Buying and moving

[Cheese]

At under 45' you might be able to lift it out at Byfleet (Parvis Wharf / TLC), avoiding the Thames.

[magnetman]

10 minutes ago, Cheese said:

At under 45' you might be able to lift it out at Byfleet (Parvis Wharf / TLC), avoiding the Thames.

They do lift boats out but I don't think they put them on transport. Worth checking though. Nice little boatyard that one. 

 

 

[LadyG]

23 hours ago, bluelapsing said:

 

Amazing - thank you!

 

I'll have to buy a notebook and write all of these tips down - a small one that I can colour-code and keep in my back pocket for emergencies / peace of mind. 

 

 

When emergencies occur you need to know what to do, but it might be best to get someone with experience and pay them for a few days.  You will need someone with patience as you want to get in to a routine to work the locks safely and this means slowly if you are essentially doing it singlehanded.

I use two centrelines, both long enough and strong enough for the job. I have a big green pin bow (rhymes with crow) shaped shackle on the centreline hole. I watch the boat as I work the locks, I go deliberately slowly in slippery conditions as I do not want to fall. 

It's a good idea to wear an automatic lifejacket. 

I have a knife in my pocket in case a rope needs to be cut, it's unlikely.

Going up in locks it is possible to be caught in certain doors and also in a very few narrow locks, on stonework which is sticking out but it is rare. Just rehearse your response should you need to stop the inflow of water.

Going down you need to keep the stern clear of the cill which the doors rest on. Singlehanded, you should open paddles very cautiously, the boat can shoot backwards if the flow of incoming water is ferocious DAMHIK.

Keep an eye on the boat in the lock and keep your windlass in your hand so you don't lose it.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21, 2023 by LadyG

[Tony Brooks]

3 minutes ago, LadyG said:

When emergencies occur you need to know what to do, but it might be best to get someone with experience and pay them for a few days.  You need someone with patience as you need to get in to a routine to work the locks safely and this means slowly if you are essentially doing it singlehanded.

I use two centrelines, both long enough and strong enough for the job. I have a big green pin bow (rhymes with crow) shaped shackle on the centreline hole. I watch the boat as I work the locks, I go deliberately slowly in slippery conditions, as I do not want to fall.

It's a good idea to wear an automatic lifejacket. 

 

 

 

I would point out that using a centre line only in Thames locks is not normally allowed, although some keepers turn a blind eye. I am sure the regs require a bow and stern line.

 

I had two sets of lines. The short canal set and a pair of very much longer bow and stern lines, the bow line being the longer. This allows you to run the bow line to the back of the roof and  when in the lock step off onto the lock steps (not a ladder) carrying both lines up to put a turn around suitable bollards yet still hold and control both lines whilst standing on the lock side. Thames' locks are not like canal locks and from what I can see not like Severn locks (not sure about the Trent). The Thames locks fill from gate paddles apart from at least one and that one seems to fill from both sides along its length so it tries to push the boat away from the wall. On the Severn it seems the lockkeeper can fill from one side or than the other (or maybe both) so the boat gets pushed against the wall.

 

At least on the Thames going upstream, if the OP comes to an unmanned lock, they can go up to the lock side as described above and tie the lines off whilst they work the lock. Going up stream, there should be no danger of tipping the boat or snapping ropes.

[Bobbybass]

On 20/01/2023 at 11:36, bluelapsing said:

 

The other option is https://tingdeneboating.com/boats-for-sale/narrowboat-42-triton-rosie-oday/ 

 

Either way I'll get a full pre-purchase survey done, but in the long run perhaps it makes sense to invest in the (presumably) better boat 🤔

 

I briefly moored near this boat on the Way...but didn't know she was for sale.

 

She looked quite tidy....so worth considering.

Can't think she'll stay on the market long at that price point.

 

 

[bluelapsing]

Happy conclusion: found a retired boater who does some moving for one of the local marinas at £60 per day 😊

 

(Just reward, I think, for fighting the fog at Sawley and Shardlow this morning!) 

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, bluelapsing said:

Happy conclusion: found a retired boater who does some moving for one of the local marinas at £60 per day 😊

 

(Just reward, I think, for fighting the fog at Sawley and Shardlow this morning!) 

 

You have checked they are fully insured should they sink your boat or damage it in other ways?

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, M_JG said:

 

You have checked they are fully insured should they sink your boat or damage it in other ways?

 

Or damage any other boat or infrastructure ...........................

[magnetman]

Or kill or dismember someone. 

[bluelapsing]

Not yet, but it is on the list.

 

Also might still be edged out by a lovely friend who's done the route before and offered to help me do it in stages - apparently we'd have to go through an extremely long tunnel and past some beautiful stairs at a place with the word 'fox' in it (?) - which would obviously take longer but be much more enjoyable and instructive

[ditchcrawler]

11 hours ago, bluelapsing said:

Not yet, but it is on the list.

 

Also might still be edged out by a lovely friend who's done the route before and offered to help me do it in stages - apparently we'd have to go through an extremely long tunnel and past some beautiful stairs at a place with the word 'fox' in it (?) - which would obviously take longer but be much more enjoyable and instructive

That would be my choice, even if you employ the chap at £60 a day, go with him.

[MtB]

13 hours ago, magnetman said:

Or kill or dismember someone. 

 

Or simply paints it a different colour then sells it on ebay, instead of delivering it as planned...

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Or simply paints it a different colour then sells it on ebay, instead of delivering it as planned...

 

 

Whilst that is a risk it wouldn't of course be covered by the mover's insurance but rather the owners'.

