Hi All

[MtB]

12 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I've been on board three years seven months:

 

 

You're gonna have to get off and do a lock eventually! 

 

 

 

[mightyslay3r]

12 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I've been on board three years seven months: this year I had to buy a blanket box to store all my extra stuff, there is one chair and one uncomfortable bench for visitors. 

I'm thinking I will have to move back to bricks and mortar soon, so I have a mattress, and a blanket box, plus cutlery etc. I visit charity shop every week, one in one out.

sorry to hear this LadyG... we do like creature comforts, but... we can adapt & also bring quilts, blankets, cutlery etc with us....

3 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

You're gonna have to get off and do a lock eventually! 

 

 

 

looking forward to the adventure MtB

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, mightyslay3r said:

sorry to hear this LadyG... we do like creature comforts, but... we can adapt & also bring quilts, blankets, cutlery etc with us....

 

Cutlery?!!

 

fantastic, I'm impressed! 

 

 

 

<Just kiddin'>

I have cutlery too

 

 

 

[LadyG]

10 minutes ago, mightyslay3r said:

sorry to hear this LadyG... we do like creature comforts, but... we can adapt & also bring quilts, blankets, cutlery etc with us....

I've converted to a duvet.

  I get Damart clothing every year for xmas.

I'm very very reluctant to ever give  up my boat, it's really really cosy. 

And peaceful 

 

4 hours ago, mightyslay3r said:

ok, has I said.. brand new to boating on our canal & river system....

Thanks for the warm welcome & replies

I have questions.. lots of them.

firstly.. what licences/permits/courses do I need to take before even considering buying a boat?

I know of BSS checks & pre-buy surveys but cant seem to find anything on what you require to be able to pilot a vessel....

thanks in advance guys

 

Good grief, how naive!!!!! Everyone else just buys a boat then asks sensible questions.

Edited February 25, 2023 by LadyG

[mightyslay3r]

7 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Good grief, how naive!!!!! Everyone else just buys a boat then asks sensible questions.

mmm, not sure "not diving in head first" is naive... would sooner find out things before, rather than after the fact  

[LadyG]

2 minutes ago, mightyslay3r said:

mmm, not sure "not diving in head first" is naive... would sooner find out things before, rather than after the fact  

You don't recognise irony?

Good luck on the forum.

[David Mack]

58 minutes ago, mightyslay3r said:

i was thinking 50 - 55 foot which should give us ample space... 

 

 

19 minutes ago, mightyslay3r said:

we will be going for a narrow.. not wide buddy 🙂 

If you are going narrow then I would suggest you seriously consider 70 ft. You are going to need a double bed cabin for you and the other half, a single bed cabin for the daughter, bathroom (accessible to both cabins), kitchen and living area as well as storage for clothes, bedding, boaty stuff and all your personal posessions. That's a lot to pack into 50-55. If you look at the broker ads for boats this size, most will only have one sleeping cabin. A put-me-up sofa is fine for occasional visitors, but isn't something you would want to rely on every night. And because 50-58 ft is every newbie's choice, and many boaters are a little frightened of a full length boat, 70 footers can often be no more expensive to buy (although licence and moorings will cost more).

[mightyslay3r]

11 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

If you are going narrow then I would suggest you seriously consider 70 ft. You are going to need a double bed cabin for you and the other half, a single bed cabin for the daughter, bathroom (accessible to both cabins), kitchen and living area as well as storage for clothes, bedding, boaty stuff and all your personal posessions. That's a lot to pack into 50-55. If you look at the broker ads for boats this size, most will only have one sleeping cabin. A put-me-up sofa is fine for occasional visitors, but isn't something you would want to rely on every night. And because 50-58 ft is every newbie's choice, and many boaters are a little frightened of a full length boat, 70 footers can often be no more expensive to buy (although licence and moorings will cost more).

true David.. i wasnt thinking of the length because its too long... was thinking more of getting it through every lock in the country.. because that is our aim...

i think 60 foot would be long enough... we can always refit a little once we have it & work out where everything can go... 

oorraaaahh  for the minimalist life style ah ah

but i do understand where you are coming from... 10 extra feet would be awesome, but not practical for what we want to accomplish 😉 

[LadyG]

4 minutes ago, mightyslay3r said:

true David.. i wasnt thinking of the length because its too long... was thinking more of getting it through every lock in the country.. because that is our aim...

i think 60 foot would be long enough... we can always refit a little once we have it & work out where everything can go... 

