retirement boat

[terryvanman]

Hello everybody

I would like to say a big hello and thank you all for all the information I’ve gained in the last few days by reading all [well nearly all] the posts on here.

First of all I would like to tell you about me, I’m 62 today yippee and I have been planning a canal boat retirement when I hit 65,,, so 3 years to go.

At the moment I own this

 

 

 

and do a fair bit of camping as and when I can, the reason I got the van [the 4th one I’ve had] is because I work as a resident caretaker in a posh block of flats and it helps me get away from work on the weekends.

The job also comes with a flat [free] . BUT I have to give the flat back on my retirement, so I need somewhere to live, so a canal boat will fit the bill.

I have been saving all my pennies and still have 3 years more to save and if I sell the van I recon I should be able to buy a new boat in the £80-£90 K mark, I have looked at loads of boats and I think I would like an Aqualine with a reverse layout I think its called Madison. Any thoughts on this?

I have had a weeks holiday on a narrow boat last October and totally loved it, I just fell straight into driving a narrow boat and never hit the side or any other past of the boat all week, I was told by a few canal boat pilots that I was a natural born captain [they could see that it was a hire boat] and when I told them that I’d only had it for 2 hours and this is my first lock, they were impress, so it looks like it the life for me.

Now the rest of the questions

I know we should get a mooring first so I’ve had a look at Moorings in a marina nearest to me [Central London] and the one I would like is Willowtree marina near Hayes on the grand union, it’s loads of money being so near London but if I get the boat before I retire it would only take me 25 minutes to get there on a Friday night so I can use it before I retire, then when I do retire I can change to a mooring further away from London that’s cheaper. Does anyone know anything about Willowtree , heard any bad stories etc.

Next question

If any of you had £80+ K to spend on a new boat what would you go for,,I will be going solo for a couple of years so no steamships please.

Should I get a bow thruster?

is it just a case of buying a bigger engine for tidal river cruising or just a bigger prop

Is 60 foot too long for single handed cruising?

can I fit a small scooter or motorbike on a boat with the aid of a ramp?

 

I’m sure there are loads more questions so please be patient with me.

 

terry

Edited April 9, 2009 by terryvanman

[bottle]

Terry

 

Welcome:

 

First thing, either blank out the number plate or remove the picture. (security)

 

If any of you had £80+ K to spend on a new boat what would you go for,,I will be going solo for a couple of years so no steamships please.

 

Many people go solo, as to which boat to buy, I could not advise, it will depend on how deep your pocket is and whether you like its style.

Remember that there are other costs involved, mooring, insurance, licence and some one offs at the beginning.

 

Have a look on the net and visit some narrowboat brokerages (weekend trips in the camper )at what is available 'pre-owned', you could get more boat for your money and only one or two years old.

 

Should I get a bow thruster?

 

It will add about 3 to 5 thousand pounds to the cost of the boat. It is your choice but many single man without.

 

is it just a case of buying a bigger engine for tidal river cruising or just a bigger prop

 

No the boat should come with an engine and prop able to cope with rivers.

 

Is 60 foot too long for single handed cruising?

 

No, again many cruise single handed with bigger.

 

can I fit a small scooter or motorbike on a boat with the aid of a ramp?

 

Probably , it has been done, it has been mentioned on the forum before, have a search (top right)

[terryvanman]

thank you kind sir, for your answers to just a few of the questions I need to ask

 

quote as to which boat to buy, I could not advise, it will depend on how deep your pocket quote

 

I'm sure I'll have £80.000 If not 90k, so what would you do [and anyone else on here] Blow it on a brand new boat or get a good second hand one.

has anyone else got an aqualine boat? what are they like? any problems? do they come up for sale often?

 

thanks

[ChrisPy]

if your primary purpose is liveaboard, and you can accept limits on your cruising range, you should consider a widebeam.

- more room to swing the cat, doesn't feel like a corridor.

- more space to store the scooter (or even a Smart car if purpose built?)

- if you choose a shorter boat say 45ft, you should get cheaper moorings for the same area of living space in most circumstances, and probably more choice of moorings.

 

with 90K to spend you should get a cracking boat with all the comforts of home.

[terryvanman]

if your primary purpose is liveaboard, and you can accept limits on your cruising range, you should consider a widebeam.

- more room to swing the cat, doesn't feel like a corridor.

- more space to store the scooter (or even a Smart car if purpose built?)

- if you choose a shorter boat say 45ft, you should get cheaper moorings for the same area of living space in most circumstances, and probably more choice of moorings.

 

with 90K to spend you should get a cracking boat with all the comforts of home.

 

thank you

I will have to look into that, I would have to weigh up the pros and cons

[Keeping Up]

On the other hand if you enjoy travelling, and driving a boat, get yourself a narrowboat and spend a few years exploring the whole of the system (for which you won't need a mooring once you've retired). For your first boat it's worth buying second-hand, because after a couple of years you'll have changed many of your ideas of what makes a perfect boat aand you could regret paying money for someone to build something that now isn't what you want. For that budget you should be able to get yourself an absolutely cracking second-hand narrowboat.

