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Sam

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After years of walking towpaths and window shopping we have taken the plunge and bought a small used money pit. Although the boat is moored only 25 mins from home due to the horrendous weather, we have hardly used it yet. Today’s rare sunshine is making me feel optimistic about the bank holiday weekend. Will shortly needs lots of advice regarding painting and other scary stuff.

Cathy & Craig

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  • 4 weeks later...

Yet another new member, looking to get a shell built and do the fit out myself. Stil in the early stages of the project, but have managed an uncountable number of drawings/sketches so far! Looking forward to getting my teeth into it.

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Hi

 

My name is Colin, I am interested in buying a boat for financial reasons. Rather than give away thousands every year for rent, I want to look into buying a canal boat.

 

I will be on a tight budget and I am wondering about the processes in buying, maintaining and doing up a boat.

 

I would preferable like to buy a wide beam barge, not bothered about the interior, as long it has a roof, windows and working engine.

 

As I understand from the noob section initially the potential boat will need to be surveyed??

 

What kind of price is fair for an old wide beam? Any good websites to browse for boats for sale??

 

Thanks

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Well that's it, folks, house sold, funds released, now to start looking seriously at boats. Only problem is getting coordination with the grandchildren - they wont let us buy anything unless they approve it!! Land-base sorted, toolbox topped up, cats chipped, special boat fund trebled, here we go.

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Well that's it, folks, house sold, funds released, now to start looking seriously at boats. Only problem is getting coordination with the grandchildren - they wont let us buy anything unless they approve it!! Land-base sorted, toolbox topped up, cats chipped, special boat fund trebled, here we go.

Good luck, that'll be me sometime this year!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good luck, that'll be me sometime this year!

And now, here we are! Saw and put a deposit on an ex-Willow Wren 55ft cruiser stern (on the instructions of the grandchildren and SWMBO!!) Making arrangements for survey but it looks and sounds just right for us.

Cant wait to get past the marina gates and see the rest of the world we want to be part of.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Jeffbid

 

Hi everyone!

Just got the bug after a week on a 67 footer - if you can cope with that you can cope with anything!

We`ve found the boat which seems perfect (35 foot semi trad) we`ve asked for time to check out Mooring; insurance; license etc but so much to sort out.

 

Any tips for an enthusiastic newbie?

Edited by Jeffbid
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Time to get posting I suppose....

 

After 26 years working on oil rigs I decided to quit at the end of my current contract back in March this year. After 6 weeks the house was rented out, a few things put in storage, most given away, dumped, boot-saled etc and a boat bought and us onboard. 55ft, semi trad called Reward. A real credit to the previous owners as well.

 

So since mid May Cath and I have left Thorne, gone to Sheffield and back, up the Aire, Calder and Hebble etc, over the Rochdale, out on the Ashton, to the end of the Peak Forest and back, down the Macclesfield and am now moored up for a few days in Stoke on Trent.

 

Life has never been easier, cheaper or more relaxed (well, I'll reconsider the cheaper bit when I can sort out my howling screaming squeaking shh-shh-shh-shh-shh ing PRM150 gearbox)

 

cheers

 

Roger

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I've been reading the site for a while and now I've joined!

 

I'm seriously interested in becoming a live aboard and after reading every equipment, live-aboard and "get real it's not a holiday" type thread, this has only confirmed my belief that the lifestyle would suit me perfectly.

Even the weekend I spent on a hire boat "driving" for 8 hours a day in the rain and cold hasn't dampened my spirits - I think the first job is to take myself for a psych check-up!

 

Thank you to all the fantastic contributors to these forums, it makes for some interesting reading.

 

All the best,

 

Andy.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello to all

We are relatively new to boating having purchased a sexy little 1984 30 footer (NB) just over 2 years ago.

I joined the forum a while back having digested all the info & continue to do so.

 

We love the canals & have become obsessed. I love seeing my decreasing circle of friends 'glaze over' as I waffle on about all things boaty.

 

Love the forum & I intend to contibute from now on as exciting times beckon............ I will briefly explain.

 

We were to be liveaboards (age 44 & 42). However, our 2 children have grown up to be useless thus far (the truth hurts). Therefore we have an obligation to bring them into line... I trust you get the picture.... So, 30 foot will soon be 40 foot with a rejig of existing interior & a repaint. My halfway house by way of not decending into a deep dark place & venting my extreme frustrations on the pesky offspring.

