Potential new owner looking for advice

[Triumph-Rat]

Hi, name is Chris.

 

Don't want to start membership on a downer, but think I should outline my current situation to give some context to how dumb some of my initial questions may be 🙂

 

I am a self employed ecologist and life was OK up until last year, then covid hit and then work I had booked in stopped, people put barn conversions and land development on hold and Western Power who I had a number of jobs booked in with went to emergency works only so lots of work lost.

 

This resulted in many missed payments and by default a credit rating faceplant.

 

Now, as I am finally pulling it back round, my ex-wife has (after 12 years) decided she no longer wants to be on the mortgage.

 

I can't afford to buy her out, she can't afford to buy me out so the only option is me selling the house.

 

Bit of a wrench when it happened but I have always been a bit 'alternative' (apparently).

 

I know with my credit rating and age (52) I won't get another house mortgage, but having looked around it is just possible that I will make enough from the sale to afford a decent narrowboat.

 

Given that I love boats, fishing (maggot dipping mainly) and being able to have my space away from neighbors it seems the best solution.

 

So I am possibly going from years of bricks and mortar to finally being free (ish) 😀

 

Look forward to reading the info on here and maybe meeting some of you at some point down the line.

[Alan de Enfield]

 

DO NOT BUY A BOAT BECAUSE IT IS ALL YOU CAN AFFORD.

 

If you do not have a wish and an affinity to be a boater, you will be miserable, depressed and fail.

 

Have a read of this thread for someone who was in (seemingly) a similar situation to yourself.

 

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/112645-fridge-behaviour/

 

 

 

[Triumph-Rat]

10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

DO NOT BUY A BOAT BECAUSE IT IS ALL YOU CAN AFFORD.

 

If you do not have a wish and an affinity to be a boater, you will be miserable, depressed and fail.

 

Have a read of this thread for someone who was in (seemingly) a similar situation to yourself.

 

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/112645-fridge-behaviour/

 

 

 

To be honest, this is exactly what I am looking for and wish I had thought of it 12 years sooner!!

 

And to be fair I also have an old VW campervan that constantly needs stuff doing to it with no idea what has gone wrong LOL.

 

A mis-behaving fridge is not going to be a show stopper!!

Edited September 21, 2021 by Triumph-Rat

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, Triumph-Rat said:

A mis-behaving fridge is not going to be a show stopper!!

 

Read on - the poster appears to be distraught that he cannot get away from the boat - once you have spent your capital there is nowherelse to go.

 

 

Short version: had been living abroad, stuck because of virus, needed somewhere to stay, didn't want to rent, wife needs to be away. Bought the boat as an act of desperation. Wife likes (liked) it, I do not. And it's not as if I hate it utterly, either: it's just not feasible for me that I can live like this for very long. I work every day, and the constant maintenance of filling the water tank, emptying the cassette, the gas, banging my head every 8 minutes, etc, is really starting to wear me down. And usually my wife is like my 'ambassador to the world', she's outdoorsy and goes out and talks to people and she likes finding out things about diesel or lighting fires or whathaveyou. I don't. I like to sit with my computer and drink tea and read history books. 

[Tracy D'arth]

 At 52 you will be able to get a mortgage and presently the rates are very low. Seek professional debt management help before rushing into any solution.

[Triumph-Rat]

Seems he was in a raw place and didn't like it in the first place.

 

I weighed up my options and never realized that a narrowboat would be affordable.

 

I was going to live in the van but huge lack of space.

 

This is a great option for my preferred way of life (although as said will need to be researched thoroughly before committing to a boat).

 

Have around a years grace so time to learn. 

[Triumph-Rat]

6 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

 At 52 you will be able to get a mortgage and presently the rates are very low. Seek professional debt management help before rushing into any solution.

I don't want another house/flat to be honest.

 

I can do my work anywhere and with wi-fi can do my surveys and then go elsewhere to write the reports.

 

I have been tied to brick and mortar for too long with no joy had from it, its time to take another path.

[Mad Harold]

You might be better hanging fire on buying a boat just yet.Prices are a bit silly at the moment due to Covid/lockdown/staycations.

As boat prices have shot up quickly,I think they may come down quickly too,as the situation of the bloke in the post on here you have been referred to,I don't think is unique.

When you have a boat in mind,post details and pictures on here,for opinions on your prospective purchase.

