Registering an abandoned boat uksr

sailaboutvic

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If you are keeping it at home and trailering it to from coastal water ... then you don't need anything ... no registration .. no insurance ... no licence etc. UK is one of the last countries to still have freedom of waters for boats ... UNLESS you go inland waters ... then it all changes.

If you keep in a marina / club - then you will need 3rd party insurance against damage to others and wreck recovery. But usually still no registration / licence required.

UK SSR does not confirm Title / Ownership ... it just registers the boat .... similar to a Cars document.

For the boat you have acquired ... a simple signed letter from seller to you is more than enough ...
I think you find now SSR are asking for bill of sale
 

Refueler

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I paid £150 for it, I’ve less than £200 in it as it stands, I have noticed you can’t find any spares for this boat, and I know about the entrance and the locker, I would be replacing those with something better, I hate the ones that are on it there awful ugly and we’re thrown together, that was done by the last owner.. I could easily build a bracket for the motor knowing how they work, I think you may well be correct there, I think the marina sold bits off then sold what was left to the fella before me and he probably realised how much of a job it was to get it to sail and gave up on it and sold it on. :( I feel like I don’t want to give up on it though ?

Check round the older boatyards ... not the fancy marina based ones. Often there are masts / booms etc. laying at back long forgotten and yards are happy to pass on. The L17 can actually get away with literally a large dinghy set ... just needs mounting and stays to sort. Doesn't need to be with spreaders for this size. If you could see the way the mast etc. is on my Polish Kormoran (5.5m) .... I'm sure you would say : I can do that !

Its basically two short vertical plates from a U bracket screwed to cabin top. The Mast foot is plain and it just sits over the two vertical plates stopping it from moving. Simple stay fwd and two stays aft of centre to side ... no backstays - but the L17 will have .. simple ....
A pivoting rudder would not be hard to make ... the mounting metal work - pin and lugs - is easily bought from a chandler.
 

Refueler

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I think you find now SSR are asking for bill of sale

Maybe ... ok ...

I was basing on my last chat with SSR when they refused to renew my SSR as I could not produce UK residence utility bills to support my request.

Just wondering why they would want a BoS ... considering SSR does not and specifically states it does not confirm Ownership ... interesting.
 

sailaboutvic

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Maybe ... ok ...

I was basing on my last chat with SSR when they refused to renew my SSR as I could not produce UK residence utility bills to support my request.

Just wondering why they would want a BoS ... considering SSR does not and specifically states it does not confirm Ownership ... interesting.
The MCA are being a right pain when it comes to registering or renewing the SSR, they want to know everything including the inside of a duck ass .
Apparently once you claimed you boat next time it become easier to re new .
 

Dellquay13

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Sadly it looks to me that someone has stripped a boat of all the bits they needed for their own project then left it in a boat yard for the marina to sort out the mess, until you bought it.
a small boat with all the bits, just needing a good clean up should be about £1000 and sea worthy in a month or less.
That one will suck up five times that amount and take years to sort. It needs chopping up and binning
Sorry...
 

Black Sheep

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I thought it was going to be a good cheap and fun way to get into boating.. it was a bit of an impulse buy though tbf..
As you've seen, a lot of people on here will tell you that buying a project boat isn't a cheap way to get into boating! There's potentially a lot of costs ahead of you; what you've bought is essentially a bare hull. How you fit it out, and to what standard, will have a big effect on costs. If you have wit, patience, and are willing to learn new skills, it can be done. And, if you enjoy that sort of thing, can be an immensely satisfying way of getting on the water.

Your starting point is to get it clean and dry, and to stop any leaks (fill any holes in the deck). I second the advice to join the Leisure Owners association.

I think your idea of putting a long-shaft 4 or 5hp outboard on the back is a good one. It won't be the best motor boat in the world, but should be OK. It gets you on the water, and gives you a chance to get a feel for the boat before fitting a mast and sails.

It might be possible to find a suitable rudder. Or you might have to make one. Not a trivial task, but should be achievable. I agree with the post above not to mess with a wheel - keep to a simple tiller.

Mast and rigging - again, you might be able to find something second hand, maybe from a different boat. You'll need to sort out standing rigging. That usually means steel wire with compression fittings, but you might be able to do something with dyneema rope instead. On a boat of this size, it should be a do-it-yourself job.

