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[TimD]

Hi, I'm Tim and new to canal world.

 

I am seriously thinking of taking a gap halfyear and doing the season on a NB to see where life takes me. Just making some informal plans at the moment but full-steam-ahead-decision time job wise is likely to be around the end of Feb. I have a reasonable experience of canal boating as a holiday maker and of sailing (back when I was a teenager), and I'm soon going on a course for solo-navigation .

 

 

It looks to me as if the most difficult bit will be to get hold of a long term rental of a live aboard boat. Any advice on this, doing the the season or generally taking the plunge will be gratefully recieved.

 

Cheers

Tim

[debbifiggy]

Hi, I'm Tim and new to canal world.

 

I am seriously thinking of taking a gap halfyear and doing the season on a NB to see where life takes me. Just making some informal plans at the moment but full-steam-ahead-decision time job wise is likely to be around the end of Feb. I have a reasonable experience of canal boating as a holiday maker and of sailing (back when I was a teenager), and I'm soon going on a course for solo-navigation .

 

 

It looks to me as if the most difficult bit will be to get hold of a long term rental of a live aboard boat. Any advice on this, doing the the season or generally taking the plunge will be gratefully recieved.

 

Cheers

Tim

 

Don't do a prinvate rent! If the boat hasn't got a hire licence and money changes hands the insurance and licence are invalid. Also, there are a lot of "boat rental" rip off merchants out there. See previous threads on this forum. There are some very sorry tales out there.

 

You might be better off buying a second hand boat, plenty of cheap liveable ones out there at the moment, and then sell it on when you have done. Much safer and possibly a bit cheaper than a proper long term rental from a reputable company. Why not visit www.waterscape.com for some more background info and lists of hire companies.

 

Best of luck.

Debbi

[mickntracy]

hi mick and tracy here!

we are selling up in the next year or so and have been wanting to move onto a nb as a liveaboard,

we have been looking around on web sites trying to get ideas of what we want or what we need,this site has been brill to read through with lots of ideas and reasurance that its what we want to do,

the main thing we need to know is we have 2 children aged 10 and 12 who are looking forward to it also but how many

people out there are in a simular situation ? and how is it for you ? we do know the problems with moorings so we

need to get close to the school that is in sheffield as is the wifes work ,not mine as i have just become one of the mass unemployed so loades of research time just no money into the pot.any advice will be welcomed

 

thanks mick and tracy

[bottle]

Mick and Tracy

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

I know you have a house, that you are going to sell to finance the boat but have you checked the ongoing running costs of a boat it will be as much as the average house plus a bit.

 

Please do not jump until you are really sure.

 

Have you any experience of narrow boating?

 

Sorry to be a bit of a wet blanket but two children at school only one income, it will not be easy.

 

Make sure the rose tint is removed.

[mrsmelly]

hi mick and tracy here!

we are selling up in the next year or so and have been wanting to move onto a nb as a liveaboard,

we have been looking around on web sites trying to get ideas of what we want or what we need,this site has been brill to read through with lots of ideas and reasurance that its what we want to do,

the main thing we need to know is we have 2 children aged 10 and 12 who are looking forward to it also but how many

people out there are in a simular situation ? and how is it for you ? we do know the problems with moorings so we

need to get close to the school that is in sheffield as is the wifes work ,not mine as i have just become one of the mass unemployed so loades of research time just no money into the pot.any advice will be welcomed

 

thanks mick and tracy

Hi

 

Wish you well but do your homework living on a boat is NOT cheap and with two kids you will have NO privacy. Not wanting to be a wet blanket but be realistic and it may be for you.

Just remember what BOAT stands for

 

Bring

Out

Another

Thousand

 

Cheers

 

Tim

[chris&sandra]

Are you a newbie to boating?

 

Well introduce your selves right here!!

 

And everyone will get to now you!!!

Hi

We are Chris & Sandra we are living in Turkey at the moment

I am an electrical/mechanical marina engineer the contract I’m working on should finish may /June this year.

And I will have reached the old age of 50 so it’s time to retire and return back to the UK after being away for 15 year

We want to by a narrow boat to live aboard full time,

we think the hardest part for us will be the UK weather as we live in temps of 100+ so if you see a narrow boat in the middle of summer with the stove working and 2 people dressed like Eskimos’ that will be us

So as soon as we have sold our house out here we will be coming home

I’m into fishing

My wife and I come from Hertford in Hertfordshire but we will most properly base our self’s in the midlands and cruse around until we find some ware we like

We will properly asking lots of questions about narrow boat (if you don’t mind)

Also if I can help with ant thing electrical I will but a narrow boat is a bit different to an oil tanker but they all have AC/DC voltage

Chris & Sandra

[TimD]

Don't do a prinvate rent! If the boat hasn't got a hire licence and money changes hands the insurance and licence are invalid. Also, there are a lot of "boat rental" rip off merchants out there. See previous threads on this forum. There are some very sorry tales out there.

