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[TwoUpTourer]

Yes well I'm newish to boating. Sailed a yacht I made when I was 16, and that was a long time ago, but not much since then.

 

And so the plan now is to buy a canal boat, not a barge, to take around ol'Blighty and the continent in perhaps 2 years time. I've seen quite a bit on the internet, and there are boats that fit my budget, but what I've not been able to get sense of is whether there is any movement of such boats from England to France across the Channel.

 

Does it happen, or are they pretty much mutually exclusive systems divided by the sea? Ideally I would buy in the UK, and at some point get across the to the various canal systems on the continent, but if that is not possible, then would have to treat these as separate ventures and buy a boat there. I should say I am far away in Oz, but hope to spend 6~12 months cruising if we can.

[Southern Star]

Yes well I'm newish to boating. Sailed a yacht I made when I was 16, and that was a long time ago, but not much since then.

 

And so the plan now is to buy a canal boat, not a barge, to take around ol'Blighty and the continent in perhaps 2 years time. I've seen quite a bit on the internet, and there are boats that fit my budget, but what I've not been able to get sense of is whether there is any movement of such boats from England to France across the Channel.

 

Does it happen, or are they pretty much mutually exclusive systems divided by the sea? Ideally I would buy in the UK, and at some point get across the to the various canal systems on the continent, but if that is not possible, then would have to treat these as separate ventures and buy a boat there. I should say I am far away in Oz, but hope to spend 6~12 months cruising if we can.

Hi, welcome along. At least one narrowboat that I know of has crossed the English Channel (Google "narrowboat to Carcassonne") but although I haven't read too much about it, I would imagine that some fairly heavy amount of modification would be necessary, and the journey would need to be taken in perfect weather conditions and by somebody with sea-going experience, it's certainly not something I would do myself. You could of course get a boat taken over by truck.

Edited December 27, 2015 by Southern Star

[Scholar Gypsy]

Here's a boat that crossed the Atlantic, and also would fit narrow locks....

 

 

http://iwn.iwai.ie/v29i2/ifrances.PDF

I think the advice to use a truck is probably the best.

 

I did take my boat across the Wash this year, which certainly counts as the sea in my book, on a pretty calm day. See brief description here, more details on the website: https://nbsg.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/goba_dec2015_narrowboat-across-the-wash.pdf

Edited December 27, 2015 by Scholar Gypsy

[TwoUpTourer]

Hi, welcome along. At least one narrowboat that I know of has crossed the English Channel (Google "narrowboat to Carcassonne") but although I haven't read too much about it, I would imagine that some fairly heavy amount of modification would be necessary, and the journey would need to be taken in perfect weather conditions and by somebody with sea-going experience, it's certainly not something I would do myself. You could of course get a boat taken over by truck.

Thanks for the advice. I'm thinking of something more boatish than barge, and I'v e seen some around 24' that appeal. Still strikes me as a big truck load, and prohibitively expensive to freight, so I feel that buying one in the UK for a season or two and sell, and then buy another in Belgium to do similar might be a better way to go.

 

Whilst it has been a simple thing to find a website selling boats in the UK, Europen ones are eluding me at present. For example http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/has plenty of boats in the sub £10k range, everything in Belgium for instance is at least double that. Does anyone know of any Belgian/Dutch/French equivalents to this UK site?

 

 

I'm reading now also that due to Schengen rules, I'm going to be restricted to 90 days in any 180 day period, which really puts a strain on things. Oh well, that's what research and advice is all about

Edited December 28, 2015 by TwoUpTourer

[Phil Ambrose]

Have a look at Apolloduck covers the world but you can set many search parameters such as country, price, type of boat, length etc etc.

Welcome aboard and good luck with your boat search.

Phil

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

I'm reading now also that due to Schengen rules, I'm going to be restricted to 90 days in any 180 day period, which really puts a strain on things. Oh well, that's what research and advice is all about

 

There is talk of rescinding the Schengen agreement and the reintroduction of border controls to try and better control the movement of immigrants - this may make you trip easier / harder depending on how, if, and when it happens.

[John V]

First Off......Welcome !!! Lots of good advice above, difficult problem.

 

A lot may depend on how long you will be spending in the UK and how much and what areas you intend to cruise. There are considerable sections of the UK canals that are suitable for a boat with seagoing potential but you would be restricted to them.

If you want to cruise the more traditional narrow canals then you are best getting a narrow boat and accepting that you will have to sell (or have it transported to Europe where it possibly will not be the most ideal vessel)......you then of course have the problem that it might take ages to sell without taking a large financial hit.

[TwoUpTourer]

First Off......Welcome !!! Lots of good advice above, difficult problem.

