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[ditchcrawler]

25 minutes ago, LauraleeG said:

Re Visas: Yeah, being Canadian I can stay for 6 months, my partner has dual citizenship. 
thanks for the map! Will go back to the canal river trust site and look at it differently with this new information ! 
 

how “ feasible” is it to be on her part time? We are thinking , on the hard for the winter, and being on her early spring to fall? 

i guess also, without a mooring, you can leave her for a month, right?

 

Debdale marina will lift it out and store it for you and let them know when you are returning would have it back in the water ready for you,  

 

[LauraleeG]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Debdale marina will lift it out and store it for you and let them know when you are returning would have it back in the water ready for you,  

 

Thanks! Just checked their prices for services too. Cheaper than sailing, but bloody hell it adds up eh? Lol the cost of boat ownership!

[ditchcrawler]

12 minutes ago, LauraleeG said:

Thanks! Just checked their prices for services too. Cheaper than sailing, but bloody hell it adds up eh? Lol the cost of boat ownership!

But you save 6 months C&RT licence fee if not in the water

[LauraleeG]

3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

But you save 6 months C&RT licence fee if not in the water

?

[Lee_OC]

Hi all, I've been thinking a lot recently about buying and living aboard a narrowboat, so I thought i'd join this forum. I've been living in Japan for the past 15 years, but i plan to return to England in a year or two. It seems like it would be an interesting way of life, but is it really doable  to have a full  time job, and be a continuous cruiser? Do any of you guys do this? I'm from darkest Manchester, and i can't imagine leaving my boat and all my possessions along the side of the canal all day while i go to work. How do you guys manage? I think a  marina would be too pricy for me. 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Lee_OC

[Tony Brooks]

Take care because you need to consider the regulations of two navigation authoraties. Canal and River Trust and the Bridgewater Canal. CaRT do allow you to license a boat and live on it as long as you have a mooring of some sort  or move on in what will eventually become a long journey every 14 days. You can get proper bankside moorings from CaRT and some local landowners. I don't think Bridgewater allow this. CaRT have stated  that having a job at a fixed location is not compatible with  registering as a continuous cruiser but in certain locations its perfectly possible to have both but you do need to move sufficiently to keep CaRT happy, many can and do. Also many don't and get into legal difficulties with CaRT.

 

It so often said living on a boat in a tolerable style is no cheaper than living ashore - it's a lifestyle choice.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

What sort of job do you do, or hope to do? COVID has made the concept of working remotely much more acceptable to a lot of bosses than it used to be. This may well continue if/when we ever get out of it. Stable mobile internet connections and powering your IT equipment in the middle of winter can be an issue when trying to work remotely while moored by the towpath out in the sticks.

[Lee_OC]

I won't have a job when I eventually come back. I'll be starting again from scratch. Probably something low paying and rubbish.

 

[Dr Bob]

I'd stay in Japan. There's a plague over here.

[Lee_OC]

Yeah, I was going to come back in 2019, but then COVID started. I decided to stay in Japan for a year or two (or more) longer, to wait and see what happens in England. If there is some kind of zombie apocalypse or something, i'll probably stay living in Japan.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

2 minutes ago, Lee_OC said:

Yeah, I was going to come back in 2019, but then COVID started. I decided to stay in Japan for a year or two (or more) longer, to wait and see what happens in England. If there is some kind of zombie apocalypse or something, i'll probably stay living in Japan.

 

6 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

I'd stay in Japan. There's a plague over here.

We might have the pestilence, but we don't have to worry about Godzilla attacks. ?

[Dr Bob]

36 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

 

We might have the pestilence, but we don't have to worry about Godzilla attacks. ?

That's true!

[doratheexplorer]

3 hours ago, Lee_OC said:

Hi all, I've been thinking a lot recently about buying and living aboard a narrowboat, so I thought i'd join this forum. I've been living in Japan for the past 15 years, but i plan to return to England in a year or two. It seems like it would be an interesting way of life, but is it really doable  to have a full  time job, and be a continuous cruiser? Yes. Do any of you guys do this? Yes I'm from darkest Manchester, and i can't imagine leaving my boat and all my possessions along the side of the canal all day while i go to work. why? How do you guys manage? What specific concerns do you have? I think a  marina would be too pricy for me. 

 

A warning:  You'll likely get loads of 'advice' on here about being a continuous cruiser while working, but from people who have never been liveaboards or continuous cruisers.  I have, and it's not a huge issue. 

