looking for a mentor

[PD1964]

1 hour ago, starcry said:

 

Nothing in life worth doing is easy, if it's possible I'll make it happen

Well maybe you should have a look for  residential mooring in the area you expect to take your parents, as I doubt they would want enforcement action at their age.

[starcry]

14 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

You will be amazed by how much the price drops in September. Personally I wont contemplate hiring a boat over any bank holidays or school holidays.

good to know so we're looking at a September holiday then, thank you

[PD1964]

58 minutes ago, Kendorr said:

You mentioned Sheffield, maybe worth getting on their list

 

https://www.watersidemooring.com/356-tinsley-marina-residential-l1

 

https://cvmarine.co.uk/victoria-quays/

 

and several others along the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation.

No residential at Sheffield and few in that stretch. Tinsley is the best option as full official residential with all the benefits. 

[starcry]

1 minute ago, PD1964 said:

Well maybe you should have a look for  residential mooring in the area you expect to take your parents, as I doubt they would want enforcement action at their age.

I have no expectations on location at the moment, so long as the mooring has decent facilities then it'll be fine but you're point is taken as they will need to know that they like where they might end up living

1 minute ago, PD1964 said:

No residential at Sheffield and few in that stretch. Tinsley is the best option as full official residential with all the benefits. 

good to know, thank you, I'll make a note of that

[Kendorr]

4 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

No residential at Sheffield and few in that stretch. Tinsley is the best option as full official residential with all the benefits. 

Thanks PD.

[PD1964]

57 minutes ago, starcry said:

I have no expectations on location at the moment, so long as the mooring has decent facilities then it'll be fine but you're point is taken as they will need to know that they like where they might end up living

good to know, thank you, I'll make a note of that

There’s not many decent Marina’s up North with the facilities to match more popular canal areas. Few with official residential moorings to suit normal life, most your living under the radar with little benefits except cost.

  If I was looking for a Marina that I would be happy my parents to moor and be secure, I would pick somewhere like Mercia on the Trent & Mersey. 
 Have you thought about a widebeam with two bedrooms? Have a look at this Vlog, may be of interest to life in a Marina.

https://youtube.com/c/LoveLifeTriumph

Edited April 27, 2022 by PD1964

[LadyG]

It might be wise to think about the problem of residential address , bank accounts, pensions etc.

(I use a relative's address for my bank account), the alternative is to pay for the service.

Mobile phone contract (they demand two years residence, but don't need proof).

I'll be frank, it might be a good idea to buy a small property for parents. Once in the oap category health tends to deteriorate, but in various unpredictable ways.

Life is easier in a flat than on a boat. 

it might be cheaper in the long run to find housing for two households, than two boats.

 

Boats tend to depreciate, houses tend to appreciate.

A widebeam  is more like a small flat than a narrow boat, but the canal system does not allow for navigation from South to North . 

Not everyone finds living in a boat to be ideal, marina living can be expensive.

Constant cruising is not for the fainthearted.

 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by LadyG

[PD1964]

27 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Constant cruising is not for the fainthearted.

 Or for people getting on in life and in their latter stages if no permanent address for health care. It can soon turn from enjoyment to entrapment.

[sueb]

After having to leave our boat due to my husbands ill health I would definitely recommend buying a land base. There is no security of tenure with a mooring and you can be told to leave at anytime, no reason given. Why do you want boats? They are hard work with all effluent, rubbish, fuel and water  having to be serviced regularly. Factor in muddy towpaths and dragging shopping along them. Electricity has to be carefully managed. Good luck 

[starcry]

Hi Everyone,

 

Thank you so much for your responses and for all the information, it's really helpful. I'm not too bothered about my parents healthy, they quite literally run up and down mountains in South Africa 2, 3 sometimes 4 times a week and when they go on holiday the consider electricity an unwelcome luxury. Not just for their age but in general they are unbelievably fit, we're the type of people that relish challenges.

 

In terms of why a boat the honest reason is because it seems like it could be a fun adventure that nobody in my family has ever tried before so why not?

 

I have looked at a widebeam and it is something I'm still looking at but the type of boat I buy them and myself will largely be decided on the level of access we're able to get with the boat and of course my budget if/when I pull the trigger on buying for them.

[blackrose]

12 hours ago, starcry said:

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm looking to buy 2 boats, one for myself and later another for my parents. However I'm very new to all this and whilst it's totally okay for me to make a mistake my parents boat needs to go smoothly. It would be really helpful if I could find a mentor to guide me whilst I look at all the various options and try out different solutions. I'm doing a ton of my own research but there is no substitute for hearing and learning from some one who has been there already.

