Can I realistically do a live aboard with 25k?

[David Mack]

If you want to be within 20 miles of Haydock, then you won't find much in the way of coastal options. Your choice is the Leeds and Liverpool west of Wigan, L&L Leigh Branch, Bridgewater Canal including its Leigh Branch, the Weaver and the northern end of the Trent and Mersey. All apart from the T&M are wide canals, so you are not really constrained to a narrow boat. Widebeam narrow boats will be beyond your budget (unless real wrecks) but some of the wide beam cruisers may be suitable.

[TheBiscuits]

12 minutes ago, David Mack said:

If you want to be within 20 miles of Haydock, then you won't find much in the way of coastal options. Your choice is the Leeds and Liverpool west of Wigan, L&L Leigh Branch, Bridgewater Canal including its Leigh Branch, the Weaver and the northern end of the Trent and Mersey. All apart from the T&M are wide canals, so you are not really constrained to a narrow boat. Widebeam narrow boats will be beyond your budget (unless real wrecks) but some of the wide beam cruisers may be suitable.

What's wrong with Liverpool Marina, Douglas Marine at Hesketh Bank, Preston Marina?

 

All do "proper" boats, all do liveaboards and all are commutable to Haydock.

 

OK, Preston marina is 25 miles away not 20, but it's half an hour straight down the M6 to Haydock.

[mark99]

Did anyone else see the fingerprint on ADE's Cat?

 

All downhere from here.

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by mark99

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Pablo Blanco said:

Interesting indeed.......I clearly have a lot more to look into........I know less about sea going boats than I do about narrow boats and that is very little indeed.

   Does seem a viable option though.........any recommendations for books/websites on what I should be looking for and what I need to know before buying? 

Suggest you 1st look at a coastal marina a suitable distance from your work.

Ask them if the allow liveaboards, if they don't, that closes that option, if they do, come back and we can point you towards some more 'lumpy water' boat info.

 

I know, I know, its Liverpool, but its only 18 miles (33 minutes) from Haydock.

About £400 per metre per annum (10 metre boat = £4000 per annum) includes :

 

• Free City Centre Parking 

• Free hard standing for up to 2 weeks

• Flexible payment options 

• Pump Out facilities

• Secure site with 24 hour operated CCTV

• Laundry facilities 

• Marina Boat Yard with 60 tonne hoist 

• Free use of shower facilities 

• Free WiFi 

• Electricity points & pay as you go facility 

• Free room hire for conferences / business meetings in our Brunswick Room 

 

https://www.liverpoolmarina.com/

 

 

 

 

15 minutes ago, mark99 said:

Did anyone else see the fingerprint on ADE's Cat?

Where,...…... quick, tell me, where is it.

 

I'll sack the cleaning lady, the Butler everyone …………………...

Edited April 15, 2020 by Alan de Enfield

[Pablo Blanco]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Suggest you 1st look at a coastal marina a suitable distance from your work.

Ask them if the allow liveaboards, if they don't, that closes that option, if they do, come back and we can point you towards some more 'lumpy water' boat info.

 

 

I work within commutable distance of Liverpool Marinas from what I am told it is expensive but not out of reach financially..........I live in north wales, a little village near Mold but I am originally from Liverpool so it appeals. 

[Pablo Blanco]

31 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Suggest you 1st look at a coastal marina a suitable distance from your work.

Ask them if the allow liveaboards, if they don't, that closes that option, if they do, come back and we can point you towards some more 'lumpy water' boat info.

 

I know, I know, its Liverpool, but its only 18 miles (33 minutes) from Haydock.

About £400 per metre per annum (10 metre boat = £4000 per annum) includes :

 

• Free City Centre Parking 

• Free hard standing for up to 2 weeks

• Flexible payment options 

• Pump Out facilities

• Secure site with 24 hour operated CCTV

• Laundry facilities 

• Marina Boat Yard with 60 tonne hoist 

• Free use of shower facilities 

• Free WiFi 

• Electricity points & pay as you go facility 

• Free room hire for conferences / business meetings in our Brunswick Room 

 

https://www.liverpoolmarina.com/

 

 

 

 

Where,...…... quick, tell me, where is it.

