Buying a Boat

Where do I start?

As with any purchase, the more research you do, the more likely you are to make the right decision. Read some of the canal magazines, visit some of the many exhibitions which are held around the country (see the diary page) and do go out on the sort of boat you're thinking of, even if only for a weekend. Here are some of the things you should bear in mind:

The waterways you wish to use

The sizes of the canals and river navigation vary, so it is important to buy a craft suitable for all the waterways on which you wish to use it. If you intend using your boat in and around the Midlands canals, for example, you will need a boat, which is no more than about 6ft 10ins wide and 70ft long. Others along the navigations have locks, which are 14ft wide but only 60ft long.

How much will you use the boat?

If you intend using your boat only for odd days you may feel a small cruiser would be more for you, but if you want to spend more time on your boat you will probably appreciate the extra space provided in most narrow boats. Dutch Barge style boats are becoming increasingly popular with people cruising the larger waterways, however, the available mileage of waterways inland is limited.

Different types of boat

Cruisers come in a variety of lengths and widths and are mainly of GRP (fibreglass) construction. Narrow boats come in a range of lengths and styles. The hulls of narrow boats are generally made of steel, with the cabins constructed usually of steel, but also of wood or fibreglass. Most narrow boats built in the last 20 years will be of all steel construction. The most common construction size of steel is called 10-6-4. This refers to 10mm Bottom, 6mm to gunwale level and 4mm for the rest. Some narrow boats may have a more traditional style (called trads) than others. They allow more space in the rear for living accommodation or storage. Cruisers allow more read deck space. This is useful if several people want to join the helmsman whilst they are steering. Semi-trads are a compromise between cruisers and trads. They maintain the look of a trad, but with more read deck space, usually for seating and storage. There are also working boats that carry goods under canvas with a rear cabin. Some of these have also been adapted for pleasure use. Most boats are built to their individual users' specifications, so you will see a wide-ranging combination of styles, for example longer front decks or portholes instead of windows.

What is a sensible maximum length for a boat?

Many locks on the narrow network can take boats up to 70 - 72 ft in length, but some locks are shorter, particularly on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and there are some tight corners.  A length of 58 - 60 ft (17.62m - 18.22m) would be more suitable for cruising the whole network. Waterway dimensions of many waterways are available on the Waterways Information pages of IWA's website and from the waterways guides on www.waterscape.com, by enquiry to the appropriate navigation authority or from publications available from www.iwashop.com. If you are having your own boat built, your builder will also be able to offer advice.

Fixtures & Fittings

Decide on the extent of the fixtures and fittings you need. If your cruising plans are straightforward you may not need much more than some seats, a table, lighting and possibly a portable toilet. Most narrow boat craft come with most of the facilities you'd find at home including central heating, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen (Galley).

Raising Finance

Raising the finance to buy a floating home can call for ingenuity and persistence. It is rarely easy to raise finance, that is backed solely by the boat alone.

Most people find it easier to raise finance from their current bank or building society, for example, or they look to see what's on offer in the High Street or in the newspapers. Other people use specialist providers of finance for boats - these advertise regularly in the boating magazines. Another route to finance is to seek support from relatives or friends or to raise money on a house.
As far as possible, take care to understand what's on offer and see that it's a good deal.

Insuring a boat is essential. The basic insurance required for boats on most waterways (including BW and EA waters) typically doesn't cover contents, or at least probably won't provide enough cover. A recent survey of the boat is usually a prerequisite.

Running Costs

In round figures, for a 50-foot boat;

BW Licence p.a.  £520
Marina mooring  £1500
Insurance on £20,000 £250
Hull blacking (bi-annually) p.a.  £200
General maintenance  £500
Fuel (100 hrs) £100
TOTAL PER ANNUM £3,070

This will give you normally 52 weeks use of your own boat, compared to the cost of a typical hire boat charge of some £750 per week (off-season) to £1,200 per week (peak-season).

Shared Ownership

In order to spread the cost, one option would be to share ownership in a boat. In this instance 12 or so people have a share in the vessel, which is maintained by a separate company.

How can I find my dream boat?

All the canal magazines have large numbers of boats advertised for sale every month both direct and through brokers. Other possibilities include the Internet and word of mouth.

Many first-time buyers will buy a second hand craft.

In general buying second hand will give you better value in terms of features but the maintenance costs of a second hand boat are likely to be higher. Look for receipts for work done on the boat, such as service bills, hull blacking and for invoices for other expenses such as mooring fees etc. Bear in mind when buying second hand that there is usually some work to be done on it. Second hand boats are available from marinas, boatyards, brokers or individuals. In some cases the boatyard may be selling the boat themselves or they may be acting as a broker, offering it for sale on behalf of someone else. The seller, on completion of the sale, will then pay them a fee.

One advantage of using a broker is that they may also be able to arrange insurance, finance, transport and surveys for you. It would be wise to seek your own surveyor for your own piece of mind.

Second hand boats for sale are advertised in the monthly waterways magazines such as "Waterways World", "Canal and Riverboat" and "Canal boat and Inland Waterways" which are available from newsagents.

Ownership and Re-sale

Unlike motor vehicles, boats don't come with registration documents. Some may come with proof of ownership in the form of a "bill of sale" but many don't, so you need to obtain proof of ownership. Do as much homework as you can. Before making your decision, bear in mind the likely re-sale value of the boat you are considering. The more unusual it is, the more difficult it may be to resell later on.

Some second hand boats may be former hire boats. Be aware that former hire boats may or may not have been well maintained. As a live aboard boat, they may well need a lot of money spent to get them properly equipped for all year round use. They may well have had a very hard life.

