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Bepto

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Hi, I am a recently widowed 60 year old with a heart condition. I have a mortgage that I can no longer afford due to job loss so am contemplating selling up & moving onto a boat ratherthan some poky little flat. I need medication to manage my condition & regular cardio appointments so the idea of continuous cruising although very appealing is probably out of the question for me. However I do have the opportunity of a residential mooring in a location that is good for me so have some questions.

 

How much roughly to transport a 60ft boat by road to the desired marina? I assume this is charged per mile?

I assume that I wiould have a regular address & pay council tax?

What other costs would be incurred monthly?

Do marinas have broadband? I use my online services alot.

The mooring listed is a 1 year contract, what normally happens after year 1?

The mooring has 16a single phase electrics, what does this actually mean & how much is this usually?

 

Sure many more questions to follow but thanks for any assistance with these.

Edited by Bepto
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A boat is smaller than a pokey little flat.

Do not assume that living on a boat is any cheaper than a flat, often folk find out that it is significantly more expensive and difficult.

On a boat you have absolutely no rights of tenure, you will at some time have to move and find another mooring.

You need a licence for the waterway, insurance, BS test and certificate every 4 years, lift out and hull blacking, Hull surveys if older, marina fees, council tax, gas, electricity, water, broadband? Boat and engine maintenance.

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Size of accomadation is not relevant to me, I would rather be in a small box on the water in a peaceful location than a similar size box in some urban sprawl. I do not assume that living on a boat is cheaper & am not seeking a cheaper lifestyle just a more pleasant one for the time I have left, I just had some questions is all, sorry I offended you.

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26 minutes ago, Bepto said:

The mooring has 16a single phase electrics, what does this actually mean & how much is this usually?

 

The cost of electric is similar to a normal domestic supply. Our marina charges 18p / unit and a 'service charge' on top,

 

The 'thing' with boat / marina electricity, is that (unlike a house) it is not unlimited, you may find (for example) that you have to turn off the immersion heater before using an electric kettle, or turn off the freezer before using a washing machine, etc etc.

 

16 amp mean that is the total current you can draw so you would need to add up all of your appliances to see what you can and cannot use.

 

A washing machine may use 6 amps

An Immersion heater 4 amps

A Kettle, 8 amps

A Microwave 6-7 amps

etc etc etc.

 

We have a 'low wattage' camping Kettle that takes under 4 amps, and a low power Microwave that takes about 5 amps.

 

Managing electricity is one of the hardest things to adapt to when moving from a house to a boat.

 

(Then you also have to remember that you are now responsible for getting rid of all your "bodily waste" no 'flush and its gone' you have to empty the tank every few days or weeks - depending on the type of system you have)

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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17 minutes ago, Bepto said:

I would rather be in a small box on the water in a peaceful location than a similar size box in some urban sprawl.

The marina may be in a 'peaceful setting' but ......................

Have you looked at boats in Marinas ?

 

They are typically 'lined up' like sardines in a tin and look out of one window and 2 feet away is next doors boat, look out of the window on the other side and there is next doors boat, 2 feet away.

 

You will have much less 'personal space and privacy' than you would in the smallest of flats with no garden

 

image.jpeg.0af389691fb756bd6f2fa5db9e4aa051.jpeg

 

Another typical marina :

 

 

The King's Marina, Newark-on-Trent © David Dixon :: Geograph Britain and  Ireland

 

 

And, another :

 

 

 

Apsley Marina at Kings Langley Stock Photo - Alamy

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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20 minutes ago, Bepto said:

Hi, I am a recently widowed 60 year old with a heart condition. I have a mortgage that I can no longer afford due to job loss so am contemplating selling up & moving onto a boat rather than some poky little flat. I need medication to manage my condition & regular cardio appointments so the idea of continuous cruising although very appealing is probably out of the question for me. However I do have the opportunity of a residential mooring in a location that is good for me so have some questions.

 

How much roughly to transport a 60ft boat by road to the desired marina? I assume this is charged per mile? 

this company is usually well regardedhttp://www.mjtcranes.co.uk/transport/tuckeys/

 

I assume that I would have a regular address & pay council tax? - this depends on your "arrangement" with the marina,

 

What other costs would be incurred monthly? - Tracy has covered main ones above

 

Do marinas have broadband? I use my online services a lot. They usually have wifi but it is usually pretty poor. Much better to set up your own via phone / dongle etc.

 

The mooring listed is a 1 year contract, what normally happens after year 1?  - you can renew for another year or move on 

 

The mooring has 16a single phase electrics, what does this actually mean & how much is this usually? - Alan covered this above :)

 

Sure many more questions to follow but thanks for any assistance with these. - Ask away.....

 

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Thank you for explaining about the electricity, I use a gaming PC alot & am unsure of the amps it draws, how would I find out?

