Too late to the party?

[Bubblebuster]

Not new to canal boats, far from it having spent many a holiday over the years having cruised most of the canals in the UK, but here's the thing. Wanting to be near one of our daughters the Mrs would like to sell up and live full time on a canal boat and has in mind the Brecon canal which would (more or less) be quite near my daughter. 

But here's another thing, would we as I suspect go stir crazy living on such a short and lets face it confined stretch, and as elderly 70s pensioners, are we too late to the party?

Don't want to disappoint the Mrs, but don't want to burn my boat figuratively speaking for a real one either.

Thoughts guys?

 

[mrsmelly]

An impossible one to answer as we are all different. My opinion is you have left it too late, others will disagree. My  missus and I fancied living on a boat so in mid thirties simply dived in, house gone, bought boat for cash, best thjng we ever did. After a few years bought house for holidays but eventualy sold those in 2007 and didnt own property at all. Last year now mid and late sixties after well over thirty years afloat with failing health we downgraded back to a house, in a lovely area of Wales funnily enough. To me we did it the right way, whilst still young enough to enjoy the canals we did, rather than wait for the elusive retirement that many do. A dear friend of mine lived aboard well over forty years but has been forced at age 81 into sheltered accomodation recently, we jumped back to land before being pushed. One thing I can be sure of though is that you cant do it when you are dead, and you are dead for a long time.

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, Bubblebuster said:

Not new to canal boats, far from it having spent many a holiday over the years having cruised most of the canals in the UK, but here's the thing. Wanting to be near one of our daughters the Mrs would like to sell up and live full time on a canal boat and has in mind the Brecon canal which would (more or less) be quite near my daughter. 

But here's another thing, would we as I suspect go stir crazy living on such a short and lets face it confined stretch, and as elderly 70s pensioners, are we too late to the party?

Don't want to disappoint the Mrs, but don't want to burn my boat figuratively speaking for a real one either.

Thoughts guys?

 

 

A huge ammount depends upon how fit you are.

 

Boating does require a fair ammount of agility. I have met a few 70+ yo liveaboards but admittedly they were on the cusp of giving up or in the process of actively considering it. Or they just used the boat as accommodation and didnt actually go boating.

 

 

[Bubblebuster]

Thanks for the replies and I have to say I tend to agree.

We fully retired some ten years ago now having bought and extensively renovated over five years a small cottage which like yourself is also in west Wales - and I really would hate to leave it.

We cannot do it when we are dead as you say, but I really don't fancy being dead doing it! 

Edited March 11, 2022 by Bubblebuster

[booke23]

Is there any way you could buy a boat without selling your house? 

 

That way you don't have to jump off a cliff financially so to speak. You can rent out your house while you live aboard, and if, after a few years you find it too difficult you can easily make the transition back to bricks and motar. 

[Bubblebuster]

Not really, and that's the dilemma. 

Renting would not sit well with us either as you hear of so many horror stories. 

Guess it's going to have to remain as a latter day 'what if dream'. 😕 

[syd]

In all honesty I would say don't do it.

 

Get yourself a small boat and use it for weekends/holidays. Living aboard late in life isn't any fun unless your fairly fit. The wife and I are not that far behind you age wise and we lived on a boat when we were younger. It's great when your young, but we find going to spend a weekend on our boat (small boat) is hard work sometimes and your certainly ready to head back home.

Just my opinion.

[Bubblebuster]

Thanks Syd.

[mrsmelly]

30 minutes ago, Bubblebuster said:

Thanks for the replies and I have to say I tend to agree.

We fully retired some ten years ago now having bought and extensively renovated over five years a small cottage which like yourself is also in west Wales - and I really would hate to leave it.

We cannot do it when we are dead as you say, but I really don't fancy being dead doing it! 

