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Exactly and would eventually mean us losing the waterways because there would be no one paying for anything

Hi I am posting this really to encourage people who are thinking things will never line up and go your way to keep on trying. We first thought about life afloat in 2007 and things fell through but we didn't give up. In 2009 we were lucky enough to be able to buy a narrowboat on which we have enjoyed weekends and holidays, but still no prospect of living aboard. Now in less than a month - we have sold our house which was not even up for sale! (hopefully) and as of Friday week we will be moving aboard permanently. The plans for our summer cruise are starting to take shape. So what's the point of my post. This wasn't planned, our house was not up for sale, we hadn't stopped dreaming but our dream seemed a long way away. The point I suppose is never give up, fate can be your friend.

In answer to a few points, firstly the council tax issue, we will not have to pay council tax on our properties that we have empty at the moment, when they are let out to tenants, that will be up to them to pay it. Also the boats are the yellow submarine and sister boats, and as rightly pointed out we will sort of be in competition with them, so help may not be forthcoming. The boats are rented out by the night, usually for social occasions and for people who attend concerts in the Echo arena opposite the dock. The check out time is 12 and the check in time for guests is after 2.00, so on the nights it is rented out there is time to get the boat cleaned. Surely there is a company that takes care of the toilet waste, and other essentials. I do know that will cost, I don't expect it to be free, but thanks for pointing that out all the same. I don't work for free so I don't expect anyone else to, especially doing a job like that. I have stayed on the boats on numerous occasions, and have not been disappointed, but availability is often an issue, that myself, family and friends have come across. I know that there is a downside, that is why I am asking questions, to some I can tell by your posts that you are rather against this idea, for whatever motive. As I say we are all different and have different needs at certain times in our lives, I work hard, and would like to spend some of my leisure time in a pleasant way, and hope to mitigate some of the cost if I possibly can. The whole thing may never come to fruition, who knows, but if I am at least informed than I can decide on merit, after weighing up the pros and cons.

I have been contemplating buying my own boat to spend my retirement on the canals. I have had many a holiday on various rivers and canals in my kayak and even had a few on a narrow boat and my sisters small cruiser. I get both Waterside World and the Canal Boat every month. One thing that puts me off is the constants references to pubs. In this months WW the review of the Macc includes a typical quote "don,t even try to leave the town without trying one of the pubs, Waters Green is a good place to commence a pub crawl" These sorts of comments are all too common. I also noticed that in the recant TV program "Canal journeys" that many a bottle of wine was on show. Yet in the similar "Great railway journeys" and "Walking canals" programs local pubs never get a mention. Are all narrow boat owners pipe smoking Camra members? I don't think so. Does the lifestyle turn you to drink? Should I buy an RV instead?

Sounds like a good adventure. Still water is much easier than moving water so just be careful of the state of the rivers (Trent, Soar and Nene presuming you are going that way) and have the right equipment (anchor, life ring, maybe lifejacket). If heavy rain comes you can expect the rivers to get more excited in the next day or two and so lying low at a mooring might be safest. Always keep an eye on the colour coded level boards when on rivers and, being a novice, I would advise against moving the boat when in the orange, and definitely not when in the red. Presuming you go up the Soar, it is a very pleasant river apart from the bit through central Leicester, however my personal preference is for canals since you are then not necessarily at the lowest point of the land with only a view of the bank. The Leicester section of the Grand Union is particularly pleasant and be sure to take the detours to Market Harborough and Welford. Cambridgeshire is pretty flat and so not my personal choice, although it does have its own particular type of charm. The planner is here: http://canalplan.org.uk/ I believe part of the route in the fens is tidal - by then you will have a fairly good idea what you are doing, but do your research on the tidal rivers and take local advice on when to transit etc.

I thought that there was no planning permission for residential?

good god col, the size of your roof you could fill it with solar and never have to worry again, except in winter of course, yes paul new hair do and name change (florence) col read my solar blog on washing here http://trishasblogspot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/washing-on-solar-power-alone.html

Col, Have a quick read of a thread a few down from this one, also in the 'Equipment' board started by Theo 'Inverter to run a washing machine'. The whole thread is worth a glance or two, particularly Page two. Let me know what you think.

