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Hi there We are looking at a narrow boat with a 300l stainless steel water tank (located in the bow I believe). This is going to be insufficient for 2 full time liveaboards. We are exploring options for extending the water capacity of the boat (ideally to reach a total of around 600l+). One idea is to add a plastic tank under the bed. Is this a good idea? Or alternatively how much is it likely to cost to add more capacity within the bow/ is this likely feasible?)
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transporting a canal boat Importing – Ireland (Rep.) to UK
shinydunf posted a topic in General Boating
Hi there, I’ve found my dream Cruiser at a price I can afford, however it’s in the Republic of Ireland, and I live in London. Having done some research into how to do this/what’d be required/cost/logistics companies, I’m stumped. Lots of the stuff I’m finding is talking about yachts and Malta and Brexit and the tax implications. Here are the dimensions of the boat I’m looking at bringing over: LOA: 10.29m / 33’9” Beam: 3.61m / 11’10” Can anyone recommend any logistics companies, and are there any other aspects I’d need to consider? (I read via another post on this forum that a police escort would potentially be required for boats wider that 3.5m: … Also, presumably I’d need to pay 20% VAT on the purchase price…? Here’s what I’m thinking I’d need, transport-wise: LORRY: Longford > Dún Laoghaire FERRY: Dún Laoghaire > Holyhead LORRY: Holyhead > London So that’s be 1.5hrs by road in Ireland, then ferry, then 5.5hrs by road in the UK – unless I get the boat dropped at a waterway via which I can reach London on my newly acquired boat?! I have time (not £££) on my side at the moment. Any advice/pointers very much appreciated! (P.S. I plan to be a continuous cruiser when I finally get on the water, and have been researching for three years… So with this – and the facts that I’ve spoken with lots of (ex-) boat-dwelling friends and acquaintances AND have a good boat-builder/several carpenter friends, I’m confident I’m now in a good position and know what it’ll take to make the move onto water.)- 23 replies
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This is my YouTube channel. It currently has 86 videos on narrowboat life. I only have 672 subscribers. Please consider helping to grow it by subscribing and sharing. Thank you! ❤❤❤ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrZtoKAtW-kt7xMqraGVWw
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Hi! Has anyone stayed at/live at Poplar Dock Marina? Please let me know your experience there if so :) x
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Morning everyone, Have just completed purchase of our first boat. 56' x 12 built in 2006. I intend doing a reburbishment over the coming 6 months or so but really need advice. 1st - a generator ideal for the boat but initially to run my power tools inc a Dewalt table saw. 2nd (and most important) - PLEASE, can someone recommend roughly what I should fit for solar, batteries and panels, to cover most of our needs as liveaboard continuous cruisers.. Currently have a solid fuel stove and back boiler. Would like to install oil fired boiler. Power expectations are all the usual appliances but not dishwasher. Standard fridge freezer, washing machine, TV, 12v lighting, laptops, radio......hot water and heating would be superb even if only partial. I assume being a Widebeam, roof space isn't the main issue. I've read so much it's confusing. As we live in a cloudy part of th world and the cut is shady, would amorphous panels be the better choice? I've no idea about this stuff yet. Equipment required, set up plans, where to buy, what to buy and how much to buy- would all be very helpful. I'm sorry if this repeats a previous post, and I thank you all in advance. Cheers all.
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Hey, I've been looking into living on a narrowboat for around a year now after it being a life long dream! I am currently in the process of trying to secure a mooring spot in Manchester. I am struggling to find any websites or direct contacts too the marinas etc based in Manchester, in order to pop my name down on the waiting list or whatnot. Therefore, I was wondering if anyone could advise me on the process of getting hold of a mooring spot in Manchester?! Any advice would be amazing Thanks Chloé
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Can anyone please advise me of the best place / forum / publication / venue to find a travelling companion to undertake a narrowboat adventure around the UK for an extended period of time? Someone with a boat would be good but I am willing to buy one myself. I can crew but not able to skipper. It has been a long held dream of mine to tour on a narrowboat and I want to make it happen! I am a 62yo man retired with no commitments.
