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18 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Likewise, welcome, but A semi-trad with a boatman's cabin and a Lister or Gardiner engine seems an odd mixture to me. Semi-trad usually means engine at the back under the "cockpit" floorboards is not where one usually finds Gardiners or the larger Listers normally associated with trad boats with a boatman's cabin. Still best of luck with your search.

Thanks for that Tony,

I am a complete noobie to Narrow boat design terminology,

I think I wrote semi-Trad when I meant Trad     :)

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53 minutes ago, Deltatango said:

Am already afraid it becomes an obsession :) After all there's more than 200 miles of canal to visit. And if  I find some crew to share the hire fee, it is even cheaper (at least not more expensive) than the usual (spanish island beach) holiday.

 

You do realise  that once the bug has bitten there is no cure?

 

The bug bit me 45 years ago and hasn't let go.

 

Indeed I often refer to myself as a canalcoholic ?

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1 hour ago, Deltatango said:

Am already afraid it becomes an obsession :) After all there's more than 200 miles of canal to visit. And if  I find some crew to share the hire fee, it is even cheaper (at least not more expensive) than the usual (spanish island beach) holiday.

Even better news - there are 2000+ miles to explore,  so times a-wasting!:boat:

 

Howard

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Hi all

After reading through the various posts Its time to introduce myself.

So me and the family (3 of us) have decided to put the house up for sale and are just waiting to find the boat that suits our needs. We have almost have almost decided on a boat and have taken her out for a cruise but going to visit Crick show before we commit to ask advice etc and we may find somthing else.

We have found moorings etc so in that sense we have some where to live but a daunting and exciting  prospect to move from bricks and mortar on to a narrow boat.

If all goes to plan we should be on board in July.

Regards 

Matt

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Hello.  I'm claud and I know nothing about boats and/or boating whatsoever.  We might be buying a dutch barge next week and I'm a nervous wreck.  I thought I'd just say hello to you all and read some of your posts.  I might learn something ??

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1 minute ago, Claudibee said:

Hello.  I'm claud and I know nothing about boats and/or boating whatsoever.  We might be buying a dutch barge next week and I'm a nervous wreck.  I thought I'd just say hello to you all and read some of your posts.  I might learn something ??

Hello Claud, and welcome to the forum. There is also the DBA forum if you haven't already discovered it

 

http://barges.org/discussion-forum/recent-topics

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4 minutes ago, Claudibee said:

Hello.  I'm claud and I know nothing about boats and/or boating whatsoever.  We might be buying a dutch barge next week and I'm a nervous wreck.  I thought I'd just say hello to you all and read some of your posts.  I might learn something ??

Welcome to the mad house - If you know nothing about boats or boating, may one ask "why are you buying a Dutch Barge next week" ?

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3 minutes ago, Claudibee said:

Hello.  I'm claud and I know nothing about boats and/or boating whatsoever.  We might be buying a dutch barge next week and I'm a nervous wreck.  I thought I'd just say hello to you all and read some of your posts.  I might learn something ??

Hello Claudibee and welcome to the forum. I hope all goes well the purchase next and that by then you'll be feeling equal part nervous and excited. :D

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HAHA!  Good question, Alan.  We've always liked boats but this is the first time we've seriously considered buying one.  It just popped up as an email to me so we thought we'd go and see it.  We need an income and we thought that could be part of it, hiring it out for people to use as a self-catering thingy, staying put most likely.  Anyway, that's more or less it.  As plans go, I've been involved in less drastic ones ?

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4 minutes ago, Claudibee said:

Hello rusty69.  I'll have a trawl (?) through and explore.   I think I'm being thick because I don't know what the DBA forum is.  Please don't laugh ?

Sorry. DBA = Dutch Barge Association 

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43 minutes ago, Claudibee said:

We need an income and we thought that could be part of it, hiring it out for people to use as a self-catering thingy, staying put most likely.  Anyway, that's more or less it.  As plans go, I've been involved in less drastic ones 

I realise that you are on a 'high' at the moment BUT before you part with any of your hard earned cash there are a whole raft of rules and regulations about hiring out your boat (or taking any sort of payment for services), you would be a 'land lord' and all of the legislation regarding safety examinations, gas checks etc etc, commercial boat licence (as opposed to a 'leisure licence') , the boat is now comes under a commercial Safety examination (and if it was not built to meet those specifications it can be a problem to get them to comply)

You will also need commercial 'hire-boat' insurance.

