If I buy this old boat, will the engine work ?

Please see enclosed photos....
Hi from the south of Spain. I am thinking of buying this old boat:
Admiralty 52 / Pinnace (is this the right name ?). The owner says its 50 feet long, but it looks longer. Its in the sea in the south of England. The story is that the orignal owner has not paid the mooring fees for 2 years. So the boat yard is selling it to recopp his loss (with the owners agreement). It looks ok, but the engine has not been started for 2 years ! what I would like to know is: do you think this Leyland 6 cylinder engine will work again ? Should I buy this boat ? The man wants 3000 uk pounds for it,... it does need work, but thats ok..... its the engine that worrys me. Any Help or Tips would be very nice. Thank you. Fernando.

 

Flux,

Buying the boat is the easy part, what you do with it then becomes the problem. Can you afford the mooring fees, if so, then you can also afford a new engine (if need be). Those 6 cyl engines generally go forever.
The worst thing that can happen is if it has been seized up and just left like that, in this case a new motor is the cheapest deal.

 

Send me a message if you would like a survey done in the boat. It would cover the engine and all other systems. You may need to get the boat approved for Spain if that will be your flag of registry. I can get that for you too.

 

Thanks landlubber,
Yes, I could afford the mooring fees for about 5 months. But not a new engine. So lets hope the engine is ok..... Here in Spain many boat owners just drope the anchare and leave it parked out in the sea. Could I do this in the south of England ? would the uk police ask me to move it?

 

Boat approved for Spain

Hi Gonzo,

I am not sure about the need to get the boat approved for Spain. If you have any info on this... that would be great.

 

How many MPG ?

Also, does anyone know how many MPG this sort of boat would do, if I drive it slowy ?

 

Without any more information there is no way to answer your question. Also, the boat may not be in good enough condition to take anywhere.
Spain requires a boat to be certified to get registered. You get six monts or so. to do it.

 

Is this boat down the Thames?

 

Flux,
she looks a beut... just buy the boat.
Pierre

 

Looks like a very old hull. I'd stop worring about the engine and hire Gonzo to look at the hull. I'm guessing it's the same 380 cu in Ford engine Lehman made famous in the 70s here in the states. I'd guess 3 US gallons an hour at about the 70 hp level. I like the boat a lot but the refit will brobably cost more than you have imagined. Good luck.

Easy Rider

 

Uuuh man, that is the sort of boat you see advertised with a story like...spent 100,000 on it, selling for 20,000 and the photos look like they have done very little to it.

 

Flux,

Without a professional survey and a quote from a boat yard to perform the necessary work you could be getting into a world of trouble.

Initially at least it looks to be an interesting offer, and one worth persuing, but from your posts I have a ew concerns worth mentioning...

1) To fix this boat could costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. It could also be much less, but without a survey you won't know until you get into it to start working on it.

2) You mentioned that you could only afford to slip it for 5-6 months. I don't know what that amounts to in terms of dollars, but it makes me concerned that you may not be able to afford the cost of continuing mantenance on a boat this size. Just in the cost of bottom jobs a boat this size can cost thosands of dollars a year to own.

3) I would be very concerned about making sure I got clear title to the vessel, since at least in the US this type of sale can lead to a lot of problems. I would recommend consulting with a lawyer to make sure there are no lingering title issues.