[matty40s]

54 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

DO NOT BUY A BOAT BECAUSE IT IS ALL YOU CAN AFFORD.

 

If you do not have a wish and an affinity to be a boater, you will be miserable, depressed and fail.

 

 

I'm glad you weren't around when I was looking for my boat.😃

[Triumph-Rat]

1 minute ago, Mad Harold said:

You might be better hanging fire on buying a boat just yet.Prices are a bit silly at the moment due to Covid/lockdown/staycations.

As boat prices have shot up quickly,I think they may come down quickly too,as the situation of the bloke in the post on here you have been referred to,I don't think is unique.

When you have a boat in mind,post details and pictures on here,for opinions on your prospective purchase.

Will do. Thanks for the reply.

[tehmarks]

You really have to love boats to live on one. But the flip side is that if you really love boats, there's nothing as rewarding as living on one.

 

You need to find out how much you love boats, I'd say.

[Bee]

The important thing here is that you don't step on a mine in the minefield of boat owning. You must try to buy a boat that you can sell at much the same as you paid for it if it all goes wrong. Its not that owning a boat often goes badly wrong but it can and there are boats out there that can break your heart. It is more expensive living on a boat.  If you pay your council tax on a house that will keep the bailiffs from the door. Boats require a licence, - that's a big handfull of cash, usually a mooring, that's an even bigger handfull of cash, a Boat safety cert. that is like an MOT and can cost a fair bit and very likely you will have to have insurance to get a mooring.  They are your unavoidable  costs, it is possible to avoid some of those if you just live on the towpath but that can be tricky. Lots of research into the costs and the rules is a must. There are a lot of rules and quite a lot can be avoided or evaded but you need to know what you are avoiding.  Having said that I lived on boats for years and still own one that I live on for a good chunk of the summer but I would have to think very carefully before committing to a narrowboat on UK canals. Good luck if you go for it, it can be very good indeed.

[MtB]

They do a roaring trade in "batchelor boats" up at Alvecote, apparently.

 

Boats they sell specifically for the 'divorcing bloke' market...

[cuthound]

11 hours ago, Bee said:

The important thing here is that you don't step on a mine in the minefield of boat owning. You must try to buy a boat that you can sell at much the same as you paid for it if it all goes wrong. Its not that owning a boat often goes badly wrong but it can and there are boats out there that can break your heart. It is more expensive living on a boat.  If you pay your council tax on a house that will keep the bailiffs from the door. Boats require a licence, - that's a big handfull of cash, usually a mooring, that's an even bigger handfull of cash, a Boat safety cert. that is like an MOT and can cost a fair bit and very likely you will have to have insurance to get a mooring.  They are your unavoidable  costs, it is possible to avoid some of those if you just live on the towpath but that can be tricky. Lots of research into the costs and the rules is a must. There are a lot of rules and quite a lot can be avoided or evaded but you need to know what you are avoiding.  Having said that I lived on boats for years and still own one that I live on for a good chunk of the summer but I would have to think very carefully before committing to a narrowboat on UK canals. Good luck if you go for it, it can be very good indeed.

 

Boat expenditure is also very lumpy, being dependent upon what needs doing as well as the fixed licence, mooring and insurance costs .

 

If the engine goes bang at the same time the hull needs blacking and the cabin repainting it can cost thousands in one go.

[Athy]

11 hours ago, MtB said:

They do a roaring trade in "batchelor boats" up at Alvecote, apparently.

 

Boats they sell specifically for the 'divorcing bloke' market...

Really?

How do these boats differ from the norm? Smaller than average "family" boats? Larger than average fridge for beer?

[Bee]

17 minutes ago, Athy said:

Really?

How do these boats differ from the norm? Smaller than average "family" boats? Larger than average fridge for beer?

They are supplied already equipped with a grubby cooker, horrible loo and with special 'Old socks' air freshener. One of mine was like that for a few weeks before a nice lady thought I was worth saving. The previous lady realised that I wasn't worth the bother.

Edited September 22, 2021 by Bee

[MtB]

33 minutes ago, Athy said:

Really?

How do these boats differ from the norm? Smaller than average "family" boats? Larger than average fridge for beer?

 

As Bee says, older boats with generally crappy, worn out and/or dirty interiors that only a separated/solo bloke would consider an acceptable standard to live in...  

 

 

[matty40s]

17 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

As Bee says, older boats with generally crappy, worn out and/or dirty interiors that only a separated/solo bloke would consider an acceptable standard to live in...  

