Jump to content

Fifteen reasons why living on a narrowboat is not a good idea ...


Bobbybass

Featured Posts

I thought this article about sums it up....apart from not mentioning getting frozen in and running out of water or loo tank 😳😀

 

Please read it with strains of " always look on the bright side of life" ringing in your mind.

 

I did think it was pretty accurate though 🤔

 

https://livingonanarrowboat.co.uk/fifteen-reasons-why-living-on-a-narrowboat-is-a-bad-idea/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, originalsmoothie said:

Funny you should mention getting frozen in. I wrote that and I am frozen in at the moment and have been for the last six days. It's all about planning though. I have shops nearby, enough coal to last another two weeks, and gas and water for another month. I think I'll survive!

Me too:  the weather forecast was very wrong!  That bloody jetstream has hit a diversion in the troposphere!

Edited by LadyG
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm always curious about the people you see on TV....on the various programs like small spaces...who buy a cheap boat then spend ages fitting out the inside. They often give the hull a quick coat....but don't realise that painting the outside is like the forth bridge.

 

There will be many times when you can't relax you have to scrape rust and repair. That along with the amount of time they spend on the inside compared with a quick scratch of the hull.

 

It's like restoring train lines or canals. You can't just rub your hands and say..."that's finished" and walk away. There is ongoing maintenance... painting....oil changes if you're living aboard and running the engine...new batteries every few years....abides....ongoing repairs.

 

" Always look on the bright....side of life " 😀😀

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Bobbybass said:

There will be many times when you can't relax you have to scrape rust and repair. That along with the amount of time they spend on the inside compared with a quick scratch of the hull.

And the deep joy of hearing a boat smashing through the ice towards you when you've sensibly decided to stop on your mooring to protect your hull paint. The ice on my mooring is at least an inch thick but I can hear it creaking and groaning as a boater a few hundred metres away smashes his way along the canal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, originalsmoothie said:

And the deep joy of hearing a boat smashing through the ice towards you when you've sensibly decided to stop on your mooring to protect your hull paint. The ice on my mooring is at least an inch thick but I can hear it creaking and groaning as a boater a few hundred metres away smashes his way along the canal.

 

 

No worries about that for those who put their ice planks out! 

 

Is this boat you can hear ice breaking, the coal boat perhaps? 

 

Will you decline to buy fuel from fuel boats if you object to perfectly legal ice-breaking? 

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, MtB said:

Is this boat you can hear ice breaking, the coal boat perhaps? 

 

Will you decline to buy fuel from fuel boats if you object to perfectly legal ice-breaking? 

I never complain about the coal boat's movements, or about anyone else with a valid reason to move through ice. The local coal boat cruised past yesterday. Good luck to the guy. He does a great job.

 

I've noticed that many of the ice breakers are crews on shared ownership boats. They don't have to move but want to because it's their turn for a cruise. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, originalsmoothie said:

 I've noticed that many of the ice breakers are crews on shared ownership boats. They don't have to move but want to because it's their turn for a cruise. 

What about getting back to base on time. The coal and fuel boats dont have to do it, they do it to server their customers, other boaters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, LadyG said:

Me too:  the weather forecast was very wrong!  That bloody jetstream has hit a diversion in the troposphere!

 

Yes I'm sure they originally said it would get warmer by the weekend. Minus 5C here last night and now they're forecasting -6 tonight and subzero temperatures at night until Wednesday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, originalsmoothie said:

never complain about the coal boat's movements, or about anyone else with a valid reason to move through ice.

 

Ah, so you consider yourself the arbiter of who may move through ice and who my not. 

 

Okaaaayyyyyy... 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, blackrose said:

 

Yes I'm sure they originally said it would get warmer by the weekend. Minus 5C here last night and now they're forecasting -6 tonight and subzero temperatures at night until Wednesday.

Last night was the coldest I've ever experienced. I will be doubling up on thick curtains tonight. Fortunately only a hundred yards from The Pot Belly shed for logs,  plenty of coal on board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, originalsmoothie said:

The recent shared ownership boaters I mentioned where on their way from their moorings, not back to them.

It’s a (mostly leisure) transport network, not a private housing estate. If you object to boats moving past you in winter, I would recommend putting your boat in a marina or on the bank.

Edited by nicknorman
  • Greenie 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

It’s a (mostly leisure) transport network, not a private housing estate. If you object to boats moving past you in winter, I would recommend putting your boat in a marina or on the bank.

Quite. Although with the marina option Mr. smoothie would probably still object to fellow moorers taking their boats out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm on the Stort at the moment where coal boat deliveries can be sporadic because of a certain bridge that can't be gotten under when the water's high...apparently a rather not so nice person on a permanent mooring was texting abuse to one of the coal boat drivers for coming through in the thin ice recently. If you're concerned, you can probably pull some bits of ply from a skip and have yourself some free ice planks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

It’s a (mostly leisure) transport network, not a private housing estate. If you object to boats moving past you in winter, I would recommend putting your boat in a marina or on the bank.

 

I agree. The attitude that you shouldn't move in ice or even bad weather seems to be becoming more prevalent. I notice on various Facebook groups people posting videos of someone who dared to cruise past them in ice because they needed water....and getting all irate about it. 

 

32 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Quite. Although with the marina option Mr. smoothie would probably still object to fellow moorers taking their boats out.

 

Funny, the last marina I was in the resident CM'ers were always aghast when I took the boat out in any sort of breeze, I can only imagine the horror on their faces if someone moved in ice.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.