Silly question Number two! can you

[fatboy]

Hi again everyone, another couple of silly questions.....i did warn you all

 

Firstly, are you allowed to sell goods from your NB to the public on the towpath?

 

legal wares of course!

 

and also

 

am i correct in thinking that there are no navigable canals down to Devon/ Cornwall.

 

 

ok i know! but i am new!

 

cheers all..........

[alan_fincher]

Firstly, are you allowed to sell goods from your NB to the public on the towpath?

 

legal wares of course!

You would, I believe, need a business licence, rather than a pleasure licence for your boat.

 

If it's only a low turnover operation you can get a hefty discount, which, I believe, brings the annual cost down to a little more than the pleasure boat licence, but not, I think, a lot more.

[Moley]

Yes, you can sell wares from a NB to other boaters or the general public, but you should declare it and pay a little more for a trade licence. Info here about halfway down.

 

There are plenty that do, coal/gas etc., fender makers, jams, preserves & chutneys, numerous artists and a cheese boat.

 

One day I'd love to cruise the system and set up a floating pottery, although I haven't as yet given the slightest thought to where the hell I'd fire it.

[sueb]

Yes, you can sell wares from a NB to other boaters or the general public, but you should declare it and pay a little more for a trade licence. Info here about halfway down.

 

There are plenty that do, coal/gas etc., fender makers, jams, preserves & chutneys, numerous artists and a cheese boat.

 

One day I'd love to cruise the system and set up a floating pottery, although I haven't as yet given the slightest thought to where the hell I'd fire it.

There used to be a potter on the Grand union around the Soulbury area. He produced lovely pots and ornaments on his boat. Unfortunately he let his boat get a little tatty with newspaper on his windows. which really didn't do his work any favours. We haven't seen him for quite awhile, which is a shame.

So yes it is possible.

Sue

[bottle]

Hi again everyone, another couple of silly questions.....i did warn you all

 

Firstly, are you allowed to sell goods from your NB to the public on the towpath?

 

legal wares of course!

 

See other posts.

 

and also

 

am i correct in thinking that there are no navigable canals down to Devon/ Cornwall.

 

Yes, have a look here http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/mwp.php...-of-England.htm

 

 

ok i know! but i am new!

 

cheers all..........

[Bon]

One day I'd love to cruise the system and set up a floating pottery, although I haven't as yet given the slightest thought to where the hell I'd fire it.

 

Why not get in touch with potters close to where your going to be moored and ask for kiln space? Good way to meet new people and pick up stock.

 

Trying to work out a way to maybe take my stained glass studio on the cut atm, when/if my boat sells i'm thinking of getting a smaller boat with a butty. I need to find a cunning way to run a kiln too tho, no stained or fused glass without one.

 

Not sure it's a viable income yet tho, will be posting and asking for advice soon

 

Bon

[Moley]

I wasn't necessarily thinking about anything economically viable, just a hobby which might generate some beer money, and this is looking a few years on to when the kids have gone, or the mortgage is paid off and I can walk out on them with a clear conscience

 

PS: Good luck with the stained glass

Edited June 6, 2009 by Moley

[Guest User]

..... I need to find a cunning way to run a kiln too tho, no stained or fused glass without one ......

 

Bon

I seem to recall on one of the TV boat programmes there was a chap running a smithying business from a boat ... is a coal fired kiln possible ? ... otherwise you'll need a jolly big wind gennie to run an electric kiln

[fatboy]

Many thanks for the info peeps

[Bon]

I seem to recall on one of the TV boat programmes there was a chap running a smithying business from a boat ... is a coal fired kiln possible ? ... otherwise you'll need a jolly big wind gennie to run an electric kiln

 

I think it really needs to be electric

Glass is a nightmare with a nice posh electric kiln that has programable temp control. Would hate to make it explode anymore with a coal one (had an exploding brandy bottle clock this weekend)...plus would have to keep an eye on it for the whole 8hr program!

I'll find a way around it....hamster wheel powered?

 

What are you planning on selling/doing Fatboy?

