mking our minds up

[pollyjim]

WELL , AFTER READING ALL COMMENTS ABOUT LIVING ON THE CANEL.ITS PUTING ME OFF BY SEEING ABOUT HOW COSTLY IT IT TO DO THE SAME, COULD SOME ONE PLEASE PUT MY MIND TO REST.IE, JUST HOW COSTLY IS IT PER WEEK OR YEAR TO LIVE ON THE WATERWAYS, THANKS JAMES

[Yoda]

WELL , AFTER READING ALL COMMENTS ABOUT LIVING ON THE CANEL.ITS PUTING ME OFF BY SEEING ABOUT HOW COSTLY IT IT TO DO THE SAME, COULD SOME ONE PLEASE PUT MY MIND TO REST.IE, JUST HOW COSTLY IS IT PER WEEK OR YEAR TO LIVE ON THE WATERWAYS, THANKS JAMES

 

Stop shouting, it'll only hurt.

 

It will cost you the same as living in a house. Then there is depreciation on top.

[Mr Baites]

WELL , AFTER READING ALL COMMENTS ABOUT LIVING ON THE CANEL.ITS PUTING ME OFF BY SEEING ABOUT HOW COSTLY IT IT TO DO THE SAME, COULD SOME ONE PLEASE PUT MY MIND TO REST.IE, JUST HOW COSTLY IS IT PER WEEK OR YEAR TO LIVE ON THE WATERWAYS, THANKS JAMES

 

we;l if ya av 3 meels a day owt an thi cost ya 50 eech thas 3 x 50 er well aniway if ya add it up sevn tiyms yav gora idia then lysnse but ya can gerroff wi that n sum downt av insurnc so ya need deesul unall add it up

Edited November 28, 2007 by Mr Baites

[fuzzyduck]

Make no mistake, it's expensive. but there are things you can do to keep the price down.

 

what were you thinking of living on, and where?

[Lady Muck]

We had a bad year for work last financial year, the accountant said we earned only £21,000, and that's pretty much how much it cost us for the mooring, license, boat mortgage repairs etc, for two people and a dog in London. We live quite lean, we don't eat out and go to the pub very rarely and all holidays that year were spent on the boat. We don't run a car and we cycle mostly. We burn alot of wood that we get for free. We did almost all of the maintenance ourselves, including reblacking the hull. It was still a bit tight though. We ate a lot of corned beef hash! Does that give you an idea? I've been saving recepits intending to do a spreadsheet, but (thankfully) we've been so busy this finiancial year, I haven't got round to it!

Edited November 28, 2007 by Lady Muck

[Mr Baites]

We had a bad year for work last financial year, the accountant said we earned only £21,000, and that's pretty much how much it cost us for the mooring, license, boat mortgage repairs etc, for two people and a dog in London. We live quite lean, we don't eat out and go to the pub very rarely and all holidays that year were spent on the boat. We don't run a car and we cycle mostly. We burn alot of wood that we get for free. We did almost all of the maintenance ourselves, including reblacking the hull. It was still a bit tight though. We ate a lot of corned beef hash! Does that give you an idea? I've been saving recepits intending to do a spreadsheet, but (thankfully) we've been so busy this finiancial year, I haven't got round to it!

 

 

i eet beens i do

[Lady Muck]

I'm baked bean phobic don't come anywhere near me with them, alright?

[Gnome K Gnome]

I'm baked bean phobic don't come anywhere near me with them, alright?

 

 

Blazing Saddles is one of my favorite films.

[bottle]

Hi Pollyjim

 

It is difficult to give a an exact figure but there are constants and non-constant costs.

 

The constants are those that you have no control over, licence (about £350 to £750 per year depending on length of boat), Insurance (has to be at least 'third party' approx £250 say). Mooring fees, if you do not CC, anywhere between nominal fee to about £7,000 (London) lets say £2,500.

 

That's £3,500 pound a year already, then there are all the variables, maintenance, breakdowns, diesel etc.

 

Do not forget that all costs will be rising substantially in the next three years, the licence is rising by about 40%, diesel will treble.

 

As has been said if you can afford to run/maintain a house (as if you owned it) then you will probably be able to 'run' a boat.

 

Owning and running a boat is not a cheap option just an alternative way of life.

 

Good luck may see you on the cut one day.

[onthecut]

Hi James.

 

I think the big factors in this question are whether you aim to go cc or use a marina; whether you have your boat outright or have to borrow for it and how much maintenance you are able, or want to do yourself. My figures, being cc, are roughly -- Licence, £600 odd (less than just the water rates on the house). Insurance, around £200 odd. About three days dry dock a year, for a spot of blacking and paint touch up --- say another £200. Around £100 worth of oil and filters in the year. Anything between 2 and 10 litres of diesel a day depending how long the day and how hard I go. Remember, the diesel duty increase should only affect propulsion diesel, not genny, heating etc. You need to factor in periodic battery replacement --- hard to quantify, but say £50 - £100 a year. Altogether, I have to say it strikes me as vastly cheaper than running the house. OK, you can get in to the debate about depreciation on the boat, the interest you lose by having the money tied up in the boat and so forth ---- but life really is too short.

