Purchase decisions

[Daydreams]

Hello

I’m hoping some lovely people will see past the common flavour of this thread and help.

I am looking at buying a boat to live aboard. I’m not going to pretend I’m very mechanically minded, so that is a niggly concern, but I am hoping with a checklist I can keep on top of the basics. 
I want to move onto the boat for a number of reasons, but saving money isn’t one.

Anyway, in perusing what is on offer I have two questions:

1) I live in Scotland, most boats are in England! I have done a bit of research into the costs and practicalities involved in transporting a boat north. Is there anything in particular I should look out for or any reason this wouldn’t work?

2) I keep flitting between narrowbeam and widebeam. Are there any strong arguments for one or the other or is it just a matter of taste/personal preference? 
My aim is to get a residential mooring so I won’t be cc, although my intention is to ‘pootle’ about as time allows (sadly not a huge network up here so slightly restricted and job requires me to stay here).

Huge thanks in advance for any answers!!

[haggis]

I suggest you speak to Scottish Canals about a mooring before buying a boat. You are not allowed to continuously cruise on the Lowland canals and MUST have a mooring.  There are sometimes boats for sale up here and SC may know of some.

Oh just  thought . If you buy a wide beam down south make sure it will fit the bridge and tunnel widths which I think is 12 feet but the information will be on the SC web site. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by haggis

[Tracy D'arth]

Keep dreaming, its cheaper.

 

Deciding factors are,

 

Can you sail a wide beam anywhere?

Can you find a residential mooring?

[booke23]

1. You can pretty much have a boat transported anywhere

2. Wide beams are better to live on as you get a lot more space. Don't go too wide though....10ft would be the maximum I'd go for as one of the Scottish canals have a maximum width of 11ft 6

[mrsmelly]

19 minutes ago, Daydreams said:

Hello

I’m hoping some lovely people will see past the common flavour of this thread and help.

I am looking at buying a boat to live aboard. I’m not going to pretend I’m very mechanically minded, so that is a niggly concern, but I am hoping with a checklist I can keep on top of the basics. 
I want to move onto the boat for a number of reasons, but saving money isn’t one.

Anyway, in perusing what is on offer I have two questions:

1) I live in Scotland, most boats are in England! I have done a bit of research into the costs and practicalities involved in transporting a boat north. Is there anything in particular I should look out for or any reason this wouldn’t work?

2) I keep flitting between narrowbeam and widebeam. Are there any strong arguments for one or the other or is it just a matter of taste/personal preference? 
My aim is to get a residential mooring so I won’t be cc, although my intention is to ‘pootle’ about as time allows (sadly not a huge network up here so slightly restricted and job requires me to stay here).

Huge thanks in advance for any answers!!

There is only ever one reason to buy a narrowboat. They are a ridiculous space for living in. If the waterway you are going to be on isnt restricted to 7 feet wide locks, discount a narrowboat and get something nicer.

Edited April 4, 2022 by mrsmelly

[peterboat]

Widebeam for living on so much more comfortable than a narrowboat 

[Daydreams]

48 minutes ago, haggis said:

I suggest you speak to Scottish Canals about a mooring before buying a boat. You are not allowed to continuously cruise on the Lowland canals and MUST have a mooring.  There are sometimes boats for sale up here and SC may know of some.

Oh just  thought . If you buy a wide beam down south make sure it will fit the bridge and tunnel widths which I think is 12 feet but the information will be on the SC web site. 

Thankyou! I have already spoken to them about residential moorings. Going to phone again today….. 

I have seen a couple of boats up here but not a huge choice. The majority seem to be in England. But I will keep looking.

40 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

There is only ever one reason to buy a narrowboat. They are a ridiculous space for living in. If the waterway you are going to be on isnt restricted to 7 feet wide locks, discount a narrowboat and get something nicer.

Thankyou!!

I’ve only ever been on narrowboats. There is something beautiful about the old ones. But perhaps for admiring from afar 😉

43 minutes ago, booke23 said:

1. You can pretty much have a boat transported anywhere

2. Wide beams are better to live on as you get a lot more space. Don't go too wide though....10ft would be the maximum I'd go for as one of the Scottish canals have a maximum width of 11ft 6

10ft seems a good compromise!! Thankyou!!

[LadyG]

It would be a lot easier to wait for a boat to come up for sale locally, having to travel to view a boat in England is going to be time consuming and expensive, and frustrating, I know cos that was only one of my problems. 

You don't say which canal, we assume it's the one in Central Scotland. If you are buying a boat from there, it will probably have a mooring, though of course it may not be transferable, you need to ask the mooring provider, not just the vendor. You may need car parking. 

I am not sure about Council Tax. 

I would ask a boat transporter about cost before I bought a wide beam from England, its not going to be cheap. 

