the cost

[terryvanman]

can anyone tell me the rough/average/near as dam it cost per year it is to live on a canal boat

as a permanent cruiser, this is after you have paid for the boat

I'm talking about the day to day cost,

licence

fuel

gas

replacing 4 leisure batteries every 5 years

blacking

service and certificates etc

 

has anyone worked out the yearly cost over say...a five year plan

I'm trying to work out a budget

 

thanks

 

terry

[chris w]

I'm not a liveaboard so can't help overall, but you will be hard pushed to make your batteries last 5 years (even with TLC) if you are a permanent cruiser. I would halve this time for budget purposes and use 2 years if you are not into electrics in a big way as well.

 

I would also add at least £1500 per year to the budget for spares and repairs etc. unless you are very self-sufficient in the mechanical area.

 

Chris

PS: I just read that last sentence again and it sounds like a question your GP might ask!

Edited April 23, 2009 by chris w

[alan_fincher]

To get meaningful estimates, as a minimum you need to give size, (length and width) of boat.

 

Licence is by length, so will cost more the bigger it is, (see Waterscape.com).

 

Blacking charges are also "by the foot".

 

Your chosen heating method will also affect costs greatly. It's almost universally agreed that mainly using a solid fuel stove will make massive savings over burning oil or gas, but even smokeless fuels have gone up enormously of late.

 

You have not mentioned insurance, (possibly including breakdown cover, depending upon your own ability to fix things).

 

As a live-aboard it seems highly unlikely you'll make a set of lead-acid domestic batteries last 5 years, I think. They don't like repeated charge/discharge cycles, and some people only achieve half that if they are being hammerred daily. Basic batteries are usually from £60-£70 each.

[ditchcrawler]

can anyone tell me the rough/average/near as dam it cost per year it is to live on a canal boat

as a permanent cruiser, this is after you have paid for the boat

I'm talking about the day to day cost,

licence

fuel

gas

replacing 4 leisure batteries every 5 years

blacking

service and certificates etc

 

has anyone worked out the yearly cost over say...a five year plan

I'm trying to work out a budget

 

thanks

 

terry

Fuel is dependent on how you are going to boat, Do you intend to move about 5 miles every 14 days, if so you wont use much or are you going to travel round the system and enjoy the waterways in which case you could easily use £25 per week. This will also have an effect on engine services, one a year or one every couple of months.

[alan_fincher]

...................or are you going to travel round the system and enjoy the waterways in which case you could easily use £25 per week.

Or even more, of course.

 

I know most CCers don't go hell for leather, but I've just worked out that over the previous 2 weeks, we probably had the engine running well over 100 hours when boating. So say 50 hours per week, at 1.5 litres per hour, that's a staggering 75 litres per week. Based on 85 pence per lite (60/40 split), that's about £64 worth of diesel just to be moving. (we don't have diesel space heating).

 

I expect we'll use even more in the summer, with longer days!. Expensive lark, this boating.

[Lady Muck]

It's a 'how long is a piece of string?' question.

 

You could be foraging around for wood and spending nothing on heating or you could be buying Homefire and keeping the stove in 24/7.

You could be running minimal electrics, no tv, perhpas a radio and candles, or you could have invertors and gensets up to your eyeballs.

As was alos pointed out, you could crusie 5 miles every two weeks or five miles every two days.

You could be up for fixing almost eveything yourself or calling an engineer every time a bulb pops.

 

Most of us are somewhere in the middle!

 

Give us a bit of background about you, the kind of boat you'd like, the expectations you have (comfort, electrical applicances, tv , heating etc) and we'll be able to give you a better idea of how much it costs.

[terryvanman]

It's a 'how long is a piece of string?' question.

 

You could be foraging around for wood and spending nothing on heating or you could be buying Homefire and keeping the stove in 24/7.

You could be running minimal electrics, no tv, perhpas a radio and candles, or you could have invertors and gensets up to your eyeballs.

As was alos pointed out, you could crusie 5 miles every two weeks or five miles every two days.

