RovingWriter

Also, if anyone knows of anyone selling...looking for a GRP 27ft up (hopefully) and ideally with Diesel...do put me in touch

Hello youse lot, So the time approaches where I'll be looking to buy a boat. Because I've been doing residential teachig for the summer (and now can confidently say I'll survive to buy my boat ) I moved out of my flat in July and so I'll need to find a temporary base where it'll be easy to view boats and visit boatyards. I'm usually based in London but know the boats get cheaper as I go north. So my question is what city sould I rent an AirBnB for a while in while looking for my little GRP boat? I was thinking maybe Manchester? But don't mind where really...just looking for a good location where I can see LOTS of boats so I can hopefully buy one and sail it away in a few weeks (I await cries of 'madness!') Ta as ever, Kerry x

Thanks for the notes on the survey all...very helpful to rejiggle my budget a wee bit...getting so impatient for Autumn now! x

Hello! Lovely to 'meet' you and know we're in the same boat (though I understand if you never want to speak to me again after that terrible gag!)...likewise, do let me know how you get on - maybe we could swap boat adverts if we see something not quite right for us but maybe right for the other ? Division of labour and all that! Really good luck...if you're anything like me you'll be obsessive about boating by now! Kerry x Ah thank you! Helpful advice! 'Tony Tug Boat' sounds like a character in a book! One other question....do you think I need a full survey for a GRP? I understand the biggest concern is osmosis but that it would rarely sink the boat anyhow...thinking I could save the 500 quid for something else (like a shower!!)....thank you so much for you help Kerry x

This is so helpful regarding offer prices...I read somewhere that most sellers factor in 2k negotiation on asking price but...I'm ashamed to admit... I'm not totally bad **se at negotiation - would you recommend going in at half the asking price (I'm blushing at the thought but maybe that's the point!)? Would also love to see some piccies of your boat if you've got them anywhere and also just here any tips you might have? I'm guessing you've a dawncraft?! x

*argh!!! written this three times now and keep losing so apologies for sparser and sparser message!* Hello, sorry for not dropping in again sooner...I've been checking into this site and London Boaters daily but it's been deadlines a-go-go and I've a book due in two weeks! This is all so helpful...thank you...having done my research (I still don't know nearly enough but I do also know *quite a lot* about boats cmpared to a month ago)...I can now understand boat adverts for instance ...I'll start looking for a boat in August with an aim to making a quick cash purchase mid-September when I get back from France... So far, after much, much reading !...this is what I think I want... GRP - because that's what I can afford and I won't have anywhere to stay while doing up a cheap steely and a fixer upper is all I'd get on my budget...though a narrow boat is the aim for the future 27+ but under 30ft - it's only me, I have no Stuff (even boaty folks would be impressed!), cheaper for license and easier to find London moorings Diesel Inboard - I've read all this info with real interest but for me I like the idea of....electricty, accessibility to diesel on the cut, cheapness and....biggest one...not accidentally turning my wee yogurt pot into a fireball...! Solid fuel stove - I know I lose space (see above about having no Stuff though...) but I;d rather be cramped and cosy...besides, I read this might help with condensation... I would still really *really* like a wee shower (that sounds wrong...) but accept that I might have to work towards getting a shower tray and calorifier installed So...any gaping ommisions you guys can see? I am excited and nervous and keep remind myself that I could sink all my savings in one daft moment...and I'm *still* not put off - which suggests there's no turning back! Thank you, thank you...for all the hugely helpful advice so far...looking forward to meeting some of you and standing you a beer for your kindness Kerry x

That's also a beautiful boat...(was only joking really about Wilderness - do think it's a tidy wee boat but don't understand paying 3k more for less room than some other GRPs...)....even with no hot water or heating this narrowboat seems like a bargain...don't suppose you know how long they've had her on the market? Sadly cannae by anything till Sept because of work (and pay!) schedule but if she was still going then...! Thanks for pointing her out x

...ah it looks like a lovely Marina but I'm only in Cambridge for a month (each summer though so helpful for future years!)...but, and I promise not be be a pain in a***, I'd be so grateful to aks you some GRP questions at some point - so valuable to 'know' someone who has lived on one!Am I mad to really quite like this?..http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/Canal-Narrow-Boats-for-sale/wilderness-boats-wilderness-beaver-cub/86706#5kPHe32xiDYAkira.97 ...Might just be the tempting sight of the open bottle of Schloer though ...

