syd

Are there still many hotel boats on the canals ? I haven't seen any for many years now.

It's more for pulling the moisture out of the steel, I was told. Helps alot with the interior steel, wear wise. Edit: thinking about it now, I think I'm thinking of sandblasting for mositure removal. Memory doesn't work well now.

It was that she mentioned her husband dying when she was 25yrs old that made me feel really bad for her. Plus the ongoing effects that is having on her mental health and life moving forward. But I also feel sorry for the lad, just not as much.

I watched it, I do feel for the young woman and her life struggles, it must be hard. However as for her with the boat, well she'll learn like we all had to at some point and I hope she settles and gets to really be happpy on her boat. However I don't see her as a long term liveaboard.

Fitting out a narrowboat, not easy, there again not that hard either. Depends on what you know and how handy you are with tools. Kinda jack of all trades.

Some of the broads cruisers are nice. Plenty of space and hulls seem to bare up o.k.

OP, we got a Mercantile Marine Loan to cover part of a purchase some years ago now (paid off). It worked well and didn't cost the earth. That said I wouldn't do that if your over 45 as it puts pressure on life a little more, in my opinion. Younger maybe better for large credit. Mooring is going to be the thing that will probably be a hitch, especially as you'll need it close to your work, I would think. I hope you do find somewhere if you decide to go ahead and follow this path. Living on a narrowboat is great, but as with any living it has its drawbacks. Where your moored could make the difference between a good experience or bad. Pathed walkways, handy waste disposal & water point, mains power if you want that etc. With a good mooring, life could be quite nice on a boat, at the end of a farmers field, well not so nice,, we've been there and done that (never again). Living on a boat is good, we did it for a number of years, we don't live onboard anymore and probably at our age not choose to do so now. But life without access to a boat is pretty miserable for us. That is why we keep a smaller boat now, justt to keep our hand in. OP good luck either way.

I was told around 1mm per decade average, provided the boat was looked after. With the boats I've had over the years, it seems to bare that out, well more or less. But there are larger numbers on the canals these days, all wanting 240v via whatever means & mobiles, so I suppose rare things can and do occur. OP regarding the pitting, if it were me I wouldn't worry to much about it, but everyone looks upon problems differently.

I must be odd, I quite like that song by Paul Henry.

Very sad situation.

Thing on the stern there might be for a motorbike, not sure but a guess.

So nice to see some of these pictures. Shire Cruisers, Sowerby Bridge we were there in 95. We had visited a boat builder in Hebdon Bridge a little way from Sowerby, to see and eventually order a boat. So nice to be reminded, seems so long ago now.

I think provided you have it done by a competent yard or fabricator, then they should cover the hot spots, like 'ole's in yer ull'. Good luck OP hope your cruising soon. Oh, & hello all.