Which skills (to learn) would serve a new liveaboard the best?

[Jon57]

1 hour ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Essential skills,  patience, tolerance, compassion, understanding.

Being deaf. Can't hear the radio from passing cyclists 😁

[David Mack]

If you buy a quality well maintained boat you shouldn't need many skills beyond routine engine maintenance and battery management. But if you buy a fixer-upper you will rapidly find yourself needing all of the skills mentioned in this thread (or deep pockets). Or you may end up somewhere in between where the need for a particular skill will only become apparent when something goes wrong. Basic DIY skills will take you a long way if you accept that boat wiring and plumbing are a little different to their domestic equivalent, but there is plenty of information out there, and if in doubt you can ask here.

[The Narrow Way]

36 minutes ago, David Mack said:

If you buy a quality well maintained boat you shouldn't need many skills beyond routine engine maintenance and battery management. But if you buy a fixer-upper you will rapidly find yourself needing all of the skills mentioned in this thread (or deep pockets). Or you may end up somewhere in between where the need for a particular skill will only become apparent when something goes wrong. Basic DIY skills will take you a long way if you accept that boat wiring and plumbing are a little different to their domestic equivalent, but there is plenty of information out there, and if in doubt you can ask here.

 

Yeah, interesting.  This does echo a lot of what others have said.  I'm surprised (but glad) that there's so much close consensus.  I'm getting the feeling that, beyond the obvious, it's better to just add skills as and when they are required. 

I was expecting people to say 'woodwork' or 'metalwork' more, but I guess the people I see along the towpath sanding their boats and pulling out welders are serious fixer-uppers!

[MtB]

1 minute ago, The Narrow Way said:

I was expecting people to say 'woodwork' or 'metalwork' more, but I guess the people I see along the towpath sanding their boats and pulling out welders are serious fixer-uppers!

 

These are people for whom all the important stuff is already sorted and working. Sanding stuff is what you do when there's nothing left that doesn't work. sanding is just making stuff look prettier. 

 

I've never seen anyone welding on the towpath. 

 

 

[dmr]

6 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

These are people for whom all the important stuff is already sorted and working. Sanding stuff is what you do when there's nothing left that doesn't work. sanding is just making stuff look prettier. 

 

I've never seen anyone welding on the towpath. 

 

 

Youve not been down the western end enough 😀

[dmr]

De-rusting and painting are essential skills.

Even if you get a smart boat it will get scratches and scrapes.

You might not want to tackle a full re-paint but should develop skills and a technique for derusting the various scrapes that you will get, and doing a moderately good and long lasting paint repair.

 

And plumbing, its mostly plastic on boats so relatively easy to work with, but you need the skills and a few tools to handle any leaks.

[The Narrow Way]

22 minutes ago, MtB said:

I've never seen anyone welding on the towpath. 

 

 

 

To be fair, only along Hackney Wick, Vicky Park - people who are basically building their home around them!

6 minutes ago, dmr said:

De-rusting and painting are essential skills.

Even if you get a smart boat it will get scratches and scrapes.

You might not want to tackle a full re-paint but should develop skills and a technique for derusting the various scrapes that you will get, and doing a moderately good and long lasting paint repair.

 

And plumbing, its mostly plastic on boats so relatively easy to work with, but you need the skills and a few tools to handle any leaks.

 

De-rusting, painting - I'm adding those!  Plumbing in plastic is probably something I could dabble with too.

Edited February 20, 2023 by The Narrow Way

[dmr]

11 minutes ago, The Narrow Way said:

 

To be fair, only along Hackney Wick, Vicky Park - people who are basically building their home around them!

 

De-rusting, painting - I'm adding those!  Plumbing in plastic is probably something I could dabble with too.

 

You will need to identify what brand of plumbing your boat uses and probably get a "de-mounting" tool, they are not expensive. Practice getting a joint apart and back together, because when one does fail it will be in a difficult location and you will be working by feel with your fingertips.😀

[tree monkey]

9 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

You will need to identify what brand of plumbing your boat uses and probably get a "de-mounting" tool, they are not expensive. Practice getting a joint apart and back together, because when one does fail it will be in a difficult location and you will be working by feel with your fingertips.😀

It's not high on the list but I was surprised plumbing wasn't mentioned until page 3, it was certainly a very steep learning curve when the hot water cylinder developed a pinhole

 

Thanks to a friendly @MtB who took my rather panicked calls when I couldn't work out which bit of plastic to buy I am slightly less worried when I need to do a bit of fettling.

[Laurie Booth]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

These are people for whom all the important stuff is already sorted and working. Sanding stuff is what you do when there's nothing left that doesn't work. sanding is just making stuff look prettier. 

 

I've never seen anyone welding on the towpath. 

 

 

Narrow boat emely bronte welds on the towpath

[dmr]

59 minutes ago, Laurie Booth said:

Narrow boat emely bronte welds on the towpath

 

I have heard that he actually built the smaller boat (push tug and forge) on the towpath but maybe thats just a canal myth.

[Laurie Booth]

2 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

I have heard that he actually built the smaller boat (push tug and forge) on the towpath but maybe thats just a canal myth.

He, Brian greves did do that