If you fancy a beer sometime to chat about the genuine ins and outs just let me know. West wales aint that big. We are SA44 

[Tracy D'arth]

Only 70?  Get on with it before it is terminally too late. I am 70,  ahem, plus by many years. Still enjoy boating, no house. Long winter holidays abroad in the sun when allowed.

There a folk who will help if you need a bit of muscle.

Why not buy a cheap, old, but sound boat and have the best of both worlds? Don't deny your wife her bucket list. You can always sell it, probably at a profit, if you find it is too much for you.  You are a spring chicken compared with quite a lot of boaters, many who cope single handed.

Better on a canal with a bit of traffic though, it can get lonely in a cul-de-sac.

[Bubblebuster]

Next door SA38 here, so might well do.

Cheers. 🍺

3 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Only 70?  Get on with it before it is terminally too late. I am 70,  ahem, plus by many years. Still enjoy boating, no house. Long winter holidays abroad in the sun when allowed.

There a folk who will help if you need a bit of muscle.

Why not buy a cheap, old, but sound boat and have the best of both worlds? Don't deny your wife her bucket list. You can always sell it, probably at a profit, if you find it is too much for you.  You are a spring chicken compared with quite a lot of boaters, many who cope single handed.

Better on a canal with a bit of traffic though, it can get lonely in a cul-de-sac.

 

Now that's cheered me up! 😃

[Alan de Enfield]

Or, buy a boat for 'leisure use' of a few weekends, or weeks, or months at a time, build up capabilities see how you get on BUT keep the house to fall back onto.

 

We tend to have 4-6 months a year (Summer) on the boat and then odd times in the Winter if we want a 'blow of fresh air'. If you start to get 'aches and pains' or whatever, moor up in a marina and take a taxi/train back home to the comforts of 'on-tap' electricity, gas, water, waste and sewage removal.

 

We do need to get a relative to come and do 'an overnight' in the house every now and again because the house insurance stipulates the house must not be unoccupied for more than 60 days.

[haggis]

I think the big problem is deciding if both of you could live in what is a fairly confined space  and if you could both do without a lot of  the things you have at present in your house. We used to think we would eventually end up living on a boat but as we got older we realised that we just couldn't do it.  We love spending time on the boat but we also love the comforts of bricks and mortar and all our possessions

Good luck whatever you decide to do .

 

[Bee]

If I were you I would look for a decent small boat - I am thinking of a 'Wilderness' trailable boat. As a veteran boater - or 'old git' I have seen these all over the system and also in France. I rate them as a clever idea.  Living on a boat? Nah, too much worry, the insecurity of moorings, and then there's the mud, and its a lot of bother, and there's no electric  and you'll end up divorced or kill each other and then there's the mud and coal is heavy and so is water and the mud........

[BWM]

You will find the transition easier and be more secure as the years go by if you choose a permanent mooring with at the least an electric hook up. Another consideration would be choice of craft as some are far lighter to haul in and steer.

[pete.i]

We have just moved back down to Wales to be near our family, SA32. Maybe a bit too near as we have 7 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren and life can get hectic. I am an educational volunteer for the Canal and River Trust and spend quite a bit of time at Brecon Basin. I have had three boats in my time but they were all when we were living in sunny Yorkshire. I never lived on any of my boats, they were purely for pleasure. We were lucky to live very near a canal at the time, the Selby Canal, so I made use of it frequently. Unfortunately Brecon is not really within every day travelling distance from me otherwise I would seriously think about having a boat on that canal. I am in my seventies now and never really had to do any locks. The three or four that I did do very occasionally were quite hard work I thought. One was at the River Aire end of the Selby, one at Beale and one at Knottingly. That took me on to the Air and Calder where the locks were all electric or I could have gone straight on to the Leeds and Liverpool canal which I never did although my volunteering did take me on to the Leeds and Liverpool but not in a boat. I thought that this web site might be of interest to you. I am just down the road from you so if need any advice PM me.