 

Do you have a mooring to keep the boat ?

 

Are you looking at keeping the boat in London (within the M25) ?

(London moorings can cost £10,000 - £15,000 per annum)

 

I don't want to burst your bubble (we have all been excited about a new boat) but starting from knowing nothing about boats or the rules and regulations regarding keeping and using them is a minefield and you can have (worst case) the boat seized and removed.

 

DONT RUSH INTO BUYING - FIND OUT THE RULES FIRST - Potentially it can be one of the most drastic things in your life.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Hello. Your site was recommended by a boater I met on a holiday last week on the Llangollen canal so I've signed up. My wife and I are thinking of buying or possibly taking a share in a narrow boat. We live in Surrey with stretches of Wey Navigation and Basingstoke canal nearby. I look forward to browsing ideas here. We have a potential berth, a new basin at Send, near Woking, though it seems rather expensive. When I asked the annual running costs of a narrow boat, say 58 or 60 ft I was given the figure £7,500 by a local boater. We're not looking for cheap, but a good quality boating experience. Does that figure seem high? Remember we're talking Surrey here, just outside the M25.

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21 minutes ago, Earthwatcher said:

Hello. Your site was recommended by a boater I met on a holiday last week on the Llangollen canal so I've signed up. My wife and I are thinking of buying or possibly taking a share in a narrow boat. We live in Surrey with stretches of Wey Navigation and Basingstoke canal nearby. I look forward to browsing ideas here. We have a potential berth, a new basin at Send, near Woking, though it seems rather expensive. When I asked the annual running costs of a narrow boat, say 58 or 60 ft I was given the figure £7,500 by a local boater. We're not looking for cheap, but a good quality boating experience. Does that figure seem high? Remember we're talking Surrey here, just outside the M25.

Was that figure just the boat running costs or did it include mooring fees as well ?

Typical (average) annual running costs are around £5000 (some years £3k, some £7k)

Typical mooring fees (in the South) vary between about £4,000 and £15,000.

 

If you are looking at buying a 'share' as a proportion your costs will be higher, (you are part funding all sorts of stuff you may not do with your own boat), you will have limited time on the boat ( 2 weeks, or 4 weeks) so you cannot say "lets get away on the boat this weekend", but your overall costs will be cheaper than owning a 100% of the boat.

 

Have a read of this thread - it breaks it down quite well.

 

 

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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I would say that £7500 a year on the Wey or the Thames is probably an underestimation. Years ago I was quoted £5000 to £7000 a year for a leisure berth in a Reading marina and Send is closer to London and more stockbroker belt.

 

Unless you also buy Thames and Basingstoke canal licenses you will be limited to cruising the Wey, nice as it is it would soon drive me nuts.

 

After carefully considering all the options we decide to moor in the South Midlands where there are several canals and lost of alternative cruising. What we save on the licence more than pays for the petrol and odd train fare & taxi to get to the boat.

 

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Looking back at that thread it's amazing how people, presumably many with their own boats or they wouldn't be here, try to put you off. I've been a sailor for many years but my wife won't go to sea and I thought narrow-boating would be a thing we could do together in our retirement/semi-retirement since we both enjoyed narrow boat holidays in our youth. It all started with house-searching as I had itchy feet to move but, for the kind of house we've been looking at, moving costs and taxes were going to be around £80,000. That's a lot of dosh to throw away, particularly when you're happy in your existing house. The thing is, I bought a working Springer Spaniel around Christmas and, since he needs a lot of walking, I thought somewhere a little more rural would be better. So the new dog has led all this thinking, and quite literally so on a recent walk since, at his whim, we turned left over the canal bridge rather than right, as we usually do. This took us past the new canal basin. On the way home I called in and chatted to the owner who gave me some mooring prices. I can't deny I have these Mr Toad moments and this was one of them. But I'm not rash. I chatted with my wife and she seemed interested, so I booked a short-notice holiday on the Llangollen Canal and we really enjoyed it. The dogs enjoyed it too (we also have a Jack Russell). I like the idea of exploring the canal network, and come from the North of England originally, so wouldn't want to just potter down to Godalming and back. I agree that boats can be a money pit, but what's the alternative? A finance man has put a lot of our capital in to funds that, quite honestly, are pretty bloody boring. I spend about 30 days a year salmon fishing and narrow boating can't possibly be as barmy as that. We have three grown-up sons with wives who live not so far away. I thought a boat could be something they could enjoy too. One of them is extremely practical and understands boat electrics so he could hold my hand on that one. Also I don't want to fly around the world ticking off bucket lists, I've done lots of that, and there's nothing on telly so I wouldn't miss that. Furthermore, during our week on the Llangollen Canal we spoke to more people than I would chat to in a year in our Surrey neighbourhood. I loved the slowness of it all and fetching up at different places and chatting to people about their own choices and lifestyles. Still, it's all to play for, and I've no doubt I can be talked out of the idea.

