I am thinking of buying a boat to live on

[Fishing Nut]

Hi all,

 

 

This seems like a fantastic forum. You really cant beat a goof forum full of enthusiasts.

 

Well, why am i here. All my life i have loved the waterways. As a kid i used to go out with my dad and his mate on days out on his boat. A few years back i went on a 5 day boat holiday on the broads, in all i love it! And to top the fact i love the boat aspect i am fishing nut too.

 

i have always wondered what it would take to own a boat and potentially live on one. Many things have put me off in the past.... Women, money and too young to know enough about life.

 

Well, i have just come from a 5 year relationship(meaning i'm single), i have a few hundred pounds to go before i'm out of debt completly(£0 debt) and i have just turned 30.

 

Like everyone i want a house. i want to get on the ladder and by the looks of things that wont be hapenning for a while. Not just the crunch but i would like to save around 10 grand so i have a down payment and a better chance of it happening. seeing im at 0 this may take a while.

 

I was fishing down the cam (my local river in cambridge) the other day when a guy who baliffs the water(also a boat owner/ Seller) got chatting with me and i said how i envy'd his life. Living by the river, paying sod all to live there etc.

 

Well, since that night i havent stopped thinking about getting my own boat. I seem to have a ruff plan as to how it could pan out but i want to research as much as possible so i know its the right move or at least that im doing the right thing. I have been writing down lots of questiosn and have answeed lots already. Nothing scares me yet.

 

So what do i want to do.

 

My thoughts are to get a narrowboat which i can fix up. Although i havent done any boats up i am very good with diy and have very good friends in most of the trades like, Gas Heating, Electrician, Welders, mechanics and a few carpenters.

My reasons for a fix up boat are a) i love doing projects i want to add to the boat so its worth what i paid and or a bit more when i come to sell it.

Now i know peopme will naturally say buying anything now as an investment is crazy but... here me out and tell me if im barking up the wrong boat.

My view is this. I have been reading on here that now is a buyers market, hence lots of boats on the market and ones going cheap too. Ive seen some pukka deals! So straight away im buying at a good time?yes?

I currently live with a mate and pay just under 500 per month. if i were to get a loan for say 10,000 i can pay this back at 500 per month and have it paid in 2 years.

Durin this 2 years i would live on the boat so my current rent amount wouldnt change but instead of lining my mates pocket(cough paying his mortgage) i would be paying back for my investment. Right?Yes?

During that 2 years i can put my life into the boat. Make it a real dream boat. I can easily afford to do work on it as i am paid well, i have no debts other than the proposed loan for the car, i mean boat.

Now dot get me wrong i know theres a lot to owning a boat (blacking hull every 3-4 years, mooring, river tax, boat safety thing etc...) but everythig i have looked at doesnt really have a scary price tag. And the main thing i see people moaning about is the living mooring. i,e fixed residence. Forgive me if i am wrong but surely i can move about alot so therefore not really need a fixed location? remeber im young, crazy and well up for adventure. I work very close to the river where i live and i know the river very well and can think of loads of areas where i can moor with no issues. At least i think. The guy i met who has lived in cambridge for 17 years on a boat said many people do that while they wait for a slot to become free.

 

So i am thinking that i could buy a 33-45ft narrow boat for 8-12 grand. Live on it, do it up and sell it once i paid the loan back. Then i will have around 10-15 grand for a down payment on a mortgage. Surely with the right work gone into it this is feasable? yes not easy but doable?Yes?

 

i really dont want to make it rich by doing up boats i just want a project, somewhere cheap to live, be by the river and have an investment while country crunch is going on.

 

Naturally i am open to attack now please critisize me when required and dont be afraid to give me negative comments about my thoughts. I can take it.

 

I havent slept all night with the thought of doing this so i would love feedback from people that care and know about this kind of thing.

 

I would love to know peoples comments of my idea. Remeber i dont wanna be rich i just wanna get a tiny bit more than i pay for it.

