Need Help

[RDL]

Hi there all,

I need some advice from the experienced. I'm looking at buying my first boat. Have done some research over the past few weeks and believe that a 3 or 4 year old Sealine S34 would be suitabe for a first boat. I have a young family of three boys aged 5.

I wasn,t planning on getting one untill next season, but you all know what its like when you go into a showroom - you want it now. Especially when there is one available that seems to be a good deal.

Am I thinking along the correct lines.

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[whisper]

Welcome to the forum.
Can you give us a better idea of where you plan to use your boat - Sea or River ? Also do you want to travel on long coastal trips or just potter about ?
My only advice is don't rush into a purchase and ALWAYS get a full survey done. There are plenty of boats for sale now that would probably suit you and that will be the case next year as well. Good luck.

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[Blue_Blazes]

Sound advice John. I wonder how many people actually buy boats that way though? Not me that's for sure.

Bill.

<hr width=100% size=1>One of these days I'll have a boat that WORKS

 

[RDL]

John,

I plan to sea cruise, perhaps ultimately week long trips with the family to France / Channel Islands when I have gained enough experience coastal cruising. I had a look around an F33 today, but ruled it out because of the kids being a little young, would prefer them to be on the same deck as me.


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[Dave_Snelson]

Other than the boat (which seems like a good choice) have you considered getting some form of qualification for cruising? Not only does it make good sense, but you cannot go to the Continent without an ICC (International Certificate of Competence) and for that you need to pass "Powerboat 1&2".

There are plenty of schools advertised, especially in MBM. Being as how you have 3 young children - you know it makes sense!

<hr width=100% size=1>Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>

 

[jimg]

Where about's are you, maybe someone who is near you can run throu the pro's & con's of different style boats.

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[whisper]

I know what you mean ! Buying a car I tend to buy it as soon as I see something I like - normally to my chagrin within a few months.
With the current boat however, we took over two years to find what we really liked and ended up by personally importing a new Swedish boat from a Danish dealer. Most unusual for me - a bit sad, really. The boat is turning out ok though, so far.

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[RDL]

I live just south of Tamworth in the Midlands, you couldn't get any further from the sea if you tried, might make Marina selection a bit tricky - perhaps the subject for you guys later.

If there is a boaty person local, it would be great to have a chat.

You know how you have it all lined up in your mind, all planned out - do some research to see which boat will suit, go and look at few, charter one for the day, do some training, and then to put a spanner in the works a dealer tells me that he's got just the boat I,m looking for, an S34 with only 60hrs on it.

Do you follow you heart (and get some tutition on your own boat) or your head.



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[Moose]

How old is it if it only has 60 hours?

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El Alce

 

[RDL]

1999 so the dealer says. He bought it while I was in there this morning, so neither he or I have seen it. Lying down south somewhere.

Recon I could get it for 90K - any good?

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[h4nym]

RDL

How do u know what u want? U sure Mrs RDL would be happy with u skippering her and her brood across the high seas untrained and inexperienced? Have u done any boating before - maybe on a friend's boat?

I'm sure if u ask anyone here - they'll tell u their first boat was:

a) Believed to be the perfect one on purchase
b) Soon found to be not as appropriate when desires / ambitions changed with experience
c) Became the subject of widespread and expensive modification until it NEARLY matched requirements
d) Ended up being replaced by something that - "off the shelf" - was much closer to better understood requirements

Buy something old and cheap first - one u can do all ur "dinging" in and not worry about writing off 90 grand. As John said, as many as are perfect and available now will be perfect and available next year!

H

<hr width=100% size=1>Life balance?

 

[jimg]

Make sure you can a berth for any boat you buy, from where you live you are likely to be heading to my part of the world (South Devon ). It is not always easy to get a berth!!

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[RDL]

Jimg

What are the berthing fees down there like. I,m pretty familiar with the South Devon coast. It would take me about 3 hrs to travel down there.

The Marina that I went to yesterday was only 1.5 hrs drive and cheap @ £85/M, but its a days cruise to the coast.

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[oldgit]

Have to agree with H4 here.do not spend 90K just because you can.
there are boats out there for 20/30k which will do 99.99999999% of the things your proposed boat will offer ie space/speed/reliabilty.Save the other 60k for your next boat.You can bash the old un around a bit without tears and tantrums.


