Narrowboat share logistics

[CruisingRobin]

We are Americans who have fallen hopelessly in love with boating the UK canals.  There is no known treatment for either condition, so we must fly in for two fortnight cruises a year.  We are investigating shares as an alternative to hiring, and I have many questions of the wonderful boating community.  Starting with a small but niggling one...

 

As foreign share owners (managed share by an established company)  how could we deal with supplying ourselves with linens and bedding?  These things are supplied with hires.  We can't fly with all that. Are there services for such details, or off-boat storage facilities in marinas?

 

Thoughts?

 

Many thanks,

Robin 

[David Mack]

An option might be to hire the bedding and linen from a company that supplies hotels etc. A random example from Google, which happens to be close to the canal: https://rugbylaundry.co.uk/

[robtheplod]

I'd hire rather than get involved with shares as you'll want your cruises to be in good weather (as much as possible!).... solves the bed linen issue also, plus you can hop about the country.....

[Hudds Lad]

Can't speak for company managed shares, but our privately managed one had it's own bedding that was changed every year or so with the old ones going to a dog shelter, you just took your own linen. In practice we actually took our own bedding and stored the syndicate stuff in the car whilst away.

[CruisingRobin]

2 hours ago, David Mack said:

An option might be to hire the bedding and linen from a company that supplies hotels etc. A random example from Google, which happens to be close to the canal: https://rugbylaundry.co.uk/

That sounds like option worth considering.  Thank you David!  I'll add that to my research list. Cheers!

[RAB]

I might be wrong but not sure which managed share syndicates will be able to give you 2 blocks of 2 weeks for a four week share. You should almost always get one two week slot but the other weeks will be individual with at least one in the winter. Would be interested to hear if there is a managed syndicate out there that will guarantee 2 x 2 weeks. Guess a private syndicate might do it?

[CruisingRobin]

2 hours ago, robtheplod said:

I'd hire rather than get involved with shares as you'll want your cruises to be in good weather (as much as possible!).... solves the bed linen issue also, plus you can hop about the country.....

Thanks for the advice Rob.  As my wife is deathly allergic to the school holiday crowds, our cruises are planned for spring and fall, so exposure to less-than-ideal weather is baked in.

 

My motivation for looking at shares, aside from a minor-to-zero economic benefit over hires, is access to a boat with features generally not available on hires. Bow thruster and onboard washing machine are two.  Maybe I'm a sissy, but stuff like that matters.

 

But safe to say the wife is on your side.

[Rincewind]

Never had a shared boat in GB so cannot speak for canal share boats, but we had a (syndicate managed) shared yacht in Greece with share owners in both GB and Denmark.  It was a condition of the partnership that bed linen, towels etc. were supplied by the syndicate, kept on board and all used items were laundered - using a local laundry service - by the outgoing owner prior to flight / departure home, ready for the incoming owner. (Spare bedding was available on board).  Never had a problem with that arrangement.  

 

If any item was thought to be unfit to use, we bought new locally and claimed the expenses back from the syndicate in due course. That was also the case for unavoidable repairs and replacement of damaged or lost boat equipment.

 

You should check the written share agreement and talk to the syndicate manager prior to purchasing the share. 

Also check with the manager that the agreement is that:  the diesel tank is refilled (full), the spare gas bottle is full and the fresh water tank is replenished prior to you taking over.  Cost of diesel and gas to be bourn by previous / outgoing owner.

 

P.S.  Bow thrusters are maybe a "nice to have" but totally unnecessary, learn to handle the boat without one and become a better boatman. 😉

 

Hope you have many enjoyable holidays.

[Hudds Lad]

3 hours ago, CruisingRobin said:

Thanks for the advice Rob.  As my wife is deathly allergic to the school holiday crowds, our cruises are planned for spring and fall, so exposure to less-than-ideal weather is baked in.

Instead you’ll get the crowds of marina-based leisure boaters who didn’t go out in the school holidays either to avoid the supposed hordes.  
Now our daughter is old enough to be left to her own devices and we can take breaks outside of school hols we reckon it’s just as busy if not busier, there’s just less children. Embrace the chaos  

 

[CruisingRobin]

22 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Instead you’ll get the crowds of marina-based leisure boaters who didn’t go out in the school holidays either to avoid the supposed hordes.  
Now our daughter is old enough to be left to her own devices and we can take breaks outside of school hols we reckon it’s just as busy if not busier, there’s just less children. Embrace the chaos  

 

I will show this to my wife.  Our September cruise on the Leeds & Liverpool was far from an experience of solitude.  Boaters negotiating turns at locks, boats bumping, lots of "after you"s... I love the chaos!  And it comes with a lot of help.  Boaters are great people.  I'm all in for the social aspect.

[David Mack]

7 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

Now our daughter is old enough to be left to her own devices and we can take breaks outside of school hols we reckon it’s just as busy if not busier, there’s just less children. Embrace the chaos  

I find even in the school holidays one finds few boats with children. It's all 50+ oldies (like me). Quite a contrast to when I started boating, when there were lots of young families afloat during the school holidays.

[Hudds Lad]

37 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I find even in the school holidays one finds few boats with children. It's all 50+ oldies (like me). Quite a contrast to when I started boating, when there were lots of young families afloat during the school holidays.

It was definitely quieter this year during the big six week hols in summer, but majority of hire boats did seem to be crewed by usually two couples of a certain age group, blokes on the back and ladies in the welldeck. Like you say, very few children, which is a shame.

I was 51 this year, am i officially an oldie now? Yay!

