Worried about daughter buying a houseboat advice please

ProDave said:
It says "75 ft river frontage (35 ft deep approx) with mains electric, water and landline telephone connection.
Parking space and open garden area."

I read that as the mooring is 75ft by 35 ft NOT that the water was 35 feed deep.

Can you not get an ultrasound survey from the inside to tell you the hull thickness remaining?

If the hull is sound, the rest can be fixed / replaced / renovated.
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Yes I sometimes test thickness of steel tanks containing liquid.
 
Daydream believer said:
I would read the "crisis help needed " thread about the elderly gent whose son bought an old tugboat or fishing boat with no proper survey or insurance. It subsequently sank & it was only by showing much resolve that they got it afloat again.
I am sure that chap had many a sleepless night as would any parent
So being a parent one can only have sympathy
Perhaps it would help to show the thread to your daughter
Kids! Who would have them?
Good luck
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Strangely his kids are a bit nervous now!
 
Much of the advice above is probably good, but inevitably comes from people whose focus is on the boat rather than the whole package of boat+mooring, and all in the context of York accommodation prices. Mind you, I'd certainly hope that daughter/partner were fairly practical people capable of living in a floating building site, because that looks a likely prospect.

As to safety, I happened to visit York at New Year when the river was in an impressive state of flood. In such conditions I'd be as worried about the mooring tackle as the likelihood of sinking...unless a trip to the Humber is on the family's agenda.

I think the OP would be well advised to pose a similar query on a houseboat forum, if there is such a thing. Anyone know of one they might point him to?
 
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Whilst the houseboat may be secure from flooding, as long as the moorings are secure. They could become stranded either on-board or ashore as the access is likely to become impassable during flooding. In York it happens with boring regularity.
 
Bear in mind it is iron, which corrodes, and not steel, which rusts. The rates of decay are different. But so too are the repair techniques.

I believe it was considered ( at lifes end) to start welding plates onto a iron rivetted vessel.
Surely a cursory inspection will show what standard of maintenance has been enjoyed, before you even look at hauling the boat for survey?
 
I'd love the idea myself but the age of the boat and work required are very much against it. Suggest you direct them to property auctions as you have the cash. You will be able to properly secure your interest with a charge.
 
Lakesailor said:
Whilst the houseboat may be secure from flooding, as long as the moorings are secure. They could become stranded either on-board or ashore as the access is likely to become impassable during flooding. In York it happens with boring regularity.
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If it happens regularly, you'd have thought the inhabitants would invest in a tender.

In a proper flood, you could go to the shops in your dinghy. Much more fun than driving :)

Pete
 
Advise being enthusiastic towards the venture but at the same time play the devils advocate therefore counselling them to make their own good decisions......

Riveted hulls are a nightmare when they start to go to the dogs.

Survey 'a must' if spending that sort of money.
Find a surveyor who will do a 'tyre kicker' survey. In other words check out the quality of the hull only, the rest is mainly cosmetic.

Is access to the site shared? If so that could be a future problem.

Is it on a school run or would you always be transporting little ones for the coming years?

If the land floods each winter etc. that in itself becomes a nightmare year after year.
 
macd said:
As to safety, I happened to visit York at New Year when the river was in an impressive state of flood. In such conditions I'd be as worried about the mooring tackle as the likelihood of sinking...unless a trip to the Humber is on the family's agenda.
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The above triggered an old memory of a fellow engineer at Fylingdales - I won't admit how many years ago that was - who bought a houseboat on the Ouse near York and commuted every day from there.

His attendance was, shall we say, spasmodic at times, due to the river flooding and his wife, a qualified nurse, had to give up her job to stay on board to attend lines and fend off trees, wrecks and other floating debris, which if not attended to, could build up and threaten their mooring stability.

The idyllic life afloat that they had imagined didn't quite materialise and they sold up after two years.
 
For a daughter alone I'd be much more concerned about her personal security, towpaths are notorious.

Get a local fabricator to make grilles over the hatches so they can be left open for ventilation.
 
prv said:
Really?

That seems like it would be bringing a problem on themselves. No boatyard wants their space cluttered up with old wrecks of boats that will never move again.

Far better to put it back in the water and let the owner take the problem away with him.

Pretty sure that's what our yard would do, and quite rightly. If nothing else, what gives them the right to condemn my property as "dodgy" and effectively impound it?

Pete
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I was thinking it was on inland waters where you are less free to navigate in 'unsafe' vessels.
I do know of a yard craning a wooden boat for survey, and refusing to crane it back again as it was in such a state they would not risk lifting it.
 
Barnac1e said:
The above triggered an old memory of a fellow engineer at Fylingdales - I won't admit how many years ago that was - who bought a houseboat on the Ouse near York and commuted every day from there.

His attendance was, shall we say, spasmodic at times, due to the river flooding and his wife, a qualified nurse, had to give up her job to stay on board to attend lines and fend off trees, wrecks and other floating debris, which if not attended to, could build up and threaten their mooring stability.

The idyllic life afloat that they had imagined didn't quite materialise and they sold up after two years.
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I knew a bloke who lived on a narrowboat in London during the week.
At weekends he lived on his wife's narrowboat, which they moved around the country a few miles every weekend.
Seemed a good plan to me at the time!
 
Ha, since the land is worth more than the boat and comes as part of the package... Float the boat onto the land on a flood state, park it, cut a nice door in the side , simples.
To the jobsworths ' Issa work in progress mate, emergency flood damage yeah ?'
 
Blueboatman said:
Ha, since the land is worth more than the boat and comes as part of the package... Float the boat onto the land on a flood state, park it, cut a nice door in the side , simples.
To the jobsworths ' Issa work in progress mate, emergency flood damage yeah ?'
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Excellent solution. Love it!
 
Without a survey,your daughter could be buying a whole load of somebody elses expensive trouble.To get that boat out of the water for survey/repairs may require moving it some considerable distance to a yard capable of handling and knowledge of vessels of that size.
As it has not been out the water for years suspect there will be work waiting to be done.Slipping will not be cheap for a vessel of that size IF their is anybody capable of doing it locally.The last thing they need is to be living on an old heap which will be a constant source of worry and drain on limited resources.

Caveat Emptor. BIG TIME
 
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