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Hello everyone I m new to boating and just bought a microplus 16ft Mark IV cabin cruiser with a 10hp Honda outboard, just had my safety inspection done today and all passed got insured now just waiting for my certificate number so I can get my license!! excited!!

boat needs a bit of tidying, lick of paint etc. Its a fibre glass boat and I wanted to make the interior and outside look nice and clean with carpets etc can anyone recommend what i should do for example do I just get some self adhesive carpet and put it straight on the floor or do i need to plywood the whole floor to make it even before doing something like that?

Also it has some speaker, a light on the inside so could i just buy a switch panel and a battery and connect it together?

Thanks Richard

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1 hour ago, richyrich22 said:

Hello everyone I m new to boating and just bought a microplus 16ft Mark IV cabin cruiser with a 10hp Honda outboard, just had my safety inspection done today and all passed got insured now just waiting for my certificate number so I can get my license!! excited!!

boat needs a bit of tidying, lick of paint etc. Its a fibre glass boat and I wanted to make the interior and outside look nice and clean with carpets etc can anyone recommend what i should do for example do I just get some self adhesive carpet and put it straight on the floor or do i need to plywood the whole floor to make it even before doing something like that?

Also it has some speaker, a light on the inside so could i just buy a switch panel and a battery and connect it together?

Thanks Richard

Welcome to boating and the forum. 

Presumably if the boat has electrics installed, it already has a battery box and means to charge the battery(not sure about the speaker bit, usual to connect to a radio) 

Carpets are ok if the area is dry. Don't stick if you need access beneath (unless the entire board and carpet lift together) 

 

Edited by rusty69
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hi yes it does have a white box which was just in the cabin which i assume it was a battery box but no battery, and in the cabin there is a whole cut out that looks like it had a car stereo fitted inside it, think i just need to take of some panels and have a look behind it.

so with the carpet as long as its dry its fine to just put on top of the fibreglass dont need to go down the route of putting wood of the floor, to put the carpet on top?

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Just now, richyrich22 said:

hi yes it does have a white box which was just in the cabin which i assume it was a battery box but no battery, and in the cabin there is a whole cut out that looks like it had a car stereo fitted inside it, think i just need to take of some panels and have a look behind it.

so with the carpet as long as its dry its fine to just put on top of the fibreglass dont need to go down the route of putting wood of the floor, to put the carpet on top?

Sounds promising. You will of course need a means to charge the battery, unless you intend to take it home to charge after each use. 

I wouldn't think you need a bit of wood beneath the carpet, but you can always add it at a later date should the need arise. 

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On 31/07/2017 at 19:52, Bryce2001 said:

Hi. Youtube Gongoozler here. I have loved all the Youtube canal boat videos from Dan on Narrowboat Tilly to Cruising the Cut and Journey with Jono. Always interested in boats, used to race dinghies (Streaker and Lightning 368), passed my basic level Canoe/Kayak course a year or two ago and have lived within 200m of the cut for the past 15yrs and for years. I am definitely selling up but the choice is between living on the cut or a small flat in Ryde (on the Isle of Wight). I'm looking forward to reading the forums, asking stupid/impertinent questions and generally getting some good advice...

YouTube is a fantastic resource for all sorts of things but I fnd myself getting twitchy and wanting to be back aboard so I tend not to gongoozle that way too much!

Before buying a boat do look for the very good advice which abounds on here.  You will find long topics with many words of wisdom, sometime contradictory but they do raise the issues and give much food for thought.  Keep asking the daft questions.  The only really daft one is the one not asked.

Nick

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm about to go on my first ever canal boat holiday. Were attempting to go from Preston Brook to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and back again in just one week.

Our craft for the week is a 65ft, 8 berth cruiser, so likely to be "interesting" and "challenging" to master, though hopefully lots of fun.

I'll try and get some good photos/videos to post on my return :captain:

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14 minutes ago, CraftxBenny said:

I'm about to go on my first ever canal boat holiday. Were attempting to go from Preston Brook to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and back again in just one week.

Our craft for the week is a 65ft, 8 berth cruiser, so likely to be "interesting" and "challenging" to master, though hopefully lots of fun.

I'll try and get some good photos/videos to post on my return :captain:

Have fun. Worth getting to Llangollen if you have time. 

One second thoughts, its probably a bridge too far. 

Edited by rusty69
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14 hours ago, CraftxBenny said:

I'm about to go on my first ever canal boat holiday. Were attempting to go from Preston Brook to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and back again in just one week.

Our craft for the week is a 65ft, 8 berth cruiser, so likely to be "interesting" and "challenging" to master, though hopefully lots of fun.

I'll try and get some good photos/videos to post on my return :captain:

You'll have to get your skates on!

I hope you enjoy your cruise, the route is on varied canals built in different styles and the scenery for the most part excellent. There are lots of things you could stop to look at on the way....

Have a good time.

Mike.

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Hello all,  we have just completed the purchase of a 23' Teal /FH Child Narrow beam canal cruiser and looking forward to exploring the canals.   The boat is old (1970's) but had a great survey and is very sound - plus was sold with a nearly new Honda 8hp outboard and all the service paperwork, new BSC till 2021.  I did have a sharp intake of breath when I read a thread on this forum about how you needed to be able to lose £4000 or so or "boating was not for you" when reading a tale of relative woe about an older motor cruiser, though.........I wish I could have gone for a nice narrow boat, but a bit out of budget at present and we want to see if we really enjoy it enough to make the big investment if we can.  Cost was a tad under £5000 for our boat and we certainly can't afford to just lose it, as the other thread seemed to say..........

