Boating Expenses

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Or like my bro in law, they could stop paying rent, trash the house needing 8k repairs and take months to get out?

 

Easily funded from the rent in all the years this did NOT happen! 

[Tony Brooks]

12 hours ago, Slow and Steady said:

Yes, I know.  Thanks for the reminder though!

Oil was fresh when I bought it and still looks clean, it's a Beta 43 only just past it's first oil change hours - 16 years and hardly run, I'm hoping the oil is so clean I'll have got away with it. However, I suspect that oil change was in fact the only one it ever had from new so...

 

I know what Alan says is an often repeated view but I am sure it is a hangover from high sulfur diesel  fuel. Whilst not ideal I don't think you will have anything to worry about nowadays.

[doratheexplorer]

Ok so here's mine, all rough estimates, over the last 12 months.

 

Mooring fees:  £600.

Insurance:  £120.

Coal:  £300.

Calor Gas: £90.

Diesel: £200.

Petrol: £50.

BSS cistificat: £150 - divide this by 4.

Engine service:  £150.

Other maintenance:  £100.

Elsan Blue:  £20?

L-shaped sofa reupholstered - £900.

New squirrel stove fitted with new chimney and collar - £1000ish

Boat licence £1000ish.

 

Other years will be different, but the overall costs probably don't change a lot.

 

Note:  I actually live aboard, unlike most of the responders.

Edited March 31, 2022 by doratheexplorer

[Alan de Enfield]

47 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Ok so here's mine, all rough estimates, over the last 12 months.

 

Mooring fees:  £600.

Insurance:  £120.

Coal:  £300.

Calor Gas: £90.

Diesel: £200.

Petrol: £50.

BSS cistificat: £150 - divide this by 4.

Engine service:  £150.

Other maintenance:  £100.

Elsan Blue:  £20?

L-shaped sofa reupholstered - £900.

New squirrel stove fitted with new chimney and collar - £1000ish

Boat licence £1000ish.

 

Other years will be different, but the overall costs probably don't change a lot.

 

Note:  I actually live aboard, unlike most of the responders.

 

 

Just under £5000 then.

Your figures are based on  a cheap mooring - many marina moorings (even in the Midlands) will be £2000+

[TheBiscuits]

19 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Just under £5000 then.

Your figures are based on  a cheap mooring - many marina moorings (even in the Midlands) will be £2000+

 

I assume it was a high spend year for @doratheexplorer as I can't see her fitting a new stove and reupholstering every year.

 

There's always something else to do.  In the last six months I've dry docked for survey and two-pack, had a BSS and added lithium batteries so I've had a lumpy spending year as well.

[Alan de Enfield]

15 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

assume it was a high spend year for @doratheexplorer as I can't see her fitting a new stove and reupholstering every year.

 

 

But she said :

 

1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

Other years will be different, but the overall costs probably don't change a lot.

 

[PD1964]

2 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

Ok so here's mine, all rough estimates, over the last 12 months.

 

Mooring fees:  £600.

Insurance:  £120.

Coal:  £300.

Calor Gas: £90.

Diesel: £200.

Petrol: £50.

BSS cistificat: £150 - divide this by 4.

Engine service:  £150.

Other maintenance:  £100.

Elsan Blue:  £20?

L-shaped sofa reupholstered - £900.

New squirrel stove fitted with new chimney and collar - £1000ish

Boat licence £1000ish.

 

Other years will be different, but the overall costs probably don't change a lot.

 

Note:  I actually live aboard, unlike most of the responders.

Just a comparison to the basics:

Moorings: £2500

Insurance: £275

License: £1150

BSS: £180

These are just the basic requirements, as has been said every boaters scenario is different. So hard to tell a Newbie the true costs, as a lot think it’s going to cost next to nothing. The above doesn’t include my diesel, gas or electric (24p per Kw on home mooring) engine service. The other thing is sometimes they don’t realise you have to pay for your mooring all year, even when your out for months cruising, if you don’t you loose it. Boating is not as cheap as the dreamers think.

