Hoping to be a boater

[Tony Brooks]

3 minutes ago, blue mick said:

just the engine and electrics that scare me

 

This may help demystify at least some of that: www.tb-training.co.uk.

[blue mick]

Thanks

[Bod]

If you see a boat with a" Z" drive system (inboard engine with an outboard looking propellor) be certian to have it looked at properly by someone who knows this system well.

It's a system that needs looking after well, if it's not to cause problems. 

 

Bod.

[howardang]

35 minutes ago, blue mick said:

That's very helpful 

Thinking maybe I should delay my plans slightly to save more money and gain more learning 

Been told this morning theys a boat yard in Brighouse were I'm working, does anybody know this place, I might visit it tomorrow 

That's a very good idea and might save you a lot of heartache and hard work! There are many housekeeping jobs you need to get to know as well, like water and where will you be able to fill up winter as well as summer. Toilet waste disposal. Fuel replenishment. Battery charging, especially in winter. You are not allowed to run an engine to charge batteries after 2000 if in earshot of other boats, and most marinas will work on the same principle. At your chosen marina can you carry out repairs and especially their rules about tradesmen. All these sort of things need thinking about before you decide on a particular marina.

Brighouse Marina web site is :-

   

  https://www.bridgehousemarina.co.uk/

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, howardang said:

Brighouse Marina web site is :-

   

  https://www.bridgehousemarina.co.uk/

 

It isn't - Bridge House Marina is in Garstang on the Lancaster Canal

 

https://www.watersidemooring.com/329-brighouse-basin-l1

 

is in Brighouse on the Calder & Hebble

[BilgePump]

5 minutes ago, Bod said:

If you see a boat with a" Z" drive system (inboard engine with an outboard looking propellor) be certian to have it looked at properly by someone who knows this system well.

It's a system that needs looking after well, if it's not to cause problems. 

 

Bod.

^^^This. There is a decent looking boat on the market needing some work to floors and internals but big issue that makes it a non starter for me and my lack of mech eng knowledge is the engine that won't start and the Z drive on the back. At least with an outboard on a small cruiser the worst case scenario is lift the old one off, sell for spares and get a decent secondhand one with warranty and drop it on, okay two or more can 'drop it on'.

[doratheexplorer]

21 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

It isn't - Bridge House Marina is in Garstang on the Lancaster Canal

 

https://www.watersidemooring.com/329-brighouse-basin-l1

 

is in Brighouse on the Calder & Hebble

If being near Brighouse and having hook-up is needed, Aspley Marina in Huddersfield would be a good option.  The linear moorings are charged by the foot so may well be cheaper than CRT moorings for the OP.  Huddersfield to Brighouse is about a 10 minute drive.

 

The linear moorings are also close to the shower block, making living on a small GRP boat a much more pleasant experience.

Edited July 3, 2023 by doratheexplorer

[blue mick]

I'm going to Brighouse basin tomorrow and see if theys anybody to talk to.

Thinking a project boat once I feel confident enough.

Thanks 

[Stroudwater1]

A narrowboat over 30 years old needs a survey or recent one to get comprehensive Insurence, otherwise I probably wouldn’t bother TBH for a £4k boat. 
It’s worth  checking if it’s the same for GRP, possibly not as corrosion issues are obviously different. Craftinsure or GJW are two firms people use.
 

Brighouse and Aspley look decent.  I think there maybe a small amount of mooring at Elland  and definitely on the Salterhebble flight though I imagine they are all occupied. They look decent ones with electric and iirc are CRT moorings? 

[ditchcrawler]

12 hours ago, blue mick said:

So is a survey needed?

I know it's a big chunk on an inexpensive boat.

I wouldn't have a clue on anything below the water line.

I'm also thinking of installing a wood burner if it doesn't have one, I'm guessing this would void the safety certificate 

You can fit a wood burner if you wish to. I don't think I would have a survey on a £4000 boat, but I would want to see/hear the engine running and also look at the hull out of the water to see if there was any damage, a good look round above the waterline to the deck should tell you if its been knocked about or treated with care. One thing, make sure its suitable for the waterway you intend to use it on.

[LadyG]

2 hours ago, howardang said:

Just in case you havent seen this here is a link to some information about the marina.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/directory/34836-frenches-wharf-marina

 

Howard

Interesting they say they offer both residential and non residential moorings .

I believe that Residential Moorings have Planning Permission 

Boats registered as having a RM are the ones who pay Council Tax, not sure how it works as there is no property valuation as there is with houses 

Agree that a visit to the marina is essential, they will have to assess you in person, as they really won't want a marina full of junk boats undergoing perpetual renovation. 

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

A narrowboat over 30 years old needs a survey or recent one to get comprehensive Insurence, otherwise I probably wouldn’t bother TBH for a £4k boat. 
It’s worth  checking if it’s the same for GRP, possibly not as corrosion issues are obviously different. Craftinsure or GJW are two firms people use.

