Cheap boat advice for total beginner
Discussion
eBay is dangerous...
It appears to be full of cheap boats in varying states of disrepair, either with or without an engine but normally in what appears to be a fairly usable state and on a trailer, and less then £1k, a lot less in some cases.
I'm tempted as I live near Henley and spend a lot of time on the south coast, and I already have a diesel Mondeo which could tow a small boat with ease. Having a boat sounds like a lot of fun and would give me another petrol engined toy to play with when I've run out of things to fix on the Lotus!
Basically, what do I need to know before doing something silly? Can I just buy a boat and use it? Are there slipways you can use, then park the car and trailer up nearby? What costs do I need to be aware of? How much is a new outboard if needed?
I'm thinking something like this....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FLETCHER-140-ARROWFLYTE-14-S...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shakespeare-Speedboat-No-eng...
Am I just being stupid? We do also have a family house in Normandy not far from the coast but I assume ferry costs for taking a car and boat over there will be a fortune!
It appears to be full of cheap boats in varying states of disrepair, either with or without an engine but normally in what appears to be a fairly usable state and on a trailer, and less then £1k, a lot less in some cases.
I'm tempted as I live near Henley and spend a lot of time on the south coast, and I already have a diesel Mondeo which could tow a small boat with ease. Having a boat sounds like a lot of fun and would give me another petrol engined toy to play with when I've run out of things to fix on the Lotus!
Basically, what do I need to know before doing something silly? Can I just buy a boat and use it? Are there slipways you can use, then park the car and trailer up nearby? What costs do I need to be aware of? How much is a new outboard if needed?
I'm thinking something like this....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FLETCHER-140-ARROWFLYTE-14-S...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shakespeare-Speedboat-No-eng...
Am I just being stupid? We do also have a family house in Normandy not far from the coast but I assume ferry costs for taking a car and boat over there will be a fortune!
The fletcher looks like the better boat to my eyes.
Would recomend getting a whole package (i.e. engine and all) as new motors are expensive.
When viewing the boat, see the engine running and that the controls are functional - can be done by sticking prop / leg of motor into a dustbin of water.
Otherwise, just look for obvious bad GRP repairs on hull etc, trailer is a no brainer, rust, bearings, controls, etc
Thames has speed limits so will just be chug-along
Some other harbour areas also.
Talk to local people about the area, hazards and good places to go.
Doing a basic RYA course would probably make life easier in the long run as it will explain all the basics - this is good common sense but is not a legal requirement.
What you will need to get as extra's are -
1 - a good service of the engine
2 - spare fuel can
3 - paddles
4 - if possible / viable / affordable a small 2hp engine for "get you home" duties
5 - Suitable number of life vests / bouyancy aids (sp)
6 - some rope (to tie the thing up + suitable tow rope)
7 - an anchor / line (grapple type thing)
8 - flares
9 - mobile phone
10 - eski of beer (but don't get too drunk whilst driving ... )
Would recomend getting a whole package (i.e. engine and all) as new motors are expensive.
When viewing the boat, see the engine running and that the controls are functional - can be done by sticking prop / leg of motor into a dustbin of water.
Otherwise, just look for obvious bad GRP repairs on hull etc, trailer is a no brainer, rust, bearings, controls, etc
Thames has speed limits so will just be chug-along
Some other harbour areas also.
Talk to local people about the area, hazards and good places to go.
Doing a basic RYA course would probably make life easier in the long run as it will explain all the basics - this is good common sense but is not a legal requirement.
What you will need to get as extra's are -
1 - a good service of the engine
2 - spare fuel can
3 - paddles
4 - if possible / viable / affordable a small 2hp engine for "get you home" duties
5 - Suitable number of life vests / bouyancy aids (sp)
6 - some rope (to tie the thing up + suitable tow rope)
7 - an anchor / line (grapple type thing)
8 - flares
9 - mobile phone
10 - eski of beer (but don't get too drunk whilst driving ... )
That's brilliant thanks 
I've done a bit of sailing in the Solent before (I come from a family of naval officers and other boaty people) but never really got into it. Boats with engines interest me far more!
