widebeamboy

apologies, it is paid by the marina as a composite CT charge and not by the individuals, so ultimately yes we must be paying an element in our mooring fees, however it isn't the full rate per vessel etc of approx. £87pm for rate A. It does come with some restrictions, ie needing to move berths a couple of times a year etc. https://bwml.co.uk/council-tax-clarification-for-residential-moorings/

I actually hadn't however I do need to be self-propelled to meet criteria of the marina (although an outboard would actually suffice in reality). Front deck we want to keep as the outdoor space opens out into the marina and gets sun from first thing well into the afternoon. Coming up with all sorts of crazy ideas in my head right now.

I love the idea of a huge height spits, the wife less so as she adores our current boat. I hadn't come across that site before so another one to mooch through.

Indeed, I wanted the possible blind spots that I hadn't considered and wouldn't consider and in fact the suggestion of a butty behind could actually be a really sensible one. The alternative is getting something like this shortened and effectively starting from scratch! https://www.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=447189

Ive a hotch potch of neighbours on all sorts of shapes and sizes and they wouldn't give a monkey's - in fact some would be really happy as Id have more storage space for tools and stuff they could borrow.

Worked it out:

ok to answer some points. A long mooring is circa £15k a year with no VAT, no council tax nor CRT licence fee required. There is no wide surcharge unless I extend the beam to >4.5m. I'm m already paying £1000pm for the current vessel (again no VAT, CT or CRT) costs. I'd be getting the steel work done properly by someone who is well known in the boating fraternity for his work (and already booked up into 2018) and have a very rough idea of costs per foot for the steelwork. The internal services are pretty straightforward (if not disruptive), the only instant complication is the 12v system and the voltage drop being too great however this isn't impossible to overcome with new wiring and possibly the run on the gas pipe might be an issue, however not impossible to move gas locker to the stern from the bow where it currently is. Sealock is at Limehouse so yes it is tideway and the work would need to be done I am guessing somewhere West upstream with the vessel either being towed back (probably more sensible option) or powered under own steam (I suspect not a smart move). A shorter boat might be an option, anyone know of any 10m x12' widebeams? Actually all joking aside a dumb platform/butty could serve the purpose or proividng the additional space to move the storage/sewing room etc and free up the current 2nd bedroom to be used as one. Best idea so far this one. I'll add some interior shots shortly.

its ok I can understand why it doesn't make a lot of sense. You are right the boat on its mooring would make a significant deposit on a flat (but not a house) in the area that I am currently living in. A flat in London does not come with the community spirit and neighbours that the place I am living does and the current location serves me amazingly for both mine and the wife's work options as well as having awesome neighbours and good options for the dogs at the same time. Most flats are leasehold and you end up paying a fair amount in service charges in London for the privilege and I will most likely not be able to keep two greyhounds in the flat as it will be expressly forbidden or some busybody will complain and it will get changed/enforced. Having a flat sized boat gives me all of these things. This is what the thick edge of £500k gets you in the area..... http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62998751.html?backListLink=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Fmap.html%3FincludeSSTC%3Dfalse%26sortType%3D2%26minPrice%3D450000%26viewType%3DLIST%26channel%3DBUY%26index%3D0%26maxPrice%3D550000%26radius%3D0.25%26numberOfPropertiesPerPage%3D24%26locationIdentifier%3DPOSTCODE%255E1473592%23_includeSSTC%3Don%26auction%3Dfalse%26locationIdentifier%3DPOSTCODE%255E1473592%26maxPrice%3D600000%26minPrice%3D450000%26numberOfPropertiesPerPage%3D24%26previousSearchLocation%3DE14%25208EG%26radius%3D0.25%26searchLocation%3DE14%25208EG%26searchType%3DSALE%26sortType%3D2%26useLocationIdentifier%3Dfalse%26viewType%3DLIST%26box%3D-0.04492%2C-0.03054%2C51.50562%2C51.51544%26popupPropertyId%3D62998751&fromMap=true and here is the £500k houseboat currently in the marina http://www.rightmove.co.uk/new-homes-for-sale/property-63238103.html

or have what most people do and those "strainer style" holes which are mostly common in kitchens unless you've opted for a pop up sink waste or weirdly enough a gaping hole.

Ace, some interesting input. Had to Google night soil however lots of people by 70x12 boats and it is on a central London location and you'd really be surprised what people buy as many are buying barges for homes and not for moving (all of the 5 massive barges that I am moored with have not moved in the 12months they have been on their moorings). If I sold it as is on its marina mooring it has already increased approx. 75% over what I paid for it (less admin fees and all that malarkey) to someone who wants a residential home with of course the option to cruise. Its possible that extending it would impact this value as the cruising option would be removed and I may be mad to consider it. Whilst ive no intention to sell early I wouldn't want to completely throw money away. Had considered both wheel house and an upper deck. Neither would really give me the extra insulated rooms I want and may potentially make the boat more unstable when moving around the rooms and make it sway like a narrowboat. External appearance is of some value to us as who wants to live on the really ugly boat (there are some contenders so I doubt I win that competition as it would be done professionally and just be a stretch so to speak)

