buying a boat in india.

boatmasterlondon · Feb 19th, 2009, 23:30

could i buy a boat in india and register it in my name. i would be looking for a small cabin crusier or small houseboat. it would be used to live on for months at a time.

anyone know the regulations concerning cabin cruisers and houseboats being owned by foreign nationals?

i am thinking of hooking up with some local boatmen and getting in with them if possable.

Nick-H · Feb 19th, 2009, 23:48

Ahh... the plan develops! Or should I say the plot thickens

Interesting question! Regret that I have no idea of the answer; I don't even know if boats have to be registered there. I'll be watching the thread.

Now, if it was a Very Large Crude Carrier you were interested in, our Captain would be able to fill you in on all the details, especially the proper use of the sinks

Dacoit Chief · Feb 20th, 2009, 00:05

I too have no idea but I have a distant contact who would have some info. He owns a company called Praga Marine who were the first to build decent GRP boats in India. He holds the licence to build the optimist and various dingies but he also built at least one rather nice backwater cruiser out of GRP. Not too sure what he's up to these days but his name is Joe Nejedly and he is based mainly in Coimbatore. You could google him or Praga Marine. (Try Pragamarine at vsnl dot com)

Dacoit Chief · Feb 20th, 2009, 00:15

By the way see: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/...1101490100.htm

capt_mahajan · Feb 20th, 2009, 00:32

The little I know, any decent boat would cost much more than a similar one in the West.

Keep in mind that there may be some additional requirements well in the pipeline after the Mumbai attacks, like simple AIS systems, stricter registration laws and biometric IDs, all of which are now mooted.

Nick-H · Feb 20th, 2009, 00:41

Quote:

The little I know, any decent boat would cost much more than a similar one in the West.

Back in the 1980s, when I last enquired, a small Thames skiff (mind you, they are made out of mahogany) was about £3,000. Not only the wood, but that sort of traditional skill (clinker built) comes very expensive in UK.

Dacoit Chief · Feb 20th, 2009, 00:46

Why not consider buying a traditional converted Kerala rice boat (tourist houseboat)?

capt_mahajan · Feb 20th, 2009, 00:47

I guess one could buy a smallish wooden fishing boat type cheaply. Wouldn't be great wood, though.

But 'a cabin cruiser for living months at a time' would be more expensive here, I think.

Nick-H · Feb 20th, 2009, 00:56

The smallish fishing boats are relatively cheap, although I found the price varied widely according to who I asked!

Dacoit Chief... I don't think that houseboats are converted riceboats any longer --- but rather they are custom built on the basis of that design. Whereas there is no way that the labour is going to come to anything like UK prices, there is a lot of wood, and a lot of work too, in a boat like that --- and a lot of maintenance.

There was a Boat Show in Kerala a few years ago. I've no idea how big it was (maybe it was like the Chennai Auto Show!

) and I don't know if it was ever repeated.

Dacoit Chief · Feb 20th, 2009, 01:02

Yes you are right about the kerala houseboats. Only the 1st few were converted rice boats. Houseboat building to spec is now a huge industry in Kerala. True they can't be cheap, but neither is a house and land these days!

However, I'm sure the lead-time on a newbuild can't be short, and I don't think there are many on the 2nd hand market at the moment. However with the numbers I saw last time I was there, there will be a point where they become hard to fill, especially given the Economic outlook for the next few years!

Dacoit Chief · Feb 20th, 2009, 01:06

Ah.. low and behold, one Google later, I now see you can pick them up for as little as 1.6 lakh! Can't be in the best of nick though at that price!

Given the exchange rates however, this site aint that up-to-date: http://www.indialandmart.com/investment_ideas

Edit: Oops.. that's 1.6 million actually! My bad! The cheapest there are around 6 Lakh then!

Nick-H · Feb 20th, 2009, 01:32

Yes, 16 Lakh, but as you say there are some much cheaper. Less than I would have expected.

A couple of people suggested to me to buy one. I firmly resisted, saying that it was never a good idea to invest in a business one knows nothing about, and one is totally in the hands of the people who run it for you.

From the first few just a very few years ago, they do now swarm like mosquitoes, and I think it is a cut-throat business.

capt_mahajan · Feb 20th, 2009, 10:24

Not that this will help the OP until later....

Economic Times, two days ago

Quote:

Auto major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) on Tuesday said it plans to foray into the leisure boating segment through Mahindra Ocean Blue, a joint undertaking with Mumbai-based marina operator Ocean Blue. The Mahindra group will manufacture the power boats, cabin cruisers and catamarans at its existing factories.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/4146448.cms

boatmasterlondon · Feb 20th, 2009, 23:43

thanks chaps, i like to think about boats,

well i bought my 17' stuart stevens cabin cruiser with 20hp yamaha for £500, that would be roughly 35,596rps.

i have got my eye on an ex-u.s coastguard's aluminum patrol boat,19' camoflaged open workboat with boyancy tanks with a old 40hp evinrude which is nackered which i would replace with a honda 50hp 4 stroke i have sitting around.

but i would like to maybe have a little boat for india, i think grp would now be out of the question as it is too expensive.
grp is roughly the same price worldwide but indian wood would be cheaper.

maybe one of those wooden canoes or somthing a little wider, would do me great.

i also saw a 60' kettuvallum for 6 laks. but i guess you would have to live out there for somthing like that. maybe one day.

i wonder how much for the long wooden canoes or similar?