 

That said insurance policy wording often excludes theft when the property has been obtained through deception or fraud. I can't remember what (if anything) our Craftinsure policy said about whether we would have been covered if @matty40s had bogged off with our boat and sold it when he moved it in 2015.

[John Brightley]

On 20/01/2023 at 11:18, bluelapsing said:

Morning all, 

 

I'm considering going to view this boat (https://tingdeneboating.com/boats-for-sale/narrowboat-43-pat-buckle-cruiser-stern-blossom/) but it's in Surrey, and I'm up in Nottingham.

 

It's probably worth bearing in mind that generally boats are much more expensive to purchase close to London /in the Surrey area, so it may be worthwhile you looking at more boats closer to Nottingham or further north.

[booke23]

31 minutes ago, John Brightley said:

It's probably worth bearing in mind that generally boats are much more expensive to purchase close to London /in the Surrey area, so it may be worthwhile you looking at more boats closer to Nottingham or further north.

 

That is generally the case, although I think Pyrford is far enough outside London for this to not be a factor. The OPs boat seems priced about right and I viewed a boat there a few years ago that was priced correctly. 

[magnetman]

I bought my first narrow boat from Pyrford marina in 1994. Happy memories of the place. The surveyor had a mobile phone with a separate battery. Basically a car phone with a carry handle and a battery below it. Looked quite impressive at the time. 

 

How times change. The river Wey is cool but the boat will need to come onto the Thames (which is amazing when it is behaving itself) for transport. 

 

I did wonder if there was anywhere on the Wey to lift onto transport but it seems not. Maybe Pyrford would allow a hiab wagon in. 

Edited January 23, 2023 by magnetman

[agg221]

2 hours ago, magnetman said:

I bought my first narrow boat from Pyrford marina in 1994. Happy memories of the place. The surveyor had a mobile phone with a separate battery. Basically a car phone with a carry handle and a battery below it. Looked quite impressive at the time. 

 

How times change. The river Wey is cool but the boat will need to come onto the Thames (which is amazing when it is behaving itself) for transport. 

 

I did wonder if there was anywhere on the Wey to lift onto transport but it seems not. Maybe Pyrford would allow a hiab wagon in. 

When we had Hagley (72' ex GUCCC wooden butty built by Walkers of Rickmansworth in 1938) it had been used as a house boat on the Basingstoke, following which it was deconverted to a bare hull. We emptied all the rubbish out into a skip kindly provided by the previous owner to get it as light as possible and off it went on cross straps, towed by Severn. We took it through lock 1 and watched it head out onto the Wey, from where it went down the Thames and up the GU. We next saw it at Jem Bates' yard where it made it safely. Immediate repairs were fixing the holes in the bottom enough for it to float properly (including one large enough to stick a broom handle through) and during the subsequent rebuild we found both the stem and stern posts were split top to bottom. Could have been a bit awkward...

 

Comparatively, taking a relatively modern steel boat up the Thames wouldn't worry me particularly, but a boat mover or someone experienced would give some confidence and a chance to gain some experience.

 

Alec

[Tom Morgan]

Speaking only for myself, I'd be a bit worried about trying to take an unfamiliar boat on such a long journey as my first trip on it.  Maybe I'm just over-cautious.

 

[A Cronshaw]

I am currently looking in to the transportation of 60ft narrowboats as i am wondering whether it would be cheaper than driving down the canals as a first time owner. Does anyone know a rough price for around 200 miles?

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, A Cronshaw said:

I am currently looking in to the transportation of 60ft narrowboats as i am wondering whether it would be cheaper than driving down the canals as a first time owner. Does anyone know a rough price for around 200 miles?

 

Lorry transport is quite cheap, but cranes at either end can be very expensive. 

 

Where are you looking at as a start and finish location?  This will affect the price for road transport & crane costs or hiring a professional boatmover or cruising the boat yourself.

[A Cronshaw]

Looking from around Cardiff to Stockport area 

[Tony Brooks]

11 minutes ago, A Cronshaw said:

Looking from around Cardiff to Stockport area 

 

Well, unless going by sea (Severn Estuary) the only choice is by lorry. Not something to try in a narowboat.

[ditchcrawler]

[booke23]

17 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

 

They should touch up the blacking while the tide is out.

 

20 hours ago, A Cronshaw said:

I am currently looking in to the transportation of 60ft narrowboats as i am wondering whether it would be cheaper than driving down the canals as a first time owner. Does anyone know a rough price for around 200 miles?

 

It really depends on the circumstances. If you have to hire a crane in at both ends to do the lifting then it could cost you quite a few thousand pounds. If you found a yard or wharf with a crane then much cheaper. Very rough ballpark figure would be £2000ish using yard cranes or a truck with a Hiab, or £5000ish if you are hiring mobile cranes at both ends. 

[Alan de Enfield]

As has been said - it will depend on what loading and unloading facilities the yards "at both ends" of the trip have.

 

Quite a few yards have their own hoists and the charges are normally around £160-£200 (each way - In & out). If a crane is needed and it is just for your 'one lift' it could be £3000 "each way" (out and in)

Steel NBs are quite heavy and a crane lift is not only on the boat weight. but also on the 'reach' of the boom - if it has to reach across / into a dock then its lifting capacity is much reduced.

 

The marina I am in is primarily 'plastic' (GRP) boats and we have a 100 tonne crane at the end of the season, and again at the start of the season. The crane is there for a 'long day' but costs around £8-£10,0000 for the full day. (He lifts around 30 boats 6am to 8pm so it only works out at about £300 each)

 

This is the sort of hoist that some yards (particulary River based marinas) have :

 

This one is at Newark Marina on the River Trent

 

 

 

And this one at Dickies where we were dropped back in

 

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by Alan de Enfield