How does one get the boat into and out of the water? Do you have to pay to use slipways somewhere or are there ones anyone can use?
I've done a bit of sailing in the Solent before (I come from a family of naval officers and other boaty people) but never really got into it. Boats with engines interest me far more!
How does one get the boat into and out of the water? Do you have to pay to use slipways somewhere or are there ones anyone can use?
Do a RYA powerboat handling course and learn the collision regulations as well as everything XJS John just said 
Rant mode on:
Unless of course you want to join the thousands of urban pot-bellied, largerd-up morons causing mayhem on the water every weekend....in which case just come to Essex, overload your boat, launch anywhere you fancy and redline it straight off the beach.
Rant mode off:
Rant mode on:
Unless of course you want to join the thousands of urban pot-bellied, largerd-up morons causing mayhem on the water every weekend....in which case just come to Essex, overload your boat, launch anywhere you fancy and redline it straight off the beach.
Rant mode off:
Edited by Jaguar steve on Thursday 25th September 10:38
You should learn launch and recover on the course - the safe way.
How about trying to find a mate who has some experience to come with you for the first few trips? I'd suggest you start off very gradually and slowly build your range. A nice placid river or sheltered coastal beach can turn very nasty if the weather or tide changes, and an easy outward run can turn into a nightmare to get back - so some local knowledge is essential.
You can buy a book - can't remember the title - giving details of all the UK launch sites, facilities there, maps and directions and other local info. Have a look in a chandlers or on the interweb.
How about trying to find a mate who has some experience to come with you for the first few trips? I'd suggest you start off very gradually and slowly build your range. A nice placid river or sheltered coastal beach can turn very nasty if the weather or tide changes, and an easy outward run can turn into a nightmare to get back - so some local knowledge is essential.
You can buy a book - can't remember the title - giving details of all the UK launch sites, facilities there, maps and directions and other local info. Have a look in a chandlers or on the interweb.
jamiebae said:
RYA course looks like a good place to start then
I still don't know how to get a boat off the trailer and into the Thames/Solent/other body of water though
Definitely do your powerboat level 2 course before buying a boat and make sure that whoever you do the course with does it on a boat of a similar size to what you are going to buy, ie don't do your PB2 on a 45' Princess if you are buying a 16' RIB.I still don't know how to get a boat off the trailer and into the Thames/Solent/other body of water though
As for launching, the following site will tell you where thay all are and how to do it:
http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/
I deffinatly recomend the RYA powerboat level 2 course as this will give you confidence.....do it before you buy a boat and you will have a better idea of what sort of boat you are after......
Things to bear in mind sports boats like fletcher's, Picton, driver, and plancraft sabres are great starter boats and i would suggest somthing under 18ft as your first boat as they are easy to handle, launch and recover and fun!
Downside is you get no space inside them at all......they generally have a long bow and a small cockpit where your head just about sees over the windscreen.
An alternative would be a fully inflatable boat or a rib.........they are great, perferm just as well as speedboats and give you alot of deck space.
either way your gonna have great fun......and there are indeed some bargians out there and nows the time of year to buy one - belive me ive had loads of boats including plancraft sabres, Ring 18 and 21ft ribs and bowriders....
the most important thing is to be safe.....the course remember if you break down in a car you stop at the side of the road....in a boat you drift wherver the wind and tide takes you and mobile phones dont work when your up under a cliff so get a VHF.
give me an email if you need any advice on boats pdcutler@gmail.com
hopw this helps
Things to bear in mind sports boats like fletcher's, Picton, driver, and plancraft sabres are great starter boats and i would suggest somthing under 18ft as your first boat as they are easy to handle, launch and recover and fun!
Downside is you get no space inside them at all......they generally have a long bow and a small cockpit where your head just about sees over the windscreen.