 

Oh and if you did want to go further afield you cannot unless you put your boat on truck or buy one with a trailer. The Brecon and Monmouth canal is not connected to the main system.

 

https://www.breconbeacons.org/things-to-do/attractions/natural/monmouthshire-brecon-canal

Edited March 11, 2022 by pete.i

[ditchcrawler]

There is no way I could live on a boat on the Mon and Brec, you may as well buy a mobile home overlooking the canal. You will do the whole lot in the first week and spend the next 51 weeks tied up. Not sure what you will do next year

[Mad Harold]

1 hour ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Only 70?  Get on with it before it is terminally too late. I am 70,  ahem, plus by many years. Still enjoy boating, no house. Long winter holidays abroad in the sun when allowed.

There a folk who will help if you need a bit of muscle.

Why not buy a cheap, old, but sound boat and have the best of both worlds? Don't deny your wife her bucket list. You can always sell it, probably at a profit, if you find it is too much for you.  You are a spring chicken compared with quite a lot of boaters, many who cope single handed.

Better on a canal with a bit of traffic though, it can get lonely in a cul-de-sac.

I suggest both ( like above)

Buy a cheap boat (doesn't  have to be mint) ,but comfortable.

No need to bother with a survey (as with respect) you've had your three score years and ten, and like me and Tracy you are on bonus time so if the boat is floating it will probably outlast you.

My daughter works for an estate agent which manages rented houses.They do everything from vetting tenants,collecting rent,seeing to maintainance,and taking legal action against tenants where necessary.

They charge between 12% and 15% of the rent and I think is worth it to be relieved of the stress of being a single property landlord.

[ditchcrawler]

My concern was not boating but where they intend to do it. Not much more than an elongated lake. I am not sure they would even find a residential mooring on there. It has a history of closures for long periods as well.

Edited March 11, 2022 by ditchcrawler

[Mad Harold]

3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

My concern was not boating but where they intend to do it. Not much more than an elongated lake. I am not sure they would even find a residential mooring on there. It has a history of closures for long periods as well.

Another problem is being limited to buying a boat that is already on this canal,unless you are prepared to pay for lift outs and road transport buying one somewhere else.

The Llangollen is close and just as scenic.

[booke23]

5 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

My concern was not boating but where they intend to do it. Not much more than an elongated lake. I am not sure they would even find a residential mooring on there. It has a history of closures for long periods as well.

 

Oh I don't know.....35 miles is plenty for a year's CCing according to the NBTA 😅

[syd]

We had a 25ft tug style on the Lancaster when it was a short'ish stretch. We loved potting up and down, very easy no locks.

 

Oh and being in your 70's doesn't mean there isn't lots of time ahead, just if you want to spend that time comfortable or not. The motorhome mentioned was a good idea, see lots of places very comfortable and always places to park and hook up.

Edited March 11, 2022 by syd

[Tony1]

 

From reading your first post, there are two separate motivations driving the idea of living on a narrowboat.

One is to be near your daughter, but of course that can be done by just buying or renting a new house nearer to her. 

 

The second part of the motivation is your feeling that it could be a lovely lifestyle. I think it can, but I would have a deeper think about your motivations, and what benefits you are expecting from it. 

For example, most mooring places on that canal are probably really nice, and there is the Llangollen as well to consider.

So it would tick the box of living in nice/rural places most of the time.

 

Another box that might possibly be ticked is the one of just liking to be living and cruising around on a boat. Many people love being around boats- its in their blood, in a way- are they happy to live on a boat in a marina (with hookup etc), even when too old to cruise it without assistance. 

 

But if your motivation is more related to having a mobile lifestyle (which I think is one of my main motivations), then a 35 mile canal might eventually leave you frustrated, because you are making the significant compromises needed to live on a boat (space, water, facilities etc), but you are not gaining the ability to move your mobile home to a place maybe 100 miles away. 

