Leaderboard

I think I know where Boathunter's coming from, eg the old split screen VW campers were absolute works of art in merging practicality with charm, and I have to say the vast majority of NB's I see have neither. Also, if you compare an old NB with an old yacht they are poles apart and I think it is because the majority of narrowboat buyers are not "boaty" people so the typical NB interior has to shadow the domestic interior of the intended buyer. The extreme examples of this are hire/timeshare boats which are particularly soulless. In this respect I tend to agree that you will struggle to find what you want in the canal boat market. You might find what you are looking for given time, but certainly with a short timescale you would have to be lucky. If it was my money I might be looking for a good prestige hull that needs work inside, so you may have a lot to do but the end result will be a cracking boat.

That's not how business in the UK works. The money owed is gone, lost forever. CRT cannot collect it as the company owing it have gone into liquidation. Nor is there any legal basis for a new company to pay the old company's debt. PL has shafted CRT for £180k and totally got away with it. Whether or not the same scenario repeats itself is 100% dependent on the business acumen of CRT managers and the terms under which they enter into any new agreement. They cannot 'unreasonably' refuse an agreement but it would be reasonable for them to demand personal guarantees from the directors of a new company, or a security deposit of (say) £180k to set against any future failure to pay. MtB

Sue on No Problem has a list of recycling sites within 100 yards of canal, with a list of which have waste oil disposal: http://www.noproblem.org.uk/blog/links/recycling.htm

I'd like coal boats to take waste oil away. I'd even pay a small fee. And could they take batteries too?

White ones.

This is probably the root of why CRT took so long to bring the debt to court. Their 'prevarication' was fueled by: 1) A valid wish not to force the company into liquidation thus losing ALL the money 2) PL cynically playing them for more and more time whilst continuing to collect the NAA from moorers and trousering it Eventually CRT recognised they were just being taken for fools and pressed the nuclear button. Good on them. The problem was rooted in BW making the network agreement with a company with no ability or intention to pay. Hopefully CRT won't make the same mistake again if/when the marina re-opens. MtB

A fairly efficient method might be to have a glass bottomed boat?,or a submersible CCTV set up that could show fish activity via a monitor? CT

whoo.... who gave Maffi permission to be cheerful?

i was living in a stupidly large house, living in the kitchen, bedroom and ensuite.....i made a scale model of my boat in card board, sold my porche 911 to fund the build.9 months later i was well into the building of the shell,had a car crash that dam near killed me ended up living in the yard in a caravan with an unfinshed boat and no cash, met a women and bought another house and built another business..parted from the women spent two years doing a 48hr shift at work and coming back and building the boat....at the time i thought it was a living hell and nearly sold the boat on more than one occasion.......... 2012 launched the boat..........was it worth it?? would i do it again?? HELL YES every bit of pain misery and sacrifice......my life is now complete

Its more like (for the lycra louts this is) "There are boats. I don't give a shit. There are pedestrians. I don't give a shit. There's a poly bag on the grass. I don't give a aaaaaaargh

Yes it has. CRT cancelled/removed 30 online moorings as their side of the NAA deal. MtB

Engage them to sell your boat, then buy it off 'em. Simple! MtB

Hi Wullie, I knew that I wanted to live on a boat when I first stayed on one in 2001. I have stayed on boats at intervals throughout the intervening years, mostly in winter for some reason, but that set me in good stead to know what to expect. I subscribed to boating magazines and got to know a few people who owned and lived on boats and picked their brains. I looked around boatyards and talked to brokers but ended up buying my first boat last year in a private sale. This forum is a mine of information and can speed the process up quite a bit. It all depends on your personal circumstances and when you are in a position personally & financially to take the jump. I decided firmly last April that it was the right time for me. By the beginning of May I was the owner of my first boat, which I love! You learn much more by actually owning your own boat than you ever can by reading up on things. The main things that I would advise before you buy your boat is: -Make a realistic budget for all expenses once you have your boat (including non boat things like house, car etc). It is a very exciting process buying your boat, but stressful in equal measures. You don't need the additional stress of financial pressures. -Try to put a bit aside for when things crop up as they inevitably do! -Secure a mooring first -Research your mooring and the surrounding area to check that suits your needs and comittments (eg transport links, leisure facilities, health care provision). -Get a survey and use the outcome of the survey as a bargaining tool. -Expect a period of adjustment that will throw up things you hadn't thought of and don't stress. I've found that boating brings out the resourcefulness in us all. -Most importantly, Enjoy! It is the best move I ever made. The quality of life I have now is much richer in so many ways. I love the freedom, being surrounded by nature and such a friendly community found on here. I wish you every happiness in taking the plunge Let us know how you get on. Catherine

Just stay a member and chip in with something you know about. This forum has to contain the most diverse set of people you will ever meet. Many subjects crop up on here not related to boating. You will be surprised just what else gets discussed apart from boating topics. Like all forums there is a fair amount of banta, but on the whole its good natured and a font of all knowledge. You might be a boating novice but you have other life experience that others might call on.

Why? Whose pet are you?

As usual your post isn't worth reading or of any value like the majority of your 18,000