Don't be tempted to buy a project, your IKEA skills are not transferable 😛

Edited April 4, 2022 by LadyG

[MtB]

28 minutes ago, Daydreams said:

Thankyou! I have already spoken to them about residential moorings. Going to phone again today….. 

I have seen a couple of boats up here but not a huge choice. The majority seem to be in England. But I will keep looking.

 

On the Thames it used to be that one bought a boat to get the mooring, then once you have your feet under the table with the mooring, change the boat to the one you actually want to live on. 

 

Maybe you need to do much the same in Scotland. Buy a boat with a mooring you like. Buy the right boat in England at your leisure. Book a lorry to bring it to the nearest crane pad to your mooring, put your old boat on the same lorry to take it back south to a sales marina with a mooring on their sales pontoon in the midlands, and flog it. 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Daydreams said:

I live in Scotland, most boats are in England! I have done a bit of research into the costs and practicalities involved in transporting a boat north

 

Pretty much anything can be transported but AT A COST I moved my 14 beam "widebeam" 200 miles by road - it cost just over £2500.

Because of the beam it required an escort vehicle and was only allowed to travel so many hours per day (middle of the day) to avoid causing disruption in the morning and afternoon 'rush hour traffic'. It took it two days to get from Newark (Nottinghamshire) to North Wales.

 

Bear in mind the additional shipping costs if buying 'down South'. Your Scottish based boat may appear to be expensive but is it really ?

[haggis]

37 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

On the Thames it used to be that one bought a boat to get the mooring, then once you have your feet under the table with the mooring, change the boat to the one you actually want to live on. 

 

Maybe you need to do much the same in Scotland. Buy a boat with a mooring you like. Buy the right boat in England at your leisure. Book a lorry to bring it to the nearest crane pad to your mooring, put your old boat on the same lorry to take it back south to a sales marina with a mooring on their sales pontoon in the midlands, and flog it. 

Sounds a good plan but things are a wee bit different up here 🙂 . Almost all the moorings are provided by Scottish Canals and there is no guarantee that the mooring will be transferable if the boat changes hands. I understand that there is a long waiting list for moorings BUT I have heard that there is somewhere on the web site which tells you where moorings are available.  Not sure how these facts sit together but there you are. Perhaps there is a waiting list in popular areas and vacancies in the less attractive places for live aboards.

 

 

 

 

 

[Daydreams]

12 minutes ago, haggis said:

Sounds a good plan but things are a wee bit different up here 🙂 . Almost all the moorings are provided by Scottish Canals and there is no guarantee that the mooring will be transferable if the boat changes hands. I understand that there is a long waiting list for moorings BUT I have heard that there is somewhere on the web site which tells you where moorings are available.  Not sure how these facts sit together but there you are. Perhaps there is a waiting list in popular areas and vacancies in the less attractive places for live aboards.

 

 

 

 

 

I can only find leisure moorings available on the Scottish Canals website…. Residential moorings are a much closer guarded secret 😉 

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

It would be a lot easier to wait for a boat to come up for sale locally, having to travel to view a boat in England is going to be time consuming and expensive, and frustrating, I know cos that was only one of my problems. 

You don't say which canal, we assume it's the one in Central Scotland. If you are buying a boat from there, it will probably have a mooring, though of course it may not be transferable, you need to ask the mooring provider, not just the vendor. You may need car parking. 

I am not sure about Council Tax. 

I would ask a boat transporter about cost before I bought a wide beam from England, its not going to be cheap. 

Don't be tempted to buy a project, your IKEA skills are not transferable 😛

There is always the temptation to DIY…. But fair point, very well made 🤣

[Iain_S]

Assuming the eventual destination is the Scottish Lowland Canals, This  and/or this is worth checking out. The project is the brainchild of IainW, late of this forum. (Haven't seen him posting for a good while, now)

[Daydreams]

2 minutes ago, Iain_S said:

Assuming the eventual destination is the Scottish Lowland Canals, This  and/or this is worth checking out. The project is the brainchild of IainW, late of this forum. (Haven't seen him posting for a good while, now)

It is my dream mooring! I am on the waiting list, but I don’t think people will move on quickly 🙈

[Tracy D'arth]

I know of quite a few north of the wall boaters who have their boats in the north of England because moorings in Scotland are so restricted. They find making the trek south is preferable or indeed necessary.

[MtB]

3 hours ago, haggis said:

Sounds a good plan but things are a wee bit different up here 🙂 . Almost all the moorings are provided by Scottish Canals and there is no guarantee that the mooring will be transferable if the boat changes hands. I understand that there is a long waiting list for moorings BUT I have heard that there is somewhere on the web site which tells you where moorings are available.  Not sure how these facts sit together but there you are. Perhaps there is a waiting list in popular areas and vacancies in the less attractive places for live aboards.

 

 

I thought it might be different. EVERYTHING in Scotland is different, just for the sake of it!

