Bought a boat - very costly repairs

Nitrowing

I bought a boat that was privately advertised on the apolloduck website.
The engine was started when the boat was delivered and then the guy went home.
However, the diesel injector pump was leaking badly and when removed, was full of sand.
Over-hauled pump, new filter, new lifter pump, fuel tank removed and cleaned, fuel lines flushed, new injectors and glow plugs.
Now that the engine is running fine, the gearbox is faulty.

This has cost a small fortune! My friend advised me to take it to the small claims court but I think that's only for recovering money?

Any constructive advice would be greatly welcomed!

Bantex_2

I was told once that owning a boat is the equivalent of just throwing £10 notes into a river.

unholyangel

By privately do you mean the seller was a private individual and not a trader/company?

If so, the only stipulation will be that it should match its description. If it does match the description then i'm afraid you have no comeback other than to ask the seller if he's willing to contribute to the repairs. He's under no obligation to agree though.

Nitrowing

unholyangel wrote: »

By privately do you mean the seller was a private individual and not a trader/company?

If so, the only stipulation will be that it should match its description. If it does match the description then i'm afraid you have no comeback other than to ask the seller if he's willing to contribute to the repairs. He's under no obligation to agree though.

Yes, he's a private seller.
I thought there was still an issue with 'reasonable expectation'. I haven't managed to sail this boat at all as it not able to be controlled without having a way of slowing down?

shaun_from_Africa

The only sections of the sale of goods act that apply tp private sales are that the seller must have the right to sell the goods and that those goods must be as advertised.

The sections that state the goods must be durable and fit for purpose only apply when purchases were made from a business seller.

lincroft1710

You didn't get a marine survey?

The_ICT_Engineer

From the sounds of it, the OP brought the boat without inspecting it first.

Only a fool buys a second hand boat without a survey.

halibut2209

Very constructive there...

vaio

Posts 3 & 5 gives the right answer answer so the rest of the thread can revolve around poking fun at the OP for not doing this or that.

My contribution is he should have bought from a dealer/had a survey and is now up s hit creek without a paddle (or an engine :rotfl:).

On the other hand, once he does get it working hopefully he'll get years of fun out of it and soon the initial troubles will be but a distant memory whereas the fun pokers will probably still be sitting at their keyboards feeling clever at their latest "constructive" post.

To declare an interest...I once bought a boat (also without a survey) which needed major repairs and the smell of fibreglass resin still brings back itchy memories. On the bright side, I only paid £130 for it and even when you add in the £250 and countless hours the fibreglass repairs took it was still one of the better buys I've made in terms of fun per £ spent once it was on the water.

Nitrowing

unholyangel wrote: »

By privately do you mean the seller was a private individual and not a trader/company?

If so, the only stipulation will be that it should match its description. If it does match the description then i'm afraid you have no comeback other than to ask the seller if he's willing to contribute to the repairs. He's under no obligation to agree though.

I'm trying to get the original advert - he certainly didn't mention that the fuel system was full of sand or that the gearbox was faulty, what he did do was supply a recent BSS which I took as being worth the paper it was printed on (it's not, all it means is that on the day it was inspected, the boat wouldn't spontaneously combust).
I needed quick accommodation and thought this was ideal. Obviously it became apparent within 20 minutes of the owner driving away that there were huge problems.

The_ICT_Engineer

Pitfalls of buying at the lower end of the market

Spring is the traditional time to buy a boat, the golden rule having been, when buying second hand, get it surveyed. Yet if someone is on a small budget (10-12k) the cost of having a boat survey eats a far amount of the limited funds that buyer has. The buyer is then temped to just rely on the Boat Safety Certificate (BSC). This can be a major mistake if the BSC is more than a few weeks old, for the BSC is like the MOT only a valid record of compliance for the date of the exam, despite the misprint on certificate (Date of Expiry rather than Date of next Exam).


Any major changes in the boat, like the installing of gas or electrics, require that the boat be re-examined within the four year period. A few boat owners don't do this and have sold on boats with dangerous electrics or gas systems after passing the BSC before these were installed. This has happened to some people that moor in the marina where I am based.


To take one case, the owner brought a re-plated Colecraft with a wooden top with BSC with 3 ½ years to run on the certificate. A few weeks later the electrics fried along with the cheap and nasty inverter. After removing the conduct covers, a bad mix of under-rated cables of different sizes joined together simply by twisting the wires together was seen. This was some of the worst wiring that I have seen.


It was lucky for the owner that the boat did not catch fire, just plenty of smoke and a nasty smell. The boat had to be completely rewired and a new electric panel installed. As for the seller she was long gone and 12k richer. So the moral of this tale is simply, if you have a small budget, take someone with you when you go to view a boat, who knows what to look for, and then if they are happy, make an offer, but to be on the safe side if you have the funds get it surveyed after making the offer.


Some useful rules when buying a boat.

First inspect it in day-light and if your unsure take someone with you who does known what to look for.

One of the key things, Your looking for, Is the boat well cared for and has a full set of service documents that can be traced back.

If you can, look under the floor boards, if you find concrete walk away. Concrete is often used by some sellers to seal a leak. Long enough to sell the boat which latter sinks. By which time the seller is long gone.

It is important that you run the engine and gearbox from cold. A warm engine can hide all sorts of problems.

Take the boat for a short trip, and see how it handles. It should move in and out of gear smoothly.with no slipping The same with rudder, it should move smoothly.

If you still like the boat, then get a full survey done including the hull thickness. Then you can make a offer based on the survey.

One of the biggest problems with buying second hand boats is confirming ownership. A good broker will do this for you.

As for budget allow 20 percent for repairs and improvements. If your thinking about living on a boat, hire a boat in winter first, Living aboard is not for everyone and it is not cheap either. It costs as much to run a boat as a small house (5 to 6 K per year at the lower end)