BlueStringPudding

Thanks Alan, The boat is currently out of the water anyway - great for surveying but rubbish for a test drive! Although general consensus on the forum has been not to worry too much about a test drive. (I'm aware that to pay for it to be lowered into the water and then craned back out again for a survey is more expense than might be necessary. (I hope that's the right decision)) But it does make inspecting the hull and paintwork easier when just viewing. So I'll have a jolly good look on Saturday and I'll be taking a lot of photos while I'm there. I'm not in any hurry so don't need to feel that I have to slap a deposit on it (and it's a grand deposit at this brokerage ) just in case someone else snaffles it - if it goes to someone else while I'm mulling it over, so be it. But you never know... could be the boat of my dreams! I'm aware it's a big task to paint it, but if I can do it in stages I don't mind that a bit. It'll be all the more worthwhile if it takes that much time and effort. Thanks for your words of wisdom. Thanks Pete - further to what I've just mentioned to Alan (posts have crossed), I'd expect to get the ultrasound survey since it's out of the water now anyway - but as part of the main survey. Are you suggesting this should happen before I put a holding deposit on the boat?

Hello all, I've been advised by the brokerage (of a narrowboat I'm hoping to view on Saturday - weather permitting!) that the boat in question needs some attention regarding the paintwork, blacking etc. What they originally told me was a "survey from 2005" turns out merely to be a sales handout stating that the hull was blacked and new anodes were fitted in 2005 (some survey... ) The woman I spoke to at the brokerage told me the paintwork and blacking needs a lot of attention (despite only being blacked 14 months ago!?) so I'm wondering whether the hull might need blasting back and reblacking again if it's that bad? This isn't something that I'd be able to do myself, so can anyone give me any advice about how much that might cost to get someone to do it? Feasibly the boatyard itself might offer the service so I'll ask them at the weekend but would like to be fore-armed with an idea of the cost. If it's not that bad and just needs another coat of blacking, then I perhaps could do that myself (I'll use the Search function of this forum to swot up on blacking techniques!) She assures me it's not pitted or rusting but just in need of a good paint job. As for repainting the cabin area - is this something I could do myself by hand? I'm a dab-hand with a paintbrush when it comes to both decorating and fine-art and I'm not afraid of a bit of grafting. But would I need any specialist equipment in the preparation of painting a boat? I'm hoping it's something I could do gradually over a few weekends when the weather gets better. Thanks

Thanks all, So no-one likes slatted windows!?!?!? The boat I'm interested in viewing has them, you see. But with my tight budget I thought I'd go for more length in the boat then (slowly) upgrade bits like that. But I'd be looking at a few years down the line rather than months before I'd be in a position to replace windows. Hence my curiosity about what could be done to improve their security meantimes. Bars sound easy but not overly pleasing on the eye. Whereas a fretwork screen might be "purdier" Anyway, this is a bit academic because the brokerage aren't being overly efficient in giving me the information I've asked for. I've been expecting phonecalls and e-mails for a fortnight on and off. I keep phoning and keep being told they'll get back to me. Hmmm... Does make me a little concerned as to whether I should even consider giving my hard-earned cash to these people...

Sounds divine - I'm gonna try that when I get home.

... And you open all of them in the carriage on a searingly hot day and you still have to jump out the doors at every stop to gasp for air because there ain't any coming in through those windows!

Are "hopper windows" the ones like you get on a train or a bus, with the top section that leans in (but doesn't let any air in!!! ) I'm wondering whether I could construct metal fretted/meshed screens for use on slatted windows, while away from the boat in the daytimes. They could screw into fixings on the inside around the window frames and be removed if we want to open the slats. Feasible?

Ooh - is that something that the insurance companies could sting you for - having slatted windows?

Is there a way of making them more secure / less draughty (short of removing them altogether!)? Has anyone tried any kind of makeshift insulation on them (winter solution maybe?), or detachable fret/mesh screens etc?

What does everyone thing of slatted windows? Are they a security hazard on a liveaboard boat? Can they be particularly drafty or rattly in bad weather? What's good about them? What sort of windows do you guys prefer?

Oh, I see. Thanks. Useful to know, but I think I'll leave it as it is for now.

Hahahah! Resistance is futile! Is it? There are comments (perfectly nice ones) on my profile page which I didn't approve. Is this something you select in advance? Not that I can be bothered to approve comments of course, everyone here is so nice, why would i need to!?!