An alternative would be a fully inflatable boat or a rib.........they are great, perferm just as well as speedboats and give you alot of deck space.
either way your gonna have great fun......and there are indeed some bargians out there and nows the time of year to buy one - belive me ive had loads of boats including plancraft sabres, Ring 18 and 21ft ribs and bowriders....
the most important thing is to be safe.....the course remember if you break down in a car you stop at the side of the road....in a boat you drift wherver the wind and tide takes you and mobile phones dont work when your up under a cliff so get a VHF.
give me an email if you need any advice on boats pdcutler@gmail.com
hopw this helps
Jaguar steve said:
Do a RYA powerboat handling course and learn the collision regulations as well as everything XJS John just said
Rant mode on:
Unless of course you want to join the thousands of urban pot-bellied, largerd-up morons causing mayhem on the water every weekend....in which case just come to Essex, overload your boat, launch anywhere you fancy and redline it straight off the beach.
Rant mode off:
where in essex do you use ? im a member at wat tyler so only 5min making way out around the mud banks and oil refinary straight to the thames at southend ive never seen anyone be a tit in fact apart from a yob on a jetski once i think everyone is quite helpful and well behaved.Rant mode on:
Unless of course you want to join the thousands of urban pot-bellied, largerd-up morons causing mayhem on the water every weekend....in which case just come to Essex, overload your boat, launch anywhere you fancy and redline it straight off the beach.
Rant mode off:
Edited by Jaguar steve on Thursday 25th September 10:38
J
I'm on the Blackwater.
Most of the buffonery I see is concentrated around Stone Point and off Jaywick, although I did once see sombody dissapear into into the Thames shipping lanes in fog on a jet ski. I was anchored near the Red Sands towers waiting for it to clear before I crossed.
I've also rescued a family in a powerboat off Mersea Island, again in fog. They were dressed in t shirts and shorts, had no lifejackets or compass and were completely lost and low on fuel.
Clueless or what?
Most of the buffonery I see is concentrated around Stone Point and off Jaywick, although I did once see sombody dissapear into into the Thames shipping lanes in fog on a jet ski. I was anchored near the Red Sands towers waiting for it to clear before I crossed.
I've also rescued a family in a powerboat off Mersea Island, again in fog. They were dressed in t shirts and shorts, had no lifejackets or compass and were completely lost and low on fuel.
Clueless or what?
What a hard question!
buying a secondhand boat is a very good way of getting into an expensive hobby! And can really bring some extra fun into your life. Good advice on here so far if your boat is fibreglass then check out the transom (the bit the engine bolts on to, in case you don't know)make sure it's sound and not showing signs of strain. It's not uncommon to over engine a powerboat and this sometime weakens the transom.
re the engine It's just a marinised car or bike engine really and does most things the same. So you'll be wanting to look at compression testing, spark provision cooling a good strong flow of water from the p*ss pipe which gets warm quickly but not scalding hot!. a well maintained engine should start on the button with fresh fuel and battery...even it's been stored for a while. when it's running put you multimeter across the alternator battery terminals make sure the charging is constant and present. New alternator for a 50hp motor around 200 quid for example so you don't want to be buying one of them. it should also change gear easily when running and the kill ord should work. this is all signs that the 'engine worked perfect when stored in garage 2 years ago' is a true statement, never is Caveat Emptor (buyer beware) truer than in the case of a boating project!
New outboards are expensive, depending on horsepower and make 25 hp = 2grand 250hp = 12 grand pretty much an even rise in price through the power bands. decent engines are yamaha, evinrude, old johnsohns, tohatsu and merc/mariner as two strokes. Yamaha and Suzuki are good four strokes but your unlikely to find a four stroke on a project anyway ( i much prefer the smell of two stroke in the morning. Avoid Force engines!
