Mike on the Wey

In your position I would rent a much smaller property for 6 months. That would give you time to get used to a degree of space restriction and identify what you really need to keep, and time to sort the boat purchase. Have you lived on a boat for a few weeks as a family? If not, is everybody truly on board (pardon the pun) with your plans? Will you be cruising or in a marina/other mooring?

We have just passed the narrowboat which is driven from a comfy seat inside at the front. Note the "wing mirror".

We have seen such a boat on the Thames; it is steered from the very front with a nice comfy chair. Its mooring is at Bourne End on the south bank; it is dark red and cream.

We went to Reading and back from Pyrford at Easter, so we saw a few TVM sites. All TVM signs have been removed. Sadly, I could not see any obvious monitoring or encouragement to move on by the EA. The boats on the Marlow Park moorings had not moved by the time we went back downstream. Dorney was full going upstream, but only one of those boats was still there on our return journey. Apart from the usual squatters, Reading Tesco was almost devoid of boats. Christchurch Meadow used to have a healthy throughput of varied boats staying for a night or two; it was sad to see none there at all.

Nicholson's, Oxford Canal, page 153. I knew I'd seen that witty name somewhere. ?

Not a useful response to your question, but there was (maybe still is) a London business operating from the towpath. He used to have up to 9 or 10 boats being renovated or for sale at any one time, and he "continuously cruised" them all every 14 days to the next km section of canal. No wonder there are issues in London.

We have the AVTEX L168DR 16" TV/DVD CARAVAN MOTORHOME 12V/24V FULL HD LED which cost £269 from Capital Outdoors in March 2017. The current equivalent is the L168DRS for £299 (which includes a satellite decoder). They are certainly not cheap, but they are good. https://www.capitaloutdoors.co.uk/pages/caravan-motorhome-tv

We have an Avtex 12V TV with built-in DVD player. When we researched TVs we reviewed the Cello range but were put off by the reports of poor speaker quality. The Avtex is very good, although not cheap. A nice crisp picture, moderate sound and - most importantly for us - incredibly low power consumption. It also gives us access to digital radio channels. https://www.avtex.co.uk/

What, near your place of work or your children's school, with a sign in the window claiming "broken down awaiting parts"? Nah, there's yet another meaning! Sorry for the ambiguity.

There is also a huge difference in terms of boat risk between (a) "Continuously cruising" mooring your boat for 14 days, staying on it each night and spending the days working, sightseeing or relaxing. (b) "Continuously cruising" mooring your boat for 14 days and going home/away/whatever and leaving the boat unattended. And then there's the other meaning of "continuously cruising". So confusing!

It wouldn't be a data protection breach because the council would have "just cause" to obtain your details. And how would fastening a notice to a boat be trespass? The Environment Agency use self-adhesive pouches to fix a notice to a boat's window. CRT has in the past cable-tied notices to mooring ropes. Errant owners have to be given legal notice in some logical way.

That's good, but can you stop your boat within a safe distance, cruise against a moderate current and control it in a strong crossword?

This is, I believe, a photograph of the subject land. Thanks, Wiki.

Ah, so it's just about the sluice on the edge of Rye Harbour. I'm not being pedantic for the sake of it, but the location is better described as Rye. It is around 15 miles from Dungeness.

The Brede rises south of Netherfield and flows into the Rother at Rye. Both are quite a way from Dungeness. So I don't really understand this.

You will have capacity on your wide boat for a JCB and a rather large bucket of water. You will need both when you reach Hertford on the Lee.

Residential or leisure?

In London, wind is often cited as a reason not to move on the FB group. Granted, windshear off random buildings is more of an issue in a city. But a major issue is probably the fact that many London boats are smallish GRP craft with huge DIY sheds on the back, often powered by a small/cheap outboard which is actually underpowered.

Estate Agent blurb always sounds good. The stunning views are available only in an arc of about 20 degrees from one end of the boat if shorter than its neighbours. And the views from the sides of residential boats are typically of other boat windows ... two feet away. Did the Estate Agent mention that the Thames goes into flood regularly (sometimes seriously) over the winter? Of course not, it's all rosy.

"Clearly planning on ‘surprising ‘ any local horses or cyclists in the little lanes" That's quite an assumption.

You mention winter mooring ... are you aware that the National Trust require sight of an annual mooring agreement before an annual navigation licence can be issued? A visitor licence won't be appropriate for you.

TLC is The Locker Company, the name of the business at Parvis Wharf (Byfleet). The Wey & Arun canal and its restoration is entirely separate from the River Wey in terms of navigation and management.

The Pyrford slipway is quite shallow, but the Cartbridge slipway is newly built and a good depth. TLC do have space to crane in a boat from a lorry, ask them for max length/weight. Are you aware that Farncombe is on a river section and can be in flood and inaccessible for several weeks at a time?

See previous thread.

I single-hand on the Thames regularly. Ascending is not a problem with two ropes. Stern rope on as I come to a stop, and then up onto the side with a long bow rope. Only Boulters and Sandford are too deep to climb straight up, so I use the steps. Descending, I always ask if I can use only a centre rope, and I have never been refused. I am ready to explain how it is safer for a single-hander, but have never needed to do so apart from during friendly chat.