Paleface · Feb 21st, 2009, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatmasterlondon

i wonder how much for the long wooden canoes or similar?

I suppose a shorter wooden canoe would be cheaper than a longer wooden canoe? Something similar Hmmmm! Used coconuts lashed together could be the most economical solution, obviously unused coconuts would be a bit more expensive.

Feb 19th, 2009, 23:30	#1
boatmasterlondon Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: london, england Posts: 83	buying a boat in india. could i buy a boat in india and register it in my name. i would be looking for a small cabin crusier or small houseboat. it would be used to live on for months at a time. anyone know the regulations concerning cabin cruisers and houseboats being owned by foreign nationals? i am thinking of hooking up with some local boatmen and getting in with them if possable.

Feb 20th, 2009, 00:32	#5
capt_mahajan Infidel Sufi Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: styx Posts: 13,605	The little I know, any decent boat would cost much more than a similar one in the West. Keep in mind that there may be some additional requirements well in the pipeline after the Mumbai attacks, like simple AIS systems, stricter registration laws and biometric IDs, all of which are now mooted. __________________ . Outside the machine

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Feb 19th, 2009, 23:48	#2
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,189	Ahh... the plan develops! Or should I say the plot thickens Interesting question! Regret that I have no idea of the answer; I don't even know if boats have to be registered there. I'll be watching the thread. Now, if it was a Very Large Crude Carrier you were interested in, our Captain would be able to fill you in on all the details, especially the proper use of the sinks

Feb 20th, 2009, 00:05	#3
Dacoit Chief Dosai, Idli, Sambar eating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Madrid Posts: 273	I too have no idea but I have a distant contact who would have some info. He owns a company called Praga Marine who were the first to build decent GRP boats in India. He holds the licence to build the optimist and various dingies but he also built at least one rather nice backwater cruiser out of GRP. Not too sure what he's up to these days but his name is Joe Nejedly and he is based mainly in Coimbatore. You could google him or Praga Marine. (Try Pragamarine at vsnl dot com)

Feb 20th, 2009, 00:15	#4
Dacoit Chief Dosai, Idli, Sambar eating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Madrid Posts: 273	By the way see: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/...1101490100.htm

Feb 20th, 2009, 00:46	#7
Dacoit Chief Dosai, Idli, Sambar eating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Madrid Posts: 273	Why not consider buying a traditional converted Kerala rice boat (tourist houseboat)?

Feb 20th, 2009, 00:47	#8
capt_mahajan Infidel Sufi Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: styx Posts: 13,605	I guess one could buy a smallish wooden fishing boat type cheaply. Wouldn't be great wood, though. But 'a cabin cruiser for living months at a time' would be more expensive here, I think.

Feb 20th, 2009, 00:56	#9
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,189	The smallish fishing boats are relatively cheap, although I found the price varied widely according to who I asked! Dacoit Chief... I don't think that houseboats are converted riceboats any longer --- but rather they are custom built on the basis of that design. Whereas there is no way that the labour is going to come to anything like UK prices, there is a lot of wood, and a lot of work too, in a boat like that --- and a lot of maintenance. There was a Boat Show in Kerala a few years ago. I've no idea how big it was (maybe it was like the Chennai Auto Show! ) and I don't know if it was ever repeated.

Feb 20th, 2009, 01:02	#10
Dacoit Chief Dosai, Idli, Sambar eating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Madrid Posts: 273	Yes you are right about the kerala houseboats. Only the 1st few were converted rice boats. Houseboat building to spec is now a huge industry in Kerala. True they can't be cheap, but neither is a house and land these days! However, I'm sure the lead-time on a newbuild can't be short, and I don't think there are many on the 2nd hand market at the moment. However with the numbers I saw last time I was there, there will be a point where they become hard to fill, especially given the Economic outlook for the next few years!

Feb 20th, 2009, 01:06	#11
Dacoit Chief Dosai, Idli, Sambar eating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Madrid Posts: 273	Ah.. low and behold, one Google later, I now see you can pick them up for as little as 1.6 lakh! Can't be in the best of nick though at that price! Given the exchange rates however, this site aint that up-to-date: http://www.indialandmart.com/investment_ideas Edit: Oops.. that's 1.6 million actually! My bad! The cheapest there are around 6 Lakh then!

Feb 20th, 2009, 01:32	#12
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,189	Yes, 16 Lakh, but as you say there are some much cheaper. Less than I would have expected. A couple of people suggested to me to buy one. I firmly resisted, saying that it was never a good idea to invest in a business one knows nothing about, and one is totally in the hands of the people who run it for you. From the first few just a very few years ago, they do now swarm like mosquitoes, and I think it is a cut-throat business.

Feb 20th, 2009, 23:43	#14
boatmasterlondon Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: london, england Posts: 83	thanks chaps, i like to think about boats, well i bought my 17' stuart stevens cabin cruiser with 20hp yamaha for £500, that would be roughly 35,596rps. i have got my eye on an ex-u.s coastguard's aluminum patrol boat,19' camoflaged open workboat with boyancy tanks with a old 40hp evinrude which is nackered which i would replace with a honda 50hp 4 stroke i have sitting around. but i would like to maybe have a little boat for india, i think grp would now be out of the question as it is too expensive. grp is roughly the same price worldwide but indian wood would be cheaper. maybe one of those wooden canoes or somthing a little wider, would do me great. i also saw a 60' kettuvallum for 6 laks. but i guess you would have to live out there for somthing like that. maybe one day. i wonder how much for the long wooden canoes or similar?