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Hello All, I am new to this forum and hoping to glean some useful buying advice / information please. I have wanted to own, and live aboard, a narrowboat for some years now (having enjoyed many holidays / long weekends afloat in the past), and have now decided (I think!) to take the plunge and buy my own vessel. I was just wondering if you could give me any advice, positive or negative, about particular manufacturers; specifically , I want to know if it is worth spending more money on what might possibly be an older boat but one that is apparently made by a better / more reputable constructor. I came across two similar boats that I was interested in on a recent internet search; one was a 2004 Liverpool Boats 57 ft with an advertised price of around £50k, and the other was a 1999 Warble 57ft with an advertised price of nearer £80k. Both boats were similarly fitted-out with good quality interiors, and both looked to be in good tidy condition. I understand that a 1999 Ferrari or Rolls-Royce will be worth more than a 2004 Fiat or Toyota, but what I don't quite understand is this - are they not effectively the same thing (i.e. 57ft of steel), but with a different interior? My simplistic approach would say that if I took my Toyota and got the interior done by the same people who do Ferrari interiors would it be worth Ferrari money? I guess not! ;-) I have been told that the quality of the steelwork (i.e. the preparation and the general fabrication skills) would be of a much better standard on the more expensive vessel, but I would assume that fundamentally they are probably both made from the same steel that might well have come from the same mill, so am I basically paying another £30k for some neater welding?! Please pardon my ignorance, as I am wholly new to the idea of boat ownership, but I would welcome any useful information or opinions on this subject before I either end-up wishing I had spent the extra money on a 'better' boat, or end-up wondering why I wasted all that extra money! ;-) Thanks in advance. Andrew.
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I am a carpenter looking for a project to get stuck into. Whilst I'm a complete novice when it comes to all things boat related I have been longing for a life on the water for many years now. I have come across this boat and would great appreciate any thoughts/advice on it. I would be looking to restore and convert it into to a liveaboard. I have no idea if this is a crazy and unrealistic project to take on but I have secretly fallen in love with her and am quite excited about the idea of restoring a piece of history. Here she is: World War 2 Seaplane Tender Historic Maritime boat Thanks in advance
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So I'm finally afloat. I first posted here back in November when I'd started seriously looking for my boat. At that point I was thinking about a 1970s 46ft cruiser and got some very quick and helpful replies on CWF that helped push me a bit in the right direction. Since then I've viewed countless boats all over the country and thought a couple of times that I'd found the one and put in a serious offer, but then lost out by being a bit too slow in one case and gazumped in the other. I had my offer accepted on a 2002 57ft trad called 'PAL' at Aqueduct Marina back in July. It took a couple of weeks to get my surveyor and then a few more weeks to sort out the things that needed doing. And then a few more weeks when it was discovered that the electrics needed serious attention. But I finally got her put back in the water on Monday and headed straight out on to the cut. I've now made it to Norbury Junction and have just spent my sixth night aboard. Still a few things to sort out (water pump, leaking coolant), but I'm getting there. I wanted to say a big thankyou to everyone on CWF who's chipped in with helpful advice and indulged me with all my questions along the way. Particular thanks to GoodGurl, Jamm, Rasputin, DHutch and others who have often humoured me for hours in Chat. I hope to meet you out on the cut some time.
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I've just joined Canalworld and I'm thinking of commissioning Elton Moss Boatbuilders/ the Northwich Boat Company to build a Kingsley barge for me, my partner and our small son to live on. If you own a Kingsley barge built by these builders what do you think of yours? Has it met your expectations? Have you had any issues with it and, if so were they resolved satisfactorily? I'd really appreciate any views you can offer to help us make a final decision. Thanks a lot, AlisonR.
