Living all year in boat

[Dader]

Hey,

 

I am new here just wondering can you live all year in boat how is heating boat maintenance during all year and stuff like that.

Thanks for tips.

 

 

P.S sorry for my english.

[Chagall]

Hey,

 

I am new here just wondering can you live all year in boat how is heating boat maintenance during all year and stuff like that.

Thanks for tips.

 

 

P.S sorry for my english.

 

I did an approximate set of costings for a year on a narrowboat back in 2009, it will have increased a bit for 2011 but decreased in other areas as skill and experience grows.

Approximate annual costs for a Live aboard 60' narrowboat.....July 2009

Mooring, average (£2.500)

Licence 60' is (£676)

Diesel.............. minimal cruising but enough to run a fridge, washer, dryer tv, computer etc...(£250)

Gas 4 bottles a year at £30 .... (£120)

Logs/Coal.......... £40 a month winter so six months is £240, round up to (£300) for a year

Insurance...... average fully comprehensive, boat and contents ...average (£500)

Maintenance ..........what to save for usual maintenance.....(£2.000)

Repainting ......every 7 years or so save (£800) a year

Batteries 4 batteries every 4 years ...(£84)

Blacking £500 every two years so save (£250) a year

Oh B*****r Fund..what to save each year for emergencies...(£300)

Boat Safety Cert ...£200 every 4 years so save (£50) for that.

Sanitation costs....cassette system...chemicals etc ...(£24)

 

 

Grand Total ..... £7,854

...... these are average costs for a new build but with built in maintenance costs for future eventualities and to have a realistic budget to plan from....and although the maintenance costs are high, I've discovered it is probably best to try to save that amount ready for the inevitable price increases and for professional service to keep a boat in as new condition.

Edited August 6, 2011 by Chagall

[Myself]

That is really helpful, Thank you

 

Joy x

[Robbo]

Maintenance ..........what to save for usual maintenance.....(£2.000)

Repainting ......every 7 years or so save (£800) a year

 

£2000 per annum sounds quite a lot to me! I spend no where as near, what have you had to spend it on?

 

Also repainting every 7 years or so can be done by yourself if you have the skills, saving the £1000's it costs to get done by someone else.

Edited August 6, 2011 by Robbo

[Dader]

Thx Chagall

[Dader]

What about living in the boat every day where u putting rubbish is anything like stations to get fresh water and diesel?

[petalponk]

It depends where you're living most marinas have rubbish and elsan disposal - often showers and laundrys and water and electricity and diesel.

 

Moorings on the canal vary greatly with the facilities they have.

 

However Sanitary stations provide water, rubbish disposal and toilets/showers

 

Diesel can be got from boat yards and marinas.

[Dader]

Thx petalponk

[Chagall]

£2000 per annum sounds quite a lot to me! I spend no where as near, what have you had to spend it on?

 

Also repainting every 7 years or so can be done by yourself if you have the skills, saving the £1000's it costs to get done by someone else.

 

I've been saving the maintenance costs for any eventualities, but Yes as a new boat it hasn't really needed anything major yet.

 

As for repainting, Im afraid its a skill I don't have and I intend to try to keep the boat looking as good as when I took delivery of it, so Im supposing in 7 years time a full professional re paint will be quite a cost.

 

 

[Smelly]

Our coal bill is closer to 70 quid a month; that's lighting it in September and it's going out the following March.

[bizzard]

Our coal bill is closer to 70 quid a month; that's lighting it in September and it's going out the following March.

And if your stoves too hot,often in a shorter boat,reduce the grate area by bricking it out,and halve your coal consumption.If you have a riddling grate still put bricks around it,just use a poker with a curved end to clear the grate.If it suddenly gets colder just hook a brick or two out to increase output.I use house bricks and had no bother,although fire bricks are correct.In this mode my Boatman uses a 25 kg bag a fortnight,plus wood in the evenings.Running day and night. bizzard

[Smelly]

And if your stoves too hot,often in a shorter boat,reduce the grate area by bricking it out,and halve your coal consumption.If you have a riddling grate still put bricks around it,just use a poker with a curved end to clear the grate.If it suddenly gets colder just hook a brick or two out to increase output.I use house bricks and had no bother,although fire bricks are correct.In this mode my Boatman uses a 25 kg bag a fortnight,plus wood in the evenings.Running day and night. bizzard

 

Sadly our stove's not too hot; even before the back boiler we'd sometimes struggle; after the BB, from cold, it's a couple of days to warm the fabric of the boat...

