Alan
Thank you so much for responding; i'll try and give you more background info...
i am down on the list at the marina in my village, so i am predominately going to be on a residential mooring. I have looked into the cost of this in detail. I will cruise in the summer, but as i work full time, this will be limited to where i can get on a Friday night to Sunday.
The mooring has electric hook-ups, pump out, and water and diesel.
My budget is £35k to £45K
i would ideally like a 4 berth, but a 2 berth with a bed-settee is an option.
I am 48 years old, and yes, humping a 25kg gas bottle would be hard, but i could do it. I also have family in the village who i'm sure would help their mum do this for a nice cuppa and piece of cake!
I am a fit 48 year old, and am not looking at doing this for monetary reasons, i have been single now for 5 years and have considered this move for 18 months and now think life is about more than bricks and mortar, it is about seizing the opportunity to do what you dream of.
i realise i have LOADS to learn, and the next 3 months will be a huge learning curve, but life is sometimes about taking that leap of faith and doing what you want to in life.