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Ditch bricks and mortar and buy a canal boat? It costs a fraction of a house but it's not all plain sailing ...? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-3084373/Living-canal-boat-cost-fraction-bricks-mortar-s-not-plain-sailing.html
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Hello all I'm looking to buy a narrowboat to live on (still), and I wondered what difference a fibreglass cabin/steel hull makes as opposed to a steel hull and cabin. Does anyone out there own a fibreglass cabin/steel bottom narrowboat and are you happy with it? does it have an effect on keeping the boat warm inside or levels of condensation. Also is it possible to walk on the top? Would appreciate the thoughts of people who've got experience of this? they do certainly seem to be cheaper - but is this for a good reason? Thanks Sadie
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Hello, I'm looking for a bit of advice. I'm in the initial stages at looking at living permanently aboard, but before I go any further I need to know if its possible to live in either York or Leeds city centre. York is preferable, as close to the city as possible although happy to go to the west of York. Leeds would need to be central. I would love any advice you can give me, been trying to do some research online however struggling with a lack of links on google... is this because it's just not possible (I really hope not!!) Thanks in advance Chloe
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Hi there, I am in the process of buying a narrow boat, sail away hull. I have been trying to do many calculations to figure out all of the electrics in the boat. Please tell me if i have got any of the following wrong as im finding that i'm a little stuck. The residential mooring i am planning on using has a 16 amp pylon for a power supply. I have been looking at an Alde 3020 for the heating system attached to a 40l Calorifier for the hot water. The Alde system uses around 1000w which is around 4.3 amps, the Calorifier has a 1kw heating element in it so that's another 4.3 amps. Would you need to use the heating element or would the alde heat provide enough to heat the water on its own. I also have been looking at a standard fridge to cut down on the cost. These at their max they are 750w so that's another 3.3 amps. Then with a microwave oven using 1850w in use max so thats 8 amps. In total that's around 20 amps. That's not including all of the little things in the boat. The main thing i am asking is a) Has anyone got an alde and does it use less current than my calculations. 2) Would i have to use the heating element to heat the hot water up all the time or is the adle enough. 3) are the pylons at the CRT residential moorings defiantly 16amp Thankyou in advance. For extra information. I am getting a 50ft Sail-away to live in the centre of Birmingham
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I’ve been trying to get a handle on what the increase might be in people choosing to live aboard boats across the Inland Waterways system -- say over the past five years. It’s proving more difficult than I thought. Does anyone know of some good surveys or data out there? Here’s what I’ve discovered so far. Liveaboards in London: 1,615 continuous cruisers were sighted in London in the March 2016 5th annual boat count -- which was an increase of 390 extra boats over the previous year. In 2012 there were 638 CCers; 2013 = 769; 2014 = 1,031; 2015 = 1,225. [Report of a CRT Users Forum, Oct 2016 ] “Last year Greater London saw a 34% increase in continuous cruisers” [CityMetric article, Mar 2015 -- doesn’t quite fit with the above.] Liveaboards across the system: A 2008 boaters’ survey conducted by BW included the question “Is your boat your main residence?”, to which 18% answered yes as a main or Mon-Fri residence. Extrapolating from this, BW estimated that there were about 5,400 residential boat on their waterways (out of about 32,000). The EA estimated that there were just over 309 vessels and static houseboats on Agency waters (out of about 23,000). The Broads Authority estimated less than 50 boats used as a main residence (out of about 12,000). -- [These are all from the AINA Advisory Document Residential Use of Waterways, 2011] A separate difficulty is distinguishing liveaboards from continuous cruisers. From our own (south of Braunston) experience I’d guess that about 50% of continuously cruising boats are usually uninhabited. (I’m not making judgements here, I’m interested in the liveaboard aspect.) Is this people’s perception generally, or am I way off? Thanks for any insights.
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Hi, I'm a newbie after some expert opinions... After dreaming about it for 7 years, my husband and I are finally buying our first narrowboat and becoming continuous cruisers. We have fallen in love with a 54ft Springer, but it's quite run down and we're worried it could too much for a pair of newbies to renovate. The plan would be to buy now with the aim of completing all the essential work and moving on board by September. We do have some funds to make significant repairs but I wondered if expert eyes could tell me whether it's worth it... It's had a recent survey that shows that it's been rather neglected but the sellers have already made many of the improvements recommended (including a brand new wood burner). One concern is that some areas of the hull are 4.2mm - so would need some welding. I've heard mixed things about Springers too - so not sure if that kind of hull work is worth it? And another is that the engine is old and might not be ideal for continuous cruising. Should we get over the heartbreak and look elsewhere or could a bit of love sort her out? Layout-wise she's ideal and all the cosmetic stuff we're happy to fix. Any opinions or recommendations gratefully received! This is her listing: http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=471769 Thanks Kim
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Hello all! This question must do the rounds, but i am in the market for new leisure batteries for our liveaboard narrowboat. we have two solar panels, but recently even after cruising we have a shortage of electricity in the evening. seems like they're just not holding their charge (i just got a multi-meter - will test them tomorrow). they are a little over 2 years old anyway. i am planning to fit three new ones - currently we have 2 x 110 ah lesiures but there is space for 3. i have been looking at the numax 110 ah for around 75 quid each, which apparently come off the same shelf as Lucas batteries. What about these traction batteries, although we only have a 55amp alternator. we are pretty careful with the electricity we use, but we have just bought an electric fridge (!) - a Shoreline RR102 (can't find amp/hour usage rates - anyone?). Can we realistically operate this fridge/freezer (along with lights, radio etc) with 3 leisure batteries, running the engine once or twice a day for an hour or two? If not do you have any suggestions? cheers!!