[robtheplod]

2 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

It was definitely quieter this year during the big six week hols in summer, but majority of hire boats did seem to be crewed by usually two couples of a certain age group, blokes on the back and ladies in the welldeck. Like you say, very few children, which is a shame.

I was 51 this year, am i officially an oldie now? Yay!

still classed as a boy on the forum my friend!

[nicknorman]

I’ll just mention one stupid issue which seems to be becoming problematic. Several people have reported that many insurance companies decline cover if any of the co-owners are not resident in the UK. Not quite sure why. Just something to check on before getting too deep into the purchase of a share.

Edited November 10, 2023 by nicknorman

[Hudds Lad]

Just now, robtheplod said:

still classed as a boy on the forum my friend!

That'd be my flowing locks and youthful good looks  

 

 

(also prone to delusions)

[cuthound]

11 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

That'd be my flowing locks and youthful good looks  

 

 

(also prone to delusions)

 

Ah, so it was you who left the paddles at both ends open...  

[booke23]

11 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

Instead you’ll get the crowds of marina-based leisure boaters who didn’t go out in the school holidays either to avoid the supposed hordes.  
Now our daughter is old enough to be left to her own devices and we can take breaks outside of school hols we reckon it’s just as busy if not busier, there’s just less children. Embrace the chaos  

 

 

I agree, I think it's actually a little busier outside of the school holidays these days. Like you say, marina based leisure boaters don't go out to avoid the imaginary crowds!

[PeterScott]

21 hours ago, CruisingRobin said:

... As foreign share owners (managed share by an established company)  how could we deal with supplying ourselves with linens and bedding?  These things are supplied with hires.  We can't fly with all that. ...

Just on that point, on our shared boats there were sufficient duvets and pillows kept on the boat (replaced with new every year or two, as cheaper than drycleaning) and owners brought their own duvet covers and pillowcases. So cost-of-flights being what-they-are by comparison, maybe have the NiceMrAmazon deliver a new duvet cover and pillowcases for each trip (alongside the food-order possibly), and then find a good cause to take them afterwards (another owner who is happy to launder them first, maybe). Boaters being a friendly bunch, for any given shared boat there will be a better solution, maybe even a cheaper one 🙂

 

More generally, comparing the range of services provided by hire companies: size/facilities/cost/location of boats,  friendliness/flexibility of companies and their people - shared boating will have a greater range of brilliance/frustration and reduced flexibility in location and booking arrangements - as well as always using the same boat - and being the part-owner thereof ...

 

17 hours ago, CruisingRobin said:

My motivation for looking at shares, aside from a minor-to-zero economic benefit over hires, is access to a boat with features generally not available on hires. Bow thruster and onboard washing machine are two.  ...

Allocating valuable space (and water) to a washing machine is mostly not-worth-it for crews who only usually have the boat for a fortnight - and probably bring enough clothes for that time and prefer to see the waterways rather than spend the time washing things. Similarly washing-up machines, but there are more of those. Much useful information to research all this on PhilipDuerden's Boatshare site. Hope you cand find something which suits ...

[CruisingRobin]

4 hours ago, nicknorman said:

I’ll just mention one stupid issue which seems to be becoming problematic. Several people have reported that many insurance companies decline cover if any of the co-owners are not resident in the UK. Not quite sure why. Just something to check on before getting too deep into the purchase of a share.

Wow!  That is a very important consideration.  Thank you for the heads-up!

[Jerra]

5 minutes ago, CruisingRobin said:

Wow!  That is a very important consideration.  Thank you for the heads-up!

There are insurance companies who will insure with none UK members.   I know one syndicate with a member who lives in Germany.

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Jerra said:

There are insurance companies who will insure with none UK members.   I know one syndicate with a member who lives in Germany.

I know of another with members in the USA and Australia. Hasn't been a problem, but the named point of contact for the insurer (and for CRT) has always been UK based.

I think the problem mainly relates to sole owners (rather than sharers) who are non UK resident.

 

[cuthound]

2 hours ago, CruisingRobin said:

Wow!  That is a very important consideration.  Thank you for the heads-up!

 

When we had shares the insurance companies were not interested in the nationality of each co-owner. However for a single ownership boat they are, presumably because the boat will spend long periods unattended unlike a shareboat which is in use all year round.

[nicknorman]

15 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

When we had shares the insurance companies were not interested in the nationality of each co-owner. However for a single ownership boat they are, presumably because the boat will spend long periods unattended unlike a shareboat which is in use all year round.

 

This seems to be something that has arisen in the last couple of years. However it could just relate to sole owners, not sure.

[CruisingRobin]

23 hours ago, RAB said:

I might be wrong but not sure which managed share syndicates will be able to give you 2 blocks of 2 weeks for a four week share. You should almost always get one two week slot but the other weeks will be individual with at least one in the winter. Would be interested to hear if there is a managed syndicate out there that will guarantee 2 x 2 weeks. Guess a private syndicate might do it?

It's certainly a subject in question.  My current thinking is to put a toe in the water with a 1/24th share, but only if the two weeks can be taken as a single block.  That may be a deal killer for most syndicates.  If we could swing that, we'd continue to hire the other two-week block of the year.

[Jerra]

20 minutes ago, CruisingRobin said:

It's certainly a subject in question.  My current thinking is to put a toe in the water with a 1/24th share, but only if the two weeks can be taken as a single block.  That may be a deal killer for most syndicates.  If we could swing that, we'd continue to hire the other two-week block of the year.

It may not be a deal killer as some syndicates have fixed weeks.  So it would be a case of finding such a syndicate and seeing what was possible.