There's other things - eg anchor and rode. You can do without nav lights. You probably don't need electrics on board, though a depth sounder would be useful. You may want provision for cooking or sleeping aboard in the longer run.

It looks like you're hoping to sail the Broads? in which case some of my advice in the other thread might not be relevant - the Broads are inland waterways, and the Broads Authority have their own rules: Tolls

On the other hand, if you're sailing the sheltered waters of the Broads, you don't need ocean-ready hatches.

I'm sure the naysayers have a point - the rational thing might be to cut up the hull. But it's not the only way to go from here. Me? I'd give it a go, keeping things simple and low tech. (but then, I'd probably put a junk rig on her, meaning I could build the mast & sails myself!)
 
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steveeasy

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And you can have lots of fun never even putting a mast and sails on it. Sounds great fun motoring around the broads and stopping for meals in the many pubs along the way. All for not much more than an outboard.
Happy Days.
Steveeasy
 

sailaboutvic

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Paddling pool for kids,
Some where to hide from the misses.
Suggestion guys help a fellow sailor out of a mess and make him feel like he got a bargain after all
 

chrishscorp

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Join the Leisure association, post a pic and find out if anyone has a mast and boom kicking about and a rudder, do not spend loads on it it will be a money pit and you would be better off splashing a grand on a complete boat.

Alternatively ask around boat yards or look on ebay, I have just got rid of 2 masts and booms one had new rigging as well for a dinghy that would have done that, i got £200. Ideally go for a mast from a well known dinghy design that has been around for a while, that way you might get an old pair of sails as well for little money You could of course seal up the rudder tube and have a transom hung rudder and tiller, its a bodge but it would work
 

Refueler

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The MCA are being a right pain when it comes to registering or renewing the SSR, they want to know everything including the inside of a duck ass .
Apparently once you claimed you boat next time it become easier to re new .

My SSR used to be via my Mothers address .. then when she passed on ... at renewal I put my oldest son who lives in Portsmouth as 'joint interest' with me. SSR when they asked BOTH addresses - they informed that my address being non UK invalidated renewal. It made no difference that my son lived / worked / owned house in Portsmouth.

Boat is now Latvian registered for LIFE at cost of 25euros at that time, includes inspection by Govt Shipping Dept ...
When I last checked for a pal of mine - it had risen to about 40 euros and still for life. Its only if you intend to put out for charter or business that it then has regular inspections / renewal .....
I can well believe its higher cost now ... still for life though.
 

KevinV

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Lots of fun to be had with a boat that cost almost nothing - as above, stick an outboard on and potter about. Keep your eyes open for any old dinghy rig and sails, and if you're a fabricator then knocking up a flat plate rudder/tiller is easy peasy. Don't spend too much, don't aim too high, and have a good laugh at the mistakes you'll make on the way
 

William_H

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I would disagree with Spirit of Glenans it is all very doable. Plus can provide pleasure and sense of achievement. I did something very similar to a Hartley 18 hull in Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) back in 1978. That included getting a steel single fixed keel fabricated and bolted on.
The mast is described as 6 m however anything down to 5m would be fine. Once you find a mast s/h then you can fabricate a mast base (pivoting) and as said dyneems shrouds. A boom can be any ali tube 50mm diameter and you can fabricate a goose neck from bits of SS. A pivoting rudder can be tricky but a fixed rudder is quite simple out of wood with lots of GRP on top. (assuming it is a transom mounted rudder) Sails would come from dinghy source. Get to a yacht club and ask around. If you were here I could set you up with a couple of jibs and a main. Yes you can make your own sails but really with cost of fabric you are better off modifying old sails.
Just do it and enjoy it. Feel free to PM me for any help. (from 32s 135E) ol'will
 

Spirit (of Glenans)