 

I understand about the "closeness" of other boats but still prefer that to something like this

flats.jpg

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10 minutes ago, Bepto said:

Thank you for explaining about the electricity, I use a gaming PC alot & am unsure of the amps it draws, how would I find out?

 

I understand about the "closeness" of other boats but still prefer that to something like this

flats.jpg

Gaming won't be a problem when you are on a shore line, but will consume a lot of your limited power if you do it while away from your mooring + shore line and have to generate it yourself. Easiest way to find out how much it uses is to get a power monitor plug like one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Monitors/b?ie=UTF8&node=1938287031

That piccie looks like Park Hill flats in Sheffield. Now all done up and apparently very des res.

Jen

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11 minutes ago, Bepto said:

Thank you for explaining about the electricity, I use a gaming PC alot & am unsure of the amps it draws, how would I find out?

 

I understand about the "closeness" of other boats but still prefer that to something like this

flats.jpg

Even a high-end gaming PC is unlikely to draw more than 3A from the mains, so shouldn't be a problem. It's other power-hungry appliances (kettle, toaster, washer, microwave) that you have to watch out for, if several happen to turn on at the same time they can easily exceed 16A. On the other hand you can usually take a bit more current than this (at least 50%) for short periods without the supply tripping. If you don't expect to have many such appliances, you'll have no problem anyway.

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54 minutes ago, Bepto said:

How much roughly to transport a 60ft boat by road to the desired marina? I assume this is charged per mile?

If moved by water, only cost effective for short distances, then by mile/time is likely. For long distances, then by lorry and crane each end. The cranes are expensive and independent of distance, distance adds little cost to the lorry.

I assume that I wiould have a regular address & pay council tax?

Rarely. You need a full on residential mooring with planning permission. They exist, I have one, but are hens teeth rare. Most people use a friend/relation on land as their official address.

What other costs would be incurred monthly?

Over a year, Navigation Authority license, boat insurance, contents insurance, Boat safety scheme every four years, batteries every three, blacking the bottom every three. BOAT is an acronym for Bring Out Another Thousand.

Do marinas have broadband? I use my online services alot.

Some do, some don't. Mobile broadband is used by boaters a lot, but can have latency problems for gaming.

The mooring listed is a 1 year contract, what normally happens after year 1?

You sign up for another year, or move on. No security of tenure whatsoever, but your home can move about.

The mooring has 16a single phase electrics, what does this actually mean & how much is this usually?

16A is enough for a single 3KW fast boil electric kettle, but if you put something else on then it might well trip out.

 

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13 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Gaming won't be a problem when you are on a shore line, but will consume a lot of your limited power if you do it while away from your mooring + shore line and have to generate it yourself. Easiest way to find out how much it uses is to get a power monitor plug like one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Monitors/b?ie=UTF8&node=1938287031

That piccie looks like Park Hill flats in Sheffield. Now all done up and apparently very des res.

Jen

You are correct, can you believe that these flats are now going for 175-250k - I cant affoed one!

Edited by Bepto
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Kettles/toasters/microwaves are only on for a few minutes

Gaming can be hours.

3amps at 230v may not be a problem in the short term but;

3 amps at 230v = 690Watts

690Watts at 12.5v = 55amps

55amps over 6hrs is 331ah gone from the batteries

You would need a big battery bank to keep that up.

Or run the engine the whole time one is playing just to keep up. ;)

 

 

Edited by Loddon
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You're asking sensible questions. Amongst those that you haven't asked:

 

How to heat the boat? In order of expense, probably LPG > diesel > kerosene (needs a second tank) > solid fuel (coal / wood). Electric is probably a bit cheaper than diesel but not usable if you go cruising.

 

Hot water? An electric immersion is probably the most economic and convenient if you're in a marina, usually fairly easy to arrange if it's not already in the calorifier. A 1 kW immersion left on for a few hours may be better than a larger, domestic sized one used for a short period.

 

Ask away...

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1 hour ago, Bepto said:

Size of accomadation is not relevant to me, I would rather be in a small box on the water in a peaceful location than a similar size box in some urban sprawl. I do not assume that living on a boat is cheaper & am not seeking a cheaper lifestyle just a more pleasant one for the time I have left, I just had some questions is all, sorry I offended you.

Not offended at all, sorry if it seemed that way.

You have a steep learning curve ahead to live on a boat. I just wanted you to appreciate that its not like renting a flat.

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I'm a single male living aboard in a Residential Marina in the Midlands.

 

My basic costs for my 50ft trad are:

 

Mooring Fees. £622 a quarter

Licence fee      £850 a year.

BSC every 4 years. £130

Gas, one bottle a year. £34.50 Use electric mini oven and LPG hob. Saves bending down and lighting the oven!

Heating Solid fuel stove with back-boiler. £20-30 a week depending how cold. 2-3 25kg bags. 

