credit crunched boaters

[djangobole]

is the credit crunch begining to hit boaters, my private mooring has now got 6 empty spots in the last 4 weeks.

[Nightwatch]

I think so!

[alan_fincher]

But assuming we are talking narrow boats, or similar, where are all the boats now that were in these now empty moorings ?

 

Not many people can lift them out, so presumably they are still on the system somewhere ?

 

Moved somewhere cheaper ?

 

"Continually cruising" ??

[Proper Job]

But assuming we are talking narrow boats, or similar, where are all the boats now that were in these now empty moorings ?

 

Not many people can lift them out, so presumably they are still on the system somewhere ?

 

Moved somewhere cheaper ?

 

"Continually cruising" ??

Been moved to a brokers mooring ready for selling?

[alan_fincher]

Been moved to a brokers mooring ready for selling?

Possibly,

 

But our local brokerage has had just one boat on their books for many weeks now, and that's overpriced and has been on many months. They are not a large outfit, but usually turn over boats quite fast with a selection of offer. The situation where they have effectively none for sale at a sensible price in unprecedented in my experience.

 

Of course they may be untypical.

[Tiny]

I enquired about the half dozen empty moorings in our marina but was told all moorings are taken but new boats are on the wrong side of stoppages.

[greywolf]

767 narrow boats up for sale on appolo duck alone add in the other sites and there is a lot of boats on the markets.

[Sir Nibble]

767 narrow boats up for sale on appolo duck alone add in the other sites and there is a lot of boats on the markets.

How many though, are due to economic downturn and how many due to being evicted from that bridgehole called home and told to move on.

[alan_fincher]

767 narrow boats up for sale on appolo duck alone add in the other sites and there is a lot of boats on the markets.

There's always hundreds of boats listed on Appolo Duck though.

 

In all honesty, how many are seriously up for sale ?

[Bullfrog]

767 narrow boats up for sale on appolo duck alone add in the other sites and there is a lot of boats on the markets.

 

Does anyone know is this more or less than usual?

[John Orentas]

I am sure much of this is pure seasonal variation but the longer term trend has got to be far worse than most people imagine..

 

This depression is far more serious than anything I have lived through but it seems to be softened by a lot of lag in the system, the one thing I am sure of is that it will get far worse before it starts to get better and not for the odd year or two that is being talked about, it will be nearer to a decade.

[Denis R]

How many though, are due to economic downturn and how many due to being evicted from that bridgehole called home and told to move on.

Don't think it's the bridgehole homesteaders making up the numbers S'Nib, they've moved on to the GU between Blisworth and Buckby!

I think John O has got the pulse. It's gonna hurt, and bad for a long time. I think there's a lot of boats NOT been put on the market, simply because even though the owners could do with selling them, they don't think they will.

[bottle]

Interesting you should say that John, just read an article The myth of record debt on the BBC News website.

[fuzzyduck]

So far, I'm seeing anecdotal evidence of less boats out and about on the waterways, and some of boats "disappearing" from marinas.

 

It would be interesting to see BWs traffic figures from where boats are routinely logged, for say the last 2 years, to see if there is any actual evidence.

[Sir Nibble]

Don't think it's the bridgehole homesteaders making up the numbers S'Nib, they've moved on to the GU between Blisworth and Buckby!

I only mention this because every time BW take notice of the conceptual cruisers one or two end up on brokerage and since I hear they are enforcing the rules more enthusiastically I wondered if this may cause a blip in brokerage figures.

I don't feel qualified to comment on how long the economic downturn may last, prepare for the worst and hope for the best I s'pose.

[gaggle]

the downturn will last till the money men strip whatever assets they can from whoever they can with ease.

the money the taxpayers have supplied to the banks will be used by the same banks to strip the same taxpayers of even more money.

[Lady Muck]

The good news - I got rid of my overdraft and had the busiest work season ever.

 

The bad news I can afford to go long term cruising next summer only if BW will let me sublet my mooring. Can afford the diesel, or the marina but not both.

