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Re: 'Buying troubles? Metro Free Newspaper Article.


Smudge38

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Hello All,.

This post is in nothing in particular it's more general on a very sad article I seen last week about poss 'Hazzards' of buying a boat on Higher purchase or Loans.

The news article appeared in 1 free papers that are given out commuters on public transport newspaper (Metro). Anyway,. it was very sadding item on a Couple who had bought one of Widebeam barges on Higher purchase or Loans some way. I have dug deep into the Article but I got the gest. If not seen the article the Guy ended up trying smash' it up because He did not want give it back to the Marina after living on it for 20years.

It is a very SAD story as a Newbee to the Barges. Having been looking into idea of buying a Narrowboat as a Perm Home for quite a lengthy time now..I found this item apart from very Sad' a cautionaly tale why not buy a Barge this way!??

Whether it is a small Narrowboat style and I wouldn't even considering buying one larger ones (Widebeams) this way.

Well, this is it .. I would be glad to hear any full time liveaboards views on this as I am sure this will if like me a Newbee think about ways of buying any boat..

 

Cheers

Newbee

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It's the culmination of the Bembridge Harbour story, featured here some time ago, reinforcing what you say on lack of security of tenure, Sue.

 

Clicky

 

Original Beeb story:

 

Clicky

 

Edited to add: Nothing to do with loans or HP, though, more to do with being at the mercy of the owner of your mooring.

Edited by carlt
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I thought Sue was your weekend name - you know when you are woman dressed in men's clothing........

 

I know - coat..............rolleyes.gif

 

 

Does this raise Q's about Marina's though!?? Thinking ; "We will rip-off Boaters now!!"???

This is my biggest worry about starting new life on Canal's...

 

cheers

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Does this raise Q's about Marina's though!?? Thinking ; "We will rip-off Boaters now!!"???

This is my biggest worry about starting new life on Canal's...

 

cheers

I think you've raised an interesting point at just the right time, considering the marinas changing hands and another, potentially, going bust.

 

What rights do boat owners have, with regard to contract made with one company but the marina ends up in the hands of another?

 

I suspect the answer is "None".

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What rights do boat owners have, with regard to contract made with one company but the marina ends up in the hands of another?

 

I suspect the answer is "None".

 

If the marina is sold on as a going concern, then you rights transfer - so your agreement will be valid to whatever end date is specified. Or if there is no end date, then you are probably entitled to a notice perid corresponding to the payment interval i.e. a month's notice if you pay monthly etc.

 

If the marina goes bust, and you have paid for services not yet received, then you are a creditor, probably along with many others, and what you may get back depends on how much money is in the kitty when the assets and liabilities have been totted up - quite possibly nothing. And if you owe money to the marina at the time it goes bust, you run the risk of your boat being impounded until you have paid of the debt.

 

David

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I think the long and the short of it is that we should all have gone into living on a boat with our eyes open and recognise that regarding marina moorings all we are doing is paying to float our boat and we are at the mercy of the whims of marina owners, the weather, the economy et all.

 

Phil

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Well reading the Beeb story, I guess he did what Tristmire would've done anyway. There's no indication it was for anything other than a trashing if it wasn't water worthy...

 

I don't think that's a verdict against a new owner, more a sad, maybe slightly hysterical end to a craft at the end of it's day.

 

I don't see what wider implications this has for the waterways in general.

 

Indeed

 

I'm trying to be cheeky and append JDR's point without stealing their thunder! Lets see how it works eh?

Edited by Smelly
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From that BBC Link.........

 

The developer which owns the mooring site says the couple are free to move their boat.

Mr Mew said that option was not open to them as their boat no longer floats and could break up if a crane was used to lift it

 

How is a non-floating houseboat worth £200000? Sorry to see anybody lose their home but in this case the boat part of the houseboat had clearly reached the end of its life.A houseboat that doesn't float isn't much of a boat.The owners were given the opportunity to buy a 99 year lease and at no point did the marina owners deny the owners the rght to move. A sad story for sure but I don't see what wider implications this has for the waterways in general.