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8 hours ago, Earthwatcher said:

Hello. Your site was recommended by a boater I met on a holiday last week on the Llangollen canal so I've signed up. My wife and I are thinking of buying or possibly taking a share in a narrow boat. We live in Surrey with stretches of Wey Navigation and Basingstoke canal nearby. I look forward to browsing ideas here. We have a potential berth, a new basin at Send, near Woking, though it seems rather expensive. When I asked the annual running costs of a narrow boat, say 58 or 60 ft I was given the figure £7,500 by a local boater. We're not looking for cheap, but a good quality boating experience. Does that figure seem high? Remember we're talking Surrey here, just outside the M25.

Hello Alan,

 

I am also in the SE and thinking of buying a marrowboat, happy to consider part ownership, please get in touch - I am a complete novice other than a holiday or two which gave me the bug.  Sharing costs must be the way to go.  My e-mail is rhoda1@sky.com please e-mail as I may not find your post on here!

Cheers,

Jim

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I don't think it's "trying to put you off", more warning about possible pitfalls. Post #2139 is a good example. 

 

Best advice is probably "take your time", look at a good few boats before parting with cash. You seem to be going about it the right way, and if you actually can be talked out of it, I'd be surprised. :cheers:

 

e.t.a. replying to #2125

Edited by Iain_S
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6 minutes ago, Iain_S said:

I don't think it's "trying to put you off", more warning about possible pitfalls. Post #2139 is a good example. 

 

Best advice is probably "take your time", look at a good few boats before parting with cash. You seem to be going about it the right way, and if you actually can be talked out of it, I'd be surprised. :cheers:

 

e.t.a. replying to #2125

And if you can be talked out of it you weren't really committed in the first place, so better now than after spending all that cash.

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10 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

And if you can be talked out of it you weren't really committed in the first place, so better now than after spending all that cash.

I'll certainly take my time. It's difficult coming on to a forum when there is so much of use, but often in obscure places. I spent the whole holiday interrogating chatting to people about their boats/issues/plans. Coming here was one piece of advice I've taken and I realise I need to get the feel of the place. Experience of other forums has been chequered. I hate it where genuinely interesting threads are interrupted by name calling, ego-boosting, know-alls, post-addicts, last worders and over-sensitive types who think you're inforadig, but I'm sure there's none of that in boating. This forum looks mature enough with enough sensible individuals to have weeded out the trolls (you see, I know all the lingo). However, I need to look around. Obviously I have many questions but don't intend to start threads that have been gone over so many times before ad nauseum. One plea from a newbie to stalwarts, please be sparing with abbreviations. Everyone has different approaches to boating. For me, it's water, pure and simple. I like sitting by it, staring at it, standing in it, swimming in it (not canals) and floating on it. I love the sea but canals are less bumpy and less corrosive than salt. PS. I'm enjoying the CruisingTheCut videos on YouTube. They start at about my level of knowledge.

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6 hours ago, Earthwatcher said:

  Experience of other forums has been chequered. I hate it where genuinely interesting threads are interrupted by name calling, ego-boosting, know-alls, post-addicts, last worders and over-sensitive types who think you're inforadig, but I'm sure there's none of that in boating. This forum looks mature enough with enough sensible individuals to have weeded out the trolls (you see, I know all the lingo). 

O are you in for a surprise

 

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On 21/05/2018 at 14:39, Tony Brooks said:

I would say that £7500 a year on the Wey or the Thames is probably an underestimation. Years ago I was quoted £5000 to £7000 a year for a leisure berth in a Reading marina and Send is closer to London and more stockbroker belt.

 

Unless you also buy Thames and Basingstoke canal licenses you will be limited to cruising the Wey, nice as it is it would soon drive me nuts.

 

After carefully considering all the options we decide to moor in the South Midlands where there are several canals and lost of alternative cruising. What we save on the licence more than pays for the petrol and odd train fare & taxi to get to the boat.

 

Brooks is an idiot - should read moorings!

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