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JaniedeL

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Hi
Im after some advice please. My husband and I have rented cabin cruisers both here and in France for the last 10 years and are now considering buying. However our knowledge is very limited. We live in Salisbury. We envisage using the boat most weekends when its not TOO cold or blowy. We would like to sleep and cook on the boat. Would we be better getting a smaller boat that we could trailer or a larger boat and paying for moorings. Where could we moor and where could we motor to on the South Coast? Can you suggest what first boat we should go for? See, I told you we didn't know much!!! ANY help would be so much appreciated. Thanks. Janie
 
To start with, you say you envisage using the boat most weekends. That more or less rules out a boat on a trailer as you will very soon get fed up of launching and recovering!

You will need to give us a budget and some idea of the size of boat you want before we can make any meaningful recommendations.
 
JaniedeL said:
Hi
Im after some advice please. My husband and I have rented cabin cruisers both here and in France for the last 10 years and are now considering buying. However our knowledge is very limited. We live in Salisbury. We envisage using the boat most weekends when its not TOO cold or blowy. We would like to sleep and cook on the boat. Would we be better getting a smaller boat that we could trailer or a larger boat and paying for moorings. Where could we moor and where could we motor to on the South Coast? Can you suggest what first boat we should go for? See, I told you we didn't know much!!! ANY help would be so much appreciated. Thanks. Janie
Click to expand...

Hi Janie... (edited bit).. or Del! , welcome to the forum.. well I'm a bit bored so will give you my 2 penny worth.

Firstly very much depends on budget... but regardless of budget I will give you a few pointers.

Towing sounds ideal in many ways. Go anywhere, no marina costs and take your pride and joy home to tinker with.. then you actually get into the finer details. You will be very limited to the size of boat you get, you will have to get / or already own a large vehicle to enable you to tow your boat. Launching and recovering a boat takes practice, but if you are talking about a boat you can weekend on, or spend a few nights away its going to be on the larger side of a towable boat therefore heavy... therefore more difficult to recover. But I guess absolute maximum size you would be looking at 24ft..

Buy a boat to moor on the south coast, then you may think about going up slightly in size, a Solent marina will cost for a 26ft boat circa £3000-4700 a year.. £5000-£7000 for a 33ft. That's the only downside I can ever see about a marina. Everything else is a positive, Its ready and waiting to be used, its easier than trailering. You have a base to go from and come back to. Just going down and sitting on your boat in a marina (so long as you pick a nice one) can be just as fun and going out. If you are in the Solent then there are countless places to go to on a weekend, between the mainland and the Isle of Wight...

As for suggestions of boats, you really must give us an idea of budget.. then we are pretty good at coming up with suggestions.
 
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Thank you so much for your replies. I totally see your point about it being restricting and a bit of a pain putting the boat on a trailer and I would only think we would do this once a year for our annual holiday.
As far as budget goes, I think around the £10k mark but could stretch a bit more if worth it.

Thanks so much again!
 
Right, that's quite a tight budget in boating terms however totally appreciate if that's what you have to play with then it is still workable.

I spotted this and this is a quality boat with a great engine set up, and would serve you VERY well... its way over your budget, but they may come down in price... and you did say you could stretch a bit...

https://www.rightboat.com/gb/boats-...bfe63566-fda3-43df-ab87-31bea0a48aba/rb194577

So, there are lots of styles of boat, you may look at this and think it lovely, or horrible. I personally would snap this up as its well built, ideally suited to the UK weather and has been re-engined.

But, this is not a trailer boat... you would need to find somewhere to moor her.
 
Firefly625 said:
Right, that's quite a tight budget in boating terms however totally appreciate if that's what you have to play with then it is still workable.

I spotted this and this is a quality boat with a great engine set up, and would serve you VERY well... its way over your budget, but they may come down in price... and you did say you could stretch a bit...

https://www.rightboat.com/gb/boats-...bfe63566-fda3-43df-ab87-31bea0a48aba/rb194577

So, there are lots of styles of boat, you may look at this and think it lovely, or horrible. I personally would snap this up as its well built, ideally suited to the UK weather and has been re-engined.

But, this is not a trailer boat... you would need to find somewhere to moor her.
Click to expand...

I had a CI22 for almost 10years, it really is a cracking little boat, and that one looks in great condition. If it’s as good as it looks, and with that engine, it’s a real bargain!
 
Plus 1 for that CI 22 looks a cracking boat with some good kit and a modern economical engine

Might be worth an offer?

I would get someone to check it over though, a survey would cost about £500(?) or to start with maybe a local marine mechanic type person?
 