 

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by PD1964

[PD1964]

6 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

Ok so here's mine, all rough estimates, over the last 12 months.

 

Mooring fees:  £600.

Insurance:  £120.

Coal:  £300.

Calor Gas: £90.

Diesel: £200.

Petrol: £50.

BSS cistificat: £150 - divide this by 4.

 I take it your user name doesn’t reflect your lifestyle as I would say £200 a year on diesel is low, even if you don’t move but have Webasto type heating and use it. That’s not even a full tank with most Narrowboats and certainly not with current prices. Your Calor gas only equates approx to just over 2x bottles a year also low I would say for a full time livaboard.

  What size of boat are these figures for as all seam low for a normal 57/58ft Narrowboat?

  Current price for BSS more like £180.

  

  

[doratheexplorer]

15 hours ago, PD1964 said:

 I take it your user name doesn’t reflect your lifestyle as I would say £200 a year on diesel is low, even if you don’t move but have Webasto type heating and use it. That’s not even a full tank with most Narrowboats and certainly not with current prices. Your Calor gas only equates approx to just over 2x bottles a year also low I would say for a full time livaboard.

  What size of boat are these figures for as all seam low for a normal 57/58ft Narrowboat?

  Current price for BSS more like £180.

  

  

It's not this year's prices and it was an estimate.  The last diesel fill I did was just before Christmas and it was about 80p per litre with split.  My boat does about 1 litre an hour I was reckoning on about 250 hours cruising per year.  I cruise for about 40 week of the year so it averages at about 6 hours a week, which is probably about right.  I don't have a diesel heater.  250 hours would pretty much get you from London to Llangollen and back, so a fair bit of exploring IMO.  This year I obviously expect to spend more on fuel, but do bear in mind I work full-time and have other various other committments so cruising all day every day is not an option for me.  But since you're questioning me, the explorer part of my name isn't limited to my boating activities, I do other things too.

 

My boat is 55'.

 

I note your prices are all higher than mine.  All I can say is, I like to find a bargain.   My BSS was last month and it was £150.  My insurance renewed 3 days ago and it was £120.  Last year I was buying 13kg calor cylinders for £30ish, so £90 is 3 cylinders.  My 12 month licence was £1004.88 last year, I just checked.  But I got a rebate on that because I was moored off CRT waters over winter.  So I've actually slightly over-estimated my costs in that respect.  I have just remember that blacking was last spring, so that's another £350ish.

 

I'm not sure why your costs are so high?  Maybe shop around a bit more?

20 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

But she said :

 

 

I'd like to think this year will be cheaper, but boating has a way of biting you in that respect.  I plan for the worst!

[Alan de Enfield]

17 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I'd like to think this year will be cheaper, but boating has a way of biting you in that respect.  I plan for the worst!

 

Agreed - its is very rarely less than you thought, and more usually above your planned level of expenditure 

[PD1964]

51 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I'm not sure why your costs are so high?  Maybe shop around a bit more?

 I would say they are more realistic, with full time Marina Moorings. You don’t cruise much you say 6 hours a week, less then an hour a day is more suited to a continuous moorer then someone that cruises, obviously you have full time work which makes cruising difficult, I take it your a CCer and only in a Marina for the winter?
 Diesel now £1.25 plus per litre according to a running thread.

  Last time I had a 13Kg Calor for £30 was about 10 years ago, the price Calor recommend now is about £38, I imagine this will be going up. 
 Just had my BSS £180 same guy last 12 years used to be £160.

 Insurance obviously depends on the value of boat and how much contents cover your have, your £120 must reflect your boat value and contents or your only covered 3rd party.

  Hopefully this will help the OP with different people giving their examples of today’s cost, instead of people just guessing. who used to have a boat.

 No matter what figures we say, this year is going to be more expensive for everyone.

Edited April 1, 2022 by PD1964

[MtB]

35 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Agreed - its is very rarely less than you thought, and more usually above your planned level of expenditure 

 

 

Yes and it's always 'something exceptional'. Most of my boats manage to cause some exceptional expense or other, most years.