 

Things to consider: 

1.   How will you produce enough power for your needs all year round?

2.  How will you be able to move the minimum amounts or more and still get to work every day?

 

40 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

 

We might have the pestilence, but we don't have to worry about Godzilla attacks. ?

Or worry about sneak attacks from ninjas.

Edited February 4, 2021 by doratheexplorer

[Lee_OC]

After growing up and living in  Greater Manchester for 30 years, i'm pretty sure that an unattended narrowboat  moored by the side of the canal, would eventually get robbed/vandalized. That's my concern. I was just wondering about the logistics of being a continuous cruiser, while also having to go to work every day, and finding a safe mooring spot.

[doratheexplorer]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

Take care because you need to consider the regulations of two navigation authoraties. Canal and River Trust and the Bridgewater Canal. CaRT do allow you to license a boat and live on it as long as you have a mooring of some sort  or move on in what will eventually become a long journey every 14 days. You can get proper bankside moorings from CaRT and some local landowners. I don't think Bridgewater allow this. CaRT have stated  that having a job at a fixed location is not compatible with  registering as a continuous cruiser but in certain locations its perfectly possible to have both but you do need to move sufficiently to keep CaRT happy, many can and do. Also many don't and get into legal difficulties with CaRT.

 

It so often said living on a boat in a tolerable style is no cheaper than living ashore - it's a lifestyle choice.

Really?  Are you sure?  I've never heard that.  Do you have a link? 

 

The only parts of the main network where I can see significant issues with cc'ing would be if you wanted to predominantly stay on one of the longer rivers.

 

To Lee:  some useful info on continuous cruising here:  https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/buy-your-boat-licence/continuous-cruising

[doratheexplorer]

7 minutes ago, Lee_OC said:

After growing up and living in  Greater Manchester for 30 years, i'm pretty sure that an unattended narrowboat  moored by the side of the canal, would eventually get robbed/vandalized. That's my concern. I was just wondering about the logistics of being a continuous cruiser, while also having to go to work every day, and finding a safe mooring spot.

Parts of Manchester are best avoided if you're gonna leave your boat unattended.  Failsworth, Oldham etc spring to mind.  But if you're returning to the UK you could find a job in any part of the country though, so why pick a place where vandalism is more likely.  Having said that, if I worked in central Manchester I'd focus my cruising on the following areas:  Peak Forest Canal from Whaley Bridge to Aston. Macclesfield canal from Macclesfield to Marple.  Huddersfield Narrow Canal from Stalybridge to Diggle.  Leeds & Liverpool Canal from Leigh to Wigan.  If you want to go a bit further you could explore the Trent & Mersey from Preston Brook to Middlewich, or the Rochdale canal from Littleborough to Sowerby Bridge.  So no need to leave your boat in dodgy bits of Manchester.  For all this to work though, you need a car and a fair bit of logistical forward planning.

Edited February 4, 2021 by doratheexplorer

[Lee_OC]

Thanks for the info. I have a lot of time, probably a few years to do some forward planning.?

 

[doratheexplorer]

56 minutes ago, Lee_OC said:

Thanks for the info. I have a lot of time, probably a few years to do some forward planning.?

 

If I were in your shoes and had a job in manchester, I would start with the Macclesfield Canal.  From Bosley Top Lock to Whaley Bridge is about 25 miles and has no locks.  I would use google maps to identify about 10-15 likely spots along the canal which look good for mooring.  Then have a cycle along the canal.  Things such as:  enough water depth, something decent to tie up to, somewhere to park nearby.  Mobile signal is useful too!  Then once you've got your spots sorted, I reckon you could cruise up and down that stretch for a year or two without any interest at all from CRT (maybe indefinitely).  But before that happens you'll probably want to explore further; maybe down Marple locks, maybe down Bosley Locks and onto the Trent & Mersey...

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

Really?  Are you sure?  I've never heard that.  Do you have a link? 

 

 

 

That phrase was on a number of C&RT documents, but it now seems to have been replaced with :

 

 

 

If you live on a boat but must stay in one place or area because of your job, your children’s school or because you have long term medical needs, then continuous cruising probably isn’t the best option for you. You’ll need to consider finding a home mooring.

