Build or Buy - Old or New
It is not surprising that we bought an old hull: 1919, riveted iron, with bumps and bruises befitting an 85 year old worker. We had alternatives however:
- We could have bought a finished barge in an old hull
- We could have commissioned the construction of a new or replica hull
- We could have had a shipyard fit out an old hull, or
- We could have purchased a finished replica barge.
Some of these decisions were obvious. We couldn't afford to have a shipyard fit out an old hull, which would have cost at least 100,000 Euros more than we spent, so that was an easy choice. Further, at the time we were looking we could not find a completed barge that tickled our fancy. We came close on one occasion but couldn't see how to fit what we wanted in a barge into the existing configuration.
If you wish to buy an old barge it must be very close to what you have in mind for the layout. There is no point in buying something that has 6 tiny bedrooms if you want a master cabin and one guest room. Tearing an old boat apart is a path fraught with peril whereas minor modifications are a reasonable option. As a caution, that old finished boat may have some of the worst plumbing and electrical nightmares just under the floor or behind the walls. The systems can be 15 years old and ready for the great dumping ground. They can be so inaccessible that the first breakdown means tearing out half the walls. Having said that, there are a number of very good old ships on the market today at under 250,000 Euros which are ready for immediate use or may require minimal improvement.
If you like the look of a replica hull there are a number of things to be said for the all new approach. The most obvious advantage is that new hulls are generally made with 8 to 10 mm steel, welded. This should stop any worry about holing the bottom or requiring replating. It also provides a significant weight that replaces the need for a fair amount of ballast. Most of the new hulls do not really try to replicate the old style. Bouma Jachtbouw in Harlingen is building a Luxemotor from original plans and there are a couple of builders in the Einkhuizen area that are recreating these traditional hulls. There are very few of the old hulls left for rework so this is a necessary addition to the creation of traditional ships.
As far as systems are concerned, the new builds do not offer anything that an old reworked hull doesn't. An old hull may have a 1980 deisel, but it is likely to be large and not overtaxed in pushing a 25 metre barge at 4 km/hr. All of the other systems will be new. We have included a photo of our hull when we took possession. Believe me, all of the systems had to be added.
As a final comment, the replica barges do not benefit from a greater level of engineering, unlike modern automobiles. They do benefit from clever internal design that rebuilds tend to miss. Like a modern camper van, space is safeguarded in the extreme in some of the new barges. In contrast, people like us who build from scratch tend to allocate space much like in a house. My estimate is that a replica barge that is finished by the builder as opposed to the new owner will eke out a full 5 cubic metres more room because they know better how to fit cupboards, toilets, showers, drawers, and appliances.
There is no one right answer to new or old, build or buy. There are some replica builders using old plans so the boats look old, and new boats do have thicker skins, but if you like history...it boils down to a matter of personal choice and funding. We are happy with our choice and would do it again faced with identical circumstances.