 

I'm based in London but in all probability I will end up leaving London and quite possibly moving to Sheffield because it's got great rock climbing :).

 

If anyone would like to be my mentor so that I can provide a great home for my parents please respond to this thread.

 

Have a great day

Aidan

 

I think you're making the mistake of looking for one person to guide you. We all have different views on lots of things boaty, so it's actually better to listen to different views on how to do things and then make your own mind up.

[Chewbacka]

There is nothing better than boating in a warm September, if you want to know the other side try it in a January, when it’s cold and rainy.  Some are happy, many hate it - my wife hates it and I like it, but with your parents there are two on the boat, and it’s a very small space if one is miserable and grouchy……..

[Bee]

We lived on narrowboats for 12 + years until the third child came along. Then we bought a house that was not much bigger than a boat but was cheaper, more secure and had many, many more advantages than a boat. Then after the kids left we built a boat that we spent summers on, small enough to be cheap(ish) to run but big enough to spend good weather on. Therefore we still have a house that we live in over the grim, dark, cold, muddy winter in the UK but we spent all summer on European canals. There is much to reccomend doing something like this rather than exposing yourself to the difficulties of living on board all year round. Of course its not possible to spend all summer on the boat since brexit but with planning and effort its still worthwhile. I would strongly recommend something along these lines rather than the expense and restrictions that you will find living full time on a boat.

[Cheese]

Difficult to know what to advise without knowing more about you & your parents' desired lifestyles.

 

If they are say early 60s, no ties, fit and healthy, and enjoy a 'basic' lifestyle (like say bush camping) and want to spend 10 years really travelling around the UK canal and river network then get a narrowboat and go for it.  Continuously cruise all summer and perhaps look for a marina mooring each winter (stoppages, poor weather, short daylight hours, more challenging electricity management etc).  But keep enough in reserve for maintenance and for moving onto land in say 10 years' time.

 

As others have said, not sure I would recommend a permanent marina mooring for them.  If they want to be fixed somewhere, then better options might be a house in a cheaper area of the country, or if not affordable a (mobile caravan) park home, which may have similar residential restrictions but at least has a permanent water supply, plumbing and electrics.

 

For the London show, bear in mind that many canal dwellers in London are what are often referred to here as 'continuous moorers'.  They have  a continuous cruising licence, but for either work or family reasons don't really want to move, so they aim to get away with the minimum that doesn't breach the licence terms.  With London canals also being quite crowded, this can mean periodic 'moving days' every few weeks, where everyone simply shuffles around swapping locations.  This doesn't really compare at all with 'true' continuous cruising away from cities, where you can moor almost anywhere you like, moving on around the network as required; simply stop for water, fuel and waste disposal as needed; and visit many interesting places around the network.

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

2 minutes ago, Cheese said:

 

 

For the London show, bear in mind that many canal dwellers in London are what are often referred to here as 'continuous moorers'.  They have  a continuous cruising licence, but for either work or family reasons don't really want to move, so they aim to get away with the minimum that doesn't breach the licence terms.  With London canals also being quite crowded, this can mean periodic 'moving days' every few weeks, where everyone simply shuffles around swapping locations.  This doesn't really compare at all with 'true' continuous cruising away from cities, where you can moor almost anywhere you like, moving on around the network as required; simply stop for water, fuel and waste disposal as needed; and visit many interesting places around the network.

 

 

I think the "London Show" referred to is Canal Cavalcade organised by IWA and I wouldn't expect a great number of live aboards there. Most will be leisure boaters who travel there for the weekend

[blackrose]

4 hours ago, Bee said:

 Of course its not possible to spend all summer on the boat since brexit...

 

Much to my irritation as a full time liveaboard. That's my retirement plan down the toilet. Now if I want to stay on the boat my only option is to stay in this country. 😐

[Stilllearning]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

 

Much to my irritation as a full time liveaboard. That's my retirement plan down the toilet. Now if I want to stay on the boat my only option is to stay in this country. 😐

Or buy a small property in France, they can be still surprisingly cheap, get residency and spend as long as you want on the boat here.

 

ETA or acquire a european passport and do what you like. Irish grandparents ?

Edited April 28, 2022 by Stilllearning

[Guest]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

 

Much to my irritation as a full time liveaboard. That's my retirement plan down the toilet. Now if I want to stay on the boat my only option is to stay in this country. 😐

 

See above.

 

It's still possible, just needs some additional hoops to be jumped through.