You could be up for fixing almost eveything yourself or calling an engineer every time a bulb pops.

 

Most of us are somewhere in the middle!

 

Give us a bit of background about you, the kind of boat you'd like, the expectations you have (comfort, electrical applicances, tv , heating etc) and we'll be able to give you a better idea of how much it costs.

 

 

Cor bleeding el.

 

OK, the boat will be 57foot

I will move every 1 or 2 weeks up to 50 miles

heating will be gas, solid fuel and diesel [got to keep warm ]

I will want a generator

the engine will be maintained by an engineer

a TV 20 inch flat screen

hair drier

microwave so a 3000 inverter thingy

 

 

the thing is, I'm trying to work out the cost of permanent cruising up against a marina

with cruising you get to see and meet people and the countryside and moving about keeps you young and fit so I dont mind spending that bit extra.

In a marina you end up looking at the same people every day ...not that I'm antisocial and its nice to have permanent friends but I'm too young [well in my mind I am] to vegetate

 

thanks again

[Tim Doran]

can anyone tell me the rough/average/near as dam it cost per year it is to live on a canal boat

as a permanent cruiser, this is after you have paid for the boat

I'm talking about the day to day cost,

licence

fuel

gas

replacing 4 leisure batteries every 5 years

blacking

service and certificates etc

 

has anyone worked out the yearly cost over say...a five year plan

I'm trying to work out a budget

 

thanks

 

terry

 

This is the cost for me

 

licence £500 for a 45ft boat

fuel about £5 a week - 5hrs engine running

gas 4 gas bottles a year @£20 each

replacing 4 leisure batteries every 5 years - about £60-80 each

blacking - dont know

service and certificates etc - DIY service at about £50-70 for consumables

Heating - about 2 bags of coal max per week @£9 each for 5 months ish

 

Free stuff

The amazingly nice community around bath and Bradford on Avon

The proximity to the outside

Feeding the ducks

etc etc

 

THere are of course other costs that you forget about such as replacing a pump at £100 a pop.

[Lady Muck]

the thing is, I'm trying to work out the cost of permanent cruising up against a marina

with cruising you get to see and meet people and the countryside and moving about keeps you young and fit so I dont mind spending that bit extra.

In a marina you end up looking at the same people every day ...not that I'm antisocial and its nice to have permanent friends but I'm too young [well in my mind I am] to vegetate

 

thanks again

 

Depends how much the marina is, but I'd say the cost might not be that different. Also depends how much you pay for diesel. If you are using alot of electricity you could find yourself burning your way through quite a bit of fuel that you wouldn't be doing when hooked up to 240v in a marina.

 

If I were you I'd start out in a marina, 'til you get used to the boat and the way that it works. Take a few trips out and see how it is on the towpath. Cc is not necessarily that easy, it doesn't suit everyone. Not all marinas are the same either - I have an online mooring in a marina so it isn't claustrophobic at all.

[terryvanman]

thanks one and all

will look into it some more

only 2.11 years to go

[carlt]

thanks one and all

will look into it some more

only 2.11 years to go

I predict that any figures given today will be miles off the mark, in 2.11 years time.

[chris w]

It's almost universally agreed that mainly using a solid fuel stove will make massive savings over burning oil .............

Where did you get that calculation from Alan? The calorific value of diesel is almost double that of the coal used by boats (where the water content is merely released as steam and not recovered as heat) and so an equivalent amount of heat from diesel is far cheaper than coal.

 

I buy a 20Kg bag of Excel for about £8. That contains the equivalent of about 300 x 10⁶ Joules of Energy (300MJ) or approximately 37.5 MJ/£.

 

For £8 I can buy about 13.5 litres of diesel for heating which will have a weight of 11.5 kg (Density of diesel = 0.85kg/L). The calorific value of diesel is about 46MJ/kg so for £8 I can buy 529MJ of energy or 66MJ/£, or 1.76 times the energy in coal for the same price.

 

 

Chris

[alan_fincher]

Where did you get that calculation from Alan?

I didn't calculate anything, TBH.