 

 

Thanks in advance

[blackelle123]

Hi all,

 

 

This seems like a fantastic forum. You really cant beat a goof forum full of enthusiasts.

 

Well, why am i here. All my life i have loved the waterways. As a kid i used to go out with my dad and his mate on days out on his boat. A few years back i went on a 5 day boat holiday on the broads, in all i love it! And to top the fact i love the boat aspect i am fishing nut too.

 

i have always wondered what it would take to own a boat and potentially live on one. Many things have put me off in the past.... Women, money and too young to know enough about life.

 

Well, i have just come from a 5 year relationship(meaning i'm single), i have a few hundred pounds to go before i'm out of debt completly(£0 debt) and i have just turned 30.

 

Like everyone i want a house. i want to get on the ladder and by the looks of things that wont be hapenning for a while. Not just the crunch but i would like to save around 10 grand so i have a down payment and a better chance of it happening. seeing im at 0 this may take a while.

 

I was fishing down the cam (my local river in cambridge) the other day when a guy who baliffs the water(also a boat owner/ Seller) got chatting with me and i said how i envy'd his life. Living by the river, paying sod all to live there etc.

 

Well, since that night i havent stopped thinking about getting my own boat. I seem to have a ruff plan as to how it could pan out but i want to research as much as possible so i know its the right move or at least that im doing the right thing. I have been writing down lots of questiosn and have answeed lots already. Nothing scares me yet.

 

So what do i want to do.

 

My thoughts are to get a narrowboat which i can fix up. Although i havent done any boats up i am very good with diy and have very good friends in most of the trades like, Gas Heating, Electrician, Welders, mechanics and a few carpenters.

My reasons for a fix up boat are a) i love doing projects i want to add to the boat so its worth what i paid and or a bit more when i come to sell it.

Now i know peopme will naturally say buying anything now as an investment is crazy but... here me out and tell me if im barking up the wrong boat.

My view is this. I have been reading on here that now is a buyers market, hence lots of boats on the market and ones going cheap too. Ive seen some pukka deals! So straight away im buying at a good time?yes?

I currently live with a mate and pay just under 500 per month. if i were to get a loan for say 10,000 i can pay this back at 500 per month and have it paid in 2 years.

Durin this 2 years i would live on the boat so my current rent amount wouldnt change but instead of lining my mates pocket(cough paying his mortgage) i would be paying back for my investment. Right?Yes?

During that 2 years i can put my life into the boat. Make it a real dream boat. I can easily afford to do work on it as i am paid well, i have no debts other than the proposed loan for the car, i mean boat.

Now dot get me wrong i know theres a lot to owning a boat (blacking hull every 3-4 years, mooring, river tax, boat safety thing etc...) but everythig i have looked at doesnt really have a scary price tag. And the main thing i see people moaning about is the living mooring. i,e fixed residence. Forgive me if i am wrong but surely i can move about alot so therefore not really need a fixed location? remeber im young, crazy and well up for adventure. I work very close to the river where i live and i know the river very well and can think of loads of areas where i can moor with no issues. At least i think. The guy i met who has lived in cambridge for 17 years on a boat said many people do that while they wait for a slot to become free.

 

So i am thinking that i could buy a 33-45ft narrow boat for 8-12 grand. Live on it, do it up and sell it once i paid the loan back. Then i will have around 10-15 grand for a down payment on a mortgage. Surely with the right work gone into it this is feasable? yes not easy but doable?Yes?

 

i really dont want to make it rich by doing up boats i just want a project, somewhere cheap to live, be by the river and have an investment while country crunch is going on.

 

Naturally i am open to attack now please critisize me when required and dont be afraid to give me negative comments about my thoughts. I can take it.

 

I havent slept all night with the thought of doing this so i would love feedback from people that care and know about this kind of thing.

 

I would love to know peoples comments of my idea. Remeber i dont wanna be rich i just wanna get a tiny bit more than i pay for it.

