Calling London boaters

[Ruth B]

I write about property for the Sunday Times and am doing a piece about living on the water in London. I have spoken to the Canal & River Trust which has been able to help me with some figures, as have some of the major boat brokers.

I am very keen to speak to some boat owners for my piece –  I’d like those based in London who own continuous cruisers, as this seems to be where the big uptick is happening. It would be best if I could find people who have fairly recently bought their first boat (last couple of years).

If anyone is willing to talk to me I'd love to hear from you. I know everyone hates journalists but I'm very straightforward, don't misquote, and am writing for the property section which wants sensible consumer commentary not sensation. It will be a good plug for the community and I will be interested in any issues/ concerns you have and can give the relevant authorities a big kick on your behalf.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you.

[Rob-M]

Have you tried the London boaters Facebook group?

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Welcome, that sounds an interesting article, should be unique.

 

One of the key issues for boaters is composting toilets and disposal of the 'product' - may be not something your Times readers want with their Sunday Breakfast but it would be invaluable.

Good luck with it.

Edited March 30, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[Ruth B]

3 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Have you tried the London boaters Facebook group?

I have, yes, but you have to be authorised to join so I'm waiting to see if they are willing to let me in first! 

[David Mack]

Oh gawd!!!! Yet another puff piece to appear in the papers about living on the canal in London.

Just tell your readers that London's canals are full. There's hardly anywhere to empty your toilet or fill your water tank. In the winter months you can only charge your batteries by running your engine or a generator, and you can only keep warm by running a solid fuel stove, both of which will enrage your land-based neighbours, you will be engaged in a fortnightly game of musical chairs as every boat in London tries to stay one step ahead of the moorings enforcement officer whose job it is to ensure you don't stay in any one 'place' (there being no specific legal definition of what constitutes a 'place') for more than 14 days, nor do you return to a 'place' you have previously occupied without having been to 2, 3, 4 or more other 'places' in between (again precise requirements not legally defined), and all while trying to hold down a not-particularly-well-paid job in a nearly post-pandemic world where nobody's job is as secure as they once thought it was......

But apart from that its lovely!

[matty40s]

12 minutes ago, Ruth B said:

 

I am very keen to speak to some boat owners for my piece –  I’d like those based in London who own continuous cruisers

Seeing as it's the Times, let's get it right.

 

Nobody owns continuous cruisers, some boaters ARE "continuous cruisers"

 

This is a term for a kind of licence issued by CRT, officially Boater Without a Home Mooring, the other version is Boater With a Home Mooring.

Some boaters in London may well be of the 2nd kind, have a home mooring in Yorkshire or somewhere else cheap, they never actually go there, but it IS available to them, this DID allow them to trundle from A to B and back ad infinitun,  however, CRT have twigged and now insist in the T&C that No2 move like No1 when away from their home mooring. 

[ditchcrawler]

Maybe reading these threads may help

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LadyG]

I'm still working out what this 'uptick' is, another word from the US of A, perhaps. 

I know journalists are thick skinned so OP won't be deterred by lack of enthusiasm from the forum members. 

Just remember three things

A boat is a liability rather than an asset. 

There are numerous pitfalls from finance to legality. 

Every bit of poop and pee has to be accounted for. 

 

See COMPOSTING TOILETS

Edited March 30, 2021 by LadyG

[Ruth B]

7 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I'm still working out what this 'uptick' is, another word from the US of A, perhaps. 

I know journalists are thick skinned so OP won't be deterred by lack of enthusiasm from the forum members. 

Just remember three things

A boat is a liability rather than an asset. 

There are numerous pitfalls from finance to legality. 

Every bit of poop and pee has to be accounted for. 

 

See COMPOSTING TOILETS

Hah! Well I'm not actually that thick skinned, but honestly no point moaning about how useless all previous articles are since a) I didn't write them and b? if you nobody is willing to help me do a better one. I absolutely want to make it clear that boating isn't a cheap and romantic option, which is what I think some papers tend to do (lazy!), but one which is extremely hard work and with some major downsides (presumably upsides too). Just need someone to give me their views.

