how fast boats seem to be sold after appearing on the market!
To be honest, I’m in 2 minds about spending too much time looking for the perfect boat, particularly as I’ve yet to find one for sale (and I’ve been searching listings for some months out of interest now). On the flip side, I certainly won’t buy the first boats that starts ticking boxes….although if it ticks enough, who knows. It todays market, too much deliberation will only lead to losing out.

 

[gordmac]

I suspect a lot of boats don't make adverts, might be worth talking to some brokers about what you want and your budget, go on their waiting lists!

 

[powerskipper]

I would wait 6 months if you can , I think there might be quite a few coming on the market then.

 

[Bigplumbs]

I would wait 6 months if you can , I think there might be quite a few coming on the market then.

I kind of think the same but who knows............. If marina fees play a part it might happen in Feb/March as they become due..... Having to shell out £2000 + (for a small boat) for your dues can sometimes focus the mind

 

[limecc]

Another possibility?
Bayliner 2655.

 

[Marcus1971]

Another possibility?
Bayliner 2655.
View attachment 128635

Could be. Depends a lot on year, engine, condition etc. I saw one of those for sale a couple of grand less (1997 with a Mercruiser 5.7). Wasn’t overly impressed with that one!

 

[limecc]

Hi Marcus how's the search going?
Here's another contender?
Searay 230 Sports Cruiser with trailer | eBay

 

[KREW2]

Whilst that is a strategy, there is more to take into account than just being a few hundred metres offshore.

A 100-120mile round trip is not a day out affair, particularly in this category. There are some big tides that sweep in and out of the Solent so careful route planning will be required that will also take into account weather / wind etc.

I doubt many boats regularly make this trip to/from Weymouth. I am pretty confident no 7m boats make this trip, unless they are high performance RIBs and then it'd be white knuckle territory.

I have done some Solent time based out of Gosport, but years ago. Hopefully a Solent/Weymouth based forumite will be along to chip in.

All good adventurous fun though! ?

I did it in my 7.5 meter boat in early January of this year. It just takes planning to get tides right, along with a good weather window.
Hugging the coast is fine, unless you hit St Albins head on the third and fourth hour of a spring tide. Even worse would be to have wind over tide as well. I suggest a little time studying how to passage plan, providing the boat is sound, Solent to Weymouth is not a problem.

 

[ari]

Hi Marcus, we were in the same position as you 18 months ago, we bought a KAD43 powered Leader 805 ( the same model Nick Turnham has on his Aquaholics you tube channel, it's worth looking at to see some of his costs for running a single engined 27ft boat)

I had a survey done, we used it to negotiate the price and saved about £1k after the cost of the survey, that said the market is now moving so quickly now that option may have changed. We paid £30k for a sound boat that needed updating and some TLC, it is 18 years old after all. The UK market has gone bonkers, our boat has increased significantly in price but I know someone who has just bought the same model in France, had it shipped back and paid the relevant duties for low £30's so boats are out there you may just need to look further afield.
That said the last 18 months have been bloody fantastic, I'm based on the solent and have experienced the chop that can pop up from nowhere but the 805 has always felt safe along with enough power to get up and go when needed. So my advice would be to look at as many boats as you can, personally I found the Sealine S23/5 a bit narrow in the beam and the 805 less tippy but it's all about personal preference, buying the wrong boat is a very expensive mistake, buying the right boat has been great fun.
View attachment 128129

I hate to be a pendant, but that's not a Jeanneau 805 Leader you've posted drawings of, that's a 705 Leader.

Leader 705 | Jeanneau Boats

Fortunately the launch party photo IS of an 805 Leader, so I think you have the right boat!

 

[ari]

I would say if you worked out petrol to be £350 Diesel would be about £200

If petrol cost was £350, diesel cost would be closer to £100. It's about a third of the cost to run a diesel boat, all things being roughly equal.

 

[Sianna]

I hate to be a pendant, but that's not a Jeanneau 805 Leader you've posted drawings of, that's a 705 Leader.

Leader 705 | Jeanneau Boats

Fortunately the launch party photo IS of an 805 Leader, so I think you have the right boat!

More haste and less speed, here's the 805 drawings, and yes I do have the right boat

 

[limecc]

If petrol cost was £350, diesel cost would be closer to £100. It's about a third of the cost to run a diesel boat, all things being roughly equal.

Red diesel presumably + better economy.

 

[ari]

Red diesel presumably + better economy.

Yes, and it is also the huge premium that is charged for petrol at dockside pumps (due to small quantities sold, no one uses it commercially or in larger boats, so they sell almost none for 7 months of the year). Of course in theory you can bring it from road pumps and lower the cost, but they're getting much tighter about cans being filled these days (you can only transport tiny quantities legally) and it's a huge PITA anyway (he says from experience!) so it's not really a solution.

 

[ari]

More haste and less speed, here's the 805 drawings, and yes I do have the right boat



View attachment 130593

That is a lovely boat, congrats.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Yes, and it is also the huge premium that is charged for petrol at dockside pumps (due to small quantities sold, no one uses it commercially or in larger boats, so they sell almost none for 7 months of the year). Of course in theory you can bring it from road pumps and lower the cost, but they're getting much tighter about cans being filled these days (you can only transport tiny quantities legally) and it's a huge PITA anyway (he says from experience!) so it's not really a solution.

The Petrol Stations I go to are Pay at Pump. So quite how you feel they are getting tighter about cans I know not. There is effectively no one there. I do it all the time. 4 x 10 (can hold 11) ltr cans. Works fine for me and many others I know. How do you think all those Petrol powered boats in places where there is absolutely no Petrol available near the water fill up