I'm thinking of buying a boat.

[rock hopper]

I'm not very rich so I'll be looking at around the £1500 mark,

will i get something seaworthy for that ?

the problem is I've never bought a boat before so I need to pick some ones brains on the subject.

firstly hulls, i know planing hulls are faster given the horse power, so why would i consider a displacement hull ?

it will be mainly for two people , but sometimes four so I'm thinking 15' to 18'

and what about insurance ? do i need any special insurance to tow it ?

also I'll need something i can get on and off the trailer on my own, so what is the biggest size i could do this with ?

what about surveys ? do i need to get one done on a boat before i buy it ?

and do the insurance people only give insurance if i have one ?

i have no idea how much boat incsurance is so if anyone can give a guess to put me in the right ball park.

I'm trying to get an idea of what costs are involved in owning a small boat,

any advice is welcome.


and if anyone knows a boat yard in Cornwall or Devon that deal in small cheap boats, that would be useful .

[Portland Pirate]

Hello Rock Hopper.

I am also in the market for a cheap boat. Luckily for me I have quite a lot of experiance in boating, having owned several boats from a 14ft Wilson Flyer to an Arvor 25 and quite a few in between.

Firstly have a look on ebay, that will give you an indicator as to boat prices. For your money you are unlikely to get anything more than a 16ft boat. Wilson Flyers are very good and stable boat, They have what is known as a Cathedral Hull. This makes them come up on the plane very quickly, making them economical and they are very stable when stationary. However the downside is they slam very badly. You then have the strikeliner style of boat. Good planing boats that cut through waves well, but the beam is narrow, causing the boat to tilt more at anchor and have a lot less deck space for fishing. Not great for 4 people.

Insurance: More and more launch sites insist on at least 3rd party boat insurance. For towing insurance you need to check your motor policy to see if you are covered.

Launching: I was easily able to launch my 14ft and 16ft boat by myself, as I moved to 18ft it was far more difficult.

Survey: In my opinion it is not worth paying for a survey on a boat costing 1500. You should be able to look it over yourself and see if you notice any obvious deffects such as badly repaired patches, bubbling of the gel coat and the most often missed, cracks on the stress areas. Insurers will not insist on a survey until the boat hits the 100k mark or above. Expect to pay between 250 and 350 for insurance.

[rock hopper]

thanks for the info PP,

i do hope that 250 to 350 for insurance is the fully comp figure.

[Portland Pirate]

It is the fully comp figure for a sub 5000 quid boat. However I am afraid that the figure for 3rd party only, which is the main part of the insurance is not much less. I am sure I will be corrected on that as I can not be certain on that figure, but I wouldn't bet against it. Have a look online for boat insurance. If you find a cheap one let me know as the company that I am going to use to moor my boat (when I get one) insist on a minimum of a 1/2 Million in 3rd party insurance.

[rock hopper]

i just got a quote for a day boat of £75 .

for a dayboat, third party, up to £3,000,000 covered, inland ( covers upto 12 miles out ) and breakdown too.

£96 if offshore.


http://www.covermyboat.co.uk/get-a-quote/

[Portland Pirate]

Thats a better quote. I will use them I think. Better than 300 quid I was quoted last time.

[fishingconi]

hi buddy i hve just upgraded my boat to a 17ft shetland sheltie it cost me £1500 30hp outboard included this little boat is stable and planes well i am on the lookout for cheaper insurance so i have taken note of rock hoppers insurance hard to beat price i hope you get sorted out with a good boat

[MRG2000]

Boats are an even bigger bottomless pit than cars !!!!!!....

[philipn]

Originally Posted by Charter Skipper

Boats are an even bigger bottomless pit than cars !!!!!!....

ooh yes got out of that game years agoan arm and a leg is still not enough but go for it may even be worth it good luck

[fishingconi]

hi just a follow up i purchased insurance today from htt:/www.covermyboat.co.uk i saved a fortune so if any body looking for boat insurance try this company i am glad i looked in this post as i said i saved a fortune