|
Type of Cost |
Comments |
|
Purchase Price |
This is the most
obvious and the most variable price of
them all. Prices vary with the season
and demand. The best way to estimate how
it will cost to purchase a vessel is to
look at what is currently on the market
and how much it costs. Don't forget to
take interest payments into account if
you intend to borrow the money.
The RMBOA
For Sale web page is a good place to
start looking for vessels. A wider range of vessels
can be found on the web pages of the
various brokers. The RMBOA is not in a
position to recommend a broker,
but they can easily be found with a
Google search "houseboats for sale
South Australia". |
|
Vessel Survey/Valuation |
It is recommended
that vessels obtain a marine survey and
valuation before a purchase is
concluded. This gives the buyer and
independent assessment of the state and
worth of the vessel. If the vendor does
not have an independent assessment
available, then vessels permanently
moored in the river will need to be put
on the slip before it can be inspected.
Where the vessel is slipped will depend
where the vessel is located. |
|
Compliance |
Vessels with 240V
and gas installations must be compliance
with the regulations. Make sure that the
installation have compliance
certificates or agree on who will pay
for the certification and any costs in
becoming compliant.
If you are intending to permanently
reside on your vessel, then it must also
be fully complaint with the greywater
regulations. These regulations require
that a live-aboard vessel must contain
all greywater for disposal on-shore, or
it must treat the water to the approved
standard before returning it to the
river.
Vessels that are not permanently
occupied and deemed to be low risk (no
washing machine, no dish washer and only
one shower) may take alternate steps to
reduce the quantity and impact of river
discharges. RMBOA members have access to
Greywater Standard Operating Procedures
that have been reviewed by the EPA. A
greywater/blackwater compliance
inspection will cost about $90 (Sept
2011). Travelling costs to inspect your
vessels may be extra. |
|
Insurance |
The minimum
recommended level of insurance cover is
3rd Party Insurance which covers the
owner for damage to other people and
their vessels. Even a modest boat can
destroy a million dollar boat if it burns.
If the vessel is of significant value,
comprehensive insurance is a must.
Remember that if you have an accident or
your vessel sinks, you will be
responsible for cleaning up and removing
the wreckage, including sunken vessels
from the river.
River Murray Boat Owner Association and
other boat clubs will require
participants to to be insured when on
club functions to ensure that they do
not inherit any liability if there is an
incident on the water. For comprehensive
insurance, estimate on about 1% of the
value of the vessel per annum. |
|
Vessel Registration |
Like any motor
vessel, houseboats and cruisers are
required to have an annual registration.
Currently registration for vessels
permanently moored in the Murray
River have a lower registration rate
than vessels that are not permanently
moored in the river. The registration
cost is proportional to the size of the
vessel.
Don't forget that any motorised tender,
such as a dinghy, will also need to be
registered. Current registration fees
can be found on the
SA Transport
website. |
|
Boat Licence |
A licence is need to
control any motorised vessel on the
river. While it is permitted to only have a
car driver's licence to operate a
self-drive hire
boat, a boat licence is required to
operate all motorised private vessels.
Information about
obtaining a boat licence can be
obtained from SA Transport. |
|
Living Aboard |
It is permitted to
live aboard your vessel in South
Australia, however, there are more
stringent environmental conditions
placed on the vessel. Mooring fees may
also be higher for permanently occupied
vessels as they will use more marina
resources than the average vessel.
You will need to take into account that
you may not be able to live on your
vessel when it is on the slip for
maintenance and inspections.
Be aware that if a houseboat is your
primary residence, it will not
appreciate in the same way a house and
land will. This means that it may be
difficult to get back into the housing
market if you decide that you no longer
want to or able to live onboard. |
|
Mooring Fees |
If your vessel is
permanently in the river and not living
onboard and travelling, you will need a
place to leave your vessel while you are
away. There is a wide range of mooring
locations from a friend's river frontage
to luxury lifestyle marinas will all
facilities. As a result mooring fees can
range from a token amount to a sizeable
fee. An average marina would be in the
range of $40 to $70 per week, depending
on location and facilities, etc.
When looking at a marina and their fees,
things to consider are:
(1) Cost - Can you afford to pay that
amount of money each month?
(2) Extras - Do you have to pay extra
for things like power?
(3) Marina Facilities - Do you need the
facilities that the marina provides?
(4) Marina Access - How easy is it to
get in and out of the marina?
(5) Waste Disposal Options - How far
away is the nearest Waste Disposal
Station on the river? Will you need to
pay to have your sewage pumped out?
(6) Marina Reputation - Like any line of
business, there are good operators and
poor operators. Find out about the
marina and if there are likely to
unexpected costs or hassles with the
marina management.
The
Boating Industry Association of South
Australia may be able to provide the
contact numbers for marinas in their
association. |
|
Fuel |
The amount of fuel
that a vessel uses depends of many
things such as the size of the vessel,
the type of engines, the wind and river
conditions. Try to get an indication of
the average consumption of the vessel to
estimate how much typical voyages will
cost.
Refuelling from riverside pumps will be
more expensive than going to a service
station because of the lower volume of
sales for the proprietor. Expect to pay
10~20 cents per litre more at the riverside. Take that into account if you
plan to use riverside fuel. |
|
Slip Fees |
If your vessel is
permanently moored in the river, you
will need to periodically pull your
vessel out of the water to check for
damage and repaint, if necessary. Costs
vary between slips and depend on the
size of your vessel and how long you
want it to be up on the slip. Plan on
pulling out your vessel every couple of
years to insure that your hulls are in
good repair. A typical cost of pulling
out a houseboat would be in the range of
$300 - $400 with about $100 per day on
the slip (Sep 2011). |
|
Engine Maintenance |
Like any engine, the
motors in a vessel will require
maintenance. Expect a comparable service
on a boat engine to be more expensive
that for a car. Also remember that if
the service personnel travel to your
vessel, you will need to pay for that
travel. Check to see if that cost is
shared if more than one boat in the area
is serviced on the same day. Normally it
is preferred that outboard maintenance
is conducted while the vessel is on the
slipway. |
|
General Maintenance |
Besides the
maintenance of the hulls and the
engines, you vessel will require general
maintenance just like your house.
Whatever you need to maintain in your
house will probably be a maintenance
cost on your vessel. |
|
RMBOA Membership |
At $30 per annum for
two family members you get access to
information provided to members
and access to the experience of the
members. Information provided includes
the Members Handbook and the Voyage
Planning Guide. The RMBOA provides
support for its members when dealing
with government departments. |
