Daiboy

I did a lot of internet trawling when I first decided to take early retirement and buy a boat to live on. Apollo Duck was a great site to search and look at the type of boat I wanted (50ft, cruiser stern and an aft bedroom with the lounge at the front). Found 6 to go and look at. Borrowed my mates car and with 2 good friends (seasoned narrowboaters) did about 300 miles round trip to look at these boats. Narrowed (sorry about the pun) it down to 2 great looking boats, both in my £30k range. Took loads of notes and comparison tables. Decided to ditch the car and reconvine in the local pub to discuss. Another friend asked how we got on with the hunt and I explained the long day to him. His wife suddenly piped up and announced that her hairdresser was thinking about selling their "long metal boat". With attentive ears I asked for her number, left the bar and phoned her directly. Went to see it the following day and although it was the reverse of what I though I would want (bedroom at the front, lounge in the middle) I fell in love with it. After a few alterations and a few red paint jobs to various bits it's my boat now and it's great. So 300 miles to look at boats and bought one 5 miles away. Hey Ho

Thanks Alan for your succint reply, I have, however, read the whole of this thread and decided to remove my centre line as a mooring. Ooops....... Slightly off topic I recently took a boat handling course (being a total novice to narrowboating) and learnt about safe mooring with pins. You must have 4 pins about 2 ft long with a loop at the end. Drive them both into the bank at 45 degree angle to each other with the loops joining. Use a padlock to secure the 2 pins together. These cannot be pulled out either by movement of the water or by other means !!! 2 fore and 2 aft (no centre line) If I can work out how to upload a picture I will show you.

Cheers Blackrose, I have springs fore and aft to a centre pin, but it's the "buffeting" on and off the mooring that causes, or could cause, the damage to my hull. I am only 5 minutes walk to the main culprit's mooring stage. Perhaps a word in thier ear....

Thanks Biggles, couldn't agree more. Here we have the samall safety boats causing more wash than a large tourist/pleasure boat.

Pedantic is not the point Alan, if your conversion is correct (of which I have no comment) then we are talking about 0.356 knots above the "legal" speed limit. Surely if you see a moored craft moving a little bit more than it should do, then SLOW DOWN.

Thanks for this, but surely there must be a point that when large boats see other craft "rocking and rolling" they must slow down. Can you see me from where you are??

Hi all, I am a relative new boater (January this year) the proud owner of a 50ft narrowboat. I had intended (and still do) wish to be a continuous cruiser until a brief pulminory thingy magig meant that I have to stay in one place for a while (river Thames at Windsor). I have moored up but I am being constantly buffeted by the large plastic cruisers, hire boats and the ever present tourist boats. What speed indeed. The alleged maximum of 4 knots (walking pace) seems to have been overlooked by these craft. What can one do !!!!

'fraid not Bizzard. That would mean that the stern deck floor is the roof of a cabin below. Mine covers the engine and other bits of stuff. If it were a Poop Deck, then you have to be standing on the roof of the nb. Great to see out though but a bu**er for the bridges eh. How about the aft hood?? You are quite right Martin, the hood looks exactly like a pram (perambulator) cover. I've have one on my boat. Great in the rain or wind or even (if we get any soon) to cover the sun burn.

To stop all the confusion why the hell do they call them "pram" hoods, when the thing they are fitted to is the stern of a narrowboat. Let's call them "stern" hoods eh!!!

That bad there as well eh!

Just catching up on this thread. Do NOT even think about Artexing the ceiling as they have found that Artex contains Asbestos. If you want red tape "have a crack" !!!!!

Not Bath this time but Windsor. Arrived at the Leisure Centre moorings on Friday March 30th and the charge was £4.00 per 24 hours. This also gave use of the showers at an extra £2.50. Not bad for Windsor I hear you say, with the view of the castle and the Eton / Windsor bridge. I thought so myself until Good Friday. Charge doubled to £8.00. I have now moved to the Eton side where the charge is £6.00 but no facilities

Last time I'll leave my car next to a canal!! Apologies of making light of a possible serious topic. Daiboy

Do we, or I will be in 3 months, as our boat is our HOME have the same rights as land based homeowners. They now, as has been seen and heard on the news, the right to use "reasonable" force to protect our home even if it means topping the intruders? Would anyone consider this their right to kill? I would. Daiboy

I thought it was supposed to be bad luck if you changed the name !!

Thanks Matty, Daiboy

Cheers Ditchcrawler, Will take your comments into account. Little bit worried obout TV licence though!! and I'm going to start smoking a pipe!! Daiboy.

Hi Matty, Perhaps I have got this wrong, but in your last post you mentioned "Davies?" If I am the Davies you are refering to, I would just like to put the record straight. I am not, or will be not when I have purchased my nb, a hopper. I will want to cruise all the network (as posted #28) Sorry if I have got this wrong and please accept my apologies. Daiboy

Sorry Flocal, what the hell does "gh" mean Daiboy

This is what I have accounted for. Please tell me it's enough. I will be continuous cruising without a mooring. Monthly pension £1,200.00 £1,200.00 £13,075.50 Starting balance in bank MONTHLY OUTGOINGS Orange top up -£5.00 Mobile broadband -£15.00 Cigs -£165.00 Tesco shop -£230.00 Bank cash -£300.00 Mooring fee (max £5.00 /day say 14 days) -£70.00 Fuel -£180.00 Pump out -£12.00 Gas -£25.00 TV licence -£12.12 -£1,014.12 £185.88 ANNUAL OUTGOINGS Insurance £310.00 Maintenance £250.00 Boat safety certificate £75.00 Gold licence £904.00 £1,539.00 Need to save £128.00 per month to cover annual outgoings

Just catching up. Somewhere on this forum I remember reading a post that someone who used a bucket to store their ash, caught fire as ash will self combust if left, or something like that Daiboy

Bloody hell, this sounds like something from a deeply disturbed individual. My intension is to put up a notice board on the side of my nb saying something like "grass cutting, weeding, general gardening, nb cleaning, vacuum cleaning, ironing" and anything else I can think of that a cc or anyone walking the towpaths would like to have done. I'll charge £12.00 per hour I am sure that you could get your dog back to Russia if you tried hard enough, although I don't know how much that would cost. Wishing you all the best in your tribulations. Daiboy

Thanks Chris Daiboy

Well, well, well, this is a lively forum topic. I am going to take early retirement (60) and buy a nb, liveaboard AND continuous cruise. I will want to see as much of the canal network as I can before I go upstairs (or downstairs). I thought that all boaters were such friendly chaps. You get the pikeys on land, and so I understand from this topic, on water as well. There will always be a group in society that will try and bend, break or use the laws of this country to their own ends. I hope that no-one will call me a pikey for continuous cruising as I might get a little upset. Please tell me I'm wrong Daiboy

Hello everyone, My name is David and I will be taking early retirement at the end of this year. I have decided to purchase a 50ft narrowboat as a liveaboard and continuous cruise the canals and navigable rivers of this wonderful country. Has anyone made a "checklist" of things to do before leaving the dry land and becoming water bound. Things like post, inland revenue (for pension at 65), bank etc, etc. Also, what about TV licence. Comments or help gratefully received David