Cold or what

[Mr Who]

Hello every one, I`m a newcomer here and have just started looking into the possabilities of living aboard a narrow boat or Widebeam craft.

 

I have a couple of questions that come to mind that I would be gratefull of your thoughts on the first being,.....

 

Is it better to buy new or an older boat?

 

What are they like in the winter inside, temperature wise are they cosy or very cold?

 

If I cant get a residential mooring what are my chances of getting away with living aboard?

 

cheers in anticipation for your thoughts

[bottle]

Hello every one, I`m a newcomer here  and have just started looking into the possabilities of living aboard a narrow boat or Widebeam craft.

 

I have a couple of questions that come to mind that I would be gratefull of your thoughts on the first being,.....

 

Is it better to buy new or an older boat?

 

What are they like in the winter inside, temperature wise are they cosy or very cold?

 

If I cant get a residential mooring what are my chances of getting away with living aboard?

 

cheers in anticipation for your thoughts

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Mr Who

Welcome to the forum.

 

1. new or old: You pays your money and have the choice. Get a survey done if you by old and some would recommend it if you buy new.

 

2. they are as warm as toast but of course you have to put heat in, central and/or stove.

 

3. There are rules and these are being discussd in another topic.

 

 

Have a peruse in all the topics under discussion, carry out a search in the forum all the answers are there.

[nbtafelberg]

I've answered the questions...

 

Is it better to buy new or an older boat?

 

- Depends on funds and timescale. If you buy a new boat its like having a house built there can be major heartache

 

What are they like in the winter inside, temperature wise are they cosy or very cold?

 

- Its a common myth that boats are cold, like a house, if you have heating they are warm, if you don't they are cold

 

If I cant get a residential mooring what are my chances of getting away with living aboard?

 

- There are reckoned to be only 500 official residential moorings in the UK with 15000 people living on boats, this means either everyone is living on ocean liners or we have to go where it is "ignored", the only way to find this out is to walk the towpath/marina where you want to go and get a feel for what is going on. Don't be surprised if the Marina staff deny any living aboard goes on in one breath but obviosuly ignore it because it would badly affect their profits if they did not allow it - likewise the council would not be too happy having masses of homeless people so they ignore it as well.

 

 

 

 

cheers in anticipation for your thoughts

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[DHutch]

Welcome aboard.

 

I think the other two have pritty much summed it up really.

- One thing is that it seams that boats dont really depreciate that much, if at all. The current demand is far greater than the avalable supply.

- As for warmth, half our 60ft narrowboat is heated by one squiral morso stove which via back-boiler, powers three small radiators, and the hotwater cyclider, in which we burn smokeless fuel. This gets the boat for cold winters day to very cosy in a few hours, and will run all day on scuttle of fuel.

 

 

Daniel

[Alan Saunders]

Heating is not a problem but condensation can be. Make sure the hull is properly insulated with no'cold spots'. Double glazing is not common but I would definitely want it on a new build.

 

Alan

[Mr Who]

Heating is not a problem but condensation can be.  Make sure the hull is properly insulated with no'cold spots'.  Double glazing is not common but I would definitely want it on a new build.

 

Alan

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Thank you all

[Nige]

Thank you all

20199[/snapback]

 

Hi Guys,

Just re the question of double glazing - does anyone know of a supplier where double glazed units can be bought for narrowboats ?

I will be moving onto a NB with only standard single glazing, within the next 4 weeks, and would like to get her double glazed before winter sets in !!

 

Cheers,

Nige

[nbtafelberg]

if your boat has a stove you will be glad of single glazing

[dor]

If you think you must, try

 

http://www.narrowboatwindows.co.uk/home/index.htm

 

Or Caldwell's do good quality DG NB windows. I'm pretty certain Channelglaze do them now as well.

 

I've seen the Caldwell ones and they look like normal NB windows, not the awful plastic things that are made by doestic DG suppliers that look so completely wrong on a NB.

[John Orentas]

I have always thought that narrowboats lend themselves to the fitting of 'secondary' glazing. There are a few ways to do it, the lightweight aluminium frames that are sold for household use and look so flimsy in that application would look much better on a boat window.

Another alternative would be 3mm thickness acrylic panels fixed directly to the frames, they could be removed and stored during the summer. I have often considered doing this but the problem is we never get cold !

[Gary Peacock]

Hi Guys,

Just re the question of double glazing - does anyone know of a supplier where double glazed units can be bought for narrowboats ?

I will be moving onto a NB with only standard single glazing, within the next 4 weeks, and would like to get her double glazed before winter sets in !!

 

Cheers,

Nige

27161[/snapback]

 

I would save your money if I was you, we have had a bad experience with double glazed windows. We still offer them but from a different manufacturer but even then with such a small air gap I have my doubts about there worth.

 

If somebody could tell me how wonderful they are I might try and sell them with more enthusiasm!

[Nige]

I would save your money if I was you, we have had a bad experience with double glazed windows. We still offer them but from a different manufacturer but even then with such a small air gap I have my doubts about there worth.

 

If somebody could tell me how wonderful they are I might try and sell them with more enthusiasm!

27192[/snapback]

 

 

Hi Gary,

 

It is the condensation problem, more than any insulation qualities that I want to try and avoid.

What were your bad experiences ?

Do tell !!

Nige

[Gary Peacock]

Hi Gary,

 

It is the condensation problem, more than any insulation qualities that I want to try and avoid.

What were your bad experiences ?

Do tell !!

Nige

27232[/snapback]

 

They filled up with water in the middle!

[maffi mushkila]

They filled up with water in the middle!

 

That would be because they were not properly sealed.

 

In 10 years of making and trading DG units Mr Ken Mushkila has never had one returned unit.

[johnlowe]

Double glazing or not, you will still get condesation on the frames. We have double glazed windows, and to be honest they don't really benefit the extra expense.

[DHutch]

Double glazing or not, you will still get condesation on the frames.

Unless you have split frames.....

 

Or you moved to the bahamas.....

[Gary Peacock]

Their are currently 2 readily available brands of boat double glazed windows on the market one is very good, the other is a joke and the product of a company we ceased to deal with.

Next time a show comes around they will be both easy to find, take a look and I feel sure you will easily identify the good product with ease.

[Bones]

 

 

Is it better to buy new or an older boat?

 

What are they like in the winter inside, temperature wise are they cosy or very cold?

 

 

 

 

 

I have only just discovered after 2 years afloat that boats can be warm. With an efficient stove they are toasty cosey and wonderful (and I have only been on single glazed boats). Without heating I had to rely on hotwater bottles, thermals and star jumps and a good sense of humour. In recent years the winters haven't been consistently cold - just a few freezing days here and there. The key is to get the chill off the boat - or at least thats what I think.

[nbtafelberg]

Have to agree about stoves

 

we have two one in the boatmans cabin when I'm driving and one for us all

 

They work superbly and keep us warm all the time. Once you get used to how to control them.