soggyfrog

Thanks for all the comments! Some great starting points to look into. SF

Thanks for the swift replies. Good point, ditchcrawler. If we take that path we'll definitely look at getting one straight from the hire company. RLWP, in what ways don't they suit liveaboards? I'd be interested to know more...

Hi all, My friend and I are looking into buying a boat, and another friend has recommended considering an ex-hire boat as these are most likely to give us the two separate bedrooms that we require, as well as the space to live comfortably without always being under each others feet. Does anyone have any advice relating to purchasing an ex-hire boat? Are they generally better maintained than privately owned boats? Anything else we should be thinking about/asking about/looking for? I'd be quite happy taking on a "blank canvas" and fitting it out from scratch, but apparently that's too optimistic for first-timers! Thanks in advance. SF

Great thread. Laughing so much that my face hurts! Thankfully our cat has turned into a stay-at-home most of the time. He's a scaredycat anyway, doesn't like strange noises, but will run up to greet the car when we get home. Has run away from more animals than he's ever caught, and has taken to guarding the next door neighbour's rabbit since our guinea pigs passed away. All in all, I think he'll take rather well to living on a boat. There are nooks for him too explore, people for him to meow at, various vantage points for him to safely survey the passing world, and very few cats to contest his ownership of the boat. 'cause he's a complete wuss!!

I second that. Whilton is great for having a look around boats and finding what you really like. I went with my friend whose boat requirements are radically different to mine, so the questions that he raised really made me think about what I wanted, why I wanted it and how practical it would be. In the end, he found his dream boat which was a 72ft trad stern with a boatman's cabin... whereas I was looking at pocket-sized cruiser sterns!

There's no reason that I can see that you wouldn't be able to achieve it in 4 years. It's not as though you're leaping in blindly with no clue about what you're doing. You're asking all the questions, getting yourselves on those all-important waiting lists and appear to both be working toward the same goal. VERY important. I, on the other hand, am trying to convince my best friend that instead of buying a "house" we should buy somewhere on the waterfront and invest in a boat as well. Totally doable. Would be easier if it wasn't aquaphile vs aquaphobe! Keep your hopes up high. It will all come together! SF

I find myself falling for boats that are far "oop north" too, and I'll tell you, being able to drive doesn't make it any easier! Bed next to kitchen is odd. In the few years that I've been looking for a boat, I've discovered I'm really quite fussy about the layout. Oh, and if it's any consolation, the first boat that stole my heart had alarm bells ringing when my friend (technical advisor!) and I went to look at it... and then it disappeared, never to be seen again... Keep the faith. You'll find the boat that's just right for you. SF

Thanks Peter - we were looking at barges specifically for Europe

A recent trip to Belgium and a mild fixation with Dutch barges has brought us round to the discussion of living afloat abroad, particularly in the region of Belgium (give or take a few miles!) I'm curious to know if anyone on these forums is living on a boat in Europe, where'er that may be, and what real life experiences they could share. We don't know the first thing about it; for starters, how easy is it to find moorings and what are the costs like? I'm curious to know how it compares to living in the UK on a boat - do they consider it a real residence or would we still need a bricks 'n' mortar address too? If anyone has any pointers - even just pointing to a different resource - that would be great. This isn't a decision to be taken lightly or made soon, but I want to be armed with all the information before we start down that path. Happy Boating all!

More like "Guy Martin crashes bikes and narrowboats"! Bless him...

By 'eck - you'd be drunk before the end of the opening credits!

Tone, that comes back to the conversation last night... But what are the implications of declaring yourself homeless? When I was actually homeless they couldn't give a damn, so it stands to reason they'd be rushing to help when I didn't need it! As a young whippersnapper (!) I'm just trying to weigh up the pros and cons for the future.

Very amusing! I definitely have two rats to take with me onto a boat, but whether the cat joins me or not remains to be seen. I definitely have all three, and know which is which, but thanks for checking... Hi Tonka, thanks for the advice. The rats would have a specially designed (therefore safe) area to run around in. The benefits of an "owner fit-out"!

My cat doesn't tend to stray far from the house and never has, despite having numerous fields to explore, and would happily stay inside for most of the day if he could. I was reading another thread about cats, continuous cruising and cat flaps but am in two minds about the cat flap...

I'm curious as to how many boaters have pets aboard with them, whether moored or constantly cruising. I know quite a lot of people have dogs, others things in cages, but that's about all I'm aware of. I ask because I have two rats and possibly a cat, and I'm not sure how the latter will take to living on a boat (although he's adapted very well to moving 4 times in the last two years). I'm also aware that some marinas have strict "no animals" policies, whereas others are a lot more relaxed.

Ah, memories of my first few conversations about boating! Hi all, my name's Froglett, and I'm addicted to water... Not yet the proud owner of a boat, but certainly not rushing things either. Thankfully I know a good few people who live on the rivers and canals (or at least spend so much time there we all think they do) and have been invited onto several boats already. If I can manage to condense myself (not my belongings) into narrowboat dimensions then I shall be taking that route, but I'm also looking at widebeams and dutch barges - if only to build up a better idea of what I do and don't want. Same disclaimers as other newbie posters - plenty of questions and reading to come!

I don't know if you know him, but the guy deserves a medal!

When I get my boat painted (read: when I get my boat!) I would like to have some of these symbols and patterns interwoven in the designs both inside and out, because they mean something to me. Other people may see nothing meaningful in them, or may not even see them at all and that's fine with me. It's a very personal choice, and therefore a very personal statement. There's a good chance that my boat will include a painted tree somewhere, which to most people will just be "pretty"...

Thanks for posting this, it's really useful information!

That's a very good point, Sue. Currently I really like the idea of wandering about, but am also aware of the benefits of a mooring (I know people who live both ways). I also met a couple the other day who are constant cruisers and he has held down a steady job in one location for the previous 6+ years. I'm in the process of making lists of considerations, and this place is great for making me think about issues that might not have cropped up otherwise. Out of interest, if you don't mind me asking, are you moored or cruising?