buy a Shannon cruiser - newbie

tmabr

Hi,
Where do you start. hired a shannon cruiser a few times and now i want one.
looking at 10k for oldish ones on donedeal including trailer.

1- I assume you inspect the boat like you would a car ie have an expert look over it.!
2- How much maintenance required?
3 - where would you learn about the boat itself?
4- where would you learn about boating on the shannon, safety,etiquette, ect?
5 do you need insurance like a car? tax? nct or similar
6 do you need a licence?
7- mooring costs
8 do you take it out of the water for winter

Any advice suggestions much appreciated

JamesM

There are others here with much more experience, but I would say first know what size you want from your hiring experience and second, make sure you have a mooring/berth before you buy, if it is not trailable.

JamesM

Also have a look here http://www.iwai.ie/forum/list.php?1
Jim

fergal.b

Hi tmabr welcome, if I was spending 10 k or more I would get an engineers report done especially if I hadn't a clue about boats.

Most fibreglass boats don't need much looking after mainly the engine servicing and running gear and a lick of antifoul paint every year or two wooden boats on the other hand are a full-time job

Do a powerboat course http://www.powerboatschool.ie/ this will teach you the basic running of a boat and you can go up in levels if you like.


You will need insurance and the powerboat course might lower that for you it's nothing near the price of car insurance maybe €200 - €300


No license needed.

Mooring is charged by the foot, for a cruiser you be looking at around €1000 up depending on where you moor.

It's up to you if you take her out of the water or not.

If you are thinking of towing it on the road you will need an EB licence but this will be a small cruiser not like a hire cruiser the bigger boats or any over 9 foot wide have to go on a wide load transporter.

Hope that helps a bit.




,

tmabr

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

pH

Just to add my tuppenceworth ...

On donedeal at around 10k you seem to get either sports cruisers (ie a speedboat with a little accommodation) or the shabby end of the small cruiser market, things like Elysium 27s, Freeman 25s etc.

So "sports cruisers" ...

Just be aware of the problems with these boats
- Launching and recovering a 20ft boat is more trouble than it looks, as is storing it long term.
- Fuel usage is, well let's just say you'll need deep pockets to go fast and far.
- The accommodation is normally fairly cramped and dingy
- If you have to buy one buy diesel, inboard petrol is another set of problems

Small cruisers
- These are going to be tight on accommodation, anything more than 3 people sleeping on this is pushing it.
- At 10k, unless you get very lucky you're looking at older boats, pretty much everything on a boat that can go wrong will go wrong.

If you're the "handy" sort, for whom half the fun is the maintenance then by all means get one, if you're looking for something more like a "hire experience" where you turn up at your marina at the weekend and take it out, then I think that honestly you're looking at a 20k-30k boat at the very least.

The only other thing I'd add is that insurance is optional, there's no compulsory insurance required like for cars

fergal.b

pH wrote: »

The only other thing I'd add is that insurance is optional, there's no compulsory insurance required like for cars

There is if you want to use a marina.



.