 

You might be better off buying a second hand boat, plenty of cheap liveable ones out there at the moment, and then sell it on when you have done. Much safer and possibly a bit cheaper than a proper long term rental from a reputable company. Why not visit www.waterscape.com for some more background info and lists of hire companies.

 

Best of luck.

Debbi

 

Thank you so much, Debbi, for your advice. I was aware of the insurance problem of renting privately and would never take out a boat uninsured.

Even so I'm slightly surprised that buying a boat immediately seems to be the way to go once you factor in things like surveyor fees, depreciation, the fact that boats are cheaper in late autumn than in spring etc. Not living near the canal network makes finding the righ boat that bit harder as well

 

Anyway, I am keeping both options open at the moment.

 

Thanks again

Timbo.

[RLWP]

Thank you so much, Debbi, for your advice. I was aware of the insurance problem of renting privately and would never take out a boat uninsured.

Even so I'm slightly surprised that buying a boat immediately seems to be the way to go once you factor in things like surveyor fees, depreciation, the fact that boats are cheaper in late autumn than in spring etc. Not living near the canal network makes finding the righ boat that bit harder as well

 

Anyway, I am keeping both options open at the moment.

 

Thanks again

Timbo.

 

The problem lies in renting a boat. As Debbi says, there are scams operating, and many of the renting arrangements are not strictly within the BW licensing. Plus, you have no security of tenure like you do with a flat or house

 

Richard

[Bosun Maggie]

Hi, the name's Alwyn and I run a twenty foot springer, generally single handed as my wife and son don't like boating.

 

It's been knocked about a bit in the last couple of years and I've just gutted it internally. Starting to plan the refit revealed just how little I know! Got all the relevant BSC Regs but I've joined the forum in the hope of making on line contact with those lovely folk I've met in various canal-side pubs. Don't know their names but they all get my attention by saying in mid conversion "Ah, no - I did it this way and saved myself pounds".

 

Thanks for reading.

[RLWP]

Hi, the name's Alwyn and I run a twenty foot springer, generally single handed as my wife and son don't like boating.

 

It's been knocked about a bit in the last couple of years and I've just gutted it internally. Starting to plan the refit revealed just how little I know! Got all the relevant BSC Regs but I've joined the forum in the hope of making on line contact with those lovely folk I've met in various canal-side pubs. Don't know their names but they all get my attention by saying in mid conversion "Ah, no - I did it this way and saved myself pounds".

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Hi Alwyn, welcome to the forum. I'm sure you'll get a lot of help here, it's the kind of thing many members like to get involved in.

 

Have you got a photobucket or similar account? You'll find it easier to chew over details if you can post pictures to help us.

 

Richard

[SplishSplash]

Hello

 

Jenny & Tony Allen first narrow boat currently called Helena May, small 9 mtr boat. Picking it up in 2 weeks moving to mooring by Kingsbury waterpark. All a bit mind boddling at the moment, trying to find good (but cheap) insurance, sort out licence, biggest issues though which way to travel - currently on Grand union need to get to Birmingham/Fazeley, lots of locks closed and really dont fancy going through Hatton locks. Everyone we have met so far on canals at marinas really nice so hoping we will get support from other boaters. Any advice on any of above gratefully received. [/font]

[lucyfer]

Hello my name is Lucy, I've looked at so many boats for sale over the last 2 months i dream about different fit outs and talk to my friends about inverters. Is this normal?

 

I've got a deadline of 4th April to find the perfect boat and i now know what i want i just have to find it and not get distracted.

 

Nice to meet you all - i have to say so far everyone i've met around canal boats has been amazingly helpful and pretty patient since initially i didn;t know my cruiser stern from my semi trad!!

 

Lucy

[Charlie48]

Perfectly normal...just wait untill every conversation gets around to the subject of toilets! Good luck.

[Matthew Dowson]

Hello my name is Lucy, I've looked at so many boats for sale over the last 2 months i dream about different fit outs and talk to my friends about inverters. Is this normal?

 

I've got a deadline of 4th April to find the perfect boat and i now know what i want i just have to find it and not get distracted.