Also have a Webasto diesel boiler. Use around £50 of diesel.

3 mobile Wifi. £7 per month. 15gb

Electric 18pkw, no other charge.

Boat insurance. £150.00

My post is delivered to Marina Office and driving licence address is registered here at the Marina. 

380 watts of solar. 12 volt under counter fridge and freezer. Washer dryer and slimline dishwasher.

1KW immersion heater on timer. Webasto also heats the water as well as back boiler and engine.

 

I do most maintenance like engine service, boat painting etc. Had my boat blacked last year with 6 anodes, and a new gearbox. Cost £2,500  Normally blacking £9 per foot. 

 

Before you commit to buying a boat hire a narrow boat and do a deal to stay in the Marina to see how you like it for a month. You need to empty the loo, either cassette to empty or move boat to services for pump out. Drag coal/gas bottle to your boat or if diesel refill tank. At all times making sure your ok if Marina freezes over and cant get water, move boat to pump out etc. 

 

James.   

 

Edited by canals are us?
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5 hours ago, IanD said:

Even a high-end gaming PC is unlikely to draw more than 3A from the mains, so shouldn't be a problem. It's other power-hungry appliances (kettle, toaster, washer, microwave) that you have to watch out for, if several happen to turn on at the same time they can easily exceed 16A. On the other hand you can usually take a bit more current than this (at least 50%) for short periods without the supply tripping. If you don't expect to have many such appliances, you'll have no problem anyway.

But it could have problems with the internet.

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On 08/10/2020 at 13:41, Loddon said:

Kettles/toasters/microwaves are only on for a few minutes

Gaming can be hours.

3amps at 230v may not be a problem in the short term but;

3 amps at 230v = 690Watts

690Watts at 12.5v = 55amps

55amps over 6hrs is 331ah gone from the batteries

You would need a big battery bank to keep that up.

Or run the engine the whole time one is playing just to keep up. ;)

 

 

True but irrelevant since the OP said he'll be on a residential mooring with a 16A mains supply, he was asking what will/won't work from that...

21 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

But it could have problems with the internet.

He was asking about mains power, in a marina internet using a 4G dongle is likely to be fine (and he asked about this and was already answered)

Edited by IanD
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On 08/10/2020 at 12:27, Bepto said:

The mooring has 16a single phase electrics, what does this actually mean & how much is this usually?

Our marina advertises 16A supply, but by that they mean 16A per bollard to serve two boats, (though this is seldom an issue in practice for us as the marina is for leisure users only).  It's a good idea to check these things carefully.

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43 minutes ago, alias said:

Our marina advertises 16A supply, but by that they mean 16A per bollard to serve two boats, (though this is seldom an issue in practice for us as the marina is for leisure users only).  It's a good idea to check these things carefully.

A year or two ago we moored next to a huge big old boat, he had 4 shorelines (2 in each of 2 bollards) it was apparently to power the Jacuzzi, but he did seem to have a lot of lights on for 24/7 .

Rumour had it he had a magnificent herb garden.

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18 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

A year or two ago we moored next to a huge big old boat, he had 4 shorelines (2 in each of 2 bollards) it was apparently to power the Jacuzzi, but he did seem to have a lot of lights on for 24/7 .

Rumour had it he had a magnificent herb garden.

Interesting. I'm told some herbs won't flower properly and produce good yields unless they get a period of day/night lighting patterns.

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Just now, alias said:

Interesting. I'm told some herbs won't flower properly and produce good yields unless they get a period of day/night lighting patterns.

Genaraly the " Herbs " with the most pungent smells need light and heat ?

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Living on a boat will make your life more "physical",even if you just live in a marina and don't go cruising...Coal/wood/gas/shopping/...everything has to be carried/dragged/trollied/barrowed to your boat (gas bottles have to be lifted in and out of the gas locker too)...And your toilet (if a "hump it and dump it") has to be lifted out when it needs emptying...The costs you asked about have been very well covered by previous posts.But also bear in mind,things WILL go wrong and break on your boat,pumps/engine/fridge/inverter/batteries etc...It can get VERY expensive if you are relying on boatyards and marinas to fix things for you.

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On 08/10/2020 at 13:21, Jen-in-Wellies said:

 

That piccie looks like Park Hill flats in Sheffield. Now all done up and apparently very des res.

Jen

I thought the same. I used to go past them on the 'bus on the way to school when I was 11 +. Sheffield was very proud of them because they were the biggest blocks of flats in Britain, but I believe that they later acquired a rough reputation.

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On 09/10/2020 at 18:00, mrsmelly said:

Genaraly the " Herbs " with the most pungent smells need light and heat ?

Interesting....a while back I met a retired chief constable who grew special herbs.

He said....that he'd never done anything bad in his life and felt it was about time.

 

Funny things......herbs  ?

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