Slightly rhetorical question.........looking for the pro's and cons of lengthening an already long and fat boat. Currently it is 70x12 cruiser stern Viking canal boat. We love the boat, its fit out, its interior style and design however with a wife and two greyhounds and possible family addition(s) it isn't what we are going to want in relation to internal size inside. Backstory. Live in a marina on a residential mooring. I can put a maximum length up to 29m (limited by the size of the sealock). We hardly ever take it out. Twice in the 14 months we have owned it and only for a trip up and down the river, no overnight mooring. This isn't likely to change a lot in the imminent future. Pro's: - we get a boat that already love extended to accommodate the extra space - we know all of the onboard systems and so are not getting anything "unknown" in relation to electrics, plumbing and the such like - possibly cheaper in long run than buying a dutch and refitting it - once the steel work is done the rest is relatively "simple" (extending plumbing and circuits and the such like) - who knows what it will do to resale value? Con's: - never going to be able to utilise it on the canals/local rivers other than the Thames - possibly underpowered (beta 75) on the Thames - Finding a location to do the work will most likely need to be on the Thames and it will need sailing to and from - see above in relation to power, although could possibly be towed. - might look ugly (there is one in South Dock that does look "weird" to say the least) - who knows what it will do to resale value? - possible upgrade on some systems such as the existing Webasto heater and standard pumps Am open to abuse and ridicule as well as some sensible input at the same time. ps reason am considering it is that most of what I am seeing in the Dutch barge market is longer in length however not in practical space (usually due to location of engine and wheel houses) or they don't have the big light windows that give our boat such a nice feeling when in the water.

Indeed, that is my understanding too. Try and buy something off you for a stupidly low price and then mark it up significantly with the added exposure that the TV programme gives his "brand". To me its the comparable of selling a car to We buy any car".

congratulations, what did you end up buying and where are you based now?

Some boats do indeed appreciate and in my view you are talking to an admin fool on the other end of the line following a script. Try someone like Craig Morley at Coversure (I've no connection just had nice interaction with him when considering swapping my own cover). My own boat has increased in value if I sold it by a significant amount however only because it is on a residential mooring. I don't insure for that extra amount as if it goes sinking or catches fire I still have the mooring (providing it doesn't take the pontoons with it of course). The risk they are foreseeing is you saying it is worth "£100k" when you paid £75k for it and so pay a premium based on £100k, set fire to it and make a tidy profit. Hardly likely however not impossible. If the cost of your boat has increased and can be proven then you have insurable interest in it to the amount it is valued as.

I'd say there is quite a lot of water movement/flow in Limehouse. The lock gates at the Regents leak so constantly supply a from and so do the sea lock gates so there is a constant flow of water into and out of the marina including of course that from the Lea/Lee as well. I suspect that the urine goes overboard, however its an assumption. Actually surrounding the marina there are a fair few some immediately outside the front door others a short walk away however I don't think anyone would go pour it there as a solution when they'd just put it in the marina on the sly (or not so).

It sits in buckets on their roof (or the pontoon fingers) doing what it is supposed to do and then........well I have no actual idea as never considered it as an option so haven't investigated or asked. I believe they understand it can be disposed of in normal waste bins however I have heard conflicting advice on this matter.

I was the boat show with a friend who is installing one of these in his new sailaway. http://timage.eu/site/low-voltage-electric-water-pumps/1269-UP6E_electronic_brain_Marco_pump.html Not cheap at all however apparently has a brain that varies that flow depending on demand. Ill wait to see how good it is when its installed in the meantime ill stick with what I have got. ps ignore the comment about no need for an accumulator. The distributor (Timage) has established that at least a small accumulator should be fitted as they've had issues of weeping taps resulting in pumps running constantly etc.

FYI Ed, from where you will be moored at Limehouse you wont actually need to move your boat to pump out. Although the pump out lead doesn't stretch that far down the pontoon a neighbour has an extension hose which means they don't need to move the vessel to make it work (the were renting and didn't even have the engine keys so this was never going to be an option to move it). You might need an extra hose - or you could just take it for a trip around the block so to speak to blow some cobwebs off Oh and there are lots of neighbours on the pontoon over by the DLR that are composting. Almost all of those boats have compost bogs.

That's is only for fixed radios though. If the radio is portable it isn't linked to the craft and anyone with a licence can operate it accordingly as well as those given permission by a licence holder.

I use the Valspar stuff (from B&Q) as it is generally mixable to any colour you would care, including the wayyyyyyy overpriced Farrow & Ball ones.

I went last year and didn't think it was of much benefit to be honest. Having said that I am going again on Saturday as it is local to the marina and I am considering trading the Widebeam on for a monster dutch barge and so want o look at the developments in heating and gadgetry and the such like.

and you know how I like to complicate things with LED strip lights and various other remote controlled gadgets onboard. LOL

When I let friends stay on mine (to dog sit usually) they get simple instructions and I always fill the tank so need for them to go near that. I turn a tap on and make them listen to the pump noise in bedroom after the accumulator has emptied. I tell them. IF you hear that noise and you are not using a tap, the dishwasher or washing machine then its highly probable there is a leak. Turn this switch off and call me so I can send one of my awesome boaty neighbours round to help fix. Sure it doesn't cover the times they are not onboard, however that is what insurance is for and you can over complicate things. Having had a water pump slowly leak during use and cause significant damage I put the new one in a slightly elevated tray and then also drilled further holes and used mastic to try and guide any leaks into the bilge rather than along the floor into the bulkhead walls. My master feed in is at floor level so is gravity fed and if that valve leaks then its a 1000l of fresh water into the boat. It is what I pay insurance for.

If I was building from scratch I would most probably put it in for the sake of the relative small cost - at least on the hot water runs. Adding it afterwards isn't so convenient as for me it will mean a rebox of significant lengths of the boat.