 

I'll sack the cleaning lady, the Butler everyone …………………...

Sorry, missed that info.... thank you

   I haven’t lived in Liverpool for 20 odd years but now might be a good time to reacquaint myself with my hometown hey, newly single and independent......why not.......though I must admit the thought of peaceful days chugging down the Bridgey and stopping for a pint or three is appealing as well.

   Decisions decisions.

  If you could point me in the right direction on lumpy water boats I would be most appreciative though.

  Another load of reading no doubt but i had already realised that 25k for a canal boat was going to be challenging to say the least......maybe your suggestion would  be more viable financially..........besides which those scouse girls are a real education yano

[Alan de Enfield]

15 minutes ago, Pablo Blanco said:

I work within commutable distance of Liverpool Marinas from what I am told it is expensive but not out of reach financially..........I live in north wales, a little village near Mold but I am originally from Liverpool so it appeals. 

Lived for many years close to Yr Wyddgrug, In fact No1 Son played Rugby for Mold ( and North Wales and Llanelli)

We had a farm near Caergwrle / Hope.

 

I'll give some thought to boaty stuff.

 

[dmr]

If you fancy a bit of gentle cruising and a few pub visits then a narrowboat on the canal is likely the way to go. If you only want a static home then any boat will do and a coastal marina might be an option. If you go for a coastal location and do not have an extensive background in coastal boating then you are unlikely to ever go for a cruise. Getting out and back into Liverpool marina is not something to be done without suitable knowledge and experience.

 

..................Dave

[Tracy D'arth]

Runcorn Marina?  Preston Brook?

[Alan de Enfield]

24 minutes ago, Pablo Blanco said:

If you could point me in the right direction on lumpy water boats I would be most appreciative though.

 

I have sent you a Private message with half a dozen 'possibles'.

One in particular looks a very good option and is not a vastly different lay out to my cruiser.

[MHS]

I could recommend the White Bear Marina at Adlington just north of Wigan. We left the boat there for a week last summer and found it well organised and everyone very friendly. 

They have residential moorings available and it’s 19 miles from Haydock, if that’s not too far for you. 

[Ianws]

Preston Marina  might be an option. No licence needed if you don’t want to travel anywhere, I think. It depends if you are looking for somewhere to stay or you would like to move around a bit.

[Ianws]

One other thing I just remembered. Lots of “proper” marinas don’t like you doing lots of rebuilding work onsite, so worth checking if it’s a serious refit you would be looking at. 

[MHS]

29 minutes ago, Ianws said:

One other thing I just remembered. Lots of “proper” marinas don’t like you doing lots of rebuilding work onsite, so worth checking if it’s a serious refit you would be looking at. 

Remember it’s easy to leave the marina, do the work moored on the towpath nearby and then go back to your berth. 

[David Mack]

5 minutes ago, MHS said:

Remember it’s easy to leave the marina, do the work moored on the towpath nearby and then go back to your berth. 

As long as you don't need mains power.

[MHS]

5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

As long as you don't need mains power.

Why what’s wrong with doing it the old fashioned way?

Edited April 15, 2020 by MHS

[Ianws]

Just now, David Mack said:

As long as you don't need mains power.

Also, some marinas don’t need you to have a crt licence, but you you wouldn’t be able to move to where you would need one, to do the work, without the licence.

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, MHS said:

Why what’s wrong with doing it the old fashioned way?

 

They don't look like any welder I've ever seen, and not a lot of similarity to 12v cabling, or a 'fuse box'.

[mark99]

11 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Lived for many years close to Yr Wyddgrug, In fact No1 Son played Rugby for Mold ( and North Wales and Llanelli)

We had a farm near Caergwrle / Hope.

 

I'll give some thought to boaty stuff.

 

 

Is this worth moving back to Mold?