 

My comments were driven solely by the number of people who report, (often on here), that they couldn't afford to keep their diesel CH running, and that they rely instead on their SF stove.

 

I've seen stories of a number of people ripping out Diesel stoves and replacing with SF as a cost cutting measure - I don't recall ever seeing it the other way around.

 

Of course I suppose many may have access to plentiful supplies of cheap or free logs, or other timber, but I distinctly got the impression many people feel burning SF is cheaper than oil.

 

If that's wrong, (in practical, rather than theoretical terms), I'm sure others will put me right.

 

I agree that even burning smokeless fuels ain't cheap, though - although our recent experiences have often been of leaving the bl**dy doors open, because we were to damned hot - something that might be more avoidable with the control of burning oil, I'll admit.

[swissarmywife]

Hi Terryvanman,

 

Here is a link to some basic generalised costs (for us newbies/wannabees). Not indepth, but it might help a bit.

 

http://www.greathaywoodboatsales.co.uk/pdf...row_Boating.PDF

 

[chris w]

I didn't calculate anything, TBH.

 

My comments were driven solely by the number of people who report, (often on here), that they couldn't afford to keep their diesel CH running, and that they rely instead on their SF stove.

 

I've seen stories of a number of people ripping out Diesel stoves and replacing with SF as a cost cutting measure - I don't recall ever seeing it the other way around.

99% of people on here wouldn't know HOW to work it out so it seems somewhat nuts to rely on their calculations.

 

If they have access to free logs or coal then the situation is different. You specifically stated that burning coal is cheaper than burning diesel..... it's not. It's the other way round. You may want to supplement with coal to preclude your having to run your diesel heater 24/7 but that's a different question.

 

Chris

[alan_fincher]

You specifically stated that burning coal is cheaper than burning diesel..... it's not.

Well arguably, I didn't. I said "it's almost universally agreed", acknowledging that some, like yourself, would not agree.

 

I find it strange that so many people have ripped out oil fired solutions in favour of solid fuel, if it's not cheaper, but will agree I don't know how many burn significant amounts of "free" fuel.

 

It would be interesting to hear from those who have replaced diesel heating with solid fuel, and their basis for doing so. I'm sure it's more than just a reliability thing.

 

As an aside one thing that will affect the sums is the prices paid for the solid fuel. Those who have formed co-operatives to buy in and store their winter's requirements in bulk at summer prices are clearly regularly paying less than two thirds of what I do if I just buy a bag or two from a marina or passing coal boat.

[chris w]

As an aside one thing that will affect the sums is the prices paid for the solid fuel. Those who have formed co-operatives to buy in and store their winter's requirements in bulk at summer prices are clearly regularly paying less than two thirds of what I do if I just buy a bag or two from a marina or passing coal boat.

It would have to be almost half price to swing the balance. And I suspect there are not an almost universal number involved in cooperatives. Plus with a stove, one has to lug coal about plus the mess of cleaning and preparing the fire.

 

I have diesel heating and a coal stove for three reasons. One: backup redundancy, two: I can afford the coal but am aware it is more expensive to use than diesel. Three: I like the "real flame" effect with coal.

 

Chris

[Tim Doran]

It would have to be almost half price to swing the balance. And I suspect there are not an almost universal number involved in cooperatives. Plus with a stove, one has to lug coal about plus the mess of cleaning and preparing the fire.

 

I have diesel heating and a coal stove for three reasons. One: backup redundancy, two: I can afford the coal but am aware it is more expensive to use than diesel. Three: I like the "real flame" effect with coal.

 

Chris

 

I too have the same solution to you. One must not forget that even when the central heating is well maintained there still seems to be 'down time' when the CH needs decoking, cleaning, glowplug etc

[FadeToScarlet]

My personal costs:

 

-£280 per month mortgage

-£647 per year boat license (EA Anglian Region- so the Ouse and Nene)

-£50 per year insurance (or thereabouts)

-Diesel: Cruising on average 6-10 hours per week, £40 or so per month.