oorraaaahh  for the minimalist life style ah ah

but i do understand where you are coming from... 10 extra feet would be awesome, but not practical for what we want to accomplish 😉 

It's a boat, buy a 57ft and that is fine

[PD1964]

4 hours ago, mightyslay3r said:

Hi Lily Rose,

No we havent hired but do spend a lot of time walking canals & talking to boaters....

we have been thinking about it for some time....

and due to the cost of living, my daughters peace of mind (she will be living with us has too mentally unstable to live alone) 

due to the current area we live in & most neighbourhoods being the same....

we want to get her out in to an area where the view changes all the time, meeting new same minded people for her to talk to rather than be cooped up in a brick house not wanting to go out etc....

we arnt just doing it for her, but thats a big part of it.. we want to do it so we have more "us time" too....

thanks

You say you want a residential Marina mooring, you will be looking at @£3-£4K if not more, for an official mooring with postal address, council tax just like a house(what you will need for doctors, dentist etc)The view will not change and you will more then likely be on a pontoon with a boat either side of you, so can be quite claustrophobic especially in the winter months. 
Here’s a link to the mooring available around Leeds.

https://www.watersidemooring.com/Search?Location=Leeds&DistanceMiles=0&Coordinates=53.8008%2C-1.5491&tab=list&Availability=AvailableNow
 
Have a look to what’s available, these don’t include private Marina’s, but will give you an idea of what’s available.

  Residential moorings are getting harder to find.

Edited February 25, 2023 by PD1964

[mightyslay3r]

Hi PD1964...

well, so i understand.. even if taking a year in a marina.. i can still take the boat out for a few weeks every so often and still keep everything as per marina, post address, car parking etc... 

unless i misunderstood...

and thanks for the link 😉 

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by mightyslay3r

[PD1964]

4 minutes ago, mightyslay3r said:

Hi PD1964...

well, so i understand.. even if taking a year in a marina.. i can still take the boat out for a few weeks every so often and still keep everything as per marina, post address, car parking etc... 

unless i misunderstood...

and thanks for the link 😉 

 

There are linear, non Marina moorings available, all depends if you want to be stuck out on the system, where you would need a car. Also a lot of people live residential, under the radar on leisure moorings, this is ok if you don’t need the benefits of an official residential mooring, but could/can be a bit more of a pain if your a family, far easier for singles. Good luck.

[LadyG]

7 hours ago, mightyslay3r said:

we will be going for a narrow.. not wide buddy 🙂 

Duplicate 

7 hours ago, mightyslay3r said:

we will be going for a narrow.. not wide buddy 🙂 

Coming back to the living on board stuff, there are things to consider. I have just renewed my Three mobile contracts, they do not want anyone who has moved recently so you need to tell them it's been more than two years. You need to know your postcodes! Obviously no mention of boats. I was asked if the house is owned or rented. They will send out post. As will banks. 

I know there are boat mail sites who will open mail for you , at a cost. I assume they post things like bank cards to PostRestante post offices.

 Goole Marina accept mail, DN225TB I think, they have a launderette, parking, and a line of liveaboards, (HGV drivers) but the town is dreary. It's not expensive, but no Council Tax usually means not getting some Benefits eg the £400 energy thing.

Edited February 26, 2023 by LadyG

[LadyG]

7 hours ago, mightyslay3r said:

we will be going for a narrow.. not wide buddy 🙂

Duplicate 

Edited February 26, 2023 by LadyG

[Tony Brooks]

12 hours ago, LadyG said:

It's a boat, buy a 57ft and that is fine

 

I don't think that is absolutely true if you include all the connected waterways, CaRT and non-CaRT  When I had JennyB (54ft) I think I found one in the fens that was shorter and there are certainly some dead end waterways where winding is limited to less than that.

[Lily Rose]

9 hours ago, mightyslay3r said:

Hi PD1964...

well, so i understand.. even if taking a year in a marina.. i can still take the boat out for a few weeks every so often and still keep everything as per marina, post address, car parking etc... 

unless i misunderstood...

and thanks for the link 😉 

 

Not only "a few weeks" but if you manage to find a marina with a nearby stretch of canal (not river) that is rural, a reasonable distance to the nearest lock and somewhere to turn before you reach it then you could take the boat out every weekend (except when iced in) with minimal effort if you wanted to. A weekend country retreat all year round.