 

Oh the irony!

[John Orentas]

Interesting you should say that John, just read an article The myth of record debt on the BBC News website.

 

 

Borrowing and going into dept is ironically the way into our problems and also the way out.. On a worldwide scale if everyone is in debt to everyone else is that really such a bad thing.. The major problem is that it is very unpopular with the electorates of about every country..

 

No accident that the first country to free itself from the 1930's depression was Germany, they did it by massive civic works and huge spending on re-armament, we came out of it in five minutes flat when we too went onto a war footing by re-arming..

 

Will Europe and the rest of the world have the courage to act upon the lesson from history ?

[US Marines]

Borrowing and going into dept is ironically the way into our problems and also the way out.. On a worldwide scale if everyone is in debt to everyone else is that really such a bad thing.. The major problem is that it is very unpopular with the electorates of about every country..

 

No accident that the first country to free itself from the 1930's depression was Germany, they did it by massive civic works and huge spending on re-armament, we came out of it in five minutes flat when we too went onto a war footing by re-arming..

 

Will Europe and the rest of the world have the courage to act upon the lesson from history ?

Right, who shall we declare war on this time then....?

[fuzzyduck]

Rockall

[greywolf]

Does anyone know is this more or less than usual?

Certainly the number of trad stern narrow boats has been going up alot over the last few months,there always seemed to be a lot of cruiser sterns on the market but they to have gone up significantly.

Edited November 18, 2008 by greywolf

[US Marines]

Given the size of the debt problem, I'm not sure that re-arming to fight Rockall would really do it....

 

I was thinking more along the lines of Venus !

 

 

Even further

Sorry, but this reminded me.

 

Stephen Fry on the telly on Sunday - talking to an Innuit in Barrow, north Alaska.

 

'Do you go hunting in winter, when its always dark'

 

'Yes, we need to eat in winter too'

 

'But how do you navigate ? ..... by the stars I suppose...'

 

'Yes, by the stars...................and....GPS'

 

Edited November 18, 2008 by US Marines

[peasant]

May not be due to the credit crunch but there are marinas along the T&M advertising residential mooring available.Even last year that was impossible to find

[alan_fincher]

Credit crunch apart, it has seemed to me for some time that new marina places were coming online far faster than new boats were being added to the system.

 

BW, I believe, claim to be removing online moorings at the rate of only one for each new ten marina berths being created.

 

Against that type of background, some empty berths seem inevitable to me, whatever the country's economic climate.

[churchward]

I am sure much of this is pure seasonal variation but the longer term trend has got to be far worse than most people imagine..

 

This depression is far more serious than anything I have lived through but it seems to be softened by a lot of lag in the system, the one thing I am sure of is that it will get far worse before it starts to get better and not for the odd year or two that is being talked about, it will be nearer to a decade.

 

What a little ray of sunshine you are!

 

Ever since the soothsayers circled the forum in Rome (and probably a long time before that too) we have always loved a good profit of doom story. I don't know what will happen (and anybody who says they do with any degree of certainty is very misguided) but there is no doubt that a good recession can be talked up in theses days of instant communication almost any story can become true. Financial Markets are on the whole self fulfilling any rumour becomes true if enough people want it to be and the story is told enough times.

 

However, back on topic it is interesting in all the stories about how the present situation is affecting boat sales new or second-hand there is very little fact and a lot of rumour and anecdote. My view is that I am very sorry for anyone who has found themselves in a position where they need to sell but I am also determined to enjoy my boating while I still may, hopefully uninterupted by money, health or any other troubles as I hope you all will too.

 

So, here is my anecdote to go with the grist in the rumour mill. We moor at Wigrams Turn marina and not far from the Whilton sales area there. There are some boats that seem to hang around longer than others but some seem to come and go very quickly. It appears that the turnover of boats is significant still. One boat that came in recently was sold within a fortnight and it wasn't one at the budget end of the market. Good boats seem to sell.