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

Last time I had a 13Kg Calor for £30 was about 10 years ago, the price Calor recommend now is about £38, I imagine this will be going up. 

 

Just ordered some 47Kg cylinders.

Last year they were ~£60 each but have gradually crept up to £70, then £80 and they tell me these latest ones will be £99.

 

I'd expect similar % increase on the 13kg ones.

[PD1964]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Just ordered some 47Kg cylinders.

Last year they were ~£60 each but have gradually crept up to £70, then £80 and they tell me these latest ones will be £99.

 

I'd expect similar % increase on the 13kg ones.

Yes I think everything will be going up. 
I suspect electric as of today. @doratheexplorer could be spending more on boating this year, like myself and everyone else.

[doratheexplorer]

13 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

 I would say they are more realistic, with full time Marina Moorings. The OP asked for personal experience.  He/she didn't say anything about full time marina moorings.  You don’t cruise much you say 6 hours a week, I'd wager I cruise more than 95% of canal boat owners less then an hour a day is more suited to a continuous moorer then someone that cruises You seriously consider a round trip from London to Llangollen to be typical of a continuous moorer?  Can I have some of what you're smoking? A typical continuous moorer does less than an hour a fortnight, which is why they get sanctioned by CRT, obviously you have full time work which makes cruising difficult Not at all, I cruise the amount that I choose, I take it your a CCer and only in a Marina for the winter? You know what they say about assuming?
 Diesel now £1.25 plus per litre according to a running thread. Undoubtably.

  Last time I had a 13Kg Calor for £30 was about 10 years ago, the price Calor recommend now is about £38, I imagine this will be going up. As I said previously, maybe shop around a bit more?  I find Builder's Merchants are often cheapest.
 Just had my BSS £180 same guy last 12 years used to be £160.  That's fine.  Mine's £150.

 Insurance obviously depends on the value of boat and how much contents cover your have, your £120 must reflect your boat value and contents or your only covered 3rd party.  It's insured fully comp up to a value of £40,000.

  Hopefully this will help the OP with different people giving their examples of today’s cost, instead of people just guessing. who used to have a boat.

 No matter what figures we say, this year is going to be more expensive for everyone.

Responses in red.  You seem to be intent on picking holes in my figures, the only reasons I can think of is;

 

1.  You're doubting my honesty.

or

2. You're annoyed that you're spending over the odds on things.

 

Anyway, you're coming across kinda grumpy, so I'll bow out here.  I hope my contributions are helpful to the OP (which is, after all, why I posted).

[doratheexplorer]

I over stated the cost of my insurance too.  But I was only estimating.

[Slow and Steady]

13kg still £30 here, it was £25 last year. We use 4 per year for cooking in a full size cooker/oven and use the oven a lot.

Elec we also burn through quite a bit - last year about £3-400 just for computers, fridge, lights etc.

Coal was really cheap this year thanks to the mild winter - £150, usually you could double or even tripple that but we're 'ard. We scavenge kindling.

Marina mooring £2,000 for 60ft

Licence is what it is

Insurance more like £120 fully comp but we haven't got anything much worth nicking, boat valued approx £50k, I should change that as prices have risen.

Diesel - £50, again, we don't use the webasto and only nip out a few of times a year to the nearest bridge to paint out of the sun... one day we'll be ready to high tail it out of the marina at which point elec is going to be a major PITA so we'll probably spent several thousand on lithium/solar before we set off and use candles/play cards in the winter as we're cheap arse slum boat dwellers.

 

In a perfect world we'd have more money and could very easily spend 3x as much without noticing but honest to god I spent literally 10x as much living in a big house eating and drinking fine food and wine with the heating on full, running 3-4 vehicles, racing dinghies etc etc. Life changes.

 

[PD1964]

So you did one trip from London to Llangollen did it take the 42 weeks you were out cruising? You don’t cruise much with your diesel costs.