With respect, your questions are not about the 'boating game' as you put it. Rather, I see them in the 'I want a cheap housing solution' category. Howard

FFS! NOBODY'S MAKING YOU GO INTO A PUB! ARE THEY?

Clearly he is. Probably from the same mould.

Please what? Are you happy that your "landlord" has robbed a charity of a great deal of money?

finally found the poem I was looking for...... Boatload of wine, that'l do fine keep me afloat till October I must bid you adieu with glass and corkscrew I don't want to say home and be sober Floating along all the day long just stopping at locks full of slime when it's time for a brew, between me and you, I'll open a bottle of wine The rains pouring down,I feel I might drown, from steering I think I'll resign but I'll not complain nor will I abstain if opening a bottle of wine At the narrow bridge hole, you need self control for oncoming boats numbered nine as they push their way through the air turns to blue so I'll open a bottle of wine Toilets full to the brim, emptying it's grim I'll buy a pump out next time there's no Elsan blue and the loo smells of XXX so I'll open a bottle of wine The boat comes to a halt, it must be a fault as rope and propeller entwine I've been down the weed hatch now I'm dirty and scratched so I'll open a bottle of wine Now the engine won't start as it needs a new part It looks like the end of the line should I polish the brass? No I'll get out a glass and open a bottle of wine afraid I don't have the name of the original post...just kept it because it so amused me edit to correct typo

Pubs are not just about getting p*ssed! Also about eating and meeting. You can drink what the hell you want. Most people don't have to sink pints of 6x to show how (insert adjective of choice) they are.

Blurry 'ell - lost the will to live?? That stretch is about the Most Boring in the Whole World straight as a die and nowhere to 'pull in'. It's one of the reasons why we took up narrowboating. Now if you'd said Chichester, Solent, Poole, I'd understand it a bit better. Even the lower, lower Thames or the Mudway gives you a better chance. As folks say shafts are better than legs, not the least because legs can be very expensive to repair and being made of aluminium rot quite easily. Have a look at the various forums on YBW.COM - even the Thames forum is inhabited by a lot of shiny white boat owners (narrowboaters are not much in evidence)

Has anyone who has moored under the pylons for any length of time checked for the effect it has had on their hull underwater section? I seem to recall it was cause for concern when we first started slipping and blacking boats.

Agreed!! There's £20,000 gone already It was £180,000, Pillings going into liquidation because they had no money, isn't it correct that the liquidators would try to sell the company, name,any assets off to realise as much money as duty bound to pay crediters off, including liquidators fee. Wouldn't the above been offered for sale to other marina/boat businesses, not just given back or sold for a quid, back to steadman and Lillie?? Please tell me if no money was in the account, and pillings sold for a quid or given back?,who pays all the court fees, administrator, liquidators legal fees, surely not legal aid, or tax payer Let's not forget all the other debts that would have to be written of as well, not just CARTs, tradesman, dog poo bin suppliers, window cleaners, car finance etc etc anybody that traded with Lillie and Pillings. When do the liquidation accounts come out? All creditors get a copy by law don't they? Col

So where do you fit into the hierarchy of the MS / PL / CSH /RR1 empire ... One of (or closely related to one of) the four or simply one of the staff? This Wiki article seems to sum you up quite succinctly if I may say so... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)

You have a greenie. My thought entirely. Hopefully, I will be visiting Ally in the next couple of days. Traveling from Portsmouth area, probably staying in Cropredy area overnight. I can confirm plan once I hear back from Ally. Are we going to fight over the rack? Martyn

Hi gang, I run a Bush wqp-63202 fs11 Dishwasher Daily. A Delta combination Microwave/Oven/Grill Daily. A Candy Aquamatic 3 times a week. & a white knight Tumble dryer 3 times a week. Very nicely (one at a time) off my Mastervolt Dakar sine 2500.for 6 yrs now. It's permanently left on & ready for use,Never had a problem yet. Thankfully!.