You should be looking to fit new fuel seperators, and lines to any second hand boat., if you are using old tanks make sure they are thoroughly cleaned. water will kill your engine real quick! Obviously gearbox oil will nedd changing. YOu can get a workshop manual for your boat engine from Clymer. New impeller is a good move too
The real important thin howebver is the trailer if there is one, you have to make sure it will see the journey home. firstly make sure it's not rusted through anywhere and replace the bearings, without fail replace the bearings and keep the old ones as spares if any good. Then you know you have half a chance of getting the baby home. It will be the best 50 quid you'll ever spend in your life if it avoids you being by the side of the M3 with a one wheeled trailer and a fused on bearing shell that you can't remove( been there, done it and never want it to happen again.
Re powerboat training, I couldn't recommend it highly enough but make sure you go to a school that only does powerboats, not a yacht sailing school that does powerboat training as an income stream the difference between going through a syllabus and instilling the essence ofpowerboating is vast. Never is the phrase 'never trust a teeneage mechanic' truer than powerboat training...experience counts in the long run
if theres any boat projects that you have your eye on email me the spec and I'll tell you if it's a good deal or a good boat if you want.
be careful with his thought pattern I started off with a 70hp 17footer and I presently have a 28foot 450hp beast!
re slipways ty boatlaunch.co.uk
buying a secondhand boat is a very good way of getting into an expensive hobby! And can really bring some extra fun into your life. Good advice on here so far if your boat is fibreglass then check out the transom (the bit the engine bolts on to, in case you don't know)make sure it's sound and not showing signs of strain. It's not uncommon to over engine a powerboat and this sometime weakens the transom.
re the engine It's just a marinised car or bike engine really and does most things the same. So you'll be wanting to look at compression testing, spark provision cooling a good strong flow of water from the p*ss pipe which gets warm quickly but not scalding hot!. a well maintained engine should start on the button with fresh fuel and battery...even it's been stored for a while. when it's running put you multimeter across the alternator battery terminals make sure the charging is constant and present. New alternator for a 50hp motor around 200 quid for example so you don't want to be buying one of them. it should also change gear easily when running and the kill ord should work. this is all signs that the 'engine worked perfect when stored in garage 2 years ago' is a true statement, never is Caveat Emptor (buyer beware) truer than in the case of a boating project!
New outboards are expensive, depending on horsepower and make 25 hp = 2grand 250hp = 12 grand pretty much an even rise in price through the power bands. decent engines are yamaha, evinrude, old johnsohns, tohatsu and merc/mariner as two strokes. Yamaha and Suzuki are good four strokes but your unlikely to find a four stroke on a project anyway ( i much prefer the smell of two stroke in the morning. Avoid Force engines!
You should be looking to fit new fuel seperators, and lines to any second hand boat., if you are using old tanks make sure they are thoroughly cleaned. water will kill your engine real quick! Obviously gearbox oil will nedd changing. YOu can get a workshop manual for your boat engine from Clymer. New impeller is a good move too
The real important thin howebver is the trailer if there is one, you have to make sure it will see the journey home. firstly make sure it's not rusted through anywhere and replace the bearings, without fail replace the bearings and keep the old ones as spares if any good. Then you know you have half a chance of getting the baby home. It will be the best 50 quid you'll ever spend in your life if it avoids you being by the side of the M3 with a one wheeled trailer and a fused on bearing shell that you can't remove( been there, done it and never want it to happen again.
Re powerboat training, I couldn't recommend it highly enough but make sure you go to a school that only does powerboats, not a yacht sailing school that does powerboat training as an income stream the difference between going through a syllabus and instilling the essence ofpowerboating is vast. Never is the phrase 'never trust a teeneage mechanic' truer than powerboat training...experience counts in the long run
if theres any boat projects that you have your eye on email me the spec and I'll tell you if it's a good deal or a good boat if you want.
be careful with his thought pattern I started off with a 70hp 17footer and I presently have a 28foot 450hp beast!
re slipways ty boatlaunch.co.uk
Edited by Rogue Wave on Saturday 22 November 01:18
Edited by Rogue Wave on Saturday 22 November 01:19
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