 

I see what you mean Mike, however, some gurls like these too.!

[Neil2]

2 hours ago, MtB said:

 

As Bee says, older boats with generally crappy, worn out and/or dirty interiors that only a separated/solo bloke would consider an acceptable standard to live in...  

 

 

 

When the broker first saw our boat she said straight away it'll be a divorced bloke that buys this.  Now I understand why.

 

She was right, too.

[Neil2]

17 hours ago, Triumph-Rat said:

I don't want another house/flat to be honest.

 

I can do my work anywhere and with wi-fi can do my surveys and then go elsewhere to write the reports.

 

I have been tied to brick and mortar for too long with no joy had from it, its time to take another path.

 

I'm not saying you shouldn't go down this route but you have to have an escape strategy.  For most people that become full time liveaboards this involves keeping a house/flat and renting it out, say, or making sure there is enough in the bank to buy again when the need arises. 

 

Living on a boat is not an "alternative" lifestyle, it's not an alternative because it isn't sustainable as many members of this forum will tell you.  You will get fed up with the routine, the weather, the woeful performance of CaRT, the many idiots that populate the canals these days, and the constant pressure of keeping on top of maintenance.  But even if you don't. you will get old, that is beyond your control, and there will come a point where if nothing else, the aging process will make living on a boat difficult if not impossible.  You have to remember that, on a boat, the slightest reduction in your physical capabilities can create obstacles that simply would not exist on land - especially if you live alone.   

 

Of course, you could simply take a chance and when the time comes throw yourself on the mercy of the state, but I wouldn't advise it.  Things are bad now in the public sector and I suspect are going to get worse.  

 

But you have a while to think about it, and frankly the way prices are at the moment you need to take a rein check anyway.  

 

What I would do is wait until the end of October and start looking at boats when it's cold and wet, and the days are darker.  This should choke off a lot of the rosy tinted specs buyers but it will also allow you to imagine the reality of life on a canal boat 365 days of the year.        

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Neil2 said:

For most people that become full time liveaboards this involves keeping a house/flat and renting it out, say, or making sure there is enough in the bank to buy again when the need arises. 

That is good advice, often given here to prospective newbie liveaboards. But I suspect your use of "most" is incorrect. I reckon there are many liveaboards out there who have no significant capital beyond the value in the boat, and who will indeed find themselves in a difficult position if/when their circumstances change so they can no longer live afloat.

[Neil2]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

That is good advice, often given here to prospective newbie liveaboards. But I suspect your use of "most" is incorrect. I reckon there are many liveaboards out there who have no significant capital beyond the value in the boat, and who will indeed find themselves in a difficult position if/when their circumstances change so they can no longer live afloat.

 

It's my bad grammar - what I meant to say was most (of those who have an escape plan) etc.

 

I wouldn't know about liveaboards in general.  Those I have met I would say over half do have a safety net, but that's probably not a representative sample.  

 

 

[Triumph-Rat]

3 hours ago, David Mack said:

That is good advice, often given here to prospective newbie liveaboards. But I suspect your use of "most" is incorrect. I reckon there are many liveaboards out there who have no significant capital beyond the value in the boat, and who will indeed find themselves in a difficult position if/when their circumstances change so they can no longer live afloat.

With the obvious exception of the past 18 months, my business has a relatively good annual turnover so while I don't have much money under the mattress there is usually something in or coming in that can ward off unexpected costs.

 

The prime thing I am worried about is buying a lemon.

 

Being new to this I don't really know enough yet to commit.

 

That said, a musician friend of mine I haven't seen for a while lives on a narrowboat fairly locally, may have to track him down and do a Q and A session.

[MtB]

14 minutes ago, Triumph-Rat said:

The prime thing I am worried about is buying a lemon.

 

If by "lemon" you mean a boat that throws up a never-ending stream of faults, breakdowns and random problems that needs prompt attention, I'd suggest all boats are lemons.

[Triumph-Rat]

22 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

If by "lemon" you mean a boat that throws up a never-ending stream of faults, breakdowns and random problems that needs prompt attention, I'd suggest all boats are lemons.

Blimey, for a canal boat forum you lot aren't half keen on putting people off 😝

 

I have a couple of people who can come to look at prospective purchases.  One is an auto electrician (assume fault finding would be the same) and the other a mechanic who grew up on boats as a member of a family of 'water gypsies' (his words not mine).