 

A lot may depend on how long you will be spending in the UK and how much and what areas you intend to cruise. There are considerable sections of the UK canals that are suitable for a boat with seagoing potential but you would be restricted to them.

If you want to cruise the more traditional narrow canals then you are best getting a narrow boat.

 

What I ahve in mind is something like this picked more or less randomly off a website:-

 

It has a beam of 6' 10" and my reading of the narrow canal boats is that they could not exceed 7', so would this example be suitable for the narrow canals in your experience?

[Alan de Enfield]

In principle - yes.

 

However there are many more characteristics to determine suitability depending on your planned usage.

 

A couple of examples :

 

1) Petrol engine - not ideal, petrol very rarely available on the canals, Potential long walks to the nearest town / petrol station.

2) Boat insulation - Rarely are GRP boats insulated enough to live aboard or to use during the colder months.

3) Is the boat fitted with any form of heating ?

[TwoUpTourer]

In principle - yes.

However there are many more characteristics to determine suitability depending on your planned usage.

A couple of examples :

1) Petrol engine - not ideal, petrol very rarely available on the canals, Potential long walks to the nearest town / petrol station.

2) Boat insulation - Rarely are GRP boats insulated enough to live aboard or to use during the colder months.

3) Is the boat fitted with any form of heating ?

 

Good points.

- I get a feel that diesel engines are predominantly inboard, and that from a maintenance perspective it is much easier to work on an outboard. It also occurs to me that fouling of the propellor is much easier to deal with on an outbard as well. I had thought to have some bicycles on board, which would help alleviate the walking to collect fuel issue. But I take your point.

 

- Insulation: I'm guessing we would be fair weather sailors in principle, assisted by Mr Schengen's 90 day limitation on our travels, but a worthy consideration.

 

- Heating: I know of small diesel fueled heaters available in camper vans, so I imagine similar is available in the boating world? Now on my checklist.

 

Heating is hard to think of here where every day for the next week is 36+C !!!

Another thing that I really need to factor in is the cost of laying over during winter. Presumably the costs vary widely according to location, so my thought is to end our season somewhere where berthing costs are relatively low, so any advice whether this notion is correct, or are monthly fees similar everywhere?

 

I really appreciate your responses as your experience is invaluable!

cheers

John

Edited December 31, 2015 by TwoUpTourer

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Good points.

- I get a feel that diesel engines are predominantly inboard, and that from a maintenance perspective it is much easier to work on an outboard. It also occurs to me that fouling of the propellor is much easier to deal with on an outbard as well. I had thought to have some bicycles on board, which would help alleviate the walking to collect fuel issue. But I take your point.

 

- Insulation: I'm guessing we would be fair weather sailors in principle, assisted by Mr Schengen's 90 day limitation on our travels, but a worthy consideration.

 

- Heating: I know of small diesel fueled heaters available in camper vans, so I imagine similar is available in the boating world? Now on my checklist.

 

Heating is hard to think of here where every day for the next week is 36+C !!!

Another thing that I really need to factor in is the cost of laying over during winter. Presumably the costs vary widely according to location, so my thought is to end our season somewhere where berthing costs are relatively low, so any advice whether this notion is correct, or are monthly fees similar everywhere?

 

I really appreciate your responses as your experience is invaluable!

cheers

John

 

I know you were looking to boat both 'in Europe' and in the UK. If you are spending your summer trip solely in the UK you will not need / be affected by the Schengen limitations as the UK is not a signatory to that agreement ( we are not in the Schengen Zone - along with about half-a-dozen other European countries).

 

Outboards can be easier to clear of 'stuff' but despite what you read on this forum its not an everyday event. In 20 years of boating I have only had to stop and clear the prop once - and that was after motoring thru a weed patch. Maybe just been lucky !!!

 

The regulations regarding having petrol on board a boat are very much more stringent than for diesel, and (amongst other things) limit the amount of petrol you can carry on board, if you plan to be cruising for (say) 5 hours most days, you will be walking / cycling every couple of days to find fuel.

 

Diesel heating can be installed. The cost of a modest unit will be around GBP £1500 + installation costs. I am just in the process of bringing a yacht back from Croatia to the UK and have been investigating costs of installing heating. Even in mid "Summer" you occasionally need to have some form of heating.

 

Regarding 'laying up' for the winter, yes it can be done but you will be paying virtually the same amount for the winter berth as you would for a mooring. The most economical way would be to find a Marina that can lift you out and 'store' you on the 'hard'. Some marinas advertise a "Call, Collect & Cruise" service where you call them to say when you are arriving, the boat is de-winterised, fuel & water topped up etc, put in the water and made ready to go. You arrive, turn the key and away you go.