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Hello everyone, I was hoping to start a discussion about power systems on a narrowboat. I've read both of Paul Smith's books about living aboard and the very informative Tim Davis articles about narrowboat electrics. What I don't know is what people down-on-the-ground actually *think* about different power strategies. At the moment we are trying to choose between two boats that we like and think are practical. We have lined up a remote semi-permanent mooring with no mains power (basically a friend-of-the-family is giving us a mooring at the bottom of his field) but for us, about 40% of the appeal of a boat is cruising, so we would like to do that as well. However, just "running the engine in the morning" doesn't really appeal to us (why not just move the boat? and also the farmer doesn't want too much of that) and isn't it true that you shouldn't do that with an older engine? So may I ask which boat the knowledgeable liveaboards living here would pick? (they are comparable in every other way.) I feel like Boat 1 is pretty appealing, but it doesn't have a generator. We've got some cash for buying new batteries - we just assume we'll need them - but man, those build-in generators sound freaking expensive! Boat 1 A Beta 43hp engine 240v landline (not very interested in this, but could be useful) Mastervolt 1200v inverter with a Sterling battery charger 3.5kva travel pack 300w solar panel with a control panel 1 starter and 3 leisure batteries Sterling battery management system Boat 2 ~60 year old Lister JP3 engine rebuilt 2002 (not sure if you should even run this just to power the batteries - isn't it bad with the older engines, or is that an old husband's tale?) 240v landline Waeco 2kw inverter, Sterling charger built-in Honda 2.2kw silent generator (PETROL) 1 starter and 2 leisure batteries Would y'all mind telling me which setup you prefer, or what you have on your boat?
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Comments from members of this forum about the plight of Rod Taylor and his eviction from Poplar Dock Marina have made me question just how much unity there is now in the boating world and worse, how fragmented and dog eat dog we have become... The topic started with a straight forward post and has gone through so much back biting and frankly, self effacing "you bought a boat so you should expect this and think yourself lucky" it is now reminding me of, at best a Python sketch and at worst we should expect to be treated as Second Class Citizens.... I will declare now that I am fully in favour of regulation. I will take that further in that if a Marina operator is good then they have no fear of regulation. Any operator who says regulation may stop them trading should be stopped. Please comment on the topic and start your own if you want to contemplate your navel Andy
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Hi all, I've started down the very exciting towpath of looking for a liveaboard, and have been advised to find a mooring first. My search triangle is Ely -> Cambridge -> Huntingdon. Ish. Google is our friend, but I can't seem to find many liveaboard marina moorings. The marinas that I've found that are maybes are Riverside and Fish & Duck. Does anyone have any experience with these, clarification of where offers liveaboard moorings, or anything else that might be helpful? Thanks in advance! Kit
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Looking to become liveaboards: Thoughts and Experiences
Chris Taylor posted a topic in Living Afloat
Hi, My wife and I are both 41, and we have two kids. We've been really thinking recently about the pace of life, working all hours to cover a mortgage, building fees, bills and all the other costs in life, and having enough at the end of the month to scrape by. We're really needing a change. I can even reduce my working hours, - I just need a laptop and 4G connection to do my job. A friend of ours who lives in Bath has told me that a few people he knows, have become 'liveaboards' and never looked back. We have had the idea in the back of our minds for a while to go and considered it an option to do some research. I was wondering if anyone would be so kind to tell us of their experiences and how it has worked out for them? Possibly - and I know this sounds awfully cheeky - would anyone in the Bath area, maybe able to have a chat in person? - I will be in the UK some time in August. We're UK citizens, living in The Netherlands, looking to return to the UK as the stress and cost since Brexit is taking quite a toll on us. Best wishes, Chris.- 53 replies
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