Historic Boats for sale online

[pete harrison]

Oh heck - why do I want to be a part of this?

 

Richard

Hmmm, was it something I said ?

[RLWP]

Hmmm, was it something I said ?

No, I have been cruising past this sorry pair for years

 

Richard

[MtB]

It never hurts to make an offer, after all the worst they can say is no

 

 

I disagree. The worst that can happen is an ultra-low offer deeply offends the seller, they take it as a personal insult and resolve never to sell to you at any price.

 

I've seen this happen a few times over the years, and sometimes to me. Years of negotiating purhcase prices have taught me to be very wary of going in ultra-low if it's something you actually really want.

[pete harrison]

 

sticks

I disagree. The worst that can happen is an ultra-low offer deeply offends the seller, they take it as a personal insult and resolve never to sell to you at any price.

 

I've seen this happen a few times over the years, and sometimes to me. Years of negotiating purhcase prices have taught me to be very wary of going in ultra-low if it's something you actually really want.

I think selling a boat is the owners problem not the buyers. The buyer can not be responsible for the sellers often unrealistic expectations, and there is now so much money involved it is as much a business transaction as it is an emotional or practical one.

 

As a buyer I could only ever offer what I believe a boat is worth with the rest being down to sensible negotiation, and if the seller does not like my offer they have the choice to either decline or ignore me - and I would then move on to the next one

[Jrtm]

I just dont beleive the pair are worth anything at all really.

Fmn is a bare shell thats not in good shape needs docking asap but will be floatable fairly easly.

Mable is worth even less the only things worth any money are the engines and the history really.

My issue would be the cost of repairs and i know mable would be a quick sell or give away or strip for parts and any good useable planks and unfortunately scrap not something i would want to do.

Fmn is the more desirable to me.

Im just put off by the work to mable as towy is my no 1 priority.

Its the work on mable or the thought of costs of having to scrap it or give it away.

[Jrtm]

I dont think there is any off put in a low realistic offer.

 

Beech we offered not much was turned down but im sure a few k would have got her sold but the work asap was too much for more to spend on the boat.

 

Towy was a low offer then a few k got the sale with enough money left to dock her next year to do all the work including build the back cabin, add a stove, repaint the entire hold inside cabin in and out except sign writing, rebuild all the ballast boxes the lot.

 

If its not so low its an insult then i think your ok. It all cames down to how much the buyer wants it and the seller to sell. Partly whats putting me off going to see tay as ill see it want it but at the same time know what ill do with her and wouldnt want to be insulting as 35k is a good asking price but i think a little high but at the same time i dont know what shes like she might be sound with vertualy no work but from the photos i feel its a bit high in my opinion only.

[pete harrison]

i feel its a bit high in my opinion only.

This is the problem, without something like Glass's Guide (that lists car values every month) an individual boat value is simply based upon opinion. This is often the subject of discussion in this very thread where ambitious prices are asked by sellers.

 

Within my notes of 'historic' narrow boats I keep a record of asking prices and they often fall by around 30%, and sometimes more before achieving a sale. This tells me that offering around 30% less than asking price is reasonable

[MtB]

This is the problem, without something like Glass's Guide (that lists car values every month) an individual boat value is simply based upon opinion. This is often the subject of discussion in this very thread where ambitious prices are asked by sellers.

 

Within my notes of 'historic' narrow boats I keep a record of asking prices and they often fall by around 30%, and sometimes more before achieving a sale. This tells me that offering around 30% less than asking price is reasonable

 

 

Yes but offering £1k for Mable and FmN is offering 90% less than the asking price. I really can't imagine that going well!

[pete harrison]

 

 

Yes but offering £1k for Mable and FmN is offering 90% less than the asking price. I really can't imagine that going well!

Yes, O.K., I will concede as MABEL and FORGET ME NOT had already gone out of my thought process. I was writing with another boat in mind

[alan_fincher]

Within my notes of 'historic' narrow boats I keep a record of asking prices and they often fall by around 30%, and sometimes more before achieving a sale. This tells me that offering around 30% less than asking price is reasonable

 

Well there's certainly no harm in trying a very low offer, but for any of the boats that have interested us, (those we do now own, and several we never have), we never found the sellers were prepared to be anything like 30% flexible!