 

 

Thanks in advance

I think you may be under the mishaprehension that living on a boat is cheaper and more cost effective than living in a house. This is not always the case, we sold our house and bought a boat with the profit, but to be quite honest I haven't noticed that we are any better off.

My husband still works full time and I have managed to go part time but there is never any spare money at the end of the month.

Boat life is great and I wouldn't change it for the world, but life is not as simple as some might assume.

Finding a permanent mooring was the hardest part and the most expensive. The license has to be paid for, and you have to take into account the cost of a survey and the safety cert. Day to day living is not that easy either, you always have to think about is there enough water, diesel, power, emptying the loo and this time of year - keeping warm.

When we bought our boat, we obviously wanted to make our own changes and improvements such as new heating system, kitchen and bathroom. All this takes time and money and not always easy when you are actually living on the boat.

I certainly don't want to put your off, but please don't under estimate the costs involved. It may help if you took the rose coloured glasses off for one moment and imagined yourself moored up somewhere in the middle of no-where, the river has warning flags up and its not safe to move, the toilet needs emptying, your water is getting low, you have no phone signal and its an approximate 5 mile walk to the nearest shop - believe me - it happens.

Boat life is fantastic when things are good but life isn't always easy!!

Good luck and please think long and hard before making your decission.

[bottle]

Remeber i dont wanna be rich i just wanna get a tiny bit more than i pay for it.

 

Well you got that right but at the moment (alleged 'credit crunch') it is doubtful and definitely not guaranteed.

 

Welcome to the forum and good luck.

[Fishing Nut]

Dont get me wrong i understand things like heating, kitchens etc cost money and to be honest that isnt a problem.

 

Im used to sleeping ruff as i spend many weekends fishing from a tent in all weathers. Having cental heating would be a slight upgrade from switching my stove on from time to time.

 

The diesal, water and electric are my main issues so far. I dont intend on taking it miles all over the country, i would be looking to stay around cambridge. I am yet to discover what facilites are around when it comes to filling her up with water and diesal. Let alone where i drop my waste off.

 

I suppose the living cheaper part isnt a requirement of mine its more the thought of actually owning something worth 10 grand and having it paid for in 2 years. Yes i could potentially save this in 2 yeas but i would find that boring and most likely spend it. I am more likely to pay back a loan as there is troube if i dont

 

How much is a survey on average? and a license, is that a general river license?

 

Thanks for your comments.

[bottle]

Hi

 

Personally I would save, I get the interest not the bank, in the saving period you will have time to do more research, see a few boats get the feel for a good or bad one.

 

Some sites to start you off:

 

 

http://www.waterscape.com/ (British Waterways info site)

 

 

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subje...gation/?lang=_e (Environment Agency info page for boaters.)

 

I think the Cam is Environment Agency, someone will put it right if I am wrong.

[Roger Gunkel]

As you already live and work around Cambridge, the first thing to do, is take a step back, then take a long walk by the river along Midsummer Common and Jesus Green. There are many liveaboards permanently moored along there, so stop and talk to some of them, talk about your ideas and find out the sort of problems and costs that they have. Most boat residents will be happy to talk to you when they know what your ideas are. Make sure you take on board the negative comments aswell as the positive, because there will be many of both.

 

Be also aware that although you will quite likely find a boat of the size you want within your price range, it will almost certainly be in poor condition. So before you buy, take a look at boats for sale at the price you want to sell at, to get a better idea of what lies ahead. There is a boat in the marina here, that was bought very cheaply (less than £10,000). It was tatty, but looked as though it had potential. It has since been found that the wooden floors are completely rotten throughout, after the owner put his foot through. As a result, the entire interior, including sides has had to be ripped out to replace the floor. In addition, the base plate has now found to be rusting from the inside and is wafer thin in places. It will need overplating on the base and hull. The total cost for a complete rebuild and repaint is likely to be as much, if not more, than they will ever be able to sell it for, even doing much of the work themselves.