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I would disagree with Spirit of Glenans it is all very doable. Plus can provide pleasure and sense of achievement. I did something very similar to a Hartley 18 hull in Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) back in 1978. That included getting a steel single fixed keel fabricated and bolted on.
The mast is described as 6 m however anything down to 5m would be fine. Once you find a mast s/h then you can fabricate a mast base (pivoting) and as said dyneems shrouds. A boom can be any ali tube 50mm diameter and you can fabricate a goose neck from bits of SS. A pivoting rudder can be tricky but a fixed rudder is quite simple out of wood with lots of GRP on top. (assuming it is a transom mounted rudder) Sails would come from dinghy source. Get to a yacht club and ask around. If you were here I could set you up with a couple of jibs and a main. Yes you can make your own sails but really with cost of fabric you are better off modifying old sails.
Just do it and enjoy it. Feel free to PM me for any help. (from 32s 135E) ol'will
I don't think I was implying that it wasn't doable, just that there will be a helluva lot to do, and a long and hard road, made more difficult for the OP by the fact that his knowledge base is so low in the particular area of 1960s-70s small sailing boats.
I speak from a particularly relevant viewpoint, as I took on, for my first boat, a Leisure 17, in a similar state to the OP's, though somewhat more complete. My only previous experience with boats was two weeks at a sailing school in Croatia learning the equivalent of Day Skipper, then Coastal Skipper. I bought the boat soon afterwards and it took two years spare time work to get it ready to launch.
 
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steveeasy

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What surprises me more and more from reading threads as this one, quite a few members have taken on a similar task, well sort of similar. It seams to many new entrants, an easy way to enter sailing. You get a random boat. youve joined the club so to speak. During the refurb you learn all the ins and outs of boat maintenance, well to a fashion anyway. you learn the hard way how to avoid it costing a fortune and if your lucky you actually get on the water. How easy was that.
Far easier than joining some sailing club thats for sure. So like them or not, These old boats from days gone by really do play a crucial role in introducing people to the sport.
Steveeasy
 

ProDave

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Far easier than joining some sailing club thats for sure. So like them or not, These old boats from days gone by really do play a crucial role in introducing people to the sport.
No doubt about that. But the point many of us are making, is unless your hobby actually is boat building / restoration, you are far better at least buying one that is complete and just needs tidying up. I will watch this thread with interest but if it is sailing next season for less than the cost of just buying a boat ready to sail, I will be VERY surprised.
 

steveeasy

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No doubt about that. But the point many of us are making, is unless your hobby actually is boat building / restoration, you are far better at least buying one that is complete and just needs tidying up. I will watch this thread with interest but if it is sailing next season for less than the cost of just buying a boat ready to sail, I will be VERY surprised.
Yes but its not about doing things in a rational way. You only get that with hindsight. No doubt at all about it being unviable and all that. Youve bought the boat now you are fuelled with enthusiasm. nothing to stop you, No being turned away at the sailing club cos youve got the wrong socks on, your a boat owner and you can do it. This way might just make you succeed as opposed to spending tens of thousands and never ever hitting the water. several like that where I keep my boat and one was over a £100,000s and the service cost £10,000 still never used it.
Steveeasy
 

stevebrassett

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I have kept my Leisure 23 on both the sea and the Norfolk Broads, so I will add my 2p worth.

In general, you really need a bill of sale or receipt from the seller. Otherwise you have no proof that you own her. I never bothered with SSR, but I never went anywhere other than coastal waters.

For the sea, you need nothing, but insurance is highly recommended. I would say essential. Imagine going into a marina with loads of expensive boats to hit without insurance - it's the stuff nightmares are made of.

The Broads is a different kettle of fish. Firstly, when you build/source a mast I would highly recommend you rig it so that you can drop the mast easily. There are quite a number of bridges on the broads. You will probably be doing this anyway if you intend to tow the boat.

You will need to pay the broads toll - this can be paid in advance, or can be paid on a daily basis for a short period. You will need to get BSS within 28 days. This costs £130 (or it did a few weeks ago), and can be made simpler if you have an outboard motor, and have no gas on board.

They will check 12 volt electrics, any gas, fuel systems, 240 volt electrics if you have them built into the boat, fire extinguisher(s) etc. You can find the regulations online, and you need to check them well. The simpler the boat, the easier it is to pass.

Insurance is even more highly recommended. The other boats on the broads are a lot closer than when at sea, and far more of them are driven by numpties. Fully comp is recommended, in case you get a "hit and run".
 

Refueler

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I don't think I was implying that it wasn't doable, just that there will be a helluva lot to do, and a long and hard road, made more difficult for the OP by the fact that his knowledge base is so low in the particular area of 1960s-70s small sailing boats.
I speak from a particularly relevant viewpoint, as I took on, for my first boat, a Leisure 17, in a similar state to the OP's, though somewhat more complete. My only previous experience with boats was two weeks at a sailing school in Croatia learning the equivalent of Day Skipper, then Coastal Skipper. I bought the boat soon afterwards and it took two years spare time work to get it ready to launch.

Bet you learnt more from that than most other sources ...
 
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