  Your insurance is too low for a £40000K boat fully comp livaboard.

  I would still say my figures are more for my world and lifestyle then obviously yours.

 Have a good weekend on the water👍

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by PD1964

[Slow and Steady]

10 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

So you did one trip from London to Llangollen did it take the 42 weeks you were out cruising? You don’t cruise much with your diesel costs.

 I would question your insurance as that is too low for a £40000K boat fully comp livaboard.

  I would still say my figures are more real world boating and more like you smoke the weed then I. 

Not trying to start an argument (or join one!) but I'd get some more quotes if I were you, you seem to be paying about twice as much as DTE and I for insurance? Or maybe you live in London, I expect location does play a big part here.

DTE has posted the actual paperwork so I don't know why you're questioning it.

You don't do yourself any favours resorting to rudeness.

Edited April 1, 2022 by Slow and Steady

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, Slow and Steady said:

Not trying to start an argument (or join one!) but I'd get some more quotes if I were you, you seem to be paying about twice as much as DTE and I for insurance? Or maybe you live in London, I expect location does play a big part here.

DTE has posted the actual paperwork so I don't know why you're questioning it.

You don't do yourself any favours resorting to rudeness.

 

 

My insurance is £263 but does give slightly better coverage than the typical Narrowboat Insurance as it also covers the European canals, the Irish Sea and the North Sea (extending all the way across to Norway in Summer months)

 

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Alan de Enfield

[PD1964]

1 hour ago, Slow and Steady said:

Not trying to start an argument (or join one!) but I'd get some more quotes if I were you, you seem to be paying about twice as much as DTE and I for insurance? Or maybe you live in London, I expect location does play a big part here.

DTE has posted the actual paperwork so I don't know why you're questioning it.

You don't do yourself any favours resorting to rudeness.

I doubt location makes a difference, I have quotes every year on line and they’re all roughly the same, they start off low then with add on’s all roughly equal out. 
Who are you with and Is this your first year with them?

 Even if you have a quick fill in below, it’s higher then what has bee stated on here.

  https://www.craftinsure.com/narrowboat-insurance

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by PD1964

[Slow and Steady]

5 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

I doubt location makes a difference, I have quotes every year on line and they’re all roughly the same, they start off low then with add on’s all roughly equal out. 
Who are you with and Is this your first year?

 

Haven Knox-Johnson, apologies I under-remembered, it was £170 last year with legal cover. It was fully comp camper insurance that was £120 (bargain!) 6th year, it creeps up about a fiver a year from looking back.

[PD1964]

12 minutes ago, Slow and Steady said:

Haven Knox-Johnson, apologies I under-remembered, it was £170 last year with legal cover. It was fully comp camper insurance that was £120 (bargain!) 6th year, it creeps up about a fiver a year from looking back.

 No problem, Mine is fully residential, I think a lot of it has to do with your contents cover, mine is £10K and it’s this what adds to cost. I have never claimed in 13 year and hopefully never will, but the higher contents insurance gives me more peace of mind when I leave the boat unattended.

 

[Slow and Steady]

8 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

 No problem, Mine is fully residential, I think a lot of it has to do with your contents cover, mine is £10K and it’s this what adds to cost. I have never claimed in 13 year and hopefully never will, but the higher contents insurance gives me more peace of mind when I leave the boat unattended.

 

Agreed, I just have basic min content cover / nothing much worth stealing that wouldn't be covered under that.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

28 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

 No problem, Mine is fully residential, I think a lot of it has to do with your contents cover, mine is £10K and it’s this what adds to cost. I have never claimed in 13 year and hopefully never will, but the higher contents insurance gives me more peace of mind when I leave the boat unattended.

 

My insurance is in same region as yours, I pay £260 fully

comp 

Contents at £6000. 
Full time live aboard, and under normal circumstances continuously cruising. 
I’ll be paying a bit extra when I get my trader’s license. 
I think it’s in the region of another £80 on top for public liability.