Sunday 5 September 2010

Carnaby for sale!


Looks like BW are selling their old workboat Carnaby by auction. Says it's a 1937 motor works boat. Looked it up on the GUCC site and it's listed as: CARNABY; No 134, Large Woolwich motor boat, built 1937, Regd at Coventry No 542, Owned by BW as a maintenance boat (2000) and based at Marsworth. Shortened tug format. Looks like it was once a lot bigger!
I wonder if it would be too mad to try and buy it.

8 comments:

Jo Lodge said...

Ohhh the boat of your dreams lol.
The only issues are, the fact that being built in 1937 it may have issues, even though BW have had it for a long time. You then have to decide whether you can do the work needed on it yourself, or you can afford to pay someone else to do what needs doing.
But if you are happy to cope with what ever it throws at you it is worth a look at I reckon.

Tony said...

What an opportunity!

I think the first thing is to make the mental switch from lusting after it from a distance to thinking what it would mean in practical terms if you were actually to become the owner of Carnaby.

What would have to change to make it happen? What would you have to give up? Are you prepared to give those things up? What exactly would you want to do with it? Would you be able to do all
of those things? What would you want to do in your life, outside of owning it? Would those things still be possible? If not, then does that matter?

These are all things to consider before you ever get around to looking at what work will need to be done to it, and whether it's a practical proposition. If, after all that, you're still sure you want to go for it, then I hope you get it, and I hope it turns out to be everything you'd want it to be:-)

Llosgi said...

Oh you lovely, practical people!
I'm going through exactly the thinking you both mention, Jo and Tony. Thanks for your advice x
I'm thinking not just of the initial buying cost (probably don't have enough if this is a sought-after heritage boat that pushes the price up) but just how much possible re-plating/possible engine replacement or repairs might cost. On the other hand, what a wonderful opportunity to go solar propulsion like the smudgers!
(http://wagglesmudge.blogspot.com/)
I also feel ok about tackling internal work - in fact, what a great challenge!
I'd need to sell Blackbird of course. I love my boat but could love another (see how fickle I am!).

Neil Corbett said...

No idea whether it's a practical proposition or not, but it sure looks nice. It would be easy for me to say go for it, but then it wouldn't be me doing all the work and spending all the money! I think you'd need to work out a total budget for the purchase and the "doing up" and add 50% for things going wrong. But then I'm boringly cautious and will never get anywhere!

David said...

Leave it alone Carrie! I reckon it will be a lot of work, trouble and a great deal of expense (in my humble opinion). Is there anything wrong with your present boat?

David

Sarah said...

Hi Carrie

Just got back from a fortnight in Chertsey (no. 130, they clearly weren't always strictly alphabetical!) and seen your post. Of course you must go and view it. Take someone with you who knows about steel boats. It's bound to need loads of work so you'll need an idea of what that will cost to work out what would be a reasonable price to pay for it - but that's not a reason to dismiss it out of hand. Once you find out more the decision might be made for you one way or the other. I'd love to come and see it with you if you did go (but just keep quiet if you'd rather go alone).

Anonymous said...

Hi Sarah - sorry, i did mean to reply earlier and thank you for your kind offer; i've resigned myself to not buying Carnaby. I'll just have to lust from afar...
thanks too to Neil, Tony, Jo and David for your good words of advice
- carrie

Alan Fincher said...

Reputed to have made around the £15K mark ?

Same for Aynho, I'm told, which would have been my pick of the two, I think, as it seemed the less massacred.

16% buyers premium to add to that too.

A lot of money for what is really only a hacked about auch shortened hull, albeit with heaps of pedigree.

That said, I was chatting to the owner of Sudbury today, (an example hacked much less when shortened by BW), and realised I was spending nearly all my time lusting. I'd love one of these shortened "Towns" but have to admit I'm pipe-dreaming.