Please I.D. this boat!!!

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Jeepster

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I want to buy a 45' x 10' beam Steel cruiser, similar to a Dutch built one, but the current owner does not know the manufacturer, the model or the year of manufacture. This could cause problems with registration, licensing and or marine mortgage applications. He thinks it may have been used in a film at some time (possibly The Seawolves) and someone told him it might be an ex military boat...Any idea? Thanks in advance.

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to me it looks like a pilot boat with out the top section be sure the to get the hull checked from the pictures I can see variations around the stem
what engine is fitted, I'd think there will be builders plates on a main bulkhead also the engine will no dought have id plates so you will be able to date that

Nice looking boat though
 
Might also be a home build job, there were lot of steel kits sold back in the 70's and 80's , nevertheless there must be some registration papers for it somewhere which should identify the builder or the kit plans it came from.
 
Nautical said:
Might also be a home build job, there were lot of steel kits sold back in the 70's and 80's , nevertheless there must be some registration papers for it somewhere which should identify the builder or the kit plans it came from.
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Apparently he has looked all over the boat for a makers plate of some kind but hasn't been able to locate one...he has been using it on the French canals for years. He said he could only get third party insurance as he doesn't know who made it.
 
Actually he says it handles the sea very well...he has been across the channel on it about 20 times! Still this is a mute point now as i got turned down for a bank loan last night so i wont be able to buy it anyway.
 
Sorry to play devils advocate here but do you really want to know before you buy whether this boat has provenance? If you find out who manufactured the boat and particularly if it has historical provenance, won't the seller possibly start to play hardball on the price knowing he has something more valuable than he thought he had? IMHO better to view the boat on it's apparent merits assuming it was a home build and buy it for as low a price as possible. If you find out afterwards that it has a history, then any uplift in value is yours and if it doesn't have history, then you're none the poorer
 
Once it's been surveyed there'll be no problem with insurance. Registration will only be SSR as it will be impossible to get Part 1. without the boats entire life history. This means no marine mortgage although normal finance will not be a problem. Take the boat at face value and don't worry about who built it. The survey will tell you if it's worth buying.
 
PCUK said:
Once it's been surveyed there'll be no problem with insurance. Registration will only be SSR as it will be impossible to get Part 1. without the boats entire life history.
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Actually I haven't found that to be correct recently. My last boat was Italian registered when I bought it and in order to register it in the UK under Part 1, all I needed was 5yrs worth of title documents. I believe that the Guernsey registry is even more lenient and I think that Guernsey registry is accepted by finance companies. i have used an outfit called South Coast Registrations on 01489 570571 in the past to do the donkey work on registering boats. They dont have a website
 
Hey guys, I can't believe it!...I just applied for a loan with my Bank and they accepted!! So now I could be the proud owner of said boat within days!!! :encouragement:
I'm going down to see it on Saturday. I will want to inspect the condition of the hull first as I suspect the seller may be trying to hide a few problems. The reason for this suspicion is that he has apparently painted it with ordinary gloss paint, not epoxy two pack! He said he has bitumen blacked the bottom and has done so for some years...A thick layer of bitumen could hide a shed load of issues...If I don't like what I see it will be a wrench to turn it down as I've kind of set my heart on it, but as I plan to live on this boat for several years at least I will need to know its a sound investment. About getting a survey done, not sure how much that would cost but it is likely to add to the wad of dosh I will have to outlay just to get the boat back onto the non-tidal Thames. If I do decide its worth the money and buy it, I will have to shell out about £200 to get it craned back into the water, about the same for a B.S.C, I will have to fill the fuel tank right up (about 100 litres of diesel) and fill a few spare drums just in case (probably about £200 worth in total), I will have to get insurance (probably another £200, or more) and a licence will cost me about 700 quid a year...It all adds up!
 
Yes, it does!...Although as it only has single relatively economical 90 hp Diesel engine it might go quite a long way on that 100 litres...He said he used 3 gallons to go from Sandwich, down the coast and then across the Channel to Calais...Is that good?
 
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Jeepster said:
Yes, it does!...Although as it only has single relatively economical 90 hp Diesel engine it might go quite a long way on that 100 litres...He said he used 3 gallons to go from Sandwich, down the coast and then across the Channel to Calais...Is that good?
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Take with you a huge barrel of salt, not just a pinch. Be wary of anything he tells you. He's found a potential buyer for what looks like a heap of trouble. Possibly painted to sell. Go in with your eyes wide open, take it nice and slow and don't let him talk you into paying deposits or handing over any money. Walk away, sleep,on it for at least two days and revisit. Do you actually need this size to live on? What about mooring costs etc etc. If it's cheap, there is a reason...
 
The fuel figures are pure fiction - or lies if you prefer! A boat of this size would normally have a couple of hundred GALLON tanks. 100 litres of fuel at sea will not get you further than about 30 miles. At full throttle 90hp will use about 4 gallons per hour. If the boat has not been epoxy coated INSIDE then run away. As it has been painted like a narrowboat with bottom blacking it sounds very very dodgy. Steel boats must be epoxy coated inside and out from new if they are to last, it sounds as if this one hasn't been. I have seen so many gullible people buy steel boats that were literally scrap that I can only say. Think very carefully and whatever you do GET A PROFESSIONAL SURVEY if you are paying more than about 10k!
 
Deleted User said:
Actually I haven't found that to be correct recently. My last boat was Italian registered when I bought it and in order to register it in the UK under Part 1, all I needed was 5yrs worth of title documents. I believe that the Guernsey registry is even more lenient and I think that Guernsey registry is accepted by finance companies. i have used an outfit called South Coast Registrations on 01489 570571 in the past to do the donkey work on registering boats. They dont have a website
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Must be recent changes to the law then.
 
Jeepster said:
Yes, it does!...Although as it only has single relatively economical 90 hp Diesel engine it might go quite a long way on that 100 litres...He said he used 3 gallons to go from Sandwich, down the coast and then across the Channel to Calais...Is that good?
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A 90 HP diesel will consume 4 gallons per hour at full throttle. perhaps he meant 3 gallon per hour at cruising speed.
 
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