 

Bon

[mandy hays]

If you log onto the british waterways website - waterscape - you will find maps of all their waterways - some rivers are navigable in NB's

[Smelly]

I'll find a way around it....hamster wheel powered?

 

 

 

Bon

 

Don't use hamsters... people will eat them, or turn them into tiller pins

[Chris Pink]

I need to find a cunning way to run a kiln too tho, no stained or fused glass without one.

 

There's a potter down our way (gone to a marina now sadly) who had a gas fired kiln, essentially an oil drum lined with fire brick heated by a blow torch with one of those very scary adjustable propane regulators. I don't know how precise you need the ramps but she used to do some pretty fine glazes in hers.

 

 

or there's always raku.

Edited June 9, 2009 by Chris Pink

[deletedaccount]

Funnily enough I used to be a bit of a potter. A gas fired kiln would def be your best bet. Like the poster above says, it's just an insulated metal box with a blowtorch in it. It's more suitable to heavily grogged clay as it heats up quicker, but you can produce some nice reduced glazes.

[Bon]

Don't use hamsters... people will eat them, or turn them into tiller pins

 

I'll set my dog eating cat on them!

 

 

There's a potter down our way (gone to a marina now sadly) who had a gas fired kiln, essentially an oil drum lined with fire brick heated by a blow torch with one of those very scary adjustable propane regulators. I don't know how precise you need the ramps but she used to do some pretty fine glazes in hers.

 

 

or there's always raku.

 

Funnily enough I used to be a bit of a potter. A gas fired kiln would def be your best bet. Like the poster above says, it's just an insulated metal box with a blowtorch in it. It's more suitable to heavily grogged clay as it heats up quicker, but you can produce some nice reduced glazes.

 

It probably workable, i'm just not very handy when it comes to things like that.....hmmmmmm got my mind a ticking now. Takes alot and it smells a bit as the cogs arn't well worn

[beatnik]

I always thought it would be nice to one day sell from our boat as we live on a very busy towpath. A friend in Cornwall sells paintings and cards on the beach every year and does very well out of it. I'd love to do something similar from the boat (seeing as people are always peering in the windows anyway!)

 

But I've just looked on BW's site and the difference in price for a Trading Licence is £900 a year more than a normal licence taking it up to £1,574 per year (58 foot liveaboard). That surely puts it out of reach for most artists, potters, fender-makers, jam-makers... who just want to sell casually and not as a full-time business. You'd have to sell a lot of jam to make back that £900.

 

Shame.

 

You can sell honey and veg from your farmhouse without paying extra coucil tax. The towpath woud be quite nice if there were more artists and crafters selling their wares from home.

 

Edit:

But BW promote quirky small businesses on boats! Waterscape: Boat Businesses

Edited June 12, 2009 by beatnik

[bottle]

Beatnik

 

If your turnover is a small some I beleive a discount on the 'Trading Licence' is possible.

 

Look here:http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/license-...ce/licence-fees

 

and page two of this PDF: http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/media/do...e_Discounts.pdf

[beatnik]

Aha! For anyone else that is interested, it is 55% off of the Trading License rate if you will earn less than £64k per year.

 

For me (58" boat), that makes it £866 so only £190 more than a normal Canals and Rivers license.

 

Much more viable.

 

 

Thanks Bottle!

[fatboy]

I will be selling bottled canal water.........

[alan_fincher]

I will be selling bottled canal water.........

Should sell very well...........................

 

 

.................... to the "replica" working boat mob, when they need extra water to get over lock cills or through bridge holes.

[Radiomariner]

I will be selling bottled canal water.........

 

 

Should sell very well...........................

 

 

.................... to the "replica" working boat mob, when they need extra water to get over lock cills or through bridge holes.

 

Brilliant! Pouring the bottled water into the cut not only increases the water in the cut but reduces the boat's draft!!

Unfortunately it does not increase the level of water in the cut, as an equal amount is needed to compensate for the reduced draft! Perhaps you can make the bottles twice as big!