What to look for to find a good second hand narrow boat

A sound hull - well maintained engine - sound internal infrastructure without rot (suspect air freshener - what's it hiding?) - A fairly clean engine bilge shows good maintenance - but if too clean was it steam-cleaned just for the sale.

A 'live aboard' and a 'holiday' narrow boat are very differently equipped!

If you own or hire a boat merely for your annual fortnight's cruising holiday, the boat's electrical and heating systems can be fairly straightforward. Summer cruising puts little strain on such systems - electric lights are only needed for a few hours per day in summer, and it's warmer. Most days you will possibly eat out at a canal side pub rather than stay on-board and watch a 12 volt television. You will probably cruise for up to 8 or 10 hours per day.

Contrast that to living aboard all year round. Without the pressures of a time schedules, and with winter 'stoppages', there will be days when you don't move the boat at all. During the short winter days you will need the lights on from 3.30pm (rather than 9.30pm in the summer). For occasional spring and autumn cruising, the cost of heating your boat may not be an issue - long term winter heating costs are a different matter. Boat heating in winter needs to be efficient (warm without excessive condensation) and cost effective. A 'live aboard' boat's heating, electrical & charging systems must be efficient, and preferably integrated in use, for comfortable all year round cruising.

What legal requirements are there to put my boat on the water?

All craft have four main requirements before they can be used on the inland waterways, these are:

• A cruising licence
• A Boat Safety Certificate
• A Valid Mooring (unless you are continuously cruising)
• Insurance

What is a cruising licence?

These are usually for 12 months for craft, which remain in the water. Shorter-term licences are available. For boats visiting the waterways and trail-boats, day week and month licences are available. Licence costs are set nationally and are dependant on boat length in metre bands.

What is a Boat Safety Certificate?

These are likened to the MOT test that cars undergo and are issued after an annual inspection of the craft by a listed examiner, to make sure that the following features are compliant with a published set of standards:

Fuel

Gas

Electrical systems

Safety equipment

What is a valid Mooring?

Unless a boat is not kept in the water all the time or is continuously cruising, craft need to have an approved mooring place where they can be kept when not on the move. A fee is payable for these places, which will be dependant on the facilities at the site.

What type of insurance do I need?

All craft must be covered by at least third party insurance in the same way as cars using the road, though generally the costs are much lower on the water and most people use "all risks" cover.

Buying a Boat Checklist

Licence

Your boat needs to have a licence to use the canals and rivers. Tariffs can be obtained from the navigation authority concerned. Some reservoirs also have special licence arrangements.

You can also buy a licence, which allows you to use all British Waterways waters and those of the Environment Agency. This is a relatively new licence known as the Gold Licence.

Boat Safety Certificate

Your boat will need a Boat Safety Certificate in order to obtain a license.

The certificate lasts for four years and full details of the scheme are available in a free pack available from any British Waterways office.

This is like an MOT for you boat, only much more comprehensive.
If the boat is new or has been built within the last couple of years it may not have a Boat Safety Certificate but a document called a 'Declaration of Conformity'. This means the boat has been built to the standards in the European Recreational Craft Directive and the Declaration of Conformity can be used in the same way as a Boat Safety Certificate.

Before you purchase a boat you should ensure that it has recently been tested. If it does not have a certificate, make sure you know the extent of work required to bring it up to standards required. A good surveyor will point out issues that affect BSS regulations during the survey.

The Broads Authority does not presently require a Boat Safety Certificate but intends to introduce it shortly.

Recreational Craft Directive

This documentation that should be issued with new boats put on the market after June 1998.

The Recrational Craft Directive obligates the producer/builder to keep a file of all relevant data, to officially state the conformity of the product in a Declaration of Conformity, to inform the users about safe use/ maintenance, and to mark the product with a CE Marking.

Insurance

To obtain a cruising license you will need to provide proof that your boat has third party Insurance for at least £1,000,000. This will safeguard the owner or person in charge of the boat from claims made against you for injury or damage. You should also insure the boat itself against loss or damage and provide cover for the safety of the crew and the contents, as this is probably not provided as an extension of your home contents policy.

Details of companies specialising in marine insurance can be found in the waterway press, but boatyards, marinas and brokers may also provide details of insurance packages. As a rough guide, insurance generally costs around half a percent of the value of the boat. This will vary with things like the age and type of the boat and security at your mooring site.

Surveyor

Ultimately a professional surveyor with a marine engineering background is required to determine the quality and condition of a proposed purchase. The boat safety scheme survey will not give you a valuation or hull integrity assessment that you may need for insurance and that you will need if you are seeking a mortgage for your boat.

It is recommend that you have the boat surveyed by a qualified marine surveyor for these purposes. The survey fee will depend on its scope: e.g. whether it includes the boat safety certificate and whether it involves taking the boat out of the water. It is therefore impossible to give a precise figure but as a rough guide the average is around £300 plus VAT in many cases.

In addition you will have to pay a fee to have the boat lifted out of the water. Some boatyards have special rates for this if you are buying a boat from them. Prices for this are usually based on the length of the boat. Bear in mind that an astute surveyor working on your behalf may well give you information on a boat that can help you to negotiate a lower purchase price. More importantly, a comprehensive survey may also save you a lot more expense in the future.

You may find too many problems that you no longer wish to purchase. This may mean you have to start again and pay for another survey fee for another boat, but you have saved the potential losses you could have faced. You may have to go through this process a few times if you are unlucky. Don't be put off if your surveyor comes back with a long list of problems. This is normal. They are usually graded from urgent to minor. The seller may be willing to cover some of the costs or re-negotiate the price.

Unless they are specifically asked to do so, a surveyor will not automatically carry out a Boat Safety Scheme examination as part of the survey.