- surely the point of having a boat is to reduce running - thank you! V helpful...will defo get in touch. - Also v. helpful...thought it would be a job unsuitable for a woman who's never handled a powerdrill...I suppose I should ahve worded it more...is it a relatively 'quick' job...won't have much time before it gets cold! Thanks so much for boat yard suggestions...I'll enjoy doing that on my weekends P.s. Isadora is *beautiful*...not for the first time I wonder if it's worth waiting and saving up a bit more for another boat...!

Hi guys, Sorry to have been away so long...was in France eating my bodyweight in choux pastry and soft cheese...I may need a bigger boat! Also posted a load of replies which were then lost in the database crash...so back on here... If i'm permitted I've a few other questions...the first is that I feel like a Charcoal heater - Diesel v. expensive - (with an additional blown gas space heater (have just realised that this is space as in 'an area of space' and not 'galaxy and far beyond' space ...this is what growing up is I guess))...the idea being I'll use the charcoal heater for long-term durable heat and the blown gas for quick warm ups in the morning, when I get in and in addition to charcoal when it's unbearable...does that sound like a viable way to not be too cold do you think? If so, how hard is it to fit a charcoal burner...bearing in mind I've *no* DIY skillz - but happy to learn? Also, my schedule means I don't think I'm going to be able to start looking at boats seriously until mid-Sept (I have residential teaching over summer in Cambridge - though if there are any boat yards there I suppose I could look then I get long weekends off...then to Devon for another week of work and then to France because my second book will be out and I'm required to go and apologise for not speaking French several times a day....ha!)) ...so my question is - I would like to apply for a winter mooring but may not have a boat on the London 1st October deadline...I know it is mental, but would it be possible to get my mooring without having a boat registered? I'm guessing not...but I'm sure I'll have one by November (bloody hope so!) so I'd be ready to take up mooring. Lastly, and I did see someone else post about this but can't find it now. My schedule often requires me to go away for a week or two. Usually in the UK so I could cruise if not too far but when it's overseas or oop north...would I leave it in a Marina for a few weeks and get a pal to pop in and check on it? I'm less worried about stuff getting nicked (don't own owt!) just something breaking and me coming back to sunk home Many, many thanks for all your help so far...I know I keep saying it but it's hugely reassuring to have honest, skilled advice - I bet you guys have helped loads of people 'take the plunge' as it were. Kerry x

This is all really helpful info - thank you. I'm not planning to be solely London for CCing - I can do a very wide/long loop...presumably there are guidelines somewhere to stop me breaking the CC regulations for particularly busy spots...or is that too easy I think the only facilities I'll be after are a water tap and elsan disposal (maybe the occasional CaRT shower block...) - maybe having a fair bit of time on my hands will mean I won't mind cruising (oh so slowly...) to these...but I can see how that gets much harder in winter... *Scratches head, decides it's time for bed* Thanks very much again for the advice! x