 

The Cam at and around Cambridge is not the Environment Agency, but the CAM CONSERVANCY Link The EA are responsible downstream of Bottisham lock. (Edited to add link)

 

So good luck with your plans, but be careful out there!

 

Roger

Edited October 8, 2008 by Roger Gunkel

[newbird]

i have no debts other than the proposed loan for the car, i mean boat.

 

 

You sound exactly like me!! I have just taken loan out for "car" I have seen my boat and am asking lots of questions on this forum - see topic "10days to decide."

 

I'm single too, know very little about boats but have friends who do and want to give the peaceful, cold and hardworking life of living on a boat a go. Good luck!

 

x

[newbird]

Sorry, the first line of that last post should have been in quote - oops!

[Fishing Nut]

I just see your post. It does sound like we are in a similar situation.

 

Credit crunch or not this country is a mess, and my thoery is living on the water would make britain fel like britain again. Sounds cheesy but i just want a simple life.

 

The scary bit is i have spent 6 years paying off credit from when i was young and silly. Now im at 0 i feel i can actually decide on something but want to be sure its the right move.

 

Buying a house is out of the question and even if and when the prices fall i still dont see me funding a motageg in cambridge. Remember im single and one wage just doesnt give the bank confidence that you can repay that 170,000-250,000. Man thats some money!

 

So the boat idea floated to the surface of my thoughts, I imediatly felt good. The thought of owning my own craft, my own floating home. Wow just writing makes me drift of thinking of the fish i could catch!

 

So i guess i am confused with the thought of a boat being a more realistic option. Although i havent viewed, im not a surveyor and i dont know a thing a botu boat making, i cant help but think that i have some seen fairly habitibal boats for sale around 10-12 grand. Yes they all say something about them that says a lot of work needs doing but my main worry is the shell. In particuar the hull. As i said before i live in a tent most my life due to fishing being my hobby. I could quite easily see myself on my bedchair(more comfortabe than a bed!) in an emprty shell of a boat.

 

A good question id like to ask is, Are the narrow boats im seeing for 10 grandish likely to be all rotten? It seems the price braket for a boat that floats well but requires some tlc inside. ultimatly thats what i want.

 

The guy with the thin rusty hole and rotten floor. Did he get a survey? i was under the impression if i had a survey they would spot that kinda thing??

 

A rotten floor would bring the price down and i could lay one with ease. At least with the help of my mates.

 

On that note has anyone heard of underfloor heating being done in a small boat? my firends dad is a heating engineer and he built this into our out house. That would be a pricey but pukka feeling in the winter. nice toasty boat when the rivers frozen around you.

 

How much are surveys and are they a standard?

 

I hope it works out for you newbird, who knows maybe in the future we will exchange the boating nod as our rusty narrowboats cruise past slowly sinking.

[saltysplash]

I just see your post. It does sound like we are in a similar situation.

 

Credit crunch or not this country is a mess, and my thoery is living on the water would make britain fel like britain again. Sounds cheesy but i just want a simple life.

 

The scary bit is i have spent 6 years paying off credit from when i was young and silly. Now im at 0 i feel i can actually decide on something but want to be sure its the right move.

 

Buying a house is out of the question and even if and when the prices fall i still dont see me funding a motageg in cambridge. Remember im single and one wage just doesnt give the bank confidence that you can repay that 170,000-250,000. Man thats some money!

 

So the boat idea floated to the surface of my thoughts, I imediatly felt good. The thought of owning my own craft, my own floating home. Wow just writing makes me drift of thinking of the fish i could catch!

 

So i guess i am confused with the thought of a boat being a more realistic option. Although i havent viewed, im not a surveyor and i dont know a thing a botu boat making, i cant help but think that i have some seen fairly habitibal boats for sale around 10-12 grand. Yes they all say something about them that says a lot of work needs doing but my main worry is the shell. In particuar the hull. As i said before i live in a tent most my life due to fishing being my hobby. I could quite easily see myself on my bedchair(more comfortabe than a bed!) in an emprty shell of a boat.