 

I suspect dubious insulation...

[rgreg]

Our coal bill is closer to 70 quid a month; that's lighting it in September and it's going out the following March.

 

Ditto: Morso squirrel 24/7, 2 x 25kg coal per week @ £9 per bag = £18/week

[Proud Salopian]

I did an approximate set of costings for a year on a narrowboat back in 2009, it will have increased a bit for 2011 but decreased in other areas as skill and experience grows.

Approximate annual costs for a Live aboard 60' narrowboat.....July 2009

Mooring, average (£2.500)

Licence 60' is (£676)

Diesel.............. minimal cruising but enough to run a fridge, washer, dryer tv, computer etc...(£250)

Gas 4 bottles a year at £30 .... (£120)

Logs/Coal.......... £40 a month winter so six months is £240, round up to (£300) for a year

Insurance...... average fully comprehensive, boat and contents ...average (£500)

Maintenance ..........what to save for usual maintenance.....(£2.000)

Repainting ......every 7 years or so save (£800) a year

Batteries 4 batteries every 4 years ...(£84)

Blacking £500 every two years so save (£250) a year

Oh B*****r Fund..what to save each year for emergencies...(£300)

Boat Safety Cert ...£200 every 4 years so save (£50) for that.

Sanitation costs....cassette system...chemicals etc ...(£24)

 

 

Grand Total ..... £7,854

...... these are average costs for a new build but with built in maintenance costs for future eventualities and to have a realistic budget to plan from....and although the maintenance costs are high, I've discovered it is probably best to try to save that amount ready for the inevitable price increases and for professional service to keep a boat in as new condition.

 

That's a really helpful post, thanks! I have long term plans not only to go live-aboard, but also be a CCer. That would mean no mooring costs, which would remove about a third of the costs it seems! However I suspect my fuel consumption will be higher - more miles travelled, more electricity generated... I'll probably also be a bit of a prolific coal burner, unless such a practice has been banned for carbon reasons in 5 years time!

[Ex- Member]

That's a really helpful post, thanks! I have long term plans not only to go live-aboard, but also be a CCer. That would mean no mooring costs, which would remove about a third of the costs it seems! However I suspect my fuel consumption will be higher - more miles travelled, more electricity generated... I'll probably also be a bit of a prolific coal burner, unless such a practice has been banned for carbon reasons in 5 years time!

 

I think anyone planning to CC should seriously consider solar power especially with the cost of fuel continuing to rise and solar panel prices have fallen.

 

 

 

[Proud Salopian]

I think anyone planning to CC should seriously consider solar power especially with the cost of fuel continuing to rise and solar panel prices have fallen.

 

Solar power for hot water and/or for electricity generation?

[Ex- Member]

Solar power for hot water and/or for electricity generation?

 

Mainly leccy but a solar collector for water is pretty useful too, I'm in the process of making a DIY panel to heat water in the calorifier. When on the water next year we will hopefully have 400 watts of solar from 5 80 watt panels, this should provide all our leccy needs for around 6 months, we may add further panels as winter approaches, but even then we'll have to rely on some engine running for generation and hot water. Overall though it should reduce engine running by over 2 thirds possibly 3/4 over the year depending on the weather.

 

 

 

[Proud Salopian]

Mainly leccy but a solar collector for water is pretty useful too, I'm in the process of making a DIY panel to heat water in the calorifier. When on the water next year we will hopefully have 400 watts of solar from 5 80 watt panels, this should provide all our leccy needs for around 6 months, we may add further panels as winter approaches, but even then we'll have to rely on some engine running for generation and hot water. Overall though it should reduce engine running by over 2 thirds possibly 3/4 over the year depending on the weather.

 

Okay, thanks for that. As I would go down the new build route, I might as well include some solar panels in the design! A concern of mine though is them getting stolen or damaged, being on the roof...

[Sunset Rising]

Solar power is fine, but only until the guberment figure out how to make the sun work only by putting coins in a slot.

[mrsmelly]

Okay, thanks for that. As I would go down the new build route, I might as well include some solar panels in the design! A concern of mine though is them getting stolen or damaged, being on the roof...

 

Just a thought. If you dont go down the new route and buy an immaculate nearly as new ( plenty out there ) with the many many thousands you will save you could completely cover the roof with solar panels and lots of other bits of stuff too, unless your doing a new build yourself then you will not instantly lose many thousands of course

[Robin2]

Solar power is fine, but only until the guberment figure out how to make the sun work only by putting coins in a slot.