Hiya Star...thanks so much for all of this info (and I'm glad to hear that Charles is a general grammar troll rather than personal one!). This is all so helpful - thanks so much! Aye, I've been thinking about CC-ing in London and how hard it will be...was thinking about getting a 5 month winter mooring (hopefully near an Elsan, taps etc...) which might solve some of this - but know they're first come first served on 1st of Oct and no idea how much demand there is for London ones (though I'm guessing huge...). Heating is my main priority. I can live in somewhere that isn't that comfy and not that pretty (I've lived in some right s**tholes while travelling quite happily) but I don't want to be 'fingers numb' freezing for a full six months (though I was for 70% of the time on my static and came out the other side still enthusiastic about life on the water ). Curious about your Ebay win...I actually read a post of yours the other day from when you were just putting in offers then you were asking about buying without a survey...did you bid and buy without one? Or was that a pre-agreement? I would *love* a steel one...but know I could love a GRP too... So chuffed to hear it's working out for you and that you survived 12 months (!) without yer shower...I have gym membership and if I stayed in London could use loads of gyms with that..so maybe don't need one either. Ta again - so grateful for your advice Kerry x

*headdesk*...oh, jaysus! Can't believe I spelled GRP wrong! This is why I have an editor *and* a copy-editor I guess - haha BUT excellent point about listings coming up that might not otherwise...there will be other terrible spellers/boat lovers like me out there! Kerry x P.s. This tablet doesn't let Chrome spellcheck...so much live with the typos (or learn to proof read (guess which one is going to happen...))

Hello Meraki, Thank you so much for this encouraging and thorough post! I would love some well-placed cats but may have to do with fleecy blankets and hot water bottles for now Also the electric steamer is a great idea - though I may not have shore power! At the moment I use my tablet for *everyting* and my phone and some good bluetooth travel speakers for music...so as long as I can charge them I think I'd be grand - also when I was on static houseboat I used a 'dongle' *sniggers* for internet which worked a treat...but I'd probably head to a cafe most days anyhow... It's great to hear you recommend the Nauticus 27...it seems to be a really popular boat (see also: prurdy) and if I could get one in my budget I'd be so chuffed. If you're living on a Nauticus now do you mind me asking anything that you found particularly challenging? Or things you didn't expect that came up? Is yours petrol or diesel? Again, thanks so much for your message and for adding fuel to my already enthusiastic fire that this isn't as mad an idea as it seems Kerry x

This is all really interesting...what I'm thinking is I can use a solid fuel stove for all-day, decent quality heat but use the gas/diesel blown for when I need a quick blast to warm the area up...yesterday I read a post by a woman who said she got pneumonia over winter on her live aboard and spent 5 months as an in-patient...which is pretty extreme! I don't mind not having the warm cosy certainty of a flat but I do want to be only cold and not make myself sick...so heat feels like the most important thing - I figure with insulation, really high-tog bedding and two heating sources I might be ok... Happy to spend a decent amount (£200+) monthly on keeping the boat warmish over winter because I 'get' that that's my trade of with getting a cheaper GRP...!

I've been looking daily on AD and also on Preloved which has lots (but not sure how good the site is)...in France at the moment so spending a lot of my train travelling time looking at boats, kit etc. Hello, new obsession! Today I worked out where to buy a shower (camping one until I can get one fitted if it doesn't have one), how to insulate (foil bubble wrap cut to fit, covered with self-adhesive fabric) and that I'd quite like a gas blown heater as well as a charcoal heater...and most importantly, that I can afford all that. For electric, aye, that is a bit of a worry but I actually use a tablet with a keyboard and usually write in cafes anyhow...so if I can charge while out then I can use for 8 hours before next cafe visit...hopefully inboard might help with electricity? Ta again for your advice and help...seems much less daunting when you know there's good knowledge out there and folks are willing to share Kerry x P.s. Leaning towards a Dawncraft or a Nauticus 27 at the moment - both of which seem popular and well-regarded boats...if I could find one for 5k(ish) that'd be ideal! Do let me know if anyone knows one up for sale...