 

So the first question is- why do we want to do this? And a lot of the answer depends on what the appeal is (for both of you) in living on a narrowboat. 

If the answer is yes- that you would just enjoy being on a boat, and yes- that you would be fine confined to a small stretch of canal (and assuming you can CC there without problems), then the next question is- can we do it? 

 

That is more difficult to answer, and there are many, many little issues that you have to consider, especially if you are CCing and you don't have a marina mooring. Fitness and general health are the biggest issues to consider, as there are some moments when physical exertion seems to be unavoidable (and trust me, I've tried to avoid it where possible, but it always seems to find me out). 

 

If you search the forum for 'how old' and similar phrases you will probably find a number of discussions on this very question. 

I honestly dont want to strike a morbid note, but its possible you may well get a few years happy boating, and perhaps further down the line a mobility issue could arise that would force you to reconsider life in bricks and mortar again. 

So if you make the move, you will definitely need an exit strategy for when the time does come, as it must for all of us eventually. 

 

Winter is likely to be your biggest challenge. You can mitigate things by buying 10kg bags of coal instead of 25kg, so you're not risking a strain of some sort. And I saw a guy in his mid 70s in December, still boating solo (although some aspects seemed a bit of a struggle, he was managing ok). 

But ideally you need a car with a parking spot close to the canal, and even then you may sometimes be faced with a half-mile walk carrying a week's shopping on your back, or in a trolley. And if the towpath is muddy, as they so often are (not a problem in a marina), anything with wheels can become a right hassle in the mud. 

Even stepping on and off the boat when it hasnt quite stopped, or walking across a lock gate, might pose a risk. And I think there is an increased risk of taking some kind of tumble when you live on a boat.

If you can sort out the various physical issues safely, you then have to ask yourselves if you can live with the compromises needed (reduced water usage, a small living/storage space, etc), and if thats all ok, will you both still get on ok in such a small space, with less immediate access to your car, and more time spent together?

 

But I dont say all that to put you off, only so that you know what some of the issues are in advance, and can make the right decision.

I dont want to be overly negative. It might well be that with a sound exit plan ready (just in case you do have to give up the boat), and if you buy one at the right price, and possibly with a marina mooring available for the winter, you might make a go of it and have a fantastic time. 

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by Tony1

[pete.i]

5 hours ago, pete.i said:

We have just moved back down to Wales to be near our family, SA32. Maybe a bit too near as we have 7 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren and life can get hectic. I am an educational volunteer for the Canal and River Trust and spend quite a bit of time at Brecon Basin. I have had three boats in my time but they were all when we were living in sunny Yorkshire. I never lived on any of my boats, they were purely for pleasure. We were lucky to live very near a canal at the time, the Selby Canal, so I made use of it frequently. Unfortunately Brecon is not really within every day travelling distance from me otherwise I would seriously think about having a boat on that canal. I am in my seventies now and never really had to do any locks. The three or four that I did do very occasionally were quite hard work I thought. One was at the River Aire end of the Selby, one at Beale and one at Knottingly. That took me on to the Air and Calder where the locks were all electric or I could have gone straight on to the Leeds and Liverpool canal which I never did although my volunteering did take me on to the Leeds and Liverpool but not in a boat. I thought that this web site might be of interest to you. I am just down the road from you so if need any advice PM me.

 

Oh and if you did want to go further afield you cannot unless you put your boat on truck or buy one with a trailer. The Brecon and Monmouth canal is not connected to the main system.

 

https://www.breconbeacons.org/things-to-do/attractions/natural/monmouthshire-brecon-canal

Quoted my post because this idiot forum software wont let me edit after after a while. Anyway I meant SA31. See I haven't been here long.

[Laurie Booth]

6 hours ago, BWM said:

You will find the transition easier and be more secure as the years go by if you choose a permanent mooring with at the least an electric hook up. Another consideration would be choice of craft as some are far lighter to haul in and steer.

Where is a permanent mooring?