 

They had this figured out years ago - it was called the church collection

[Scooby]

I did an approximate set of costings for a year on a narrowboat back in 2009, it will have increased a bit for 2011 but decreased in other areas as skill and experience grows.

Approximate annual costs for a Live aboard 60' narrowboat.....July 2009

Mooring, average (£2.500)

Licence 60' is (£676)

Diesel.............. minimal cruising but enough to run a fridge, washer, dryer tv, computer etc...(£250)

Gas 4 bottles a year at £30 .... (£120)

Logs/Coal.......... £40 a month winter so six months is £240, round up to (£300) for a year

Insurance...... average fully comprehensive, boat and contents ...average (£500)

Maintenance ..........what to save for usual maintenance.....(£2.000)

Repainting ......every 7 years or so save (£800) a year

Batteries 4 batteries every 4 years ...(£84)

Blacking £500 every two years so save (£250) a year

Oh B*****r Fund..what to save each year for emergencies...(£300)

Boat Safety Cert ...£200 every 4 years so save (£50) for that.

Sanitation costs....cassette system...chemicals etc ...(£24)

 

 

Grand Total ..... £7,854

...... these are average costs for a new build but with built in maintenance costs for future eventualities and to have a realistic budget to plan from....and although the maintenance costs are high, I've discovered it is probably best to try to save that amount ready for the inevitable price increases and for professional service to keep a boat in as new condition.

 

 

If your not paying for a mooring which like we arent your fuel cost will be nearly the same as the saving but you have more freedom, as for the costs of repainting at £800 per year sound silly to me, and £2000 maintenance i havent spend that in 2 years, not even half that, done my own oil changes etc, and had it blacked which cost about £600, not spent anything else on maintenance and done 3000 hours in 2 years, i would say more around £5000 a year to run. We lived fulltime on the boat and moved almost everyday for 18 months.

 

Coal wise i would say 1-2 bags per week in the winter using free wood when you can.

[Proud Salopian]

Just a thought. If you dont go down the new route and buy an immaculate nearly as new ( plenty out there ) with the many many thousands you will save you could completely cover the roof with solar panels and lots of other bits of stuff too, unless your doing a new build yourself then you will not instantly lose many thousands of course

 

True - however when I get round to buying/building it will be 2017 or so!! By then the present glut of new(ish) boats on the market may have dwindled. We shall see...

 

If your not paying for a mooring which like we arent your fuel cost will be nearly the same as the saving but you have more freedom... We lived fulltime on the boat and moved almost everyday for 18 months.

 

Of course if you're going to do lots of mileage as a CCer then diesel costs will be high, but moving 10 miles or so every 14 days would only be about 260 miles per year... that's roughly 90 hours and at £1.50 per hour that's only £135 per year for moving about!

[Chagall]

If your not paying for a mooring which like we arent your fuel cost will be nearly the same as the saving but you have more freedom, as for the costs of repainting at £800 per year sound silly to me, and £2000 maintenance i havent spend that in 2 years, not even half that, done my own oil changes etc, and had it blacked which cost about £600, not spent anything else on maintenance and done 3000 hours in 2 years, i would say more around £5000 a year to run. We lived fulltime on the boat and moved almost everyday for 18 months.

 

Coal wise i would say 1-2 bags per week in the winter using free wood when you can.

 

I used one bag of coal a week last winter, and eco logs from Andy Little, (country4x4) albeit with diesel central heating for early mornings, and during the summer I forage for as much free wood as possible. From my maintenance fund I purchased a chain saw, so easy to use and saves considerable muscle power.

 

The high maintenance quote has been agreed as high, however since I am unskilled I am saving for regular professional service checks and any eventuality. Likewise the full repainting and subsequent re-sign writing is a skill I could not hope to learn and I intend to keep the boat looking as new, inside and out.

 

Im pleased for you that you mange to spend just £5000 a year but you could agree that sometime in the future you might have to find a considerable sum for an unforeseen problem. I prefer to build into my annual costing for any eventuality. If in seven years time the repainting is not as expensive as I've been quoted then I will spend my savings on a luxury.

 

[rgreg]

 

Of course if you're going to do lots of mileage as a CCer then diesel costs will be high, but moving 10 miles or so every 14 days would only be about 260 miles per year... that's roughly 90 hours and at £1.50 per hour that's only £135 per year for moving about!

 

Plus the cost of fuel for electricity generation when you're not travelling