 

[LadyG]

5 minutes ago, Ruth B said:

Hah! Well I'm not actually that thick skinned, but honestly no point moaning about how useless all previous articles are since a) I didn't write them and b? if you nobody is willing to help me do a better one. I absolutely want to make it clear that boating isn't a cheap and romantic option, which is what I think some papers tend to do (lazy!), but one which is extremely hard work and with some major downsides (presumably upsides too). Just need someone to give me their views.

 

Try Jasmine on YouTube, she's a good communicator. I can't remember her channel at the moment. 

[Arthur Marshall]

18 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I'm still working out what this 'uptick' is, another word from the US of A, perhaps. 

I don't think an uptick can happen, unless it's supposed to be the opposite of a downturn, though I guess that would be a backcross, or maybe a downtock.

Luckily, the property section is one of the many,  many bits of the Sunday Times that everyone throws away without reading so the article won't matter much.

Although, just in the interest of giving slightly positive criticism, why the hell yet another article about London? No-one else in the entire United Kingdom gives a toss about London overcrowding, and we are bored witless with papers that talk about nowhere else. Which is one reason circulation is down, and not upticked. Save it for a London local paper. We don't care.

Edited March 30, 2021 by Arthur Marshall

[LadyG]

8 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Try Jasmine on YouTube, she's a good communicator. I can't remember her channel at the moment.

Lorna Jane Adventures is very savvy, and will tell you of others. 

Cruising the Cut has some costings, but not specific to London

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by LadyG

[Thomas C King]

9 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Try Jasmine on YouTube, she's a good communicator. I can't remember her channel at the moment. 

This Narrowboat Adventure - https://www.youtube.com/c/ThisNarrowboatAdventure/featured

 

Although she hasn't posted any new videos for a while.

[LadyG]

12 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I don't think an uptick can happen, unless it's supposed to be the opposite of a downturn, though I guess that would be a backcross, or maybe a downtock.

Luckily, the property section is one of the many,  many bits of the Sunday Times that everyone throws away without reading so the article won't matter much.

Although, just in the interest of giving slightly positive criticism, why the hell yet another article about London? No-one else in the entire United Kingdom gives a toss about London overcrowding, and we are bored witless with papers that talk about nowhere else. Which is one reason circulation is down, and not upticked. Save it for a London local paper. We don't care.

You sound a bit grumpy today, @Arthur Marshall, have a virtual hug (squeeze) 

Edited March 30, 2021 by LadyG

[blackrose]

2 hours ago, Ruth B said:

I write about property for the Sunday Times and am doing a piece about living on the water in London. I have spoken to the Canal & River Trust which has been able to help me with some figures, as have some of the major boat brokers.

I am very keen to speak to some boat owners for my piece –  I’d like those based in London who own continuous cruisers, as this seems to be where the big uptick is happening. It would be best if I could find people who have fairly recently bought their first boat (last couple of years).

 

 

Please speak to people who've been living on boats for 5 years +. The newbies who seem to get interviewed for these articles don't know anything.

 

The other thing you need to understand is that boats aren't "property" (in the sense of land based property) so you shouldn't be writing the article from that perspective at all. If you do it's just going to be more nonsense I'm afraid.

[jtylr]

I picked up my first boat today. A small part of the decision is because I will never be able to afford to own a property in London, another part is so I can leave London at some point in the future and explore, but a lot of it is because I love old things and enjoy working on them.

 

I’m going to fit the entire thing out myself (excluding gas + welding) and shoehorn an industrial sewing and as many bicycles as possible into a 35’ NB. I reckon it will be a logistical nightmare involving a lot of evenings sleeping on a camping mattress in a pile of sawdust, exhausted, covered in dirt and oil and eating stuff out of tins, but should be fun.
 

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by jtylr

[Up-Side-Down]

15 hours ago, Ruth B said:

I write about property for the Sunday Times and am doing a piece about living on the water in London. I have spoken to the Canal & River Trust which has been able to help me with some figures, as have some of the major boat brokers.

I am very keen to speak to some boat owners for my piece –  I’d like those based in London who own continuous cruisers, as this seems to be where the big uptick is happening. It would be best if I could find people who have fairly recently bought their first boat (last couple of years).

