I would like some brutal advice and opinions about buying a boat...

[HowsYourBoatRace]

I'm looking to purchase a little river cruiser. I absolutely LOVE boats and being by the water. I am aware it's not a great plan financially and it will decrease in value like a caravan rather than increase in value like a house. I'm not doing it for an investment I'm doing it for fun!

1. I know a lot of people in the boat industry although there are friends of a friend rather than my own actual friends. However I know I'll have their help making sure I buy a decent boat rather than a bag of shit

1. I would keep it moored at a marina I'm very familiar with and absolutely adore. The cost is £2,700 for the year. I can't guarantee forever of course but at the minute I can afford this

1. I'm presuming the boat would need to be serviced annually and I'm also presuming that'll cost a few hundred quid

1. I'm also presuming I'll need a river license to take the boat out, although to be honest I won't be doing that very often. The boat / marina will be very much my second "weekender" home

1. If I haven't mentioned it. I really love being on the water! Huge lover of nature, kayaking etc. I will still be living in my main home during the week

1. The price I'm willing to pay will be between £5k to £7k so it won't be a huge boat but it doesn't need to be

Any advice, opinions or comments welcome. I'll obviously do my own further research but some people on here can be occasionally helpful!

Many thanks.

They can need a lot of maintenance. Repainting, etc etc. plus if stuff goes wrong it can cost more than car parts (cars are a volume business).

lots of boat owners do their own maintenance.

engine?

What about the engine?

If it’s what you enjoy doing, then why not. But sounds like you’ll be on a boat and in the water but not going anywhere, what’s the point?

What sort of engine? What about power? Water? Heating? Loo? What services does the marina offer? Security? Seems a shame not to take it out-how easy is it to “escape” the marina and go for a little trip?

Boats are holes in the water you throw money into. Which is fine, as long as you have that to spare.

Do your mooring fees cover electric and sewage and water? Does the marina or LA have a residence limit (x day per year or no stays longer than y). Marina will require insurance I expect. Get a full breakdown of costs from your friends before you buy anything.

Boats bring the two happiest days of your life. The day you buy one, and the day you sell it.

Boat stands for Break Out Another Thousand 🤣

Seriously, as long as you are aware of the money pit they are, go for it. They are also great fun. Just remember to account for insurance, river licence, mooring, maintenance (everything costs 10 x the amount that it should).

The marina is in a beautiful location with lots of nature walks, restaurants, activities and things to do so I don't see it as being stuck on a boat. I see it as a base. Also I'll probably take it out eventually once I've built some confidence, this is a learning curve for me. I wouldn't go ahead and buy anything without sound advice and I'd want one of my contacts to service it first to seek out any potential issues.

The mooring fee includes water, sewage and WiFi. Also a car parking space, shower block and well maintained toilets. There is also a laundry block and extra storage facilities (although I wouldn't need either) and a very lovely restaurant.

Some river marinas require your boat to lifted over winter. Check if your preferred one does, as thats a big potential cost and a complete nuisance.

Before you buy go on some holidays in the type of boat you want. Get the qualifications above the bare minimum that you need to handle it competently. being on the boat is great but you really do want to be able to take it out of the marina- either for holidays or to take to the yard for maintenance.

Will you need to do a yearly/ every other year lift out of the water to inspect the hull and clean it (don’t know about river boats but we lift our yacht every other year).

Check with the marina how many nights you are allowed to stay over, some do have limits.

How many weeks boat hire could you get for the annual running costs?

There are no limits, one of my best friends has lived there permanently for around 6 years. I'd probably stay there most weekends and the odd week here and there for holidays. No idea about lifting, this is the kind of thing I'd need to research. I know it's a big spend but isn't everything if you want a nice life?

Also-check where your actual mooring will be. You want to avoid having other boats on either side of you. You don’t want people tramping over you to get to the shore.And you want be able to have a view!

Honestly I'd happily take any slot. I've been visiting the marina for years and everyone is so respectful. It's a good balance between being friendly and community spirited but not overbearing at all. I'd just be happy to be a part of it!

Full disclosure-I live on a boat-and have done for 25 years! A bit bigger than yours, though!

Can you hire one a few times first?

You’re not going to have a lot of choice of boat at that price and anything you do buy will probably be in poor condition. They need a lot of money spent on them ime for maintenance. I live by a popular marina and there are lots of long term moorings in my actual village. We’ve had two boats sink in the village already this year. I was told salavage costs were 20k per boat to lift each one out, no idea if that’s accurate.

for example I looked on this boat sale site to see what you could get for your price bracket
Have attached an image, neither look conducive to a good nights sleep. I appreciate you might find more choice private sales or elsewhere.

Can you sail already? I don't understand. Or are you just using the boat like a floating holiday home but not planning to sail anywhere?

i too would like a boat. there is a rya boating qualification you can do and that would be my starting point. that should prepare me for various things i need to know.

not sure about inboard or outboard.
or sea toilet or whatever else there is?
style of cruiser inside seating area, i’d like a u shape of seats at the rear with a table.

not sure if boats get damp in the winter if only used once a week? presume so? does all your stuff inside go white mouldy?

can you come or go from a marina 24 hours a day? do you request/need permission to leave? how? via radio? is it like hillwalking that you tell them when you plan to return and where you are heading?

power. do you put car batteries in and charge them maybe by solar or is it all diesel power or what?

i know nothing so maybe these are the kind of things you already know but if it helps…!

She wants a river cruiser, so no sailing involved.

If floats, f*cks or flies, it’s better to rent it by the hour.

Buy one, boating is fun and even if you don’t take it off it’s mooring much, it’s still fun!

My parents had a 63 foot narrow for 11 years. They sailed up and down the country and had a whale of a time. They bought the shell and had it kitted out to their specification.

They used to go down to London and stay in Paddington basin, when my 2 DS were little we would track them down in the holidays and stay on board with them. It was brilliant.

They lived on it from about April to October each year. They actually moored it by a farmers farm on the canal and he charged them £5 a week.

They didn't lose any money on it as narrow boats are big business and don't lose much value. They had to sell it as they were in their 70's and the locks were getting too much for them. They sold it for £60k I think and then that money has gone on to fund cruising the world in rather larger ships.

If you want a boat and you can afford it then do it! Life is too short

Boat stands for Bring Out Another Thousand...trust me.

How do you get a small fortune? Start with a large fortune and buy a boat. They are floating money pits. Get a marine survey before you buy and don't forget insurance.

So what do you call the act of physically steering it out of the marina and onto the river? Driving?