 

A good question id like to ask is, Are the narrow boats im seeing for 10 grandish likely to be all rotten? It seems the price braket for a boat that floats well but requires some tlc inside. ultimatly thats what i want.

 

The guy with the thin rusty hole and rotten floor. Did he get a survey? i was under the impression if i had a survey they would spot that kinda thing??

 

A rotten floor would bring the price down and i could lay one with ease. At least with the help of my mates.

 

On that note has anyone heard of underfloor heating being done in a small boat? my firends dad is a heating engineer and he built this into our out house. That would be a pricey but pukka feeling in the winter. nice toasty boat when the rivers frozen around you.

 

How much are surveys and are they a standard?

 

I hope it works out for you newbird, who knows maybe in the future we will exchange the boating nod as our rusty narrowboats cruise past slowly sinking.

 

 

My first boat cost me 10 grand back in the 80's. it was 20 yr old and we did a back cabin conversion on her........we sold her 3 years later for 10 grand. IMO the fitout mattered not.....if we'd done nowt to the old girl she would still've fetched the same price...its all down to what someone is prepared to give you for your chunk of metal of GRP or wood

[down the north]

years ago, an old boatman talking about wooden boats said

' a wooden boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money'

so keep to steel, or a slight coat of rust on steel,

best of luck, but it aint cheap anymore !!

martin

[alan_fincher]

years ago, an old boatman talking about wooden boats said

' a wooden boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money'

The word wooden is usually omitted when people use that line!

[Phil Ambrose]

I think you may be under the mishaprehension that living on a boat is cheaper and more cost effective than living in a house. This is not always the case, we sold our house and bought a boat with the profit, but to be quite honest I haven't noticed that we are any better off.

My husband still works full time and I have managed to go part time but there is never any spare money at the end of the month.

Boat life is great and I wouldn't change it for the world, but life is not as simple as some might assume.

Finding a permanent mooring was the hardest part and the most expensive. The license has to be paid for, and you have to take into account the cost of a survey and the safety cert. Day to day living is not that easy either, you always have to think about is there enough water, diesel, power, emptying the loo and this time of year - keeping warm.

When we bought our boat, we obviously wanted to make our own changes and improvements such as new heating system, kitchen and bathroom. All this takes time and money and not always easy when you are actually living on the boat.

I certainly don't want to put your off, but please don't under estimate the costs involved. It may help if you took the rose coloured glasses off for one moment and imagined yourself moored up somewhere in the middle of no-where, the river has warning flags up and its not safe to move, the toilet needs emptying, your water is getting low, you have no phone signal and its an approximate 5 mile walk to the nearest shop - believe me - it happens.

Boat life is fantastic when things are good but life isn't always easy!!

Good luck and please think long and hard before making your decission.

 

 

Yes we live on our boat and as has been said it is not without drawbacks, I recall seeing a sgn in a boatyard which read "A BOAT IS A HOLE IN THE WATER SURROUNDED BY WOOD INTO WHICH YOU POUR MONEY"

 

So yup take a look without the rose coloured specs.

Oh in case you wondered I'm 63 and no I would not move ashore again

[FORTUNATA]

Bear in mind, narrowboats tend to average around 30 K for a good one and then go up from there. You don['t have that much to spend so you have two options. You can buy an eighties second hand narrowboat cheap but experience tells me such boats come with some wear and tear. A surveyor would more often than not find varied degrees of pitting and recommend remedial work and such work isn't for the DIY enthusiast. Then you have the second option, to buy a shell and fit it out. I knew someone who bought a shell for 10 K and took things from there.

Alternatively sometimes you see old boats that have been gutted, replated and ready to fit out and they go around 9 K.

Yes, it's doable but make sure you get good advice from the outset. Also consider fibreglass as an option. You can get a decent fibreglass boat from 6 K upwards and many of these have inboard engines and are easy to maintain.