Hi,
you will also have to have a good look at the vehicle you will be using for towing. Boats can look quite compact and small in the water. When you get them out of the water it becomes a different ball game all together. As long as you or your husband are confident with this its ok. If you can, have a look at the sort of boats you are looking for and see if you can spot one on a trailer somewhere to give you some perspective of the task ahead. I have no experience of towing myself but I think you would be looking at a LANDROVER DISCOVERY or something very simmilar for the sort of boat you are looking for. There will be plenty of people on the forum who will be able to give you better advice on this. I would tow a boat myself, but not for every outing. Only to change its location now and then. Say from a south marina to a west coast marina. For me, towing it everytime i wanted to use it would become too much of a chore and take away the pleasure of boating and eat too much into already precious leisure time.
Do take good notice of all the views on the forum. They are many very knowledgable well travelled and experienced people on here. Never think that any question is too small or daft to ask. You will always get a friendly and helpfull response. I Have asked many myself and I'm still asking.
Take your time deciding on your purchase but make sure it is your decision.
Good luck with your search.
 
longjohnsilver said:
I had a CI22 for almost 10years, it really is a cracking little boat, and that one looks in great condition. If it’s as good as it looks, and with that engine, it’s a real bargain!
Click to expand...

I thought so... even emailed the link to my brother. He came back to me and said not of any interest, what's wrong with these folk!

with 170hp Yanmar 4JH engine that is a kind of a special find. I would have thought it would be good for 20-22 knots with that..
 
Firefly625 said:
I thought so... even emailed the link to my brother. He came back to me and said not of any interest, what's wrong with these folk!

with 170hp Yanmar 4JH engine that is a kind of a special find. I would have thought it would be good for 20-22 knots with that..
Click to expand...

Firefly,
I 100% agree. The CI 22 looks a cracking little boat. Good engine (170 hp, tidy) with a great modernized spec. Cant see that being around for to long.
 
Maybe something like this:
http://uk.boats.com/power-boats/1995-picton-210-fiesta-lowered-6301244/#.Wvr1DIAvxhE
Use to tow one behind a Granada.

Or early Bayliner 2155 / 2150
or Sea Ray 220da

Or if you forget the towing
Old princess 25 or even 32 or similar.

The main advantage of the Picton is being outboard, worst case scenario of engine being a dudd is a lot less than if it is an inboard...big factor at that age.
 
Firefly625 said:
I thought so... even emailed the link to my brother. He came back to me and said not of any interest, what's wrong with these folk!

with 170hp Yanmar 4JH engine that is a kind of a special find. I would have thought it would be good for 20-22 knots with that..
Click to expand...

Yes, my CI22 with an ancient Mermaid 150 and a new 4 bladed prop did about 18kts, so this should be good for at least 20 it’s, a very good speed for a small sd boat. And the faster it went the better it handled.

I still miss it!
 
Last year my wife and I were walking past the boat slip and I stopped to watch some launches and recoveries. A wave of nostalgia swept over me and I said her I remember fondly us doing this. As a couple working together intuitively and in perfect harmony. She replied that all she remembers is me yelling orders at her.
Much nicer in a marina (I must ask if I still yell orders!)
 
You started by saying that you were looking to use and possibly keep the boat on the S coast. This is purely a river boat, a 20hp engine will give you maybe 6kts maximum which is fine if you actually want to,use your boat on the river, but pretty hopeless if you intend going to sea. Also the hull will not be at all comfortable in anything other than flat calm conditions, which unfortunately will be very rare out at sea.

So you really need to decide where you want to do your boating.
 
absolutely agree with LJS, you have just looked at a river boat. You cannot and must not take that boat to sea... that's fine if you have decided that river cruising is what you want, its just not what you asked us for information about.

As for the boat, its a river boat which is a mobile caravan on water, as such, for the money looks OK. a boat designed to go to sea is a VERY different craft.

still would prefer to sink £15k into that Channel Island 22 than £10k into a dolphin 23, but that's just me.
 
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JaniedeL said:
Thank you all so much for your amazing help and advice. It’s much appreciated.
On a bit of a whim, we viewed this today and it seems to tick all our boxes but obviously we are total amateurs so again would ask your advice please.....

http://www.valwyattmarine.co.uk/boats/dolphin-23-6694655/?sort-by=price-asc&condition=Used

Any pointers would be welcome!

Janie
Click to expand...

Ugh shower over the toilet, this is a river boat, as said b4.

If it ticks all Your boxes go for it, dont say we did not warn ya, at least is has an out board ;)
 
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