Airbnb Insurance for boats

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

In theory there is a possibility some operator could specify and buy purpose designed and built "Airbnb" boats, which could do away with some of the stuff for cruising, if they are stipulating they're just accommodation and not driven. But guess what? Nobody's done it. I suspect the economics of doing so simply don't add up, whereas a normal hire operator's economics do add up.

 

 

 

Just think of the savings - no engine, no gearbox, no propshaft and prop, no fuel tank - that must be £10+k saving

[magnetman]

Take away the gas and the electric and just have 230v mains and you almost have a BS exempt floating palace. 

 

(assuming one has a mooring with lecky)

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 minute ago, magnetman said:

Take away the gas and the electric and just have 230v mains and you almost have a BS exempt floating palace. 

 

(assuming one has a mooring with lecky)

I think you’ve got it!!

Take away ALL the ‘facillites’, no electric, no gas, no stove, no water or toilet. 
Call it Glamping and charge double. 
Job’s a good ‘en. 👍

 

These days the modern folk will have their own little chargers for phones and such like
Can clean themselves with baby wipes. 
eat take aways

and take their poop home for composting. 

 

I think there might even be a grant to help with this. 

[IanD]

14 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Just think of the savings - no engine, no gearbox, no propshaft and prop, no fuel tank - that must be £10+k saving

 

But isn't it then officially a houseboat, which has very different rules for mooring/licensing too, especially on the canals?

[Alan de Enfield]

5 minutes ago, IanD said:

 

But isn't it then officially a houseboat, which has very different rules for mooring/licensing too, especially on the canals?

 

They seem to be a growing breed in marinas so no problem with 'definitions' or licencing.

[IanD]

10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

They seem to be a growing breed in marinas so no problem with 'definitions' or licencing.

Which is why I said "especially on the canals" (where I believe most of the AirBnB boats are, there being few marinas in places like London where the demand is) not "in marinas" -- AFAIK you can't moor a houseboat *anywhere* online, can you?

Edited April 15, 2023 by IanD

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

2 minutes ago, IanD said:

you can't moor a houseboat *anywhere* online, can you?

Yes, you virtually can

[IanD]

6 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Yes, you virtually can

I thought boats moored online -- with home moorings or CCers -- had to have a means of propulsion as one of the license terms?

 

(except for specific moorings licensed for houseboats -- which exist in marinas, but not online AFAIK -- but I could be wrong...)

Edited April 15, 2023 by IanD

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

sorry, you said online, so I said virtually, my bad joke. 
 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

I thought boats moored online -- with home moorings or CCers -- had to have a means of propulsion as one of the license terms?

 

(except for specific moorings licensed for houseboats -- which exist in marinas, but not online AFAIK -- but I could be wrong...)

 

There are only four conditions to being granted a licence and having a means of propulsion isn't one of them.

[magnetman]

 

must be capable of navigating the waterway?

With horses being banned would it be reasonable to propel ones boat with a setting pole? I think not. 

[Paul C]

How about this for a scenario:

 

1) Its a lovely Saturday morning, the keen boatlord is eagerly awaiting an enthusiastic AirBnb'er to arrive at the "home mooring" marina shortly. He is filling the water tank, replacing a gas bottle and giving a final polish to the tables and worktops.

2) The hapless AirBnb'er arrives, to be directed to the CRT-approved parking space, then told to "leave the keys with me" just in case the car needs to be moved or something like that. He loads a couple of bags of luggage onto the boat.

3) Not long after being shown the bathroom and the bedroom, they set off and tootle down the canal with a 5hp outboard running off a portable petrol tank.

4) After what seems like hours, the boatlord moors it up and tells the hirer not to even touch the ropes, in case his hand falls off.

5) He promptly removes the outboard and wishes a fond farewell to the hirer. Then jumps in his conveniently-parked pickup truck, back home.

6) He stops off at the marina and moves the hirer's car to a country lane/field/layby, then goes home

7) Its a lovely Sunday morning, the keen boatload is eagerly........blah blah blah

 

Repeat for Mon-Fri too

 

The marina is happy, all they do is supply a parking space and a bit of water; and sell gas and other services. The boats are hardly ever there.

 

2 weeks later the reverse happens, and the Airbnb'er and boat is delivered back to the marina, where he loads his stuff into his slightly muddy, higher mileage, hmm it seems like there's only reserve fuel in this car, I wonder why? The boatlord gets his min wage cleaner to mop out all the bodily fluids etc and wipe the surfaces with some industrial-strength cleaner and the pattern repeats ad-infinitum.