Living Aboard - Mooring and a Land Hobby?

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

5 hours ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

I didn’t need a car after I got the boat sorted when I bought it, so it was sold and I just walk everywhere and only buy what I can carry. Not having a car hasn’t been a massive problem to my life afloat, but many have never tried it without one. Yes if you need one for and to work that is different.

I’m with you on that, if a car isn’t essential then ditch it,

great relief to get rid of mine,

no need to worry now about planning to fetch car or where to leave it,

It’s cost less for trains and public transport over a year than it would have on car insurance and mot,

 

 

Edited March 26 by beerbeerbeerbeerbeer

[MtB]

4 hours ago, Lady M said:

Your boat won't move far on £50 worth of diesel.

 

The widebeam on the 48 hour moorings here hasn't moved since November last year, so £50 of diesel is working out just fine for them. 

 

 

 

[Halkyon]

39 minutes ago, MtB said:

The widebeam on the 48 hour moorings here hasn't moved since November last year, so £50 of diesel is working out just fine for them.

 

I'm far too paranoid to be that cheeky!

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

8 minutes ago, Halkyon said:

 

I'm far too paranoid to be that cheeky!

one finds one’s cheekiness can grow when it has to,

 

mind, there is  a difference between a bit of cheek and out right piss taking,

 

[Halkyon]

Another few boats viewed, the decision becomes more imminent and more difficult...

 

The choice is between very similar boats with slightly different levels of maintenance and fitout. My instinct is of course to prioritise structure and the past quality of maintenance (survey results, recency of blacking, year of build, observed condition on the day of viewing). However the best bosts we've viewed in this regard have slightly different interior layouts which gets me thinking - how easy is it to shift an interior wall a couple of feet either way? Knowing this would help in our choice!

Edited April 7 by Halkyon

[MtB]

43 minutes ago, Halkyon said:

Another few boats viewed, the decision becomes more imminent and more difficult...

 

The choice is between very similar boats with slightly different levels of maintenance and fitout. My instinct is of course to prioritise structure and the past quality of maintenance (survey results, recency of blacking, year of build, observed condition on the day of viewing). However the best bosts we've viewed in this regard have slightly different interior layouts which gets me thinking - how easy is it to shift an interior wall a couple of feet either way? Knowing this would help in our choice!

 

Very difficult indeed. Don't even consider it. 

 

Find a boat with the walls (or 'bulkheads' to use the right term) in the right place. 

[David Mack]

43 minutes ago, Halkyon said:

how easy is it to shift an interior wall a couple of feet either way?

Depends entirely on how the boat was fitted out. Most boats are lined out first, then the transverse partitions are fitted. But some are done the other way round, which makes moving the partition a much bigger job.

Don't underestimate how much fiddling about will be involved in sorting out the apparently minor details like trimming edges and matching finishes. And that assumes the job doesn't involve moving plumbing or wiring.

The cost will depend on whether you have the time, skills and resources to do the job yourself, or whether you have to engage someone to do the job for you.

[MtB]

28 minutes ago, David Mack said:

The cost will depend on whether you have the time, skills and resources to do the job yourself, or whether you have to engage someone to do the job for you.

 

My thinking was that somebody needing to ask, probably does not have that skillset. Therefore it will be the expensive option of employing someone! Or if attempting it themselves for the first time, it will be slow and the mistakes expensive too.

 

 

[Halkyon]

Probably a case of having a go and making mistakes honestly. I'm not entirely inept but have mostly done metalwork - my woodworking experiences are limited to making the odd shelf, table and a record player enclosure, so basic box and biscuit joints.

[Ewan123]

On 26/03/2024 at 14:17, Halkyon said:

Back on the topic of becoming a boater, I've been putting together a list of monthly costs.

 

Have I missed something obvious, are some estimates way off?