 

60ft isn't too long for single-handed working; a good 70-footer will be easier to handle than a bad 40-footer. A bow-thruster may be useful but it certainly isn't essential, and a scooter or bike is certainly possible (a tug-style foredeck may be the best answer; you could even mount a crane there if it was a big bike)

[bottle]

SNIP>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

I'm sure I'll have £80.000 If not 90k, so what would you do [and anyone else on here] Blow it on a brand new boat or get a good second hand one.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<SNIP

 

That £80.000 boat, at today's prices will probably be £90,000 by the time you retire.

 

I have gone down the, 'having one built to my wants' path.

 

When ordered there was a two year waiting list for a build slot, owing to circumstances the best laid plans and all that, it is now nearly four years since the order was placed.

 

It is expected end of May beginning of June.

 

It is a 60' live-aboard, gas free with standalone generator, washer dryer, fridge, freezer oven and hob, I think you get the picture.

 

It will cost in the region of £120.000.

 

My builder builds what you want (with advice) here is one he built six years ago, that is for sale.

 

http://www.abnb.co.uk/Boat_pages/fdr1529/1529abnb.php

[sueb]

We have bought a boat to live on during our retirement. We started with a second hand 48ft, plenty of room for two. When we knew that we liked the life we sold it, for more than we paid for it. We then built a 58ft, this goes anywhere, I can manage it by myself. We don't need a mooring because we never stay in one place very long. We find public transport is fine. The railways run parallel to the canals and the shops are very often very near the canals. We left my pushbike by a skip because I never used it.

Good luck Sue

[terryvanman]

thanks guys, this is all good stuff, please keep them coming.

 

terry , starting to lick my lips

[Keeping Up]

If you think "outside the box" enough, even a small car is a possibility. This is an example from the 70's. The owner simply used to uncouple the raft, turn it through 90 degrees, and drive off!

 

[terryvanman]

rather like the idea of an all electric boat, what are the advantages of all electric? if there are any

[andy1]

you will nead a long extension lead if traveling far

[ditchcrawler]

rather like the idea of an all electric boat, what are the advantages of all electric? if there are any

You need a good set of batteries and a large inverter plus a good charging system if you don't intend to start the engine or generator when you want to make your Coco last thing at night and disturb your neighbors

[starman]

You mentioned Aqualine - they're pretty good quality, I've seen them being built in Poland and the set-up is impressive. They're off-the-shelf not custom made like many narrowboats so there is less personal choice on design and layout. If you go for one make sure you get a decent specification - enough electrical capacity for live-aboard use etc. Tht will probably mean adding a few extra cost options to the basic boat.

And why not consider a secondhand one as they're a known proposition? There are a few around, not least at the New Boat Co who sell them new.

[terryvanman]

You mentioned Aqualine - they're pretty good quality, I've seen them being built in Poland and the set-up is impressive. They're off-the-shelf not custom made like many narrowboats so there is less personal choice on design and layout. If you go for one make sure you get a decent specification - enough electrical capacity for live-aboard use etc. Tht will probably mean adding a few extra cost options to the basic boat.

And why not consider a secondhand one as they're a known proposition? There are a few around, not least at the New Boat Co who sell them new.

thanks for that

I'm going to spend a day out in the van looking at boats tomorrow, will take in "the new boat company" and see whats what, they have some new models to look at...

terry

[Canalwatcher]

You mentioned Aqualine - they're pretty good quality, I've seen them being built in Poland and the set-up is impressive. They're off-the-shelf not custom made like many narrowboats so there is less personal choice on design and layout. If you go for one make sure you get a decent specification - enough electrical capacity for live-aboard use etc. Tht will probably mean adding a few extra cost options to the basic boat.

And why not consider a secondhand one as they're a known proposition? There are a few around, not least at the New Boat Co who sell them new.

 

Our boat is a 57 ft Aqualine with a trad stern normally there are just the two of us and this gives more interior space than a cruiser or semi trad which we were keen to have for cruising away from home for several months at a time. Although not bespoke we found they will vary designs to an extent - for instance we wanted side doors on each side and asked for the standard (one side door) to be modified by fitting a side door in place of one of the windows on the other side. The standard of carpentry all in solid ash(or can have oak) is very high (I would say that!) as is the workmanship generally.

 

A pic of our boat is on this forum at http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...1127&st=220 (post 235 page 12)

 

Mick

[ditchcrawler]

thanks for that

I'm going to spend a day out in the van looking at boats tomorrow, will take in "the new boat company" and see whats what, they have some new models to look at...

terry

Have you seen this thread http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...210&hl=Mary

[sueb]

Our boat is a 57 ft Aqualine with a trad stern normally there are just the two of us and this gives more interior space than a cruiser or semi trad which we were keen to have for cruising away from home for several months at a time. Although not bespoke we found they will vary designs to an extent - for instance we wanted side doors on each side and asked for the standard (one side door) to be modified by fitting a side door in place of one of the windows on the other side. The standard of carpentry all in solid ash(or can have oak) is very high (I would say that!) as is the workmanship generally.