[mrsmelly]

16 hours ago, mightyslay3r said:

mmm, i read somewhere... maybe the BSS site that courses need to be had to permit you to pilot a vessel on uk waters (im in Leeds, w. yorks)

i've had a car licence since 1985, +20 years no claims and spent 14 years driving HGV vehicles.. so im used to long vehicle manoeuvring...

all be it sat at the front & narrow boats are piloted from the rear....

once we have a marina mooring & craft.. i dont think i will be moving it until i have all the tips n tricks from other canal users.

another question... say i find a vessel in cheshire.... do i go to cheshire to bring it back via the waterways or is it delivered?

thanks all

The boat will get you out of Leeds, to me that would be paramount!! Good moorings at Woodlesford. No leccy but you are on the cut which is way nicer than a marina/boatyard and easy to get into Leeds if you still work etc.

[Alan de Enfield]

14 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

No leccy

 

I very much doubt that as a liveaboard family they will want a permanent liveaboard mooring with no electricity available

 

 

 

No we havent hired but do spend a lot of time walking canals & talking to boaters....

we have been thinking about it for some time....

and due to the cost of living, my daughters peace of mind (she will be living with us as too mentally unstable to live alone) 

 

10 hours ago, mightyslay3r said:

Hi PD1964...

well, so i understand.. even if taking a year in a marina.. i can still take the boat out for a few weeks every so often and still keep everything as per marina, post address, car parking etc... 

unless i misunderstood...

and thanks for the link 😉 

 

 

[Lily Rose]

10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I very much doubt that as a liveaboard family they will want a permanent liveaboard mooring with no electricity available

 

 

 

 

Which is why I think they should look for a marina suitable for easily getting out of for a couple of nights a week whenever they feel like it. I can think of several very suitable ones in the Rugby area. No good for the OP I know but presumably there are similarly situated marinas up north.

[mrsmelly]

9 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

 

Which is why I think they should look for a marina suitable for easily getting out of for a couple of nights a week whenever they feel like it. I can think of several very suitable ones in the Rugby area. No good for the OP I know but presumably there are similarly situated marinas up north.

I spent a coule of months in Lemonroyd which was ok although the approach is bloody awful by road.

[peterboat]

14 hours ago, mightyslay3r said:

true David.. i wasnt thinking of the length because its too long... was thinking more of getting it through every lock in the country.. because that is our aim...

i think 60 foot would be long enough... we can always refit a little once we have it & work out where everything can go... 

oorraaaahh  for the minimalist life style ah ah

but i do understand where you are coming from... 10 extra feet would be awesome, but not practical for what we want to accomplish 😉 

I started out over 20 years ago, bought an ex share boat at 60 foot. Found a marina linear moorings no electric at the end where I was, so solar panels bought, bigger and better battery bank bought and installed bliss for 9 months of the year. I did a run around the England in 2008 and enjoyed it, however I realised that I was happy on the northern canals so bought a widebeam it's much more comfortable, and a far nicer place to live than a narrowboat especially up north. Ex hire and share boats will give you the required bedroom space so think about those? Would I ever go back to a narrowboat? I doubt it as it's my home, things are changing on the cut not for the better I can assure,  think long and hard before you take this life on and definitely try a cold time holiday before buying 

[mightyslay3r]

12 hours ago, LadyG said:

It's not expensive, but no Council Tax usually means not getting some Benefits eg the £400 energy thing.

there is another point i need to cover... due to my daughter being on DWP benefits.. ESA & PIP... how do we go on about that for a postal address? other than a marina....

can she use my sons house address for her post? or is that going to affect benefits etc... i really need to look in to all of this....

Edited February 26, 2023 by mightyslay3r

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, mightyslay3r said:

there is another point i need to cover... due to my daughter being on DWP benefits.. ESA & PIP... how do we go on about that for a postal address? other than a marina....

 

You can get a PO box (not liked by officialdom eg I think banks for example will refuse you an account) or join up to 'boat mail'(not very much liked by officialdom as they don't know where you are)

 

Boat mail will open your mail, scan it and forward an electronic copy to you via email, or hold it until you are 'passing'.

 

Mail Forwarding Mail Scanning Redirection Free UK Street Address (boatmail.co.uk)

[mightyslay3r]

thanks Alan

[David Mack]

7 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I don't think that is absolutely true if you include all the connected waterways, CaRT and non-CaRT  When I had JennyB (54ft) I think I found one in the fens that was shorter and there are certainly some dead end waterways where winding is limited to less than that.

Brandon Sluice on the River Lark and Lode End Lock on the Middle Level are both 40-something feet long. But there is not much navigable water beyond either of them, and both are a bit remote from the main canal network, so you aren't missing much by not being able to go through them.