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In the hotwiring bandits sense - agree. But I did buy one which cd have been subject to ownership dispute (relationship breakdown - formerly jointly owned).

It was waffly but I got around to the relevant point about a broker having a reputation to maintain and dealing in stolen boats being a good way to loose it. Credit risk is an issue - I took steps to satisfy myself on that too.

Slightly disagree with the above. I've bought two boats last year. One through a broker and one through an estate agent. In each case I had in mind specific things that I wanted paperwork for in relation to either the boat and/or ownership and financing (ie that there was none on each boat). I personally found it far less awkward to ask for things I wanted via the broker than via an estate agent who passed my details/queries direct to the seller. I got everything I asked for in both instances just by being polite but firm. And somewhat 'prepared to walk away'. In fact I got rather more paperwork than I'd have been prepared to accept on each in the end as there were bundles that came with each boat I didn't have time to read all of pre-purchase. I'm now selling one of the above (it was bought for the mooring) and am using a broker. I'm doing so becasue I don't particularly want to deal with a load of 'nuisance' queries and I certainly don't want to be meeting strangers off the internet in a small non-public space with potentially limited exit choices (such as a moving narrowboat in a bloody cold canal). Buyers can ask for whatever paperwork they want and I've already forwarded a bunch of things such as recent surveys to the broker but no way in heck they are coming to my family home. The broker has a reputation to maintain and, in an industry with relatively few players in any given area, a 'scandal' could ruin that. I'm not saying I didn't (or wouldn't) do my own checks but any half way decent brokerage would be more than aware they wouldn't want to be called to give evidence in a court case over an ownership dispute...

That'll be expecting a premium for the mooring (which OP won't use and can't afford to stick another boat on to sell) so is probably a <9k boat without automatic loss :-(

To get it fitted elsewhere OP will have to get his/her boat towed or road transported to a location with a crane and/or suitable bridge over canal with road access and engineer prepared to be adventurous with ropes... Which cd, potentially, be cheaper. But possibly not if you take into account how much more money they could be making taking that time to pick up paying fares.

See, 5miles (if no locks and there is a winding (3point turning) point precisely adjacent) is a 2.5hr round trip in a narrowboat. Which is fine if you can take that kind of time during daylight hours / have relaxed neighbours and great cruising lights on a functional boat. Which you might be able to accommodate if it is mostly for emptying cassette loo (couple of times/week?) or filling up with water (monthly?). The other thing you'll need to consider is how far away/costly it is to get your boat out of the water and address hull issues (which there are likely to be on a <10k boat). Sounds like you have interior DIY skills and, even if you have to moor under a motorway bridge or something for someone to help you with exterior maintenance, that might be fine. Welding though you'll need the boat out for. And probably someone else to do. Edited to add: site doesn't even have rubbish collection? Are you sure it is OK for residential use? My site is also unconventional (e.g. Pump out machine with option to attach shared hose next to any boat so we have some with no engine engine at all) and, as a newbie, ppl questioned if I'd understood correctly, I had. But I did double check!

PS facilities are a real issue... Does the mooring have water/elsan/pump out/showers/council tax commitment/communal WiFi thingy/etc? If not then you need to be prepared to drive to (and pay for) all/most of the above in your income source (car/cab) at periods when your boat is not functional or you don't have the time to cruise to them. I decided against a mooring with slightly better garden than I have because it was less secure and, crucially, getting to/from a pump out point could be a half day round trip (when taking into account needing to go as far as a winding hole - and we're talking about a relatively faciltity-dense area here!).

Have to say if OP is a self employed cabbie (as opposed to one with fixed hours for a minicab firm or whatever - I'm in London where I know the licensing had historically been different...) then (s)he has more hope. To give you an idea... I paid a few multiples of OP's budget for a boat (surveyed by a colleague of the guy who wrote the 'postmortem' of ThingyMoo above) and have just had the water pump go. This means there is no running water on the boat. Time, rather than funds, can also be a killer. I have instructions on what to do and called the pump manufacturer for loads of advice too. But I also have a (very) FT job, child, stalker, pets etc which mean I can only actually address the issue that I have no running water whatsoever on my boat in a few day's time. In the interim we're safely ensconced in a land home. And, because I pay a stupid amount for a glorious mooring, if we weren't then there are perfectly nice bathrooms a few feet away and a tap at the end of my boat. If working the way I do and/or with time bound commitments then being on a (presumably) facility-free mooring without the ability to pop to a chandlery immediately could be really horrible. Even on a f-off expensive boat. The (market leading) pump manufacturer didn't reckon I'd want to rely on getting more than a year out of a water pump (living aboard in a hard water area, which I appreciate the OP may not be... But still, that is just one potential maintenance issue... ). OP will you have an emergency bolt hole (parents?) to go stay with/poop in the loo of/get warm or fed at? There will almost certainly be points when your boat is not (by land based standards) habitable and there will be no landlord with responsibility to assist. Good luck!