Lots of little things I want to get doing this weekend while we get to know the boat - it had 3 new batteries, 2 80w solar panels plus MPPT controller, a new battery monitor, led lighting,  a Propex heating system, new water pump, new pram hood and a small compressor fridge, and has a 240v landline as well, plus the former owners had installed new kitchen units and the upholstery is good, but the cabin exterior could do with rubbing down and repainting and I need to figure out how to install the Honda Lock It Once outboard lock I bought to secure the outboard against opportunistic theft, too   There is also no cooker so that is something I will be looking at sorting soon, and will look into maybe installing new windows as it would be nice to have sliding ones.  Looking forward to visiting her with a pile of "stuff" tomorrow -planned on spending Sunday and Monday at the marina. 

Will update my profile pic etc as soon as I work how to do so!  

Edited by Sunflower16
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  • 2 weeks later...

New to boating, spent most of my holidays in a caravan and have realy enjoyed the freedom, but lately the wealthy Pension Pot  people have taken over and been buying up new Motor Homes and changed the scenery.

I was born and raised within spitting distance of the river nene ( pronounced NEN in Northants, we were common ). My total experiance of 'on the water' is a day boat from March to Outwell on the Middle level. I rather enjoyed it, so we have hired a 45Ft narrowboat from Fox Marina March for 11 days from the 18th of this month and intend to cruise as far as we can along the NEN, should make it to my old stamping ground at Irthlingborough.

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11 hours ago, artleknock said:

New to boating, spent most of my holidays in a caravan and have realy enjoyed the freedom, but lately the wealthy Pension Pot  people have taken over and been buying up new Motor Homes and changed the scenery.

I was born and raised within spitting distance of the river nene ( pronounced NEN in Northants, we were common ). My total experiance of 'on the water' is a day boat from March to Outwell on the Middle level. I rather enjoyed it, so we have hired a 45Ft narrowboat from Fox Marina March for 11 days from the 18th of this month and intend to cruise as far as we can along the NEN, should make it to my old stamping ground at Irthlingborough.

That should be a lovely trip. 

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Keep a check on water levels, join Friends of the river Nene (£10 p.a.) which will give you access to our moorings. Get a Nene book so that you can find water points etc.

Check the FotrN Facebook page for stoppages etc.

Have a safe and happy trip 

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18 minutes ago, artleknock said:

It's a bit late to join them now, I will be on the boat on Monday. The FOTRN web site says that it will take 48 hrs to action a request for memebership and you apply by post.

Is there somewhere that I can cross someones palm with a tenner in exchange for a card.

I emailed them earlier in the year, they accepted payment by transfer, and although wanted me to complete an application form and wait for a sticker, they issued a number the same day,You can also join at one of the lockside facilities (can't remember which).

 

ETA,its White mills marina.(Earls Barton).

http://friendsoftherivernene.co.uk/

 

Edited by rusty69
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1 hour ago, rusty69 said:

I emailed them earlier in the year, they accepted payment by transfer, and although wanted me to complete an application form and wait for a sticker, they issued a number the same day,You can also join at one of the lockside facilities (can't remember which).

 

ETA,its White mills marina.(Earls Barton).

http://friendsoftherivernene.co.uk/

 

Pitty, I won't get that far. I am picking up the boat in March and I willl probably only make it to Irthlingborough before I have to turn back.

It's a holiday not a race :cheers:

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I'm not completely new to the forum as I've already had some great advice. A lot more than my meagre postings might suggest and I'm very grateful. I thought I would re-introduce myself and my wife though as boaters! We finally got our boat yesterday and we are thrilled to bits with her. We'll be bringing her home to Fettler's Wharf marina in a couple of weeks and we are just a little bit excited as you can see from the photo. Tony and Gill of Golden Girl. (Feels nice to be able to write that)

No doubt we will now have a million and one questions but I promise to do plenty of searches first before asking the same old stuff. 

 

P1060428.JPG

 

TandGSelfie.jpg

Edited by toekneep
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11 minutes ago, toekneep said:

I'm not completely new to the forum as I've already had some great advice. A lot more than my meagre postings might suggest and I'm very grateful. I thought I would re-introduce myself and my wife though as boaters! We finally got our boat yesterday and we are thrilled to bits with her. We'll be bringing her home to Fettler's Wharf marina in a couple of weeks and we are just a little bit excited as you can see from the photo. Tony and Gill of Golden Girl. (Feels nice to be able to write that)

No doubt we will now have a million and one questions but I promise to do plenty of searches first before asking the same old stuff. 

 

P1060428.JPG

 

TandGSelfie.jpg

Congratulations. Enjoy it! 

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Hello

I'm Sadie and am looking to buy my boat at the moment. Will be staying between bath and Bradford on avon.been doing a lot of research and searching around. It's a long process and lots to think about. Hoping to find my boat soon. 

Budget of 20k . If anyone on here has something 40-50ft with sound hull, engine and basics in place for winter living please let me know.

Good luck to all the new boaters on this thread :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 30 May 2017 at 14:39, Alan de Enfield said:

 

To achieve her aim then there is no option - it MUST be a NB (unless she intends to crane it out, truck it around the 'narrows' and crane it back in)

Hi Alan de Enfield, thank you for your reply (and all the replies) just so I have all the information, how much does it cost to truck a narrowboat? Catherine 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

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