Planing boat test drive on the river

[Sneds]

I have been looking at a boat for sale, she is a planing mobo, 36ft
She has come from the coast to be put up for sale on the River Thames, I am bemused as to why someone would do that?
The boat ticks most boxes but I am concerned about a sea trial in a fast boat on the river, would it be unreasonable to want to take her 6-8 hours down stream, past the barrier and out to sea where we can open her up for a proper test run?
The broker advises that a 10 minute trip up the river would suffice but I would be looking to bring the boat to Bristol or Cardiff and use her in and around the Bristol Channel where speed and power are really rather useful.
As is a boat you can rely on.
Any input greatfully received.
Cheers

 

[LAMBADA]

I would want to run her at WOT for a while to check engine temps etc (is this possible where she is?) but just knowing the make, model and engines on the boat should be enough to assess sea suitability (especially using advice from forum).

 

[Momac]

I suggest you speak to the broker again. There may be an area where a speed trial helmed by one of the brokerage staff or a surveyor would be permitted ?
Not exactly a sea trial but it's as good as you will get on a non tidal river.
Such boats do sell from brokerages on inland waterways and are in demand.

 

[mlines]

I replied elsewhere where you didnt say she was 36ft. For everyones info.....

Nowhere on the Thames and the sea is a long day away from Chertsey. How large is the boat, a couple of the dealers around there have access to a nearby lake or there is a lake at Maidenhead that can be rented by the hour although the slipway is falling into disrepair the last time we were there. There is also a lake in Eversley that can be rented.

(Although with the river on red boards its probably close to planing whilst still tied to the outer pontoon!)

However as she is 36ft you are left with running in idle whilst tied up realistically.

People bring boats to the Thames to sell as they can:

1. Command higher prices, less boats on the market and less educated purchasers.
2. Store for free whilst for sale, it is common on the Thames that sales boats are given a free mooring/stand for 6 months
3. Sell boats with faults on them which prevent boat going at speed. A friend bought a boat that had been through many owners/dealers, none of whom could fix a fault on in. It would cruise at Thames speeds but the moment you touched the throttle it would die. Went for years like it until he decided to fix it once and for all. Turned out that in the past the Turbo had failed and had been replaced with the Turbo from the identical engine fitted to a lorry. However the wastegate/stop soleniod operation was oppositely wired on the lorry version so the moment the turbo began to spin up the gate would open and dump the pressure killing the engine.
4. Sell petrol engined boats. 1980's Sealines, Sunseekers etc. with old carb V8s which are eyewateringly expensive to run at sea are economic at idle on the Thames.
5. Sell boats that will become weekend homes, moored up and going no-where.

 

[Seastoke]

sea trial or walk away

 

[rafiki_]

Iain, it is worth a call with VolvoPaul, who has overseen this sort of process for others on here. Haven't seen him on here for a while, so maybe try a PM.

 

[Mr Googler]

The broker saying a 10min trip will suffice is concerning. Tell him to buy it if he's that sure it's all a1!!!

 

[[2068]]

I bought the current boat after only a "river" trial, but that river trial, although short, did achieve 30+kts with VolvoPaul watching the riverbank scroll away a few feet either side.
It's a risk, especially if the boat has only seen river use, and you plan to use it on the sea.
In my case, it had previously been a sea boat not long ago, and it turned out okay in the end.
But you won't find overheating issues or max temp leaks from 30 seconds at full chat.

 

[jrudge]

I have also bought a planning boat on the river.

I did not know better at the time and i would not do it again.

There were no faults per se, but it was a daft thing to do.

Make it their problem.

 

[omega2]

bELOW TEDDINGTON LOCK you can do what you like?

sorry got that one wrong

https://www.boatingonthethames.co.uk/Cruising

 

[CX54WEK]

Some inland brokers do have plates which allow them to carry out boat trials at speed on inland waterways.

Ours do and they carry out speed trials on a muddy ditch that is less then 60ft wide and 5ft deep.