Ah, that makes sense. My trads are a lot more 'trad' (even the one with the engine at the back as opposed to resplendent in its own room). One is based on a working boat, the other, whilst a relaxing pleasure to drive, is primarily about being a great liveaboard rather than optimised for cruising.

Ooh! I know that boat. Along with two Valhallas!

In some relationships I'm the instigator/bread winner/typically the driver/etc. In others I've been the one who has doors held open for them/blushes when given jewellery/etc. Talking abt the dynamic. Not the genitals.

Labradors are (on average, one imagines) more static and less likely to get kicked in than the little terrirorists I associate with. And, tbf, I've yet to steer either of mine with anyone I either am/wish to be in a sexual relationship with. On phone so cannot edit the infant First Mate out of the snap I have easily but def entirety of stern deck is within tiller arm movement... On that one one steers most comfortably where the doors can close behind one. On the other one is exactly on the lintel with brass head-height (for those in boatman's cabin) controls in front so the non-steerer goes behind but had to duck under on occasion. Wd be curious to see how others fit their loved ones on?

It probably isn't to someone who knows a (presumably older than me) woman with the confidence issues that can come from the upbringing someone like that may have had. But in the abstract, yeah, it kinda is. FWIW I observe a lot of 'learned helplessness' in both partners in many long term couples. I've never consistently been either 'the man' or 'the woman' in a particular LTR so need to be able to pick up most skills. But I do get the attraction of not doing. And we haven't discussed the men who feel they 'ought' to steer/put an animal out of its misery/fix the plumbing/etc but find whole experience intimidating and emasculating. Had the funniest conversation with an ex the other day... They were *shocked* to find I'd been the one to propose to my ex spouse, despite them being very egalitarian in many respects. Realised that I'd been 'the girl' with that one and would never have proposed. Whereas it felt perfect natural when I was 'the man'.

The OP will work out how easy/otherwise it is to get one in central London if necessary... My chandler's are more sail than inboard I think but already recognise us (First Mate and the mutts are pretty cute).

Additional question... How wd running it dry have caused water damage? Wd have thought heat damage more likely?!? That is a bit of a relief, thank you :-) Think the only other access I have under floor (excluding engine) is two cabins and a head away under the dinette and wasn't keen on flooding the intervening bits!

Fair. We managed to kill a laptop with (according to manufacturer, it shd still have been under warrantee...) liquid at least a fortnight after it cd possibly have suffered a spill... Thank you! Will have a look. Assuming it is dead... How much mess is it to change one? I mean, there is a cut off on the inlet but unsure approx how much water to expect to need to catch from the rest of the system?

Oh, where do I find that? I just downloaded the brochure but it covers so many models not much on each?

Even though that was a week ago? ?

Thank goodness not me then! None - and it was quite audible before. Can borrow (mine is still packed away somewhere in storage) but wasn't sure what to check - photos now added although wasn't sure what to snap. There is a big 'whole boat' type electrics switch which has been on throughout it being fine and then not fine. I have 5 panels of 6 individual stuff switches (all labelled incorrectly and with a handy biro map showing 6 such panels - possibly there is another location for a panel I've not yet found as I have one set of 3 panels and one set of 2 panels...). I've tried turning all of those off and on. That included the Webasto while it was running unfortunately so we had a nice lot of diesel smoke and a slight panic (doh).

So, I ran the water pump (model: UF1214 Whale Universal) without any water in the tank accidentally. For probably 4hours or so. (Switches not labelled and pump at opposite end of a 70ft boat so didn't hear it when cruising). Nonetheless it worked fine (sinks/loo all working and water pump working obviously when those taps running plus possibly intermittently for a few seconds at other times (calorifier probably on, cd be for that?!?)) for a week or so after. Now dead. No pumping at all and so no water from taps etc. Had a peak at it and there is a tiny amount of water around it (photograph shows damp patch on wood and little glint of drip on red wire). It is (coincidentally?) pretty close to the back of the light switch which stopped working but I *think* the pump worked after that stopped although can't be sure as I guess cd have been accumulated pressure as was mostly just using sink in galley at far end for wiping cloth rinsing so not huge amounts of water use. So... What if anything can I try/test before giving up and calling an electrician? As the water pump is located pretty close to the (I think, water activated? was demoed by popping into a bucket of water) bilge pump I assume it is slightly tolerant to damp but the electrics don't look that way? Clues appreciated! Dead pump Pressure tank thingy Blurry picture of adjacent bilge pump (small first mate was getting hungry)

One of mine allows a tiny bit of sharing (with occasional ducking under tiller). The other you really can't share sensibly at all. That tiller is set up 'handed' and longer so with it one side and steerer the other it isn't possible to share. Certainly I wouldn't share either with tiny dogs. Semi-trad might be great for them as they (and non-steering partner) can be contained comfortably. Also depends how twisty your canals are (more/less tiller ducking).