<hr width=100% size=1>Two boats please one here n one in the Med

 

[h4nym]

And just one other thing... moor it close by - at least initially. I'm in London - have mine on the Thames at Teddington. A good friend of mine - also in London - has an identical boat but he keeps it at Minehead in Somerset. Guess which boat he spends more time on!

If you moor her miles and miles away, boating becomes a trek; a mission. You can't do it without packing up half the house too. Not the best way to introduce yourself - or ur family - to the relaxation that ultimately represents the biggest pleasure derived from being on the water!

H

<hr width=100% size=1>Life balance?

 

[jimg]

Darthaven charge £280+VAT, sounds a lot but is not the most expensive by far! You are minutes from the sea and Salcombe, Torbay, etc and 70 miles from CI. On a bad day it's a great spot to sit on your boat or go up river to a local pub or two... The downside is most of the marinas hav a waiting list

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[whisper]

I would have thought that N.Wales, S.Wales and the Wash were your nearest coastal areas to to keep whatever you end up buying. Alternatively start off on the R.Severn to hone your boat handling skills and try the estuary later. I live about 30mls N. of you and totally ignore my own suggestions and keep a boat in S.Devon, but only because I've a flat down there with adjoining quayside.
I'd love to be nearer to the boat so that I could use it more often as I find 260mls each way too far for just weekends.

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[RDL]

I travelled to a Marina in Lincoln on Sunday – took me 1 ½ hrs – not bad, but it’s a day to the sea from there – perhaps a bit far. Skegness was about another 50 miles east. Can anyone suggest a Marina on the east coast or inland slightly. Berthing fees as I have read are a little cheaper around that part of the world.

Anyone boating with young children, if so do’s and don’ts. And finally, still like these S34s, do you think suitable accommodation wise for family of 5.

Cheers.


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[Matthewb]

Welcome......

The S34 is a nice boat - I was entertained on one over the weekend and I saw all the advantages it has over my S24. And that's the problem.....as several others have commented, when you go to buy your first boat you THINK you know exactly what you want, but over the next few months you use her and start to build a list of all the things you wish you had (bigger galley, more hanging wardrobes, bigger fridge, bigger fuel tanks, easier engine access, etc etc etc...). When I bought the S24 I thought she was perfect and in many ways she still is - she's been great as a learning platform, cheap(ish) to berth and good on fuel - so SWMBO and I have been on her every weekend learning something new every week and confirming to ourselves that a) We are addicted to boating, b) We are addicted to boating and c) We are addicted to boating.

So now I'm doing the research on what we buy next, but I can only do that with the knowledge and "wish list" I've built up having already had a first boat. My advice to you is think hard before you commit 100k of your money and maybe think about something cheaper first time so you can find out what you really want and where you want to keep her. You may find an idyllic spot down South and then find you hate the travel, especially on Friday evenings in the summer.

Re the engine hours question, there are numerous previous threads about "Are low hours good?". 60 hours over 4 years adds up to not a lot of use by the previous owner and that isn't necessarily a good thing.

Finally, justy to contradict everything I just said about buying something cheaper, I saw that there is Sealine S37 on Hayling Island for 105k. About 500 hours if memory serves - so constantly used and a lot more boat physically than the 34.

Matt

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[RDL]

Mathew,

As you can see from the threads, I’ve had some good advise which I have taken on board. Had a good hard think today at work – therefore not done much work, and did come to the conclusion of sticking to my original game plan, which was – do the research over the summer and get one for next season, possibly later on in the year when people are trying to get rid of them, therefore maybe a good deal to be had.

Took on board the earlier comment of “if there is a good deal on offer now, there will be one next year too”. In terms of a smaller less expensive boat, its hard to shake the S34 from my mind. I,ve always liked the motto – “If you are going to be a bear – be a grizzly”, well as far as the pennies will allow.

Well after all that today and playing devils advocate with myself, logged on to Walrus Yacht Sales tonight (www.walrusyachtsales.com), they have a 1999 S34 – 70 hrs logged @ £85K with a comment saying the owner is desperate to sell.

Log on and let me know what you all think. Head or Heart again.


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