To be a continuous cruiser (or boater without a home mooring) the rules say:

• "Boats without a home mooring must be engaged in genuine navigation throughout the period of the licence". Basically, make the effort, 'in good faith', to navigate around our waterways. You’ll need to continually move from place to place over a total range of 20 miles (32 kms) or more rather than just shuttling back and forth between two or three places. If you can't do this easily, especially where you rely on access to local places such as schools or work, you should find a home mooring
• "You must not stay moored in the same neighbourhood or locality for more than 14 days". As a rule of thumb, you can stay anywhere on the towpath for up to 14 days – unless there’s a visitor sign with a time limit or you’re near a lock. If you breakdown or can’t move for any reason, get in touch with your local boat licence support officer as soon as possible – our team can help
• "It is the boater’s responsibility to satisfy the Trust that they meet these requirements". So, make sure you know the rules. Our ‘Guidance for boaters without a home mooring’ explains what is expected from you as a continuous cruiser. You can also read our continuous cruiser FAQs

[doratheexplorer]

15 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

That phrase was on a number of C&RT documents, but it now seems to have been replaced with :

 

 

 

If you live on a boat but must stay in one place or area because of your job, your children’s school or because you have long term medical needs, then continuous cruising probably isn’t the best option for you. You’ll need to consider finding a home mooring.

To be a continuous cruiser (or boater without a home mooring) the rules say:

• "Boats without a home mooring must be engaged in genuine navigation throughout the period of the licence". Basically, make the effort, 'in good faith', to navigate around our waterways. You’ll need to continually move from place to place over a total range of 20 miles (32 kms) or more rather than just shuttling back and forth between two or three places. If you can't do this easily, especially where you rely on access to local places such as schools or work, you should find a home mooring
• "You must not stay moored in the same neighbourhood or locality for more than 14 days". As a rule of thumb, you can stay anywhere on the towpath for up to 14 days – unless there’s a visitor sign with a time limit or you’re near a lock. If you breakdown or can’t move for any reason, get in touch with your local boat licence support officer as soon as possible – our team can help
• "It is the boater’s responsibility to satisfy the Trust that they meet these requirements". So, make sure you know the rules. Our ‘Guidance for boaters without a home mooring’ explains what is expected from you as a continuous cruiser. You can also read our continuous cruiser FAQs

I can imagine it would be difficult to cc with kids in school and having to get to work as well.  But for singles and couples it really isn't much of an issue.

 

Cc'ing families with kids are like hen's teeth outside of 1 or 2 know problem areas.  The comments above are clearly targetting long running problems with families on the western K&A.

[Tony Brooks]

2 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

Really?  Are you sure?  I've never heard that.  Do you have a link? 

 

The only parts of the main network where I can see significant issues with cc'ing would be if you wanted to predominantly stay on one of the longer rivers.

 

To Lee:  some useful info on continuous cruising here:  https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/buy-your-boat-licence/continuous-cruising

 

I do not have a link but I know that this was in the guidance published by either BW or CaRT at one time. You willsee the present guidance is dated 2020 so its new. In fact you will see there is a very similar paragraph in the item @Alan de Enfield posted above.  It not exactly the same but carries a very similar message.

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

I can imagine it would be difficult to cc with kids in school and having to get to work as well.  But for singles and couples it really isn't much of an issue.

 

Cc'ing families with kids are like hen's teeth outside of 1 or 2 know problem areas.  The comments above are clearly targetting long running problems with families on the western K&A.

 

But C&RT have provided modified rules for boaters with school age children after an MP raised it (following its claim to be discriminatory to parents) with C&RT.

They can now stay within 3 miles / 5 Km of the school and travel further during the school holidays, These distances should should fall within the use of a school bus.

This would, to me, now be discrimination against non-parents of school age children !!

 

A number of Powerpoint presentations were produced for the 'K&A' boaters who seemed to be the most affected, these showed the revised acceptable movements and examples of "acceptable term time movements".

 

I cannot seem to post Powerpoint presentations, but here is a screenshot on one page showing 'acceptable movement'

 

The letter from R Parry to to the MP.

 

 

School Acceptable Movements.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[Asgreenasgrass]

Hello!
My name is Max, I'm hopefully going to be one of the community soon, on the hunt for my first boat.
Been a guest on the forum for a while, seems like a good community and lots of great bits of info!

Cheers to all!

[alistair1537]

Hi Max, 

 

Welcome. Everybody needs a boat. Get yours soon.

 

Regards

 

Alistair

[TheBiscuits]

On 04/02/2021 at 12:04, Alan de Enfield said:

But C&RT have provided modified rules for boaters with school age children after an MP raised it (following its claim to be discriminatory to parents) with C&RT.

They can now stay within 3 miles / 5 Km of the school and travel further during the school holidays, These distances should should fall within the use of a school bus.

 

That document is one example of how to do an acceptable range with school age kids, not permission to do anything differently.  The letter clearly states this.