If anyone is willing to talk to me I'd love to hear from you. I know everyone hates journalists but I'm very straightforward, don't misquote, and am writing for the property section which wants sensible consumer commentary not sensation. It will be a good plug for the community and I will be interested in any issues/ concerns you have and can give the relevant authorities a big kick on your behalf.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you.

Worth getting an input of some substance from the Inland Waterways Association. This is the man to contact for the London region: paul.strudwick@waterways.org.uk (a generic address so no problem with publishing)

[Ruth B]

12 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Please speak to people who've been living on boats for 5 years +. The newbies who seem to get interviewed for these articles don't know anything.

 

The other thing you need to understand is that boats aren't "property" (in the sense of land based property) so you shouldn't be writing the article from that perspective at all. If you do it's just going to be more nonsense I'm afraid.

This is a fair point. You?

 

[LadyG]

2 hours ago, Ruth B said:

This is a fair point. You?

 

I hope you don't mind me saying, but you really need to brush up on your English narrative and grammar. 

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by LadyG

[Athy]

19 hours ago, LadyG said:

I'm still working out what this 'uptick' is,

Me too.

18 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I don't think an uptick can happen, unless it's supposed to be the opposite of a downturn, though I guess that would be a backcross, or maybe a downtock.

 

Thanks for that explanation.

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

Me too.

Thanks for that explanation.

A backcross is a genetic strategy, involving two related families. 

A few of them living in Norfolk, apparently

Edited March 31, 2021 by LadyG

[Murflynn]

18 hours ago, jtylr said:

I picked up my first boat today. A small part of the decision is because I will never be able to afford to own a property in London, another part is so I can leave London at some point in the future and explore, but a lot of it is because I love old things and enjoy working on them.

 

I’m going to fit the entire thing out myself (excluding gas + welding) and shoehorn an industrial sewing and as many bicycles as possible into a 35’ NB. I reckon it will be a logistical nightmare involving a lot of evenings sleeping on a camping mattress in a pile of sawdust, exhausted, covered in dirt and oil and eating stuff out of tins, but should be fun.
 

 

 

fascinating.  

 

do you have a permanent mooring?

what will be your source of mains leccy?

how will you transport clumsy materials like 8x4s to the boat?

will you be considerate of neighbours  (on and off the water) during the long summer evenings when you have to saw, sand and plane (and possibly run a genny) which are all highly unfriendly out of normal weekday working hours?

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Murflynn said:

 

fascinating.  

 

do you have a permanent mooring?

what will be your source of mains leccy?

how will you transport clumsy materials like 8x4s to the boat?

will you be considerate of neighbours  (on and off the water) during the long summer evenings when you have to saw, sand and plane (and possibly run a genny) which are all highly unfriendly out of normal weekday working hours?

 

Are you planning on bullying every newbie that comes on here?

 

You certainly seem to be?

[jtylr]

1 hour ago, Murflynn said:

 

fascinating.  

 

do you have a permanent mooring?

what will be your source of mains leccy?

how will you transport clumsy materials like 8x4s to the boat?

will you be considerate of neighbours  (on and off the water) during the long summer evenings when you have to saw, sand and plane (and possibly run a genny) which are all highly unfriendly out of normal weekday working hours?

Permanent mooring - Nope

 

Mains - Nope. Need to switch my track, mitre saw and router for 18v. 

 

Transport - Cargo bike (Omnium). 

 

Considerate - I’ll find quiet spots to moor, my bicycles make it easy to collect supplies. I’ll work within the usual regs for the trades, checking with neighbours if they would prefer later start or early finish, I’m not in a huge rush. I’ll inside the cabin or on the deck when possible. Perhaps I could even help them out with a few bits of woodwork, lend some tools out, or do a beer/shopping run on my bike.

 

Thanks for your concern.

Edited March 31, 2021 by jtylr

[David Mack]

31 minutes ago, jtylr said:

 

Mains - Nope. Need to switch my track, mitre saw and router for 18v. 

And what's your source of power for recharging these, along with meeting all your other electrical needs?