Jump to content

Thoughts on this tug


Jon57

Featured Posts

My thoughts are much the same as yours. Lovely boat from a sought after builder. Price may be inflated by current market but still stands out against most of what has been up for sale recently. It's also a proper tug (not just someone plating over the well deck on a bog standard narrowboat).

Where are the windows in the front bulkhead; I can't see them?

I nearly bought a RN DM2 powered boat a couple of years ago and did hear that spares were hard to source and hugely expensive. It would be interesting to know the truth of that situation.

I struggle with prices but I would suggest it's a £50k plus boat.

JP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

Just seen this on the duck. Not sure about the windows in the front bulkhead. I'm not a purist , but most things I like apart from the price. What's the panels construtive opinion and possible offer price! http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat.phtml?id=531578

Thanks

What's not to like a Les Bob Allen hull with a National RN engine 24v electrics and more. Obviously  well planned (mechanics wise), should satisfy the mix of trad and current requirements that folks have on current threads.... ? Slight lean to Port to add a bit of character.

Edited by OldGoat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a lovely looking boat, but a 55 footer with no fixed bed?  

I'm sure I read somewhere recently that it's almost unheard of for someone to commission a tug style boat these days, which either means there is little interest out there in them or it could mean the values of secondhand boats is going to rise...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To me a no fixed bed is not a big problem as we live 16 hrs a day on the boat with permanent made up double bed and to be honest it gets in the way. Nice to just jump into and sleep for 8 hrs but they must be a better way, hence the BMC is simply perfection in its conception.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A very pretty boat but it depends on what you want it for? As a hobby boat it looks ideal. If its for full time liveaboard that will depend on if you are happy in such a tiny space as if you take out the pointy bit, the engine room and the cabin at the back there is probably more space on a springer waterbug.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As discussed in another thread, the number of boaters who would want a boat like this is small and most likely getting smaller, and so for a 1996 boat this looks overpriced.

I would offer a fair bit less and then wait a while and see what happens. Trouble is there just might be somebody else who wants a boat like this and wants it now.

Selling mainstream stuff is easy, selling the more specialist stuff is a bit more complicated.

Does it have a reverse layout? :D

If you drove it backwards that would be a lovely cruiser stern :D:D

................Dave

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

This I know. But the idea of a boat to me and the way of life is to be fairly simplistic and away from a house as much as possible within reason, cooking washing etc. 

We are all different with differing likes/wants/needs so if you like it go for it. A boat for me is a prime residence that has the ability to move and is way nicer way to live than housing. We have as much space just about as possible with our boat ( narrowbeam ) we have washing machine etc as we live on it 24/7 365 so launderettes are an absolute no no. We also have a quiet modern engine with built in gennie. Our boat isn't a house nor would we want it to be but we also don't live like cavemen. I have friends who live in tiny boats of less than forty feet and one lives on a 23 ft waterbug all happily but it wouldn't be for me. That boat looks lovely but its very expensive for its age but there will not be another one coming along anytime soon so what is it worth to YOU is the pertinent question.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

To me a no fixed bed is not a big problem as we live 16 hrs a day on the boat with permanent made up double bed and to be honest it gets in the way. Nice to just jump into and sleep for 8 hrs but they must be a better way, hence the BMC is simply perfection in its conception.

That's an interesting point about the fixed bed being "in the way" during the day, I had to completely strip out our bedroom to remove ballast a few years ago and when I saw the space of the room I was sorely tempted to leave it like that but the fixed bed is non negotiable as far as my wife is concerned.

18 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

A very pretty boat but it depends on what you want it for? As a hobby boat it looks ideal. If its for full time liveaboard that will depend on if you are happy in such a tiny space as if you take out the pointy bit, the engine room and the cabin at the back there is probably more space on a springer waterbug.

We even had a permanent bed on our Waterbug.   

12 minutes ago, dmr said:

As discussed in another thread, the number of boaters who would want a boat like this is small and most likely getting smaller, and so for a 1996 boat this looks overpriced.

I would offer a fair bit less and then wait a while and see what happens. Trouble is there just might be somebody else who wants a boat like this and wants it now.

Selling mainstream stuff is easy, selling the more specialist stuff is a bit more complicated.

Does it have a reverse layout? :D

If you drove it backwards that would be a lovely cruiser stern :D:D

................Dave

I think I read somewhere that newly commissioned tugs are extremely rare these days, which could be bad news or good news for the owners of existing boats.

Edited by Neil2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your right of course! Very tricky how to play this, don't want to upset the seller with a offer now, or wait a few weeks then see it go. Not many nice les Allen  tugs about. There's also another tug Kyle on the duck which is of interest but it's 3 ft draft and no bowthruster. I know! Don't go their but if single handing could be hard work. At least the first boat is only 28inch draft and a bowthruster to help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kyle is another good example of a boat that you think would have sold by now, but very few people will know about Malcolm Pearson and the real beauty of that boat is below the waterline.  Then you look at the internals and you realise there are only a handful of potential buyers for such a boat.  A lot of admirers, yes, but how many prepared to part with money?  

I had a friend who had a Doug Moore tug and after a (very) small number of tyre kickers and people who had no idea what a tug was, he took it off the market after about a year.  

I reckon it's going to be a while before scarcity improves the value of these boats, if it ever does. Most of them are in the tricky section of the market where anyone with that sort of money is going to have a good look what else is on offer, which leaves the tiny number of people who really, desperately want a tug.  There's a lot of us that would quite like one but very few that just have to have one.  

I think, sadly, both Kyle and the Les Allen are about £10k overpriced. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jon57 said:

There are glazed front doors and 2 small windows either side. Also the galley side hatch doors are glazed.

I can't see windows in the front bulkhead either.  There are interior photos of both sides, and neither has a window.  Are we looking at the same boat?!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just trying to get as much feed back from everyone's point of view. I have my own views and felling about the aesthetics or certain features. As I said I'm not a purists, but this could be a deal breaker.

Don't worry yourself I've got a clear view! So will you if I can post the pic tomorrow.lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I normally really like the look of Allen Boats and they are undoubtedly in the list of boats that command a premium because of the reputation of the builder. This particular one though looks just slightly "wrong" to my eye.

i think the issue is twofold. One is that its not so much a tug deck as a long, very shallow well deck. The second is that the "step" in the line at the front of the deck, always quite pronounced on Allens, is emphasised by this.

its all subjective of course and often photographs can give a slightly different impression than viewing "in the flesh" but this, for what it's worth is my view.

The stern, like every Allen, to my eye is spot on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

looks good to me, agree with comments about shallow well deck though, built 1996 - looks as though it has been well maintained - re-paint 2 years ago is worth a lot (say -£7000), blacked recently (say £800), difficult to comment on price without seeing it but if it's been well maintained has a good pedigree and the steelwork is in good condition why should the value drop dramatically?.

Interesting comments about 'tug' style boats, not everyone wants a bog standard narrowboat, with standard sized windows and a 'buzz box' for an engine, if you have the 'cash to splash' it's great to have something different - nice tug style with a vintage engine fits the bill. 

There is no way I'm biased of course...........

L

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.