 

Income Insurance (if we need a loan for a big one): £80-130
CRT License: £112.50 (£1350 / 12)
Boat Insurance: £25-50 (£300-600 / 12)

Annual Boat Service: £33.33 (£400 / 12)
Diesel: £50-100
Solid Fuels: £50-100
Gas/LPG: £10-20
Generator Petrol: £30-60
Internet (4G 2x to 4x MIMO): £30-60
Human Groceries (two people): £200-400
Pet Food/Crap & Insurance (two cats): £50-90
Car Insurance, Tax & Petrol: ~£100 (here to trigger @BoatinglifeupNorth)

Contingency/Emergency/Saving: £500-£1000
 

If you're happy to learn, you can save a lot of money by DIYing the engine service. Getting familiar with all that down there could also save an expensive engineer call-out fee for when when something goes wrong (and it probably will) if you can take a look, have a fiddle and realise it's an easy fix.

Edited April 7 by Ewan123

[MtB]

6 minutes ago, Halkyon said:

Probably a case of having a go and making mistakes honestly. I'm not entirely inept but have mostly done metalwork - my woodworking experiences are limited to making the odd shelf, table and a record player enclosure, so basic box and biscuit joints.

 

In that case you'll probably cope fine. The carpentry is only 25% of the story. All bulkhead building involves repairing the floor finish (both sides), repairing the deckhead (ceiling) finish where the removed bulkhead was, and same for the cabin side finish. Also lighting and switching can be affected, and windows get in the way. In addition nearly every bulkhead worth moving involves the galley and/or the shower room! 

 

And often a door....

 

Nothing is EVER simple where boat alterations are concerned. 

 

 

Forgot to say, bear in mind all work on boats takes three times as long as your worst estimate, and costs three times as much. 

 

Hope that helps, lol! 

 

 

[LadyG]

My priorities were something that looked nice, was made by a good hull builder and not a project.

I used Appollo Duck, however, this boat was suggested by @Tumshie , and was the only one I saw.

I swerved one that turned out to be of uncertain ownership, and looked like a project.

You have to be happy with important aspects, and accept that there will be things you want to change, not immediately , but before naive enthusiasm has faded.

I was under the gun to buy a boat, but did a lot of research, so in fact this boat has worked out, five years on board

When I left the marina (shoreline electricity), I had to replace all the batteries and the solar, (being off grid needs a bit more attention to detail or you will kill the batteries). I also cleaned the diesel by collecting as much as possible and letting it settle over three days. Added some additive, let it settle, return to the tank, then pumped it out again and let it settle. I got rid of 30 % of the diesel, replaced the fuel intake gasket, and have had no problems with water or bug etc. 

The Webasto used to scream, but I bought some Diesel Boost, which mentioned the heater, added it when tank was low, and ran the heater for a few hours.

I save £1000 per annum, just to cover maintenance: haul out, high pressure wash, new anodes,  and coating the hull every  3 to 5 years. Sandiing, painting the cabin and gunwales every five years. The better the job, the longer it should last

Servicing the engine depends on what you have bought. I did my own oil flush and change when I decided to go cc, and there was no one marine qualified available.

I get someone more flexible to do the 500 hour service, includes checking mountings, and fittings.

 

 

Edited April 8 by LadyG

[Halkyon]

We've had an offer accepted on a boat, pending surveys, BSS and maintenance logs, the boring stuff!

 

Now I may need to get reliable internet sorted in a hurry and don't know where to find myself a router I can plug a 4x4 MIMO antennae into! Ahhh!

Edited April 9 by Halkyon

[IanD]

 

Edited April 9 by IanD

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

19 minutes ago, Halkyon said:

We've had an offer accepted on a boat, pending surveys, BSS and maintenance logs, the boring stuff!

 

Now I may need to get reliable internet sorted in a hurry and don't know where to find myself a router I can plug a 4x4 MIMO antennae into! Ahhh!

Nice to see your priorities 😂😂

[Halkyon]

1 minute ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Nice to see your priorities 😂😂

 

Unfortunately I am still 31 years from retirement and work full time remote from a laptop!

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

1 minute ago, Halkyon said:

 

Unfortunately I am still 31 years from retirement and work full time remote from a laptop!

Maybe you should wait to see what the survey pulls up. 

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, Halkyon said:

 

Unfortunately I am still 31 years from retirement and work full time remote from a laptop!