Yay!

"...Sponsor a Random Act of Kindness..."!?!?!?!? Blimey, I might start my own money making scheme website. "Sponsor a Crumb" in aid of the cake I'd quite like to eat but haven't bought yet.

I find him a little two-faced...

Hello. I've just tried leaving a comment on someone's profile page - first time I've done this other than leaving comments on my own profile page But a little window popped up to say it has to be okayed with the Big Head Honcho's of the forum first. Does this happen to all comments or only ones that quote Vogon poetry?

Actually it's filmed in a place called Aldbury near Tring. Nice pub. And duck pond.

Oh yes Malc- Tomsk is quite right. Clanger Estates Services offer a portfolio ranging from compact and bijou craters topped with your own south-facing dustbin lid, to spacious open plan lunar terrae benefitting of geosynchronous aspect and 24 hour Iron Chicken service to your door. If you're looking for land with moorings, perhaps the Soup Caves would interest you? I can always pass your contact details onto my colleage, Mr S. Dragon who can talk you through what's on offer. I'll warn you though, he's not from round here and suffers a slight speech impediment. Of course there's always the Sea of Tranquility to consider...

Hi Chris, Welcome to the forum and congratulations on choosing to break free from the rat race. Like you I intend to be living aboard one day. Have you ever spent holidays on board a narrowboat? It might be an idea to try it out (espeically in the middle of winter, emptying the toilet cassettes in the cold and the rain, etc!) to experience the worst it can be before completely changing your way of life. As for self-sufficiency regarding food you may face some problems there. As Dor mentioned, you need specific angling licenses for specific stretches of water and there are fishing seasons, outside of which it's illegal to be fishing (because the fish need to spawn etc). Plus you might want to be aware of where you're fishing - canals are relatively static area of water meaning they're not always the cleanest of waters. Aside from any stagnation that might be in the water, pollutants, pesticides and fertislisers wash down from fields and industrial areas into the canal supplies, sprays from fields literally fall into neighbouring canals, and other boaters do (but shouldn't) expel detergents, oily trails and sometimes toilet waste into the water. It's not unheard of for dog-walkers to ping their doggy-doos into canals when "cleaning" up the towpath after their pet (Bleurgh!). Too many fish suppers from that "stew" and you're not gonna be feeling too great, mate! Again without a hunting license and permission to hunt on an area of land (or indeed water) even snaffling a duck is illegal. (Even running over a pheasant in the road, it's illegal to pick it up and take it home! However the driver behind you can, bizarrely enough) As for the lifestyle suiting a sufferer of depression - as you rightly say, that word means different things to different people. If it means needing medication or friends/family nearby for a sympathetic ear, you might not want to be cruising too far from them? You might not always have a decent mobile phone reception out on the cut to make a phonecall. A close friend of mine suffers from depression so it's rather an emotive subject. Yes, there's a sense of freedom with living aboard. But yes, there's still conforming to certain rules and regulations and the grafting to making ends meet, and license fees and fuel to pay for and shopping and laundry to do - so the change in liftsyle isn't necessarily about breaking free but fitting in to another mould. There's a great deal of appeal about it, but bear in mind that depression doesn't come from the external factors in a sufferer's life but is an internal coping mechanism. You'll still "cope" with adversity in the same way, it's just the triggers will no longer be the pile of paperwork in your intray and an arsey boss, but when the water pump breaks down at the same time as the stove goes wrong and you're in the middle of nowhere and wondering how you're going to cope with the -4 degrees nightimes... Anyway, I'm one to talk as I'm not aboard myself yet. But I'm actively spending as much time as I can on boats, in as inhospitable times of the year as I can. And we've had no heating over Christmas while on board, and spent time with no hot water, and froze my hands off on the tiller in the December drizzle, pulled my shoulder operating a big ole b*stard of a lock gate but had to keep going, but despite these things I loved ithe life and still want to live aboard. (Although how well I'd have dealt with these things without my other half to share the trials and tribulations with, I don't know). Get as much experience as you can beforehand, is my advice, and ask questions to the the wise sages on this forum, because there's nothing these guys don't know. Good luck with your dream, I hope it works out and I'll see The Endeavour Jean crusing past one day. Lisa