 

Nice to meet you all - i have to say so far everyone i've met around canal boats has been amazingly helpful and pretty patient since initially i didn;t know my cruiser stern from my semi trad!!

 

Lucy

Don't rush the boat purchase, as time passes so your knowledge increases. Visit the forum often - there usually a lot of good sense about, occasionally though it digresses like a knackered lift.

[Robbo]

Hello my name is Lucy, I've looked at so many boats for sale over the last 2 months i dream about different fit outs and talk to my friends about inverters. Is this normal?

 

I've got a deadline of 4th April to find the perfect boat and i now know what i want i just have to find it and not get distracted.

 

 

Took me a good few years to find my boat, don't rush it..

[Gingers Girl]

How glad I am that I have found this site. So much information and a good laugh too.

 

Myself and hubby are taking our first narrow boat shortbreak holiday 1st April! – Hope we both don’t end up being the April Fool. We can’t wait. God help us if we love it, because already we seem to be spending every weekend looking around local marinas, walking along canal sides and looking at boats for sale – talking already about buying one for holidaying, if we like it.

 

We shall be picking up at Ellesmere, and are hoping to get there and back (wherever there is!). Just taking it easy, taking in the sights of the canal side and being in the fresh air.

 

Thanks all for your interesting advice. If we decide to go ahead and purchase a NB (we have 99% already convinced ourselves that we will do we will definitely need all the advice we can get and this place looks to be where we can ask, or look for it. Just wish we didn't work, so we could spend more time on the site!

 

 

 

Ginger’s Girl

[soggyfrog]

Perfectly normal...just wait untill every conversation gets around to the subject of toilets! Good luck.

 

Ah, memories of my first few conversations about boating!

 

Hi all, my name's Froglett, and I'm addicted to water...

 

Not yet the proud owner of a boat, but certainly not rushing things either. Thankfully I know a good few people who live on the rivers and canals (or at least spend so much time there we all think they do) and have been invited onto several boats already. If I can manage to condense myself (not my belongings) into narrowboat dimensions then I shall be taking that route, but I'm also looking at widebeams and dutch barges - if only to build up a better idea of what I do and don't want.

 

Same disclaimers as other newbie posters - plenty of questions and reading to come!

[Nikk]

Hello there My name is Nikk, my husband bought me a boat project for my birthday in Feb (Dawncraft Dandy 19ft) this is our first ever boat and I can't wait to get her finished and onto the canals.

[WotEver]

Hello there My name is Nikk, my husband bought me a boat project for my birthday in Feb (Dawncraft Dandy 19ft) this is our first ever boat and I can't wait to get her finished and onto the canals.

Welcome to the forum Nikk

 

Brave hubby: "Hi darling, here's some work for your birthday!"

 

 

Tony

[Windfola]

Hello all. I am planning (I hope) to buy a narrowboat for full time residential use in the next 12 months (got a house to sell first). I have been reading this forum with interest. I haven't any experience of being a boat owner, but have hankered after one for years. I'm gradually gathering information but feel very naive, especially when it comes to the mechanics/electrics! Home Decorating is the limit of my skill in the DIY department. So I hope to make good use of this forum. It looks great so far.

 

I currently live near the Oxford Canal but am fairly flexible about where I end up as not working at the moment.

[Christian]

Hi!

 

Christian and Jeannie here. We have been looking at narrowboats the last few months with a view to becoming livaboards. We live in Bedfordshire, I work but Jeannie is retired.

 

We thought at first getting a mooring would be easy but I need a car to get to work at Luton and they don't have a canal

So our efforts are now focused on finding a suitable residential mooring, we are on four waiting lists!

[WotEver]

Hi!

 

Christian and Jeannie here. We have been looking at narrowboats the last few months with a view to becoming livaboards. We live in Bedfordshire, I work but Jeannie is retired.

 

We thought at first getting a mooring would be easy but I need a car to get to work at Luton and they don't have a canal

So our efforts are now focused on finding a suitable residential mooring, we are on four waiting lists!

Hi Christian (and Jeannie), welcome to the forum

 

As you've discovered, getting a residential mooring is far harder than finding a boat to put on it. Once you've found one, THEN you can get yourself a boat. However, you can have lots of fun looking in the mean time.

 

Tony

[IainW]

hello!

 

Aparently i need to make another post before i can be PMed. So here it is :-)

 

I'm looking to find a live-a-board mooring up on the Union Canal near Edinburgh. Wish me luck!

 

Iain

[WotEver]

Wish me luck!

Good luck

[IainW]

Good luck

 

thanks :-)

 

like you said above, having fun looking at boats whilst waiting to get a mooring...