 

So once you are a tenant renting a mooring, you're not allowed to change your boat? Is this what you're saying is the case? 

 

Barmy! 

 

 

 

[Daydreams]

12 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I thought it might be different. EVERYTHING in Scotland is different, just for the sake of it!

 

So once you are a tenant renting a mooring, you're not allowed to change your boat? Is this what you're saying is the case? 

 

Barmy! 

 

 

 

I think it’s the other way round. You can change your boat ok…. But you can’t sell a boat with a mooring…. It’s the getting a mooring that can only be done through Scottish Canals (NBF being the very new exception)… So I can’t buy a boat on a mooring, I can just buy a boat and hope for a mooring 🤣🙈🤷‍♀️

[haggis]

19 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I thought it might be different. EVERYTHING in Scotland is different, just for the sake of it!

 

So once you are a tenant renting a mooring, you're not allowed to change your boat? Is this what you're saying is the case? 

 

Barmy! 

 

 

 

The mooring is not transferrable if you sell your boat although the purchaser might be able to get the mooring if there isn't a waiting list. I have read through the mooring terms and conditions and don't see any mention of what happens if you change your boat although I would expect, as long as the new boat will fit the allocated mooring space, there won't be a problem. 

One thing I was reminded of when reading the rules is that you must keep your boat in good condition and if SC think it needing better maintenance, they will tell you and if things don't improve you will be told to take your boat off the canal. Also, you are not allowed to store stuff on the pontoon or adjacent to your mooring (in some places huts are supplied for residential moorers to store stuff). These rules make me smile when I see the state of some of the long term mooring sites and the state of the boats in Englandshire. 🙂 

[AllanD]

I have to agree with your last comment Haggis. We hired a day boat from Hilperton Marina on K & A in 2020 and at one point the canalside looked like a copy of the Faslane Peace camp. 

On plus side we saw some very nice permanent moorings with the lovely gardens. 

 

[Bod]

On 04/04/2022 at 09:22, Daydreams said:

Hello

I’m hoping some lovely people will see past the common flavour of this thread and help.

I am looking at buying a boat to live aboard. I’m not going to pretend I’m very mechanically minded, so that is a niggly concern, but I am hoping with a checklist I can keep on top of the basics. 
I want to move onto the boat for a number of reasons, but saving money isn’t one.

Anyway, in perusing what is on offer I have two questions:

1) I live in Scotland, most boats are in England! I have done a bit of research into the costs and practicalities involved in transporting a boat north. Is there anything in particular I should look out for or any reason this wouldn’t work?

2) I keep flitting between narrowbeam and widebeam. Are there any strong arguments for one or the other or is it just a matter of taste/personal preference? 
My aim is to get a residential mooring so I won’t be cc, although my intention is to ‘pootle’ about as time allows (sadly not a huge network up here so slightly restricted and job requires me to stay here).

Huge thanks in advance for any answers!!

Which part of Scotland do you want/need to be in?

This will also have a bearing on what sort of boat would be best.

 

Bod

[booke23]

4 hours ago, AllanD said:

I have to agree with your last comment Haggis. We hired a day boat from Hilperton Marina on K & A in 2020 and at one point the canalside looked like a copy of the Faslane Peace camp. 

That particular section of the K & A is probably the worst in the entire country for wrecked boats permanently moored, so isn't representative of the wider canal network. You should have turned left out of Hilperton Marina! It's much prettier in that direction.

[PD1964]

4 hours ago, AllanD said:

I have to agree with your last comment Haggis. We hired a day boat from Hilperton Marina on K & A in 2020 and at one point the canalside looked like a copy of the Faslane Peace camp. 

 

The Peace Camp community have seamed to have sold their buses and old MOD wagons and found the delights of the Canal, instead of the Lay-bys of the A303 around Stonehenge.  
 Now protesting about being made to move every 14 days and CaRT enforcement and not so much about Nuke’s and War.

Edited April 6, 2022 by PD1964

[Daydreams]

2 hours ago, Bod said:

Which part of Scotland do you want/need to be in?

This will also have a bearing on what sort of boat would be best.

 

Bod

Edinburgh-ish…. NBF/Linlithgow/Ratho would be ideal 

[AllanD]

3 hours ago, booke23 said:

That particular section of the K & A is probably the worst in the entire country for wrecked boats permanently moored, so isn't representative of the wider canal network. You should have turned left out of Hilperton Marina! It's much prettier in that direction.

We cruised from Hilperton to the Avoncliffe Aqueduct and back. 

[booke23]

14 minutes ago, AllanD said:

We cruised from Hilperton to the Avoncliffe Aqueduct and back. 

Which is what all the dayboats do out of Hilperton or Bradford-on-Avon so they can ‘do’ the aquaducts. Turning at Avoncliffe means you didn’t see the worst of it! The stretch beyond Avoncliffe towards Dundas was pretty grotty the last time I went through.