 

Typically (for a 60 foot boat) the costs including lift out, storage and lift back in would be GBP £1310 for 6 months 'on the hard'. A 30 foot boat considerably less.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Alan de Enfield

[GOONIESnvrSAYdie]

Evening all,

 

Just wanted to say a quick hello as I imagine you'll see a number of posts from myself over the coming months.

 

Myself and the girlfriend are seriously considering buying a boat to live on. We've never owned a boat so will be spending the next few months reading up. From what I've learnt thus far, acting too quickly could end in disaster and buying a total money pit.

 

The forum appears crammed full of helpful topics I look forward to digesting.

 

Best wishes to you all for the coming year.

 

Gareth

[John V]

Hi Gareth welcome to the site, form your post you have already learned probably the most valuable lesson Cheers John

[GOONIESnvrSAYdie]

Hi Gareth welcome to the site, form your post you have already learned probably the most valuable lesson Cheers John

 

Cheers John. I'm definitely one that'll try and cram in as much knowledge before even going to look at possible boats. There's so much to take in, so many variants of everything. The brain is definitely hurting a little at the minute ha.

[John V]

That's definitely the right way to deal with it.........but you never stop learning new snippets however long in the tooth you are, look forward to seeing your posts, John

[Rivelin]

Hello to all,

 

After many years of hiring, I am working on a plan to own my own narrowboat in the next 2 - 3 years

 

The Canal World forum seems to be a treasure chest of useful information on how to find the right boat and what to look out for.

 

One thing has surprised me though; the cost of mooring. I would hope to travel the canal network for several weeks each year, so I think I would need a permanent mooring space.

 

Looking at the available options for mooring, it seems I might pay tens of thousands of pounds over the years I would hope to own the boat.

 

Is this something I need to accept and plan for, or are there any alternatives?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Nick

[Seti-Yeti]

Welcome Nick!

 

This forum is a wealth of information (and no small amount of "opinion"!!!) but don't let that put you off. Everyone means well and sometimes it makes you think at a tangent you hadn't previously, if even for just a moment.

 

Use the search facility first to save getting a reply with a terse reference to a previous post. If nothing turns up, fire away and don't be shy - we all started in the same place.

 

As for mooring, unless you become a Constant Cruiser which requires, as it implies, constant movement through the canal system, then it's a fact of life that a boat is a hole in the water into which your poor money. You could only put your boat in the system when you wanted it but the cranage and transport costs would eat the mooring fee quick as a flash and then some! Plus you'd need a long drive at home to put it on....

[thepurpleplatypus]

Hi all

 

Just introducing myself. My wife and I are are in the process of buying a 58 foot narrowboat to be liveaboards. This boating lark is all very new to us but we're looking forward to getting going!

 

cheers

Adam

[StarUKKiwi]

Welcome Adam - entering our third year live aboard and influenza and chest infection mean we have had to stop in the same place for a month; however, wouldn't change it for the world and I hope you enjoy your new life as much as we do.

[Peter X]

Nick (post #1567): If you're only planning to go boating for a few weeks per year, as indeed many people in full time work do, you might want to consider the alternative of a shared boat, where a syndicate of people own a boat and agree among themselves who'll have what weeks and where it will go. A bit like a floating equivalent of holiday property timeshares.

 

It might also work out cheaper to go on hiring, which has the advantage that you can see different parts of the system each time. The rates are highest in the school summer holidays I believe and significantly cheaper in the off season, if that suits you. But you've been hiring so you'll already know that.

 

If you do go for outright ownership of a boat you will need to pay for a mooring, but the cost varies according to location, boat length and the quality of facilities provided. A typical marina might charge £2000 per year, but expect to pay much more in or near London, and less up north. It depends what you need.

[patty-ann]

Good morning Adam and welcome..lots of good advice on here..also some not so good but you will soon learn who to listen to and who to set aside.

Enjoy your boat..

[John V]

Greetings Nick and Adam.

Welcome to the forum. As Patty-ann said, lots of advice available, it's worth having a go with the search option to find answers as there is a huge library of information available on past threads (also occasionally a lot of carp too )

Enjoy your boating !!!

[Sharon Dopson]

Hi. My name is Sharon and I am looking to buy and live in a narrowboat. I plan to cruise most of the county and enjoy life

[bottle]

Hi. My name is Sharon and I am looking to buy and live in a narrowboat. I plan to cruise most of the county and enjoy life

 

Sharon welcome.

 

I'll let you get adjusted to the forum 'humour' before making a comment.

 

Good luck in your quest.

[peterboat]

Hi. My name is Sharon and I am looking to buy and live in a narrowboat. I plan to cruise most of the county and enjoy life

hi sharon good luck with your dream i started mine 10 years ago and i still living the dream

Edited January 22, 2016 by peterboat