Experienced Skipper available for free.

[Tom Richmond]

Liveaboard boater for 7 years available for boat moves or crew work. Can easily single hand...

 

I am a 43 year old guy who has relocated to Sweden with my family. I miss the uk canals and have some free time coming up. Available for 2-3 weeks in November/December. 

 

I will happily move your boat for free (you cover fuel and additional running costs) in order that i get some time on the water. 

 

Contact me if this is Interesting and we can chat more.

[Rob-M]

What insurance cover do you have for moving someone else's boat?

[blackrose]

16 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

What insurance cover do you have for moving someone else's boat?

 

I don't think my insurance policy specifies who's allowed move my boat. I'm pretty sure anyone I give permission can steer it, whether I'm around or not.

[nicknorman]

Well yes, but if someone trashes your boat on your insurance, it reflects badly on your own claims record

[MtB]

15 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

I don't think my insurance policy specifies who's allowed move my boat. I'm pretty sure anyone I give permission can steer it, whether I'm around or not.

 

Give them permission by all means but that doesn't mean you're insured! 

 

My own comprehensive policy with CraftInsure used to exclude anyone steering my boat professionally or for payment. Not sure about my TPI with Basic Boat though. I would check if I ever let someone move it. 

 

 

[blackrose]

20 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Give them permission by all means but that doesn't mean you're insured! 

 

My own comprehensive policy with CraftInsure used to exclude anyone steering my boat professionally or for payment. Not sure about my TPI with Basic Boat though. I would check if I ever let someone move it. 

 

 

 

It does mean I'm insured if the policy doesn't specifically exclude others steering my boat.

 

So 15 years ago when Magpie Patrick helped me move my boat a couple of times while I did the locks, you're saying I wasn't insured? Sorry but that's nonsense. Some people on this forum love to overcomplicate things and find problems where none exist.

 

The OP isn't asking for payment, but if you were to take your boat across the Severn estuary for example as I did, you'd be wise to employ the services of a professional pilot. I was also insured with Craftinsure in 2013 when I took my boat from Portishead to Sharpness and fully covered for that journey with the pilot.

 

32 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Well yes, but if someone trashes your boat on your insurance, it reflects badly on your own claims record

 

Yes, that's true, but the same is true if your wife, son, daughter, or if you trash your boat. The point is the insurance would still be in place.

Edited August 26 by blackrose

[David Mack]

A standard boatowner insurance policy will not cover anyone who is paid to move your boat (who should have their own professional boat-mover insurance). But it will cover anyone who uses the boat with the owner's permission, and who is not being paid. That could be a family member, a friend, or a complete stranger from the Internet, such as the OP.

There are reasons why you might not want to trust your boat to someone you don't know, but being covered by insurance isn't one of them (if they are unpaid).

[nicknorman]

32 minutes ago, blackrose said:

Yes, that's true, but the same is true if your wife, son, daughter, or if you trash your boat. The point is the insurance would still be in place.

 

Phew! Just as well I don't have a wife, son or daughter! But the point is that someone moving your boat professionally should have their own insurance. In the case of the OP, he doesn't want payment so I guess that doesn't count as "professional". But equally you have no idea whether they are competent or not. Most probably they are. But you don't know. 

If some random towpath person said "I'd quite like to borrow your boat free of charge for a while, as I know you are off on holiday for a couple of weeks" what would your reaction be?

[MtB]

The OP says they have been a liveaboard for seven years. 

 

They could have been in a marina or on an on-line mooring for seven years only moving up to the water tap and back once a fortnight. Or even "CCing" and moving half a mile once every 14 days. Or they could have cruised 2,000 miles. They just don't say. 

 

 

 

 

[Cheese]

They only have 543 posts over a period of 12+ years .... is that not enough to make some sort of assessment of their ability?

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Cheese said:

They only have 543 posts over a period of 12+ years .... is that not enough to make some sort of assessment of their ability?

 

No.

 

I have 61,700 posts and I am barely competent! 

 

 

[Rob-M]

6 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

No.

 

I have 61,700 posts and I am barely competent! 

 

 

Too busy posting on here rather than out boating.

[MtB]

5 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Too busy posting on here rather than out boating.

 

True...

 

[DandV]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

No.

 

I have 61,700 posts and I am barely competent! 

 

 

You said it!!!

[Tom Richmond]

8 hours ago, Cheese said:

They only have 543 posts over a period of 12+ years .... is that not enough to make some sort of assessment of their ability?

 

This is an excellent assessment criteria! 

 

Less posts obviously indicates a higher ability level, while more posts indicates a lack of knowledge and a need for confirmation...

[nicknorman]

1 hour ago, Tom Richmond said:

 

This is an excellent assessment criteria! 

 

Less posts obviously indicates a higher ability level, while more posts indicates a lack of knowledge and a need for confirmation...

Very true, although it is of course “fewer posts” not “less posts”. Grammatical imprecision probably has a direct correlation with hitting lock sides on entry.

Edited August 27 by nicknorman

[Kiwidad]

10 hours ago, Cheese said:

They only have 543 posts over a period of 12+ years .... is that not enough to make some sort of assessment of their ability?

No

[Llamedos]

The insurance argument is a bit subjective to be honest - all insurance policies vary. Anyone sensible who took up this chap on his kind offer would pick up the phone to their insurance company anyway to check whether they were adequately covered. Well I would anyway. 

[MtB]

39 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Very true, although it is of course “fewer posts” not “less posts”. Grammatical imprecision probably has a direct correlation with hitting lock sides on entry.

 

Including wide locks! 

 

 

[nicknorman]

9 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Including wide locks! 

 

And those ones in London - Bow Locks.

[Llamedos]

7 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Including wide locks! 

 

 

Broad not wide. 😁

[MtB]

9 minutes ago, Llamedos said:

Broad not wide. 😁

 

Good point. Showing my lack of knowledge and experience again! 

 

 

[StephenA]

Have you considered reaching out to any of the people who run boat moving businesses, they might have capacity to take you on, especially if they are having to turn work away.

[Stroudwater1]

I can see the idea of crewing for someone helpful although November December isn’t ideal with the Winter stoppages TBH. 
 

Using someone else’s boat without them onboard would be less of an appeal to put it mildly.
 

it’s a shame that this isn’t on offer over the next 2 months. There’s so many closures and restrictions in some areas it’s making boating difficult for non livaboards who have other commitments. 

[Llamedos]

2 minutes ago, StephenA said:

Have you considered reaching out to any of the people who run boat moving businesses, they might have capacity to take you on, especially if they are having to turn work away.

Perhaps some of the hire companies too. They may need someone experienced who can move a boat or two between bases out of season.