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Today we sold Owl


koukouvagia

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We’ve had the boat for nearly 30 years and the time has come to pass it on to the next generation.

We are delighted that Owl will be going to a real historic boat enthusiast who has had a great deal of experience of such craft.

So for the first time since the Braunston Show started, we won’t be there this year on Owl but we’ll be there on the towpath watching and chatting to friends. However, we are definitely not giving up boating because our motorised butty Hampton is at present undergoing extensive restoration and, with a bit of luck, will be ready to show at Alvecote.

 

The sale went through remarkably quickly and we received several very good offers. We’d never sold an historic boat before and we weren’t really sure how best to go about it.

We decided not to use a broker, mainly because we were not confident in identifying one that would be really knowledgeable about historic boats.

We put and advert in the Historic Narrow Boat Club magazine and distributed cards at their AGM and spread the news by word of mouth.

I then put together a detailed website (narrowboatowl.com) which gave as much detail and history as I could. This meant that any fenderkickers who just wanted to see what the boat looked like could simply be referred to the website.

I would advise anyone selling a boat like Owl to spend a few quid on a website and fill it with as much information as possible.

I did hang a “For Sale” sign on the boat, but the only enquiry that it elicited was to see if we were vacating the mooring.

I then put an advert on Apolloduck with a link to the website (note to self, remove advert).

We had three serious viewings where we spent the best part of a day going over the boat and taking a short trip along the Tring Summit.  Very convivial occasions they were, with lunch provided.

It was quite appropriate that our last trip on Owl should have been along the Tring Summit with the BBC recording the occasion as part of their forthcoming programme on the canals.

 

 

 

 

  • Greenie 1
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Congratulations!

Only kind of end of an era, I guess, because although one is sold, there are clearly no plans to sell the other.

We are currently experiencing the pitfalls and expense of owning two, although I have to say letting one go at the moment would still come extremely hard to me.

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1 minute ago, Dave Payne said:

How much does an ex working boat like that go for?

It's like many specialist or luxury cars - if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it!

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1 hour ago, Dave Payne said:

How much does an ex working boat like that go for?

You never get back as much as you have put into it - especially so with this boat. Money that is, you cannot cost the pleasure gained.

Edited by Ray T
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Congratulations (if that is the right word) on the sale. Always a difficult decision when you have put so much into a boat over such a long period. Easier I guess if you are happy that the new owner is right for the boat.

I assume you are keeping the mooring for Hampton (and if not, can I have it please!)

 

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Glad you sold her....was only talking to the long suffering partner this morning about her, you know it's a josher and its full length and we really ought to stop trying to live in a 12 ft conversion, and we don't want a full length boat again but on the other hand LOOK AT HER.....and well we could try a josher and its got heating a kelvin and sitting down room. So the circular arguments can stop! I'm sure the new owners will be happy she is divine.

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12 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Xcept its not lost, just sold for 80k plus

 

I thought the £80k price tag very reasonable. 

I suspect for Jim, the price achieved was less critical than the 'right' person buying it. Someone willing and able to look after and maintain the boat as immaculately as Jim. I hope they reveal themselves eventually on the forum.

I've wanted to say something in this thread Jim, but congratulations is just not it. Must be a sad day for you, letting Owl go. 

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7 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I suspect for Jim, the price achieved was less critical than the 'right' person buying it. Someone willing and able to look after and maintain the boat as immaculately as Jim. I hope they reveal themselves eventually on the forum.

I've wanted to say something in this thread Jim, but congratulations is just not it. Must be a sad day for you, letting Owl go. 

Thanks Mike.  We couldn't be more pleased with the new owner.  

It is a bit of a wrench - especially not being able to play with the Kelvin.   However, we're looking forward to using Hampton once it's gone through its intensive restoration.

At the moment we're sitting on Owl which no longer belongs to us - a strange feeling.  The worst part of the process is the prospect of being boatless for a couple of months.

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4 hours ago, rusty69 said:

No, i didn't buy it. As lovely looking as the boat is, I wouldn't want that kind of responsibility. 

I think you misunderstand me, I didn't mean 'you' personally. I guess I was speaking metaphorically, and having sold on boats in the past with which we had some very personal experiences on. Part of our lives. But sometimes the memories are best left as memories.

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Thanks. Not sure who it was you saw.  We've taken three prospective buyers along the Tring Summit recently.

We've spent the last week clearing everything off the boat.  We had accumulated so much over the years that we needed more ballast to bring the backend down to the correct level - so we bought extra bags of coal from Jules and Richard. 

 

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She has gone to a very good owner, and a very lucky one! She is a stunning boat, always been one of my favourites. Owl and Hampton were the first pair of old boats I remember seeing and falling love with.

I am glad we will see you out and about on the cut on Hampton.

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