Opinions please

[Zan]

Afternoon,
Just seen this boat come up and was wondering what people thought? Does it look like it's worth it?

Also, out of curiosity, how difficult would it be to remove the back bench? I'd be looking to use it as a dive boat so the seats are taking up valuable kit space!

Zan

[Zan]

Oops! sorry, the link is:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-5m-Humber-RI...item1c172f66c3

[9D280]

Zan,

Going by the pics alone it looks in reasonabe nick. As for removing the back bench, are you thinking the entire thing including the base or not? The base looks original, and as if the bench has been stuck on as an afterthought, so should be easy to remove the seat. Removing the base may end up with leakage problems to the hull cavity.

Might be worth popping a Q to ask if they added the bench or if it was an original fit.

[Ian M]

How can you resist a thread titled "Opinions Please"??? I've got plenty of them
The seller knows how to write an ad! The boat looks about par for the price, but I would be keen to know the history of the engine - age and hours run. Personally, I would never buy anything sight unseen, but I am guessing that with the time left on the auction you have no other choice. Do a quick search on here for Destroyer and Assault, one is a deep V and one isn't, not sure which way round it is - you want the deep V!
The rear bench is not glassed in, so if you should be able to remove it and seal the deck without too many problems.
Personally, I would ditch the cable steering; yes I know it is OK for a 75, but hydraulic is so much sweeter, particularly after some use. Other than that, seems OK to me (again, for the price). All imvho of course.

[Dr Doof]

The Destroyer has the deep V hull.

[Zan]

Cool thanks

There still aren't any bids on it, and for the money I wouldn't be buying it without a look. I think I'll ring the guys and see what they say and see if I can find out a bit more about that bench and the engine, but it's not horribly far away for a look.

I'd need to arrange towing it back up separately anyway I reckon since my licence doesn't cover me for that yet (all a work in progress!).

Zan

[actions]

Originally Posted by Zan

Cool thanks

There still aren't any bids on it, and for the money I wouldn't be buying it without a look. I think I'll ring the guys and see what they say and see if I can find out a bit more about that bench and the engine, but it's not horribly far away for a look.

I'd need to arrange towing it back up separately anyway I reckon since my licence doesn't cover me for that yet (all a work in progress!).

Zan

If you have a cat B licence you can tow up to 750 Kilos for a trailer up to a total combined of 4250 kg. So max car can be is 3500 and max 750 for a trailer = 4250.

Or you can exceed 750 kg for a trailer as long as the trailer weight does NOT exceed the unladen weight of the car. Ie unladen car is 1500 and trailer is 1000 = 3500 total.

Just make sure the combined weight doesnt exceed 3500 and that the trailer doesnt weigh more that the unladen weight of the car. There is no 4250 allowance on bigger trailers ie over 750.

Does that make any sense at all?????

Matt.

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by actions

Does that make any sense at all?????

This bit doesn't:

Originally Posted by actions

Ie unladen car is 1500 and trailer is 1000 = 3500 total.

[actions]

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

This bit doesn't:

Ie unladen car is 1500 and trailer is 1000 = 3500 total.

Right, lets try again, i knew it wouldnt.

A "B" licence allows for a driver to use a car up to 3500 KG's.
It also allows a trailer to be towed up to a max 750 KG's.
Therefore this has a combined weight of 4250 KG's and is allowed.

I think we can all get that bit, but here comes the confusing part

If your car weighs (unladen) 2500 KG's. You can tow a trailer of 1000 KG's on your "B" Licence as the total weight = 3500 Kg's.

Or if you car weighs 1500 KG's, you can two a trailer of 1450 KG's. Giving a total weight of 2950 KG's.

Basically if your trailer is over 750 KG's then you can tow it on your "B" licence provided your the trailer does not weigh more than the unladen car weight (the weight in your car manual) and does not go over 3500 Kg's combined trailer and car together.

It a very confusing bit of traffic law. but the way to look at it is,

"is my trailer heavy than the car", if it is you can not tow it.

If it isnt heavier but combining the trailer and car together is over 3500 kg's, you still cant tow it.

If the trailer isnt heavier than the car and they both come intogether at less than 3500 kg's its fine.

Try looking on the DVLA website link, although that confused me even more.

Hope this has helped somewhat in explaining it.......


DVLA LINK = http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...es/DG_10013073

[jwalker]

Hehe... I think Dai was referring to 1500 + 1000 equalling 2500 not 3500.

[actions]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Hehe... I think Dai was referring to 1500 + 1000 equalling 2500 not 3500.

Taken that on the chin, got spot.

[Zan]

Cheers for the info - I had looked into it before but hadn't really followed it up, and the uni are offering to out us through the Cat B+E licence for a pretty cheap deal so I'm doing that anyway.

Not sure I'm mad keen to tow it for 4 hours by myself for the very first time towing anything anyway, but we'll see what happens! Thanks for all the comments - by the sound of things it's not looking like a horrible boat, which is always a helpful start!

[Rogue Wave]

I think it looks like a tidy boat, try to take somebody with outboard experience with you to check over the engine, experience usually comes with age so be wary of teenage mechanics Make sure you do a compression test on the engine, and whilst you are doing that you can give the plugs the once over, also crack open the oil filter and see what state the oil is in. It should be nice and clean on a properly serviced 4 stroke.


Check, or better still replace, the trailer bearings if you do buy it and are towing it home. Keep the old bearings as spares, which hopefully you'll never need.

Good idea to remove bench seat

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

also crack open the oil filter and see what state the oil is in. It should be nice and clean on a properly serviced 4 stroke.

It's a 2-stroke, you bellend

[Downhilldai]

[Nasher]

Aging Youth who used to post on here had one very similar, and when it was a few years old I spent quite a bit of time getting it up to scratch before he sold it.

In general it was a well built boat, but the specific things I can remember that perhaps you should look out for are:-

The fuel tank under the seat can float around if not secured properly.

The deck was a little soft near the transom where the underside hadn't been coated well when built, but can be cut out and replaced.

The deck can seperate from the hull where it joins just below the tubes.
On AYs boat the deck had completely seperated, which showed as a crack all the way around the join.
It's easy to put right by grinding out the crack, letting it dry out, filling it with resin, then laying up 3 staggered strips fibreglass over the top before finishing off with flowcoat with sand sprinkled on. Well that's what I did.

AYs boat also needed new tube valves, but again these weren't difficult, I cut the old valves out and glued 'doughnuts' of new hypalon over the holes with the valves already fitted.

Nasher.

[actions]

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

It's a 2-stroke, you bellend

At least i wasnt the only one to make myself look stupid on this thread.....

[Searider]

Did you buy it?

[Zan]

Not this time - the auction ended on no bids, but I've got the guy's phonenumber to see about it