 

You could crane in both botes.

 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-90635780.html

 

 

To OP- depends what happens after the virus issue is played out. I can imagine two scenarios:

 

1) Lots of bankrupted people looking to move onto cheap boats to live - increased price

2) Lots of pepole needing to sell their boat - reduced price

 

Gawd knows how it will outturn.

Edited April 16, 2020 by mark99

[NewCanalBoy]

Where are these sailing boats that are better value and bigger than narrow boats ?!

[doratheexplorer]

Going back to the original question:  is £25k enough?  Yes, people do it all the time on a fraction of that amount, despite what the usual suspects on here say.  I know someone who bought a small GRP to live on for exactly £1200 and 3 years on they're still very happy with their decision.  £25k won't get you anything flash but there are always plenty of boats available for around 20-25k which would suit your needs, especially since you seem to be able to fix stuff. 

 

Think about whether you want to have a mooring or continuously cruise.  Moorings cost money obviously, but they provide facilities which you then don't need on the boat.  My GRP friend mentioned above doesn't have a toilet or shower on board but they do have a mooring which is right next to the toilet and shower block, and theres a laundry room nearby, so it works fine for them.  The big downside is that their boat isn't suitable for cruising any distance.  If you want to cruise more, you'll need a better equipped boat but you can save on mooring fees.

 

A nice wee 30' boat would cost you £688 in licence for the year and a basic insurance policy can be had for about £100.  A good GRP boat of that sort of length might cost about £10k and a steel narrowboat (Springer or similar) about £20k.  The best bargains are often to be found by walking the towpaths and looking for boats with a for sale sign in the window.

[doratheexplorer]

 

https://www.apolloduck.com/boat/springer-27-cruiser-stern/608626

 

Found after 5 minutes of aimless looking.

 

This example is priced for London.  A similar one up your way would be cheaper.

Edited April 16, 2020 by doratheexplorer

[Alan de Enfield]

24 minutes ago, NewCanalBoy said:

Where are these sailing boats that are better value and bigger than narrow boats ?!

The discussion revolved around GRP cruisers (until I was asked to show pictures of my 'big-boat' (sailing)) and revolved around quality, size and price when compared to a steel NB

 

A well found GRP cruiser (say) 35 - 40 foot x 10 - 12 foot will give much more space than a similarly priced 25 - 27 foot NB, and, not be subject to the corrosion that is likely to be showing on a 70's / 80's  NB.

 

https://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/alpha-craft-42/632582

 

https://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/aquafibre-33/612452

 

https://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/freeman-33-sedan/609855

 

Just 3 quick examples , each could do with a bit of 'tidying' but good space to start on and fit to your personal requirements.

 

29 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

 

https://www.apolloduck.com/boat/springer-27-cruiser-stern/608626

 

Found after 5 minutes of aimless looking.

 

This example is priced for London.  A similar one up your way would be cheaper.

That does look a tidy example.

[Bee]

Here's one, a bit far away though. https://www.marktplaats.nl/a/watersport-en-boten/platbodems/m1223064307-platbodem-tjalk-16-5-bij-3-2.html Lovely looking boat, 5 minutes idle searching found that. Its a puzzle why very basic narrowboats are so expensive, there's not really a shortage of them so far as I can see.

[NewCanalBoy]

58 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

The discussion revolved around GRP cruisers (until I was asked to show pictures of my 'big-boat' (sailing)) and revolved around quality, size and price when compared to a steel NB

 

A well found GRP cruiser (say) 35 - 40 foot x 10 - 12 foot will give much more space than a similarly priced 25 - 27 foot NB, and, not be subject to the corrosion that is likely to be showing on a 70's / 80's  NB.

 

https://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/alpha-craft-42/632582

 

https://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/aquafibre-33/612452

 

https://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/freeman-33-sedan/609855

 

Just 3 quick examples , each could do with a bit of 'tidying' but good space to start on and fit to your personal requirements.

 

That does look a tidy example.

.

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by NewCanalBoy