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.

Yes, driving or powering.

sailing involves sails.

there are inland boats that have sails (Norfolk broads mostly) but that’s a whole new level of expense and hassle.

You need to learn the basics before you even start thinking about acquiring a boat. Put a notice up on a marina notice board stating that you want to crew, that you don't have any experience but you are eager to learn and happy to share expenses.

Boat or horse ownership is a licence to print money for those who own a chandlery or a saddlery. Always shop around the "ordinary" retailers first.

Don't assume your chosen marina will always include electricity in your berthing fees. Our marina (owned by Premier Marinas) now has a meter on every berth, and the charges do mount up, especially in winter when we run dehumidifiers in the cabins and heaters by the engines.

When you do your budget, double it - regardless of the size of your boat.

I spend (a lot) more than that on my hobby. So 🤷🏽‍♀️. Spend your money on what makes you happy. You only get one life.

My only experiences are of three clients over the years. All three of them thought they were buying a good/solid boat and didn't expect major maintenance/repair bills, just thought it would be a bit of routine maintenance/decoration etc., plus insurance, mooring fees, fuel, etc. All three couldn't have been more wrong and ended up spending tens of thousands of pounds to do fundamental repairs, and all three ended up selling for similar price to what they paid, so were tens of thousands out of pocket over their years of ownership. All three said never again! Lifting them out of the water for repairs costs thousands every time. Very little, other than light cosmetic work, is "easy" and cheap to do. At the very least, the OP needs to get it properly "surveyed" by an independent/reputable firm and check out how long ago all the separate fundamental parts were replaced as things don't last as long on a boat as they would, say, on a car or in a house - useful lives of components etc are always a lot shorter than you'd expect.

I can't offer any advice but your question brought this to mind!

We've always had boats and they're great fun and very rewarding.

A licence for the river and canals is about £1100 a year.
Anti fouling needs to be done at least every two to three years, with sacrificial annodes checked every year, this can cost upwards of £450 + depending upon size.
Servicing your engine will be between £300 to £1000. I've just paid £909 for my service plus repairs.
Your marina will almost certainly charge electricity in addition to berth fees and you may need a meter which costs around £180 as a one off charge.
You will need a thermostatic radiator for the winter to keep the mould away, and depending upon the boat possibly a dehumidifier, plus running costs.
You'll also need to clean the outside regularly and if you have a hood, clean and reproof before every winter.
Don't forget to factor in when things go wrong. We have a boat account and save £600 a month into it to pay for ongoing costs incl annual berthing and most of it is used each year - upgrades like having solar fitted is extra. That cost £1500.
So £7000k a year or thereabouts . . .

We pay for our boat to be stored in a boatyard on a river that leads into the sea - takes about 30 minutes to slow motor from yard up river to the open sea. We don’t pay any extra charges to use the river, only if we want to moor somewhere else for a few hours when we take a trip out.

We've had a boat for around 20 years now and love it. It is expensive for mooring etc and fuel adds up but my DH does all the bits of work that it needs which saves a lot - there’s always stuff that needs doing each season but he does get the engine serviced every year.

If you love it and can afford it then go for it!

£7k is absolutely nothing in the boat world- you will probably end up with an expensive to fix problem

If you don’t intend to travel the waterways, why not buy a nice little caravan and a seasonal pitch somewhere nice? Much cheaper. A boat is an absolute money pit, and I’m speaking from bitter experience.

I’ve owned all types of boats, sailing, speed and river boats. Fun but money pits. My advice is to do your RYA and then charter a boat whenever you fancy it and hand it back.