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From that BBC Link.........

 

The developer which owns the mooring site says the couple are free to move their boat.

Mr Mew said that option was not open to them as their boat no longer floats and could break up if a crane was used to lift it

 

How is a non-floating houseboat worth £200000? Sorry to see anybody lose their home but in this case the boat part of the houseboat had clearly reached the end of its life.A houseboat that doesn't float isn't much of a boat.The owners were given the opportunity to buy a 99 year lease and at no point did the marina owners deny the owners the rght to move. A sad story for sure but I don't see what wider implications this has for the waterways in general.

 

Didn't see the bit about the 99 year lease..... How much was it? The boatbowner obviously decided it wasn't worth it to him.... Probably conscious that he would also neednto buy a new boat in the foreseeable future.

 

This case says nothing about security of tenure on the canals. Your security is as long as your rental agreement or lease then, if you continuously cruise, it's for as long as you like. This is an isolated case which has very few precedents which could be taken forward to another case.

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Serious question to OP: do you have any interest in boats beyond the idea that they can provide cheap accomodation?

 

If you want to live in anything other than a static houseboat you will need to get to grips with the basics of day to day living and boat maintenance.If you are looking for permanent moorings in the south (residential or otherwise) by the time you have paid your mooring fees, licence and a years worth of fuel and ongoing upkeep I would be very surprised if you could not find cheaper accomodation on land.

 

To continuously cruise would require a level of involvement with boating that goes far beyond just finding cheap accomodation.If your sole motivation for living on a boat is financial I think you are mistaken to believe it is a cheap option.

 

From what I have seen a genuine interest in boating is the single biggest indicator of whether somebody will enjoy living aboard enough to last more than one winter.

 

If security of tenure is important then a boat is probably not a good option.

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Serious question to OP: do you have any interest in boats beyond the idea that they can provide cheap accomodation?

 

If you want to live in anything other than a static houseboat you will need to get to grips with the basics of day to day living and boat maintenance.If you are looking for permanent moorings in the south (residential or otherwise) by the time you have paid your mooring fees, licence and a years worth of fuel and ongoing upkeep I would be very surprised if you could not find cheaper accomodation on land.

 

To continuously cruise would require a level of involvement with boating that goes far beyond just finding cheap accomodation.If your sole motivation for living on a boat is financial I think you are mistaken to believe it is a cheap option.

 

From what I have seen a genuine interest in boating is the single biggest indicator of whether somebody will enjoy living aboard enough to last more than one winter.

 

If security of tenure is important then a boat is probably not a good option.

 

I'll second this. Boats require a goodly amount of dedication to keep their engines running, their hulls afloat, their self sustained systems (water, electric, heat) operating through all seasons (... and their paint jobs looking half decent if your pride points you in that direction). If you are not dead keen on living on a BOAT, I don't think you'll enjoy it for long, however cheap or not. If you don't do much of the above, you'll sort of be pissing the value of your boat away fairly quickly to boot.

 

Re buying: How about checking online for what kind of personal loan you can rig and what the interest might be, then let that and whatever savings you have dictate your 'new' boat.

Edited by Jim Batty
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I disagree to a certain extent, some residential boats at the marina where Im moored havent been moved for donkeys yet there still living on them and still afloat! They dont have electric or water but they still manage to keep warm and feed and water themselves. There paintwork might not be up to scratch but they are living proof that they are happy with there accomadation and that living on the water is the way for them...

My point is who gives a damn how your boat looks, aslong as your happy and living your dream, you only live once

LIVE IT!

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55 grand for a landing craft with a shed on it?

 

No thanks.

 

Tony

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I don't know.....

 

We had to pay an awful lot just for a floating patio with only really a very small shed......

 

 

 

HamptonXIV016-1.jpg

 

Why don't you put a tent up - you've got plenty of room on that patio of yours. We have to add a loft extension when we need extra room :lol:.

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