Thank you so much for your help guys I really appreciate it...particularly as I'm starting to see this isn't a crazy idea but that I could actually do it if I research, am careful about what decisions I make - which is a bloody exciting thought! I can't buy or move until September but feel that gives me at least a month (maybe six weeks) to get everything installed before it starts getting perishing...! Making notes as I go... - London need not be so centric to plans (also think having a Marina in mind in case it's impossible to CC is an excellent idea... - Inboard diesel is best (and hopefully possible...read a 'yoghurt pot fireball' post on here that scared the sh** out of me!) - Charcoal heater (which does look like a very good solution for a wee boat...) - Check whether I need a full survey - because I also read osmosis mostly just devalues but dosn't sink! - Learn 2 spell if I wont to b gude riter - haha Genuinely, can't thank you all enough for your time and knowledge (not so much you Charles...) I feel like a really helpful thing next would be to speak with someone currenty living in a GPR who might be willing to answer my questions, tell me what's unexpectedly challenging etc...if anyone knows anyone please do put me in touch if they might be willing. Ta and have a good evening, Kerry x

Ach these are both lovely wee boats. Surprised that second one is a cruiser...thank you! And will bear in mind a wider beam (if that's the right usage!) but I quite like the idea of having a boat that is as 'roamable' as me - thank you again!

Is that a Dawncraft Rover? Or just any Dawncraft over 27 ft or so? Also, thanks very much for shower and other tips - all gratefully recieved! @Bottle - thank you...have Google the feck out of every variation of everything...but will keep going and dig up the answers @Mac - Aye, I can roam far and wide but my pals are all in London and I'd like to try and stay nearby when I can and I do love London - I have joined London Boaters FB and read through posts and seen it is less than rosy being a CC (or indeed a boater) in London so that plan might change though!

Hi John, Many thanks - will use the search function now and come back and update my original post for anything I haven't been able to find...apologies to potential grouches (I would also be grouchy if I had novices asking the same question x 2000 ...perhaps one day I will knowledgable enough) ...this is a brilliant forum and very helpful so would like to use it well Kerry x

Hello, I'm a 35 year old woman based in London. Having spent this weekend reading the whole of the internet (including some really helpful posts on here) I am seriously considering buying a GPR boat for a continuous cruising to live aboard. A little background...I'm a writer so don't need to look smart (in fact looking scruffy is almost a requirement!) and don't need to be anywhere on a regular basis. I've done a lot of travelling in the last few years and so am used to very basic conditions (Northern Vietnam in winter with a hole in the roof and a cold shower, a wooden shack in Paraguay). Also, I have lived on a small static houseboat which I rented for the 2007/08 winter so am used to - and like - wee cosy spaces and aclimatised to it being f***ing freezing since it was uninsulated and only had one electric radiator (I still loved it though ). Basically, I'm prepared for it to be hard graft and not very comfortable until I learn to make it more so but hopefully possible...I have always loved the canals (hence my rental which I only gave up because I moved in with a partner who would not live off land!) and this is the first time I've ever had a bit of money to think about getting one for myself - albiet a cheapy... My budget is £7000 for which I'd hope to buy: A GPR boat that doesn't need to much fixing up (bar cosmetic stuff) - it seems diesel is best in terms of price and availablity of fuel - though these boats are harder to find? I think I've also read that a Nauticus, Freeman or Dawncraft would be solidly built? My only real non-standard requirement is a shower - even just one of those that goes on taps for a quick rinse down...and for that reason water heating. Some solar panels Some form of heat for the winter (multi fuel stove properly installed? Or perhaps with solar panel I can power an oil radiator?) Transfer of the boat from wherever it is to London - or a cruisable distance Licence and insurance ...This looks like an unfeasably long list for my £7000 but that's what I have (plus some aside for unexpected maintenence and kit) and I'd be overjoyed if that was possible....worth mentioning I've no DIY skills but I do learn quick and am time rich if nothing else Would love to hear what experienced boaters think...please feel free to throw spanners in the works and I can try to dodge them or use them far better to think about these things now than when I'm freezing, over budget and living on the boat! Thanks so much in advance for reading and for any help you can offer! Kerry x