-Petrol: £20 per month (for the generator)

-Coal (Winter): £30-40 per month

-Engine filters, oil etc.: £60 per year, if not less

-Gas- £32 per bottle (19kg), four bottles a year, maybe?

-Blacking: £200-£500 every three-four years (so £100 per year, or thereabouts...)

-Repainting: £50-600+ every so often

-Batteries: £200-300 every 2 or 3 years

-Stern gland grease, fenders, oil, WD40, touch up paint- say £200 or so per year.

 

Basic servicing of the engine I do myself; professional, after a time, I don't know.

 

Boat safety certificate is £200 or so every 4 years.

Edited April 24, 2009 by FadeToScarlet

[chris w]

You need to add to all the costs the fact that a boat depreciates in value (unlike a house, in normal times!!!). There is therefore loss of capital, plus the interest that could have been earned on that capital (in normal times, again) and the time value of money. In normal times (that phrase again) the last two will account for a loss of 10% a year on the capital amount plus the depreciation itself.

 

Chris

[bottle]

Terry (vanman)

 

If you are still bothering to look on here and not lost the will to live.

 

A totally of the back of head figure is about, £5,000 per year, (no calculation whatsoever) for living in a marina or CCing. (of course if you marina in London it will cost just that for the marina, I believe)

 

What you save on marina fees when CCing will pay for the extra fuel etc that you use.

 

Licence fees for 2009/2010 http://www.waterscape.com/media/documents/20586.pdf

 

Insurance put "boat insurance" into google (include quotes.

[terryvanman]

My personal costs:

 

-£280 per month mortgage

-£647 per year boat license (EA Anglian Region- so the Ouse and Nene)

-£50 per year insurance (or thereabouts)

-Diesel: Cruising on average 6-10 hours per week, £40 or so per month.

-Petrol: £20 per month (for the generator)

-Coal (Winter): £30-40 per month

-Engine filters, oil etc.: £60 per year, if not less

-Gas- £32 per bottle (19kg), four bottles a year, maybe?

-Blacking: £200-£500 every three-four years (so £100 per year, or thereabouts...)

-Repainting: £50-600+ every so often

-Batteries: £200-300 every 2 or 3 years

-Stern gland grease, fenders, oil, WD40, touch up paint- say £200 or so per year.

 

Basic servicing of the engine I do myself; professional, after a time, I don't know.

 

Boat safety certificate is £200 or so every 4 years.

 

 

WOW your my kind of geezer

 

that's just what I was hoping for a fair shake down. it gives me something to work on

I know it wont be for nearly 3 years and prices will change up or down

 

thank you

[niloc]

I too reckon about £5k per year. Thats as a live aboard who runs engine 10 hours a week. Infact i reckon that covers ALL my living costs on my boat. Knackered in an emergency though.

[cotswoldsman]

Fuel is dependent on how you are going to boat, Do you intend to move about 5 miles every 14 days, if so you wont use much or are you going to travel round the system and enjoy the waterways in which case you could easily use £25 per week. This will also have an effect on engine services, one a year or one every couple of months.

 

Don't quite undersatnd why if you travel 5 miles every 14 days you cant travel arround and enjoy the waterways this is my 3rd year as a CCer and move very very slowly maybe slightly more than 5 miles every 14 days but certainly on average not more than 15 miles very 14 days.

[FORTUNATA]

The main factor is self sufficiency. If you can do a lot of your own repairs (engine and electrics) as well as general DIY, then living on a boat is pretty cheap. If you need to keep hiring tradesmen for the more basic problems, then costs are going to be way higher.

Gas, coal and wood all seems pretty cheap to me and diesel is all down to how often you cruise around.

 

can anyone tell me the rough/average/near as dam it cost per year it is to live on a canal boat

as a permanent cruiser, this is after you have paid for the boat

I'm talking about the day to day cost,

licence

fuel

gas

replacing 4 leisure batteries every 5 years

blacking

service and certificates etc

 

has anyone worked out the yearly cost over say...a five year plan

I'm trying to work out a budget

 

thanks

 

terry