 

Hi all,

 

 

This seems like a fantastic forum. You really cant beat a goof forum full of enthusiasts.

 

Well, why am i here. All my life i have loved the waterways. As a kid i used to go out with my dad and his mate on days out on his boat. A few years back i went on a 5 day boat holiday on the broads, in all i love it! And to top the fact i love the boat aspect i am fishing nut too.

 

i have always wondered what it would take to own a boat and potentially live on one. Many things have put me off in the past.... Women, money and too young to know enough about life.

 

Well, i have just come from a 5 year relationship(meaning i'm single), i have a few hundred pounds to go before i'm out of debt completly(£0 debt) and i have just turned 30.

 

Like everyone i want a house. i want to get on the ladder and by the looks of things that wont be hapenning for a while. Not just the crunch but i would like to save around 10 grand so i have a down payment and a better chance of it happening. seeing im at 0 this may take a while.

 

I was fishing down the cam (my local river in cambridge) the other day when a guy who baliffs the water(also a boat owner/ Seller) got chatting with me and i said how i envy'd his life. Living by the river, paying sod all to live there etc.

 

Well, since that night i havent stopped thinking about getting my own boat. I seem to have a ruff plan as to how it could pan out but i want to research as much as possible so i know its the right move or at least that im doing the right thing. I have been writing down lots of questiosn and have answeed lots already. Nothing scares me yet.

 

So what do i want to do.

 

My thoughts are to get a narrowboat which i can fix up. Although i havent done any boats up i am very good with diy and have very good friends in most of the trades like, Gas Heating, Electrician, Welders, mechanics and a few carpenters.

My reasons for a fix up boat are a) i love doing projects i want to add to the boat so its worth what i paid and or a bit more when i come to sell it.

Now i know peopme will naturally say buying anything now as an investment is crazy but... here me out and tell me if im barking up the wrong boat.

My view is this. I have been reading on here that now is a buyers market, hence lots of boats on the market and ones going cheap too. Ive seen some pukka deals! So straight away im buying at a good time?yes?

I currently live with a mate and pay just under 500 per month. if i were to get a loan for say 10,000 i can pay this back at 500 per month and have it paid in 2 years.

Durin this 2 years i would live on the boat so my current rent amount wouldnt change but instead of lining my mates pocket(cough paying his mortgage) i would be paying back for my investment. Right?Yes?

During that 2 years i can put my life into the boat. Make it a real dream boat. I can easily afford to do work on it as i am paid well, i have no debts other than the proposed loan for the car, i mean boat.

Now dot get me wrong i know theres a lot to owning a boat (blacking hull every 3-4 years, mooring, river tax, boat safety thing etc...) but everythig i have looked at doesnt really have a scary price tag. And the main thing i see people moaning about is the living mooring. i,e fixed residence. Forgive me if i am wrong but surely i can move about alot so therefore not really need a fixed location? remeber im young, crazy and well up for adventure. I work very close to the river where i live and i know the river very well and can think of loads of areas where i can moor with no issues. At least i think. The guy i met who has lived in cambridge for 17 years on a boat said many people do that while they wait for a slot to become free.

 

So i am thinking that i could buy a 33-45ft narrow boat for 8-12 grand. Live on it, do it up and sell it once i paid the loan back. Then i will have around 10-15 grand for a down payment on a mortgage. Surely with the right work gone into it this is feasable? yes not easy but doable?Yes?

 

i really dont want to make it rich by doing up boats i just want a project, somewhere cheap to live, be by the river and have an investment while country crunch is going on.

 

Naturally i am open to attack now please critisize me when required and dont be afraid to give me negative comments about my thoughts. I can take it.

 

I havent slept all night with the thought of doing this so i would love feedback from people that care and know about this kind of thing.

 

I would love to know peoples comments of my idea. Remeber i dont wanna be rich i just wanna get a tiny bit more than i pay for it.

 

 

Thanks in advance