 

[Greg2]

Some inland brokers do have plates which allow them to carry out boat trials at speed on inland waterways.

Ours do and they carry out speed trials on a muddy ditch that is less then 60ft wide and 5ft deep.

Same on the Broads although the mile or so of river they can make use of isn't really sufficient for prolonged running at speed, which is what is often required to esrablish whether or not there are any problems, particularly with overheating.

When we bought our current boat I asked for a proper sea trial but come the day it was blowing a hooley. We went to Breydon water instead and I did what I could to simulate prolonged running at high engine load by running one engine at a time at WOT. Only gave us 8 or 9 knots but the load on each engine in turn for a couple of lengths of Breydon was sufficient to reassure me.

We did consider buying a boat from Windermere and I tried to get a staged payment as part of the deal so that the boat could be properly tested following delivery and prior to final payment. The Broker wasn't receptive (apparently no-one ever asks for that ergo it was unreasonable) nor was the vendor. We moved on.

 

[rafiki_]

Best wishes with this Iain, it has been a bit of a slog replacing Bushbaby.

 

[Sneds]

Cheers Paul
I guess it's because we are only really looking for the one type of boat, Sealine 350.360 or F36
Noting else of that size ticks all the boxes, there is a 410'we went to see but they wouldn't meet us on price. There is a bit of internal updating to do. We made our offer but we were a few grand apart.
Soon, the right one one will come along, until then I'll enjoy the feeling of being "well minted". ��

 

[rafiki_]

Cheers Paul
I guess it's because we are only really looking for the one type of boat, Sealine 350.360 or F36
Noting else of that size ticks all the boxes, there is a 410'we went to see but they wouldn't meet us on price. There is a bit of internal updating to do. We made our offer but we were a few grand apart.
Soon, the right one one will come along, until then I'll enjoy the feeling of being "well minted". ��

Yep, there is a great boat with your name on it out there.

 

[Momac]

A friend has a F36 and it has usefully more space in all departments compared to my F33 .

I would not be put off by a boat on inland waters but I would say that as I am on my second boat purchased on fresh water. Things that can go wrong can be out right with a little money as the engines are not that complicated. If in doubt try a cheeky low offer .

Not many F36/360's about at the moment. Some will be well used even if low hours . I suspect people hang onto them as they realise it takes a much bigger something else to beat a F36.
If a 360 look for the later type with the flybridge extending all the way over the cockpit - the earlier type and the 350 has a canvas roof over part of the cockpit.
kamd43's probably a slightly safer bet than kamd42's .

 

[PlanB]

When we bought our 435 from Penton Hook 15 years ago, they automatically organised a sea trial as far as the estuary so it was a proper sea trial, even though it took the best part of a day. Great service.

 

[volvopaul]

Iain, it is worth a call with VolvoPaul, who has overseen this sort of process for others on here. Haven't seen him on here for a while, so maybe try a PM.

I'm still here matey .
I was looking at a boat on the Thames to be told there was no where to test it properly so I suggested holding a few grand back until I had done a sea trial when the boat reached the coast, I sort of knew the answer before I asked it hence I went no further with it.

 

[henryf]

I'm still here matey .
I was looking at a boat on the Thames to be told there was no where to test it properly so I suggested holding a few grand back until I had done a sea trial when the boat reached the coast, I sort of knew the answer before I asked it hence I went no further with it.

I don't think there is any other way.

If your dealer tells you the river trial is fine there will be nothing to worry about when it is run up to speed properly so they will have no problem in agreeing to your suggestion .........

Henry

 

[Bubblegtt]

I viewed a Prestige 36 down on the south coast, which went well and deposit duly paid. On the survey a few important issues were found, nothing that couldn't be addressed, but a bit worrying due to the aparrent neglect and lack lf maintenance.

On the sea trial (knowing that it wouldn't be a rocket ship with the twin KAMD44) it only made 18 knots WOT, with lots of smoke!

Had it of been a river boat, we wouldn't have known of the problem. After that, we decided against even considering a river, or lake boat.