info/advice for very newbie please

[Morphyous]

Speaking as a musician I would advice against having an acoustic piano on board,

humidity would lead to rusting piano strings and tuning problems.

It would be far better to get a good quality electric piano with a weighted touch,

Roland and Yamaha make excellent keyboards and it could be stowed away after use.

[Bones]

I decided against getting a strings and soundboard piano because of the space they take up (although I would have considered a baby grand as it could be multi functional). However, I met a guy in Oxford who keeps his piano in the back of his van and tunes it every few months or so. It is lighter than most, made in the 70s and he adapted it to make it lighter so he could manoever it around one manned. It sounded great.

 

I went for a digital piano in the end because they are easy to store, and now adays the weighting etc is fantastic - plus you can turn it down or play ear phones so the neighbours don't get annoyed.

[FORTUNATA]

It will most likely be O.K. for the next 5 years but a few questions ought to have been asked here to help you get some perspective. Like, what do you plan to do with the boat after 5 years have passed?

Here's what I'm getting at. A 70 foot narrowboat for 25 K is one heck of a big boat at a very modest price. My guess is it will be an eighties boat and the main concern at some point is going to be the maintenance.

Here's what I advise: Take someone with you who knows quite a bit about narrowboats and have a good visual inspection of the hull, especially the base. Have a look to see if there's a flange or edge around the base. Often what you find is the flange disappears in sections and then gets stronger in other areas according to any wear and tear. An experienced eye can tell something about the hull even if you don't bother with a survey.

I say all of that because if over the course of 5 years you do get any hull related problems, maintenance costs to get it in order aren't going to be cheap due to the size of the vessel. be aware if this vessel was brand new you'd be looking at 60 -80 K minimum so for 25 K there is going to be some wear and maintenance work in the future can't be dismissed.

 

 

Hello Everyone

 

Very new to boats and this forum, seeking expert advice please...

 

Here's the picture -

Music student to be son needs accomodation in B-ham for next 5 years.

Have seen narrowboats from the window of the cramped student accomodation, and thought Hmm!

 

70ft ex holiday hire boat for sale £25 000 ovno, with residential mooring available.

Currently 8 berth, 2 flushing toilets, shower, gas central heating etc., but it does look like what it is - a floating caravan!

 

Questions

1. Am I looking at a bargain?

2. How difficult is it to convert a boat to a more traditional and homely layout?

3. Do boats keep their value (unlike houses etc, which are falling in value fast at the mo)

and last of all -

4. Are there any rules which must be obeyed re turning an ex-hire boat into a nice, traditional sort of boat? e.g. can I paint it a different colour? Add a solid fuel stove?

 

General info

Son is keen on living aboard, rather than student accommodation, and happy enough on his own, with his piano.

We'd anitcipated the boat providing accommodation needs during term time, and giving us holiday opportunities in between, with the option of selling or keeping boat after DS graduates.

I am viewing this as a possible project - redesigning interior and making exterior look rather nicer than it does at present.

We're not too bad at DIY between us, doing up houses, searching and researching trad fittings etc.

 

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

Thanks

Mary

 

 

"a landline and a secure mooring would make life much easier but it is unlikely to be any cheaper than student digs."

 

 

With 70 foot to consider, I agree. One option might be to share with other students and then split the fees.

 

 

 

 

Hello MaryRose,

 

When we moved onto our new boat, our narrowboat was sold to a lad (his parents paid for it of course) for him to use as a home while he was at uni. Having looked over it, and taken it for a run up the cut, his mother was beaming when she got back and promptly declared that "it has got to be a babe magnet!". Wether it was or not I am unable to say but he did live on it while studying and continues to do so now. It seems that it proved very successful and it was very popular with his mates - he even shared it with one of them. So it can be done but I do need to add that the family have lived on boats for many years and the lad's dad is very skilled at keeping things as they should be. As for the piano? The people we bought the above boat off had an electric keyboard when they lived on board - it takes next to no space and can be played through headphones.

 

As other people have already said, living on a boat can be hard work and it is a steep learning curve: a landline and a secure mooring would make life much easier but it is unlikely to be any cheaper than student digs.

 

Good luck. Giles.

[greywolf]

i suspect it is Marple the x heritage hire boat at sherbourn wharf that is being described. I went to look at her some time ago and was told at that time it was under offer but they would keep my number. It then went up from 25000 to 27000 and has since returned to it,s original price.Is this an unusual thing to happen?They have never contacted me it looked like a nice boat but then i no nothing of boats.

[paulcatchpole]

i suspect it is Marple the x heritage hire boat at sherbourn wharf that is being described. I went to look at her some time ago and was told at that time it was under offer but they would keep my number. It then went up from 25000 to 27000 and has since returned to it,s original price.Is this an unusual thing to happen?They have never contacted me it looked like a nice boat but then i no nothing of boats.

 

I bimbled past this whilst overnighting in Bham last weekend, on the way down to Lapworth.

 

Looked a bargain from a distance, no idea what it's like up close!

 

PC