On the verge of purchasing a boat from the U.K.

So an update;

After some back and forth with the owner via the broker this week, I'm (finally) buying the boat!!, at a reduced price based on the work that needs to be done (rudder & sea cocks). Not as much of a reduction as I would have liked, but nevertheless decent enough, and if the repairs go well, It should stay close to the £16k I'd initially agreed to buy at (Had 3 different quotes for the work and were all fairly close to each other).

Hopefully by lunchtime tomorrow she'll be mine!

Insurance is kicking in from tomorrow, and as soon as the broker confirms the final payment is received, I can book the boat into the yard next door for a lift, rudder repair, sea cocks replacement, and a coat of anti fouling, which should take about a week. Then she's ready to come home. Marina berth is paid up until the end of August, so I've a little wiggle room to try and find decent weather window (for the last 2/3 weeks, it's been looking like close hauled down as far as Lands End in about 8-12 kts, and then a run/reach all the way up to Dublin!).

Ship's Radio Licence application form was sent off yesterday while I also picked up an Ocean Signal PLB1 this morning, and will get a few other various bits and pieces over there when picking her up!!

Happy Days (I think!:o)

TomOnBoard wrote: »

Is she registered on whatever UK registry is used for small ships? If so, it might be worth considering renewing that so as to hedge your bets in case weird stuff happens after Brexit. Having a valid UK registration might be useful.

She does have an SSR number, might be worth looking into alright, as all I'll be doing over here is getting a SRL with call sign/MMSI, and I might perhaps get an IRL sail number. but there'd be no other registrations taking place.

fenris wrote: »

Congratulations!

A First 285 has just moved in beside me in Greystones, we will be seeing them everywhere now :P

What’s her name? There was a lovely one sold a few weeks ago in Dublin called Overdraft, she was already sold by the time I declared interest in her!

I was in Malahide yesterday with herself having lunch and noticed a 285 on the marina, so went in to have a look and show herself what I’ve gotten myself into!! They are a big old chunk of a boat in fairness!

Mine was lifted yesterday for the few repairs, so I’ll know more today about the rudder!!

So with the boat now 8 - 9 days away from being ready for collection, thoughts now turn to the delivery of the boat to Dublin.

I'll be hiring a skipper (+ 1 crew), and going along myself. It's a journey I'm sure I'd be competent enough to complete with 1-2 good hands with me, but I wouldn't be as confident as I'd like to be as I've been away from any sort of passage sailing for so long. This will get the boat back safely (hopefully) under an experienced skipper, while also giving me a chance to find my sea legs again, and get a good shake down on the boat before bringing my OH (& son) out, OH would have very little boating experience (a week on the Shannon & 2 hours sailing in the Canaries on a little day sailer).

I've been picking up various bits over the last few months in anticipation of being a boat owner once more. I've a handheld VHF, Hand Bearing Compass, Charts, Parallel Rule etc.. and now that I have the boat bought, I picked up a PLB last week, and should hopefully have the ship radio licence next week sometime. I've also gone down the route of an iPad chart plotter (The boat has a basic enough GPS, but for what I'd need in future, the cheaper iPad & Navionics option of chart plotting would be better).

I also ordered some engine spares today: oil & fuel filters, impeller kit, drive belt, engine starter relay, stuffing box grease & I'll get a bottle of oil when over there collecting the boat. These would be things that experience would tell me to not go to sea without having on board, whether just a spin around the bay, or a 400nm delivery (maybe overkill on the starter relay, but having 1st hand experience of one failing, and for only £12 , I'm having a spare onboard). There is a little box of tools on board, and I've a few more I'll bring over with me.

When over there to collect the boat, I'll pick up a 4 man valise life raft (probably slightly overkill as well for my needs, but for piece of mind while having the family on board, It'd be a nice extra insurance policy to have with us). I'll also need a new flare pack as well as a fire extinguisher (all on board are expired). I'll also pick up life jackets for the family as they seem cheaper in England & I'm sure I'll need some various bits for the galley as well as general chandlery, so I'll get all that stuff while there too.

Any other ideas or recommendations on essentials to have on board?

Donie75 wrote: »

Is the boat fitted with an autopilot/tillerpilot? 400nm will be a long way if you have to steer by hand.
Waterproof/armoured case for ipad & phone.
Check anchor, chain and warps.
Also check all sheets and halyards. If the boat has been lying up for a long time the halyards may need replacing. Or at least bring a spare or two.
Mainsheet Traveller bearings
Radar reflector

The boat does have an auto pilot, an Autohelm 1000. All the running rigging was replaced back in 2015, though I will be checking it all out before setting off. The anchor could do with replacing, but it'll be sufficient for the remainder of this season, and theres plenty of chain & warp too. I'll need to pick up a radar reflector as I don't believe there is one on board.

A can of WD40 shall also be bought.

Have plenty of waterproof torches including a headband LED that can be white or red, a mag based/hooked LED work light and also a clip on red light for night navigation ops. Will have a stock of batteries, as well as a power bank or 2 for the iDevices (will have 2-3 fully charged spare iPhones with the Navionics app on them).

Provisions wise, I’d leave that up to the skipper to decide, but I’d certainly be looking to have various stocks available for all weather scenarios. The boat has a 100l flexi water tank, but I’d still be looking to have 12-18 1.5l bottles of drinking water on board for the trip. I’d most likely pick up a few re-arming kits too when I get the life jackets.

DOCARCH wrote: »

Might be overkill, but back up/battery operated nav lights are no harm to have.

I was thinking at least spare bulbs anyway for the bow & stern steaming lights.

I know I’ll need to do it, but I’d be hoping I wouldn’t need to do straight away. The flexi tank was only installed in 2015, so I’d be hoping it and the lines would be still reasonable clean. The boat was launched at the beginning of this season to be sailed, as I believe the owners death was sudden, so the plans were for her to be sailed this season.