 

A pic of our boat is on this forum at http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...1127&st=220 (post 235 page 12)

 

Mick

As we finished fitting our boat out in oak someone informed ud that oak goes black when it gets wet. They were right

Sue

[starman]

As we finished fitting our boat out in oak someone informed ud that oak goes black when it gets wet. They were right

Sue

 

I think it would be more accurate to say that oak can go black if it gets damp in places where this damp cannot dry out again (eg leaks round windows etc). As many thousand oak frame buildings will testify, oak weathers in normal circumstances to a sort of grey colour. Plenty of narrowboats are successfully fitted out inside in oak which is protected by varnish. Leaks or condensation that cause it to go black will be doing damage to any wood - you just won't be able to see it.

[terryvanman]

right IMOFF to tha land of canal boats [well somewhere off the M1] to hava a butchers hook at some

tell you later how I got on

 

 

terry

[cotswoldsman]

Terry

If you are going to live on your boat then I would say 60ft boat would be minimum requirments.

As you will be solo then reverse layout is ideal for when you want to make cups of tea/coffee etc. I have now mastered being able to make tea without the need to moor up.

Lastly I purchased my boat from New Boat Company and would recomend them to anyone purchasing a new boat there after sales service is second to non.

[terryvanman]

OK guys and gals

 

I spent yesterday looking at boats Blisworth was first, Brian [a very nice man] showed me an aqualine Madison only 2 years old with just 50 hours on the clock [or should that be engine] its called Bluenote and is in very good condition, the price is £75.000 all but fifty quid, it didn't have the dinette that I want but it did have a breakfast bar with granite tops. the outside was bashed about a bit and needed a touch up, the inside was used and in need of a good clean To be honest I was very tempted with this one as its not often that a Madison comes up for sale. Brian told me that it would be best to have a survey and while its out of the water have the bottom blacked [£1,400] then he told me that moorings are about £2500 a year, so I said I'm very interested.

We left to go to Crick and on the way I started to think about the cost. {remember that I cant really use it till I retire 4weeks hols and the odd weekend].

If I brought a new Madison with the same spec it would cost about 87K [ OK the price will no doubt go up] with the dinette I want etc and its brand new. so a saving of about £13.000, then I added in the mooring fees 3 years @ £2.500 X 3 years = £7.500 plus survey and blacking £1400, insurance £1000 for 3 years? and I would probably have to buy new batteries and then there's the service cost for the engine and certificates for the MOT or whatever its called for boats, and another blacking in 3 years time, plus the licence £1500

So I buy this boat and park it up [sorry moor it up] for basically 3 years and use it maybe 10 weeks [i have to visit relatives over Christmas every year]and a few weekends in that time, all at a cost of ???? £11.000 ???? So it occurred to me that I would be better off holding off till about 6 months before I retire and place an order for a brand new boat ready for delivery as near to my retirement date so that I can go cruising straight away. I would save the cost "as above" and save for another 2-3 years towards the new boat.

That's what I've decided, unless any of you can see something I've missed To be honest Its a bit of a relief to finally make a decision as to what I'm going to do, now I can sit back and wait a couple of years without getting stressed and spending all my time as to what I'm going to do.

 

I thank you all for giving me the chance to suck your very intelligent brains and I intend to stick around [if you'll have me] and learn more about the wonderful world of canal life.

 

terry

[onthecut]

Hi Terry

 

Must go along with one of the earlier replies --- before you commit the lion's share of your capital, try a cheaper boat that you think is resonably close to your requirements and see how it works out. I would be amazed if a period of actual use didn't alter at least some of your ideas. If you don't do that, try a hire sometime November - Feb. time, when it's short days, cold and muddy towpaths. That's when you will really find if it's the full time life for you. Finally, before you buy whatever you buy, look at as many boats as you can, not just one 'model'. I guarantee you will see ideas you hadn't even thought of, some of which may be either 'must have' or 'must avoid'.

 

Mike.

[The Wanderer]

Terry,

 

Have you considered joining a share scheme? You can get access to the canals throughout the year depending on the size of your share, then sell the share prior to buying your new boat. This gives you an idea if retirement to the cut is for you and also may give you ideas as to the final layout of your boat.

 

Good luck

[terryvanman]

Terry,

 

Have you considered joining a share scheme? You can get access to the canals throughout the year depending on the size of your share, then sell the share prior to buying your new boat. This gives you an idea if retirement to the cut is for you and also may give you ideas as to the final layout of your boat.

 

Good luck

 

Yes I did think of that, but I've made my mind up I want a brand new boat with exactly what I want on board and the madison fits the bill perfectly.

so I'm not going to spend any money on any boat or share scheme I'm just going to enjoy the van for the next 3 years using it as a land canal boat if you like and then sell it and use the money to pay for the new boat and any left over will go into the ritirement fund.

In the mean time I will probably hire a boat like I did before, out of season for a week or two each year just to get the lusting for a boat out of my system.

I'm already planing camping weekends, probably in a camp sites near or actually in a marina so look out for a short fat geezer asking loads of soppy questions

 

terry