Recommended Brokerages (good and less good)

[TheBiscuits]

5 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

A drone, you say.....

See post #47

 

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, Tony1 said:

Dr Bob, I find this a very worrying prospect. 

One of the things that appeals to me about the narrowboat 'lifestyle' (apologies for the buzzword) is that it offers the possibility of finding quiet spots to spend a bit of time away from the 'madding crowd', so to speak- whilst still being not too far from people, shops and facilities.

In the last few decades there has been a steady stream of UK citizens who moved permanently to Spain (and similar places). But after 31 December the  option to retire abroad will no longer be available, at least not for the majority.  

So in addition to the possible increase in holiday boat traffic during the warmer months, I wonder if we are likely to see an increase in the numbers of retirees who would have gone to Spain, but will now have to stay in the UK, and some of whom will opt to live on boats? 

I'm not bothered about the effect on prices, as that will be neutral (i.e. you will pay more to buy a boat, but you will get more back when you sell). 

What worries me is the prospect of a significant increase in the number of liveaboards and semi-liveaboards, and the possibility that this might reduce the opportunities to find quiet spots to moor, where there are no other boats about. 

 

Dont worry. There are masses of places on the system you can still moor and be on your own. Even a fairly popular canal such as the Oxford has oodles of space. Yes there are more people on boats now but in reality many stay in tiny areas sat on top of each other. the two main crammed areas being West end of the K and A and that dump of a city on the Thames and Grand Union. Stick to the nice areas and its still great.

[Nightwatch]

Is it a broker asking the question? Just thinking aloud!

[Tony1]

Well thankyou chaps.

It's been real. 

I remain alarmed and comforted in equal measure, which I imagine is par for the course on a discussion forum with a lot of knowledgeable but differing viewpoints. 

But I must apologise again Carl for hijacking your thread with a side issue.

I shall desist immediately, at least in regard to the question of the canals being either impossibly congested, or virtually empty of human life. 

 

[carlcymru]

13 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

My advice is a bit different from all the above. 

 

Assuming you are a wet-behind-the-ears newbie (from the sparseness of info volunteered in your question), I'd suggest looking at 5 or 10 boats whose adverts appeal to you and you'll probably find one chooses YOU, and you'll feel a need to buy it.  It doesn't matter which one.

 

Get a survey done, negotiate a price you are happy with and just buy it (provided the survey doesn't throw up any real nasties). Get two or three years of boating under your belt to find out what you like and what you don't like in detail. You will NOT know now, no matter how much you think you do. 

 

Once you have a clear idea of what you want  in a boat in the light of experience, flog this one and buy the right boat. Some people go through this cycle two or three times.

 

As Mr Biscuit says, the broker doesn't really matter, just so long as you know their reputation. Few brokers really know the boats they are selling in depth. Like estate agents, would you start off looking for a house to buy by making a list of estate agents you will or won't buy from?  I doubt it. 

 

 

 

 

Seeing all the available information on these forums i dont so much feel wet behind the ears i think it's more a totally sodden behind the ears with intermittent submerging for added measure! But thanks to all for taking the time to reply, much food for thought on here as there is across the other pages  

[Dr Bob]

2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

 

I exaggerate a little, but its a well known effect that the minute you moor up in a nice secluded place, three other boats immediately stop and join you.

 

 

....but its not always the 'magnet' effect. We know a fair bit of the network in the Midlands and so will aim to stop at night at 'OUR' favorite spots. Trouble is that they are also many other peeps favorite spots! ......so as you are approaching Rowington embankment, you are planning to pull in and stop to the annoyance of the guy who was there before you and parked in the short area where you can get a satellite signal!........but we never keep running our engine!

[cuthound]

3 hours ago, David Mack said:

How do you scout out a location further ahead?

 

Drone?

 

Damn, late to the party again as others have already suggested it. Must read the whole thread before responding.

 

On the rare occasions when we have boated until dusk (when we hired or had shared boats and had a plan to stick to) we have never failed to find somewhere to moor. That said it would not usually have been our first choice to moor had we not boated until dusk, but somewhere has always turned up.

 

On one notable occasion we arrived at Fradley (heading south) to find no moorings, but a kindly boater with a strong scouse accent invited us to moor alongside him.

 

That was 27 years ago and we are still firm friends, often arranging to meet up when both out boating at the same time. However, due to old age and a couple of strokes, he has finally given up boating this year. ?

Edited April 5, 2020 by cuthound
To add second paragraph

[russ2903]

On 04/04/2020 at 18:35, carlcymru said:

Hi all,

 

going to buy a narrowboat in the very foreseeable future, based upon experiences which are the best brokerages to use and the best to (ahem!) fail to attend

 

cheers

 

 

I guess from your question that you have no experience with boats or boating. Where in the country do you live, how far can you travel to look at boats? What kind of boat do you have in mind, narrowboat, widebeam or maybe cruiser? While we are all subject tl this lockdown because of the virus you would be well advised to look online at boat sales. You can find lots of sellers, from single boats to hundreds offered on the same site. All or most brokers will have online sites and from there you can soon see boats that you like the look of.

Some years ago while looking for our boat we visited one large broker in the Midlands  that has been mentioned in answers above. We told the guy in receptione what we were interested in, he gave us keys to about 5 boats and told us to take a look and bring the keys back when we had made our choice. We didnt like how they olerated and left. All other boat sales we visited we were taken onto boats and all questions were answered while on the boat.

It took about two and a half years before we found the boat we bought. Dont be in a hurry to buy, make sure its the one you really want before you buy.

[MtB]

7 minutes ago, russ2903 said:

We didnt like how they olerated and left.

 

Great new word, thanks! 

 

I was convinced this was a real word and I'd just forgotten the meaning, but google assures me there is no such word!

 

I guess you meant "operated". 

[Athy]

9 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Great new word, thanks! 

 

 

It sounds as if it should mean "oiling up", as people do to the moving parts of steam locomotives - "Just olerating the Stephenson link motion, then we'll be ready to go".

[MtB]

Just now, Athy said:

It sounds as if it should mean "oiling up", as people do to the moving parts of steam locomotives - "Just olerating the Stephenson link motion, then we'll be ready to go".

 

I was imagining a meaning like "iterate", but shouting!

 

 

[David Mack]

19 minutes ago, russ2903 said:

 

Some years ago while looking for our boat we visited one large broker in the Midlands  that has been mentioned in answers above. We told the guy in receptione what we were interested in, he gave us keys to about 5 boats and told us to take a look and bring the keys back when we had made our choice. We didnt like how they olerated and left. All other boat sales we visited we were taken onto boats and all questions were answered while on the boat.

 

If you are seriously looking at a couple of boats you have already identified online as strong prospects, the Whilton approach may put you off. But if you are a relative newbie just window shopping for ideas rather than the boat then just wandering unhindered over several boats is ideal.