 

When you've got the boat you can get this sorted easily in a couple of days, see my post above.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

On 26/03/2024 at 14:17, Halkyon said:

Solid Fuels: £50-100

This is a tricky one, prices can vary and quality can too, but if you buy from marinas it’s all pretty much of a muchness and of course you’ll pay a couple of quid a bag more (maybe)

I’ve been budgeting £160 for the month, and that’s worked for me, 

We’ve not had a very cold winter, if we had had then I might have had to spend another £40 on that cold month,

but it’s felt quite mild at times and I’ve let the fire out at night and not relit until following evening,

where as when it’s really cold you keep the fire on 24 hours a day. 

past years I’ve scavenged wood here and there but didn’t bother this year,

 

in a nutshell: expect to double your budget for fuel,

 

oh, you used to able to set light to proper coal easily with a rizzla paper and a twig,

now nothing wants to burn! 

 

 

 

 

[Halkyon]

Looks like the sale will go through after all, I'm getting excited...

 

Current owners have mainly been "floaters" rather than "boaters" so no solar and are plugged into shoreline 24/7. Batteries are listed as 1x120Ah for engine starter, 620Ah domestic, 240Ah bow thruster.

 

I've had a go at working out a kind of worst case energy consumption scenario, which would certainly require running the engine once a day.
 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KtzkGQWkirfYjsbP8xQjs84RDI3BEMSjAWEjUjS4c7w/edit?usp=sharing

 

Edited Wednesday at 19:05 by Halkyon

[MtB]

10 minutes ago, Halkyon said:

Looks like the sale will go through after all, I'm getting excited...

 

Current owners have mainly been "floaters" rather than "boaters" so no solar and are plugged into shoreline 24/7. Batteries are listed as 1x120Ah for engine starter, 620Ah domestic, 240Ah bow thruster.

 

I've had a go at working out a kind of worst case energy consumption scenario, which would certainly require running the engine once a day.
 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KtzkGQWkirfYjsbP8xQjs84RDI3BEMSjAWEjUjS4c7w/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

 

"Washing machine 4x weekly"??!!! 

 

That'll soon wear off, lol!! 

 

I reckon I run mine twice a month....

[Halkyon]

Worst case scenario! Let's say I fall in the canal at least once a week!

 

Starlink power draw is terrible and I'd hate to give money to that Musk twerp, I really hope I can make 4G antennas work instead.

Edited Wednesday at 19:19 by Halkyon

[MtB]

4G is fine for run-of-the-mill internet, I find.

 

5G is fast but the latency is massive when my phone shows a 5G connection. Like 30 seconds to find a URL, but one found, virtually instant download of masses of data. Frankly I prefer 4G. 

 

 

[LadyG]

On 07/04/2024 at 20:32, Ewan123 said:

If you're happy to learn, you can save a lot of money by DIYing the engine service. Getting familiar with all that down there could also save an expensive engineer call-out fee for when when something goes wrong (and it probably will) if you can take a look, have a fiddle and realise it's an easy fix.

Ive got a reliable engine and have it serviced once a year by someone who knows about narrowboat engineering. I can change the oil myself if i have to, i cant check engine mounts or gearbox.

I dont know enough to say my engine is well maintained, i expect the professional to do that

I do the daily checks and always use a torch to inspect tbe engine and i clean the hoses etc. 

Edited Wednesday at 19:30 by LadyG

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, MtB said:

4G is fine for run-of-the-mill internet, I find.

 

5G is fast but the latency is massive when my phone shows a 5G connection. Like 30 seconds to find a URL, but one found, virtually instant download of masses of data. Frankly I prefer 4G. 

 

 

If 5G is available it's also often less congested than 4G, especially at peak times. Your 5G latency issue doesn't stack up with my experience on either phone or router, it might be down to your carrier and local masts. If you have a working 4G system that meets your needs it's probably not worth upgrading to 5G, if you're buying new then 4G is cheaper but 5G is more future-proof -- especially if you're going to rely on streaming for TV rather than broadcast with a TV aerial, as more and more people are doing nowadays.

 

At the new marina (Great Haywood) using 5G I was getting about 125M down / 13M up on EE (1pMobile) compared to 8M/0.5M at Uplands... 🙂 

 

(130M/25M at Wheelock VM)

Edited Wednesday at 19:35 by IanD