Modification

[Newguy]

I was hoping someone could help. I'm new to all this and don't know the answer. 

I'm looking at purchasing a 1900s butty narrow boat. The boat doesn't and never has had an engine. Would it be possible to fit one? How much would something like that cost?

[alan_fincher]

It might help to know more details of the boat, but if it is genuinely "1900s" I would have thought it highly unlikely to be a butty, and far more likely to have been a horse boat.

However, unless you are a steel worker and experienced mechanic, (i.e. I'm assuming you are not doing the job yourself, but looking at getting a professional to do it), I can't see many well worked out solutions being likely to cost less than 5 figures.

Obviously a big diesel outboard starpped to the back would propel the boat to some extent, and cost far less, but it doesn't make the best of cruising boats(!)

Edited November 11, 2017 by alan_fincher

[Alan de Enfield]

Are you sure you want a 1900s boat ?

The acronym BOAT means 'bring out another thousand' (pounds) but in the case of boats of that sort of age you should consider adding another T to the spelling (Tens of Thousands)

It is a very specialist market and needs dedicated specialists to maintain them.

Unless you want to spend the rest of your life 'fixing-up' a boat (it will never be completed) you should consider looking at a much, much, younger one (maybe 15-20 years old) it will be much easier on the pocket.

[Newguy]

It's an add on eBay I've seen.

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-narrow-boats-historic-pair-butty-motor-boat-both-bantock-72ft-62ft/172968768330?hash=item2845bdf34a:g:oG0AAOSw9mpaAemj

 

I've been looking to get a narrow boat for the last 6 months and just came across this. Thought it could be interesting. I don't mind putting the work in but I do have a limit. Just thought could be unique and a lot of fun but as i would use it as a permanent live a board it needs to work for me, fun but usable. 

[MtB]

On 11/11/2017 at 22:47, Newguy said:

It's an add on eBay I've seen.

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-narrow-boats-historic-pair-butty-motor-boat-both-bantock-72ft-62ft/172968768330?hash=item2845bdf34a:g:oG0AAOSw9mpaAemj

 

I've been looking to get a narrow boat for the last 6 months and just came across this. Thought it could be interesting. I don't mind putting the work in but I do have a limit. Just thought could be unique and a lot of fun but as i would use it as a permanent live a board it needs to work for me, fun but usable. 

 

Well I'm not sure how carefully you read that advert, but my guess is 'not very'. It is for TWO boats, one is already motorised. 

So your question seems redundant. Keep the motor and flog the butty!

But to answer your question, budget for about £15k for someone like Anglian Diesels to motorise a butty.

[dmr]

As has been said above, old cheap boats are NOT a bargain.

old boat + restoration = much much more expense than a new boat.

There is the moral issue about messing with historic boats but to my unhistoric eye these don't look that original anyway.

The usual method of motorising a butty is to fit a diesel engine with hydraulic pump (and fuel tank) somewhere in the boat and a discrete hydraulically driven prop on the elum (rudder). If done well this can be quite neat and effective.

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

[ditchcrawler]

I doubt very much the motor is made of cast iron unless I have read it wrong

[alan_fincher]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I doubt very much the motor is made of cast iron unless I have read it wrong

One assumes they mean wrought iron.

[koukouvagia]

Yes you can motorize a butty with an hydraulic drive in a new steel rudder but it's not s cheap option.

If you want to see what was involved in the work on Hampton, have a look at my webside (see below).

You can patch and make-do-and-mend as I did for many years, but eventually you'll probsbly want the professionals to make a first class job.  Originally our butty cost £9k.  It has cost us  nearly ten times that sum to get it to its present state.

 

[X Alan W]

As said buy & sell the butty on, you then won't have a motorizing hassle  or if you are a glutton for punishment keep both & tow the butty around also as said if you haven't got shallow pockets & long arms you will possibly have problems

[Alan de Enfield]

7 minutes ago, X Alan W said:

....  or if you are a glutton for punishment keep both & tow the butty around also as said if you haven't got shallow pockets & long arms you will possibly have problems

And, of course you are then (almost) doubling* your running costs :

2x Licence fees

2x Mooring fees

2x Maintenance / Repairs /Blacking

2x Insurance

2x BSS certificates

 

* Yes - I do realise that it is not always 'double' and that there are licence discounts, mooring discounts, combined insurances etc. for a Butty

 

[X Alan W]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

And, of course you are then (almost) doubling* your running costs :

2x Licence fees

2x Mooring fees

2x Maintenance / Repairs /Blacking

2x Insurance

2x BSS certificates

 

* Yes - I do realise that it is not always 'double' and that there are licence discounts, mooring discounts, combined insurances etc. for a Butty

 

I thought the 1st few words of my post covered that but perhaps it wasn't clear

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, X Alan W said:

I thought the 1st few words of my post covered that but perhaps it wasn't clear

The OP is a new member and hasn't announced his experience/knowledge levels - we don't even know if he has undertaken any research into the running costs and requirements - he may not even be aware that, unlike 'the sea', Inland waterways boats need 'MOTs', insurance and licences.

[MtB]

On 12/11/2017 at 09:52, Alan de Enfield said:

The OP is a new member and hasn't announced his experience/knowledge levels - 

 

Yes he has. He says in his post he is "new to all this", so no experience. And knowledge levels are low too or he wouldn't need to ask if a butty can be motorised. It can. 

[BruceinSanity]

I note the seller admits both wooden cabins need "some work to make completely waterproof" which probably should read "leak like sieves". OP: don't touch these with a long shaft unless you are a high net worth individual!

Or a masochist, of course.

[Sea Dog]

55 minutes ago, BruceinSanity said:

OP: don't touch these with a long shaft unless you are a high net worth individual!

He won't know what a long shaft is Bruce, so even the purists ought to forgive you for using 'barge pole' on this occasion.  If anyone knows pukka boaters' terms for 'arse' and 'elbow', they should probably refrain from using those too.

[Bee]

Well, it is always possible to drill/burn/bash a hole through the sternpost and just stick the shaft out and cut an aperture in the rudder blade, that'll work. so will putting the shaft out of the plating to one side of the sternpost, neither are perfect but they will work, might make the boat a bit long for some places though. If it was mine I would try to retain as much of the stern as possible and just make changes below the waterline.

[koukouvagia]

22 minutes ago, Bee said:

Well, it is always possible to drill/burn/bash a hole through the sternpost and just stick the shaft out and cut an aperture in the rudder blade.

That would mean that the headroom in the back cabin would be incredibly low.

I see the ebay listing has ended.  Does this mean that the OP went ahead with the purchase?  I hope he/she lets us know what the plans for the butty are.

Edited November 13, 2017 by koukouvagia