 

I suppose you could argue we jumped too soon, and should have waited to see what they would do if they got no high offers.

 

On the other hand, there was at least one we were strongly interested in, but where we thought the price the seller was prepared to consider far too high, so we waited to see if that price fell. They quickly struck a deal with someone else, I believe without a large reduction. That person thinks they got a good deal, I know.

 

So by all means try the low offer, but be prepared that if you hold out that you will only buy at a very large reduction, the boat may well go to someone prepared to offer far closer to the asking. If you are prepared to miss out on that boat if that occurs, then waiting and hoping they will eventually take a lot less may well pay off. If however you miss out on boats you might really have liked to own, eventually you may just choose not to haggle too far, because even if you believe an owners valuation is too high, they may quickly sell to somebody who is happy with paying close to their figure.

 

If multiple people are looking for (say) a converted "Grand Union", and maybe only one a year comes to market, (excluding Dover or those with telephone number prices because of a London mooring), ultimately the old cliché applies that it is worth what someone is prepared to pay.

[MtB]

I agree with Alan. Offering stupidly low is only a good strategy when 1) you don't care if the buyer accepts or not, and 2) there is a plentiful supply of the type of baot you are aiming to buy.

 

Or, you have years and years of time available in which to strike your deal.

[pete harrison]

I would like to make it clear that I am only recounting my observations, and I am not particularly interested in boat ownership at present (but maybe, you never know if the right boat came a long at the right price !)

 

edit = when making a fairly 'hard' offer I think it is important to be able to justify it, not just making a fairly 'hard' offer because you can.

Edited August 7, 2016 by pete harrison

[Jrtm]

I would like to add i wouldnt normally offer a silly low offer. But it all comes down to the work required and what the buyer wants to do with the boat.

Our buying price for towy wasnt far off the asking price but our test the water offer was low but not so low the owners didnt have to concider it as an offer.

If a seller prices it dead on and is willing to wait but not move on price they will sell it.

We priced our agreed offer on the bacis it would be a fairly easy quick sale and as little hassle to sellers as pos as they managed to avoid dealing with a broker ect. We got a cheaper price for that fact.

When you look as costs boats are % alot cheaper than houses but its not the price of boats massivly going up its the cost of running and maintenance and mooring thats going up quickly.

When you look as costs boats are % alot cheaper than houses but its not the price of boats massivly going up its the cost of running and maintenance and mooring thats going up quickly.

[ChimneyChain]

When you eventually buy the butty will you be doing the work yourself or paying someone to do it for you.

 

Darren

[Jrtm]

Yes next question. I have to convince the wife. I think the issue is going to be convincing her its worth it. But at the same time being stuck with 3 boats 2 of which cant move so easly

[magnetman]

This is nice but doesn't say the beam

 

http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=484928

 

[magnetman]

Checked national historic ships and she's 14ft wide apparently.

[J R ALSOP]

on the Apollo duck link it says 14ft 4ins.

[Derek R.]

It does now. I looked earlier this-morning and it didn't show. They've put a few other facts in that list since earlier too like; fuel type; engine power, bridge clearance; hull material & fuel capacity. A work in progress!

[magnetman]

That's interesting because it didn't mention it at 0600 this morning

Out of water pics been added too.

 

I do not need another boat

[furnessvale]

on the Apollo duck link it says 14ft 4ins.

What are the odds on it being cabined over?

 

Will it fit in London?

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[magnetman]

14'4 can go Brentford to Limehouse via the GU and Regents Canal apparently as Ironclad was measured as 14'5 and did that journey. This is as I understand it anyway.

 

It does look like a houseboat base - too wide for my residential mooring its a lovely boat with masses of accomodation room due to the bluff bows.

Edited August 10, 2016 by magnetman

[Catnip King]

I'm looking to buy a historic butty. Did have my eye on violet but I didn't act quick enough.

[IanM]

Hydra, Hydrus or whatever it is was for sale for 8k at Braunston last time I was up there.

[alan_fincher]

And it is quite possible that Brinklow Boat Services still have the Small Northwich butty that was a mud boat on the Manchester Ship Canal available. From memory it may be "Lupus" but I may have wrong name.

 

They were keen it remains a butty, but last I heard had not found anyone prepared to buy it for restoration.

 

No idea about condition or price, but it might be worth a phone call?