"Sea trial" on the river

Sneds

Sneds

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Unacustumed as I am to posting in these here parts, ie the Thames forum, I was hoping some folk may be able to help?
I am looking at a boat for sale in the Chertsey area and am wondering about taking the boat out for a test drive.
Would anyone know if there is a stretch of river that we could run her for 20 minutes at say 20-25 kts or this that a big no no?
Alternatively, how many hours away from the unrestricted Thames would we be, where we could run the boat up to planing speed to give her a good workout?
Thanks in anticipation....
 
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!)
 
Chertsey to Teddington is about 3 1/2 hours on a good day , Teddington to cherry garden pier. ( where the river becomes unrestricted , about another 3 1/2 hours )

It'll be a long day.
 
A long day indeed, but I plan on keeping the boat a long time, appreciate the input and the idea of 20 knots at rest made smile!
 
Sneds said:
Unacustumed as I am to posting in these here parts, ie the Thames forum, I was hoping some folk may be able to help?
I am looking at a boat for sale in the Chertsey area and am wondering about taking the boat out for a test drive.
Would anyone know if there is a stretch of river that we could run her for 20 minutes at say 20-25 kts or this that a big no no?
Alternatively, how many hours away from the unrestricted Thames would we be, where we could run the boat up to planing speed to give her a good workout?
Thanks in anticipation....
Click to expand...

I think that might spill the drinks.
 
A conundrum faced by just about anybody buying a decent sized boat on any inland waterway .
If I were selling boat with engine issues my first port of call would be a up river non tidal Marina brokerage and my nearest is the Thames.
You could of course pay a knowlegable engine expert to give you a pretty good idea of the boats mechanical condition but after many years of Thames pottering,the only way to find out if the cooling system etc is up to scratch is blast at WOT for a decent stretch in Sea Reach.As you are probably aware heat exchangers are the most vunerable items to neglect with eye watering replacement costs.
There is a Princess 388 ashore in the Midlands which requires two complete new heat exchangers to get it back into action.
It will be too late when you have handed over your hard earned and are taking the boat back to the Solent, watching the gauges rise and black smoke pouring out of the exhausts somewhere off Sheerness.
Having said that, recently involved with bringing back a couple of long term Thames residents and both performed perfectly well when the throttles were opened..
Both did have considerable amounts of work carried out with filters,impellors and complete replacement water pump before risking the venture,much work was carried out after their return with quite a long list of stuff needing fettling. Problems which simply would not have been obvious before the tidal journey.
Throttles connected to the engine,wipers which work and sea cocks which shut can be very useful. :)
.
 
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The boat has been taken to the Thames from Plymouth. I suspect she was used as a caravan rather than a boat.
I'm now thinking there may be some issues that would not show up at 4 or 5 knots
 
If you are serious about buying the boat ( and the broker realises this , and that you aren't just expecting a jolly day out which I'm sure you aren't ) and the sale is big enough , I've known plenty of mid Thames brokers take a boat out with a prospective client for a proper run. You might be required to pay for the diesel, which if you are serious shouldn't be a big deal for a hundred quids worth of squirt.

What sort of boat is it and what is the value if you don't mind me asking ?
 
Just had quick look and that boat has incredibly low hours.Curious that somebody would spend that amount of money on a brand new boat and then hardly use the thing.
Should be perfect both inside and out. Lack of engine specs on the boat.
Wonder if it has the old faithful 42 range of power plants or the later new fangled versions where half the top of the engine has to be removed to do the valves and more belts than a belt shop. :)
Looking at some of the deals done recently with Thames brokerages might be another bargain waiting for a savvy buyer . ?
 
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Sneds said:
Sealine f36 £79k
Click to expand...

I had a look at the photographs .
It looks to be in nice condition.
The controls suggest edc engines, so presumably kamd44's ? I think that makes it rare among F36's and gives it useful extra power over the more usual kamd43's. But the added complication of electronic control and 24 valves rather than 12 .
.
 
Desborough cut but doubt a broker would be willing. When I came down there at beginning of September I was getting all excited as I was passing D'Oyly Carte and as I went under the upstream bridge I gently eased the throttle up to 80%. I managed to get about 6 knots (i have barge..)

in about 1990 I did hammer it up there now and then in my broom Scorpio and I know that people did the same in much bigger boats .

You do need to check there is nobody moored in the cut itself as caning it past a moored boat is out of order. .
 
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Take it down The Tideway,it'll be nicely warmed up by the time you get there.
Desborough Cut.....someone more savvy than me will have to post up the Fairline pic from a few years back,might focus the mind of Sneds as to where he wants to open the boat up once his deposit is banked :)
 
I'd be most grateful if you would tape over the name of your boat, then open her up past East Molesey Boat Club as the rowers and their coach boats are getting ready to wake up the MB owners on the Hampton Court moorings.
 
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