 

Mike.

[PaddingtonBear]

These sorts of debates always amaze me - whether it is about the 'average' cost of weddings (£12000), the cost of children (£360000!!) or now the cost of boating. I don't know where you all get your info. from but mine is at substantial variance from all of yours(oh no not again )

Ours is as follow, for a 54' boat with vintage engine, newly rebuilt

 

Fantastic mooring with every thing desired by man/woman inc. facilities to take out of the water

and work on the boat 650pa

Insurance value 65000 178pa

Servicing 10 litres of 30 grade oil and 2 filters /200 hours, antifreeze 40

Fuel 1.25 litres /hour under all conditions, would be lower used on canals only

Sundries grease, paint etc 10

Licence Gold (might not get one at all ) 940?

General maintenance, blacking and replacement of batteries (currently 2x200 ah domestics and 1 200ah start/reserve)etc. (last time I shot blasted it and applied 6 coats of VT) 500 (DIY)every three years at worst although I fully expect the batteries to last another 8 years or so (they are currently a year old)

Alright, there is of course depreciation, and the costs associated with alternative uses for our money but they are associated with everything that we buy except housing but don't forget the last eighties!!. In fact the average new car looses 25% of its value immediately your name goes in the VRD and loses around £40 pounds a week thereafter just standing outside your house. I know what I would rather do!!. The major problem here is that many of the respondents on the forum want something for nothing or at the very least see price as the only arbiter. If you can't afford it don't have it. I can't afford a Ferrari so I don't have one and what is more I don't bleat about it - well not much anyway.

[carlt]

The major problem here is that many of the respondents on the forum want something for nothing or at the very least see price as the only arbiter. If you can't afford it don't have it. I can't afford a Ferrari so I don't have one and what is more I don't bleat about it - well not much anyway.

Sorry but could you point out which of the posts on this thread prompted this accusation?

[bottle]

Dear Paddington,

 

I hope I may call you that, thank you for your input, it does show 'the other side of the coin'.

 

James was asking for some guidance as to costs, the majority of us were giving worse case scenarios and our knowledge from research you have given first hand knowledge.

 

Hopefully James can use this accumulated knowledge to make his decision to go ahead, or not.

 

As to cost being the only arbiter, it is not, but it is a great big piece of the 'pleasure' in owning a boat.

[PaddingtonBear]

Thanks for the comments and I broadly agree with them but why do most questions especially about electrics, repairing engines and TV reception always begin with How Much? rather than How do I do?. Boating Like every thing else in this god forsaken life is governed by the immutable laws - You get what you pay for and If you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Costs are, of course, very important but VALUE is even more important. They are often confused.

 

To Cart You are not sorry so why say so? I note with some concern that the mask of Mr Moral has slipped of late

[BlueStringPudding]

I can't afford a boat. HSBC can. Problem solved.

[carlt]

Thanks for the comments and I broadly agree with them but why do most questions especially about electrics, repairing engines and TV reception always begin with How Much? rather than How do I do?. Boating Like every thing else in this god forsaken life is governed by the immutable laws - You get what you pay for and If you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Costs are, of course, very important but VALUE is even more important. They are often confused.

 

To Cart You are not sorry so why say so? I note with some concern that the mask of Mr Moral has slipped of late

You're absolutely right (though my name is carl and my forum name is carlt) and it wasn't meant as an apology. It a generally accepted start to a sentence when someone doesn't quite understand something.

 

Not sure what you mean by your second point so....sorry, could you elaborate?

[bottle]

Thanks for the comments and I broadly agree with them but why do most questions especially about electrics, repairing engines and TV reception always begin with How Much? rather than How do I do?. Boating Like every thing else in this god forsaken life is governed by the immutable laws - You get what you pay for and If you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Costs are, of course, very important but VALUE is even more important. They are often confused.

 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Snip

 

Hi

 

I totally agree but we have to start somewhere, I started with a dream, then progressed to how much that dream was going to cost, and then set about the value I was going to obtain for the amount of money I have.

 

I think it is now about right, only problem it has taken 2½ years to get to where I am at the moment and it looks like it will be another year before I can start to live the dream.

 

The dream and the value are still there but the costs are rising all the time, for instance I have not worked out the exact costings but my boat will probably cost between 10 and 20,000 more, than when I first started, for the same boat/value.

 

My builder uses this and I believe Gary (Ledgard bridge) also has it on his wall

Value.......

 

It's unwise to pay too much, but it's unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money, that is all.

When you pay too little you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It can't be done.

If you deal with the lowest bidder, it's well to add something for the risk you run.

And if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.

 

JOHN RUSKIN (1819 - 1900)