 

Certainly Craft inure are the same - requires a survey at 20 years old

 

Coastal & Inland waterways conditions :

• The boat will be used for private and pleasure purposes only.
• The boat will be maintained in a seaworthy condition.
• If the boat has an inboard engine and a max design speed of over 20 knots there will be an automatic or remote control fire extinguisher in the engine compartment.
• The boat will not be used for any official race or speed trial.
• The boat is of fibre glass, aluminium or steel construction.
• Any outboard motor will be attached to the boat by a purpose manufactured anti theft device, and a note of the serial number of the outboard motor will be retained. The tender will be marked with the name of the parent craft.
• The boat is not more than 40 years old now.
• The boat's overall length does not exceed 50ft.
• If the boat is in Scotland or Ireland, or is less than 21ft (6.5m) in length, she will be in a marina or ashore between 15/10 and 31/3 when not navigating.
• For boats less than 26ft the boat will be ashore or afloat on inland and coastal waters of the UK including the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland including IOM.
• The boat has her permanent home mooring in the UK.
• Any trailer will be wheel clamped and hitch locked when unattended.
• The policy excess is doubled in respect of all underwater gear claims.
• If the boat is over 20 years old, and more than 23' in length, you possess a full out of the water condition survey of the boat, carried out within the last 5 years by a qualified yacht surveyor, and with all recommendations completed (or a survey carried out within the past 7 years if the boat is already insured by you with Craftinsure).

 

There is a small difference for Inland Waterway motor cruisers

 

 

• If over 30 years old, and more than 23' in length, the boat has had a full out of the water condition survey, carried out within the last 5 years by a qualified yacht surveyor, and all recommendations have been complied with (or a survey carried out within the past 7 years if the boat is already insured by you with Craftinsure).

[howardang]

Just noticed that I gave you the wrong web site. Try this one

https://www.watersidemooring.com/329-brighouse-basin-l1

 

Howard

[Mad Harold]

Buying a grp boat is a safer bet than a steel one. Basically if it floats, then the hull is usually ok. which may not be the case with a steel hull.For a boat costing around £4000 I wouldn't bother with a survey.

With that budget you will probably get an old Norman or Dawncraft, needing some or a lot of work.

If you are spending five days a week on board you will need heating, and cooking facilities.A diesel warm air heater is the usual choice on a small cruiser, but if you have it on constantly they do use leccy.

Personally I would avoid Z drive as they don't have a very good reputation for reliability, parts are expensive, and specialists few and far between.An outboard is a better bet.

Be prepared to fix the common faults you will most likely find on older grp boats.Leaking windows, leaking deck fittings and roof rails, leaking air vents and electrical wiring resembling a rat's nest.

Best of luck with your search.

[Tam & Di]

15 hours ago, blue mick said:

I live in the north near manchester, I intent to have it moored at a marina near a train station of work purposes.

Somebody I was speaking with said if I more it each week I would avoid council tax.

So I think just cruising up a down the local canal, certainly not constant cruising 

No don't know much about boats total beginner but so was everyone once

 If you have a permanent address on which you already pay Council Tax a don't think that a place you stay in part-time would also incur the tax whether or not it was occasionally moved. The suitability of this particular craft is a different issue.

 

Tm

Edited July 3, 2023 by Tam & Di
spilling

[Jen-in-Wellies]

3 hours ago, LadyG said:

Boats registered as having a RM are the ones who pay Council Tax, not sure how it works as there is no property valuation as there is with houses 

They typically pay band A, the cheapest least extortionate.

[Alan de Enfield]

49 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

They typically pay band A, the cheapest least extortionate.

 

And can be considearbly less is the marina has several liveaboards and have a composite valuation for CT.

 

Whilt one boat may pay band A  (typically £1000) the total liveaboards in the marina could still only total Band A and if the boaters agree then they will just pay a % of the CT.

 

In one marina I was in the marina offered the boaters 'commitee' either individual CT, or part of the composite CT - the stupid committee said they wanted to go for Individual CT which meant paying ~£1000 each, if they went for their share of the composite CT they would only pay £200 each, they said "NO - because we have to move twice a year", but when I explained that it only meant moving 6 foot sideways to 'swap' with the adjacent boat the vote went to paying a % of the composite CT

Edited July 3, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[Higgs]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

In one marina I was in the marina offered the boaters 'commitee' either individual CT, or part of the composite CT - the stupid committee said they wanted to go for Individual CT which meant paying ~£1000 each, if they went for their share of the composite CT they would only pay £200 each, they said "NO - because we have to move twice a year", but when I explained that it only meant moving 6 foot sideways to 'swap' with the adjacent boat the vote went to paying a % of the composite CT

 

Some people must really love their mooring, for an extra £800 a year. I know I didn't.

 

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Higgs

[bronskimac]

On that budget I don't think I'd be getting a survey, but I'd like to see it out of the water as well as afloat. This link is from the US of A and not canal boat specific, but it does give plenty of tips on what to look out for. A small brass hammer for tapping the hull is a great tip, hollow or dull sounds aren't good   http://www.pcmarinesurveys.com/Marine Survey 101.htm

[harrybsmith]

I bought my first boat (a GRP) for that sort of money a while ago and lived on it for 6 years comfortably. Z drives aren't that scary and parts are available for them. 

 

Prioritise something with enough interior headroom, basically everything else can be circumnavigated (windows, heating, engines, power etc all doable, cabin surgery is fairly major) 

 

If you end up with a Dawncraft (or Highbridge) then they have wooden keels which can fall off and leave a load of bolt holes in the floor. I'd look to buy from somewhere like Stratford Marina, The Boat Jungle or Redhill Marina who have boats out the water for sale so you can check them at no additional expense 

 

[blue mick]

Thanks harry