 

Looking forward to banter, education, disagreements & LOL moments

 

Kevin Ronnie & Donna

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Hello, I just wanted to introduce myself to the forum. I am interested in buying a boat for use in the Caldon canal area. I have found some moorings and I am now on a boat hunt(approx 18K to spend) 40 to 45 foot, 2 berth etc. I am quite good at carpentry and generally getting dirt under the finger nails which on my budget will be a good thing I feel, so if you know of any cracking boats out there please let me know! I am also hoping to live by myself on the boat too and so I am up for tips on a huge amount of issues,. Locks, swing bridges, surveys you name it I will probably soak it up! As you may have gathered I will be buying my first boat and this seems like a great place to start asking for help. Thank you

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  • 2 weeks later...

hi there sailors and captains. we have both been wanting to own our canal boat for more years than we can remember. now we are in the way of getting one we are joining these forums and others to learn as much as possible. before we buy anything i my self have studdied a little.we are hopping to find a mooring near to the centre of doncaster as my little girl whos 13.will be going to the school in the town centre soon. ive found out that its hard to get a mooring. and one that a person could wish for is impossible these days. but i live in hope. I will rent our house out when the time come,s and then we can live on board. if in ten years or so we wish to have a try back on dry land then we can, but i dont think we would, as we have always wanted to live on a boat. im thinking of a wide beam 50ft. as the 13year old isnt ready for a boat yet but im hopping she likes the wide beam. its a little more like her home.oh im a builder and im hopping to help with any work thats needed at the marina, that we end up getting on.i do like to help people in need.my other half is a nurse and still working. it may be some time before we get a boat or mooring but the mooring is my first thing ive got to find. there is a lovely place near me strawberry island its called, what i great place, that would be great.there,s also a new marina been built its not ready yet council is slow up here.well its done but i dont know why its not used yet i think there is to be a shopping centre built there soon that would be a great one too. there is doncaster whalf but thats leisure only. its been hard to get to were we are. to get a mooring that is spot on. well you all now how hard that is we now live in hope.thanks for reading my post.

 

phil andrea

Edited by phil-and-andrea
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And now, here we are! Saw and put a deposit on an ex-Willow Wren 55ft cruiser stern (on the instructions of the grandchildren and SWMBO!!) Making arrangements for survey but it looks and sounds just right for us.

Cant wait to get past the marina gates and see the rest of the world we want to be part of.

Finally! Picked up 'Dabchick' today and moving her to be fully serviced before we unleash ourselves on t'cut. Grandchildren have invaded and taken command, so that's me back where I am most comfortable - being at everyone's beck and call!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

More later when I find out how much I dont yet know!!

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Finally! Picked up 'Dabchick' today and moving her to be fully serviced before we unleash ourselves on t'cut. Grandchildren have invaded and taken command, so that's me back where I am most comfortable - being at everyone's beck and call!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

More later when I find out how much I dont yet know!!

 

Congrats and enjoy! :cheers:

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Hello everyone,

So glad to find this amazing site, looks like we're going to find it really useful as... OMG, today we have put a deposit on a lovely 57 ft cruiser. We spotted the boat a couple of weeks ago lying at Murcia Marina in Willington and having looked at what seems like hundreds since, kept harping back to 'Moonlight'. She should hopefully be ours from the 1st September and then we'll all be unleashed upon the canals. Been some 10 yrs since we were last on the UK waterways having recently moved back from France where we've been living and working for the last 8 yrs. We're both a little apprehensive about taking on this size boat (only had a 26' plastic cruiser before) but equally excited too! I'll apologise now as we'll probably be asking loads of questions on here over the coming months.

Can't stop grinning, B)

Jeff and Julie

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Hello everyone,

So glad to find this amazing site, looks like we're going to find it really useful as... OMG, today we have put a deposit on a lovely 57 ft cruiser. We spotted the boat a couple of weeks ago lying at Murcia Marina in Willington and having looked at what seems like hundreds since, kept harping back to 'Moonlight'. She should hopefully be ours from the 1st September and then we'll all be unleashed upon the canals. Been some 10 yrs since we were last on the UK waterways having recently moved back from France where we've been living and working for the last 8 yrs. We're both a little apprehensive about taking on this size boat (only had a 26' plastic cruiser before) but equally excited too! I'll apologise now as we'll probably be asking loads of questions on here over the coming months.

Can't stop grinning, B)

Jeff and Julie

 

Welcome Jeff n Julie,

 

Mercia's a great place to start your new adventure - with all the Trent and Mersey (et al) to go at, and the River Trent just 17miles away.

 

Enjoy!

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Hi I am very new to boating. I have a small budget for s small but beautiful boat. I'm looking at around 30ft, I viewed two last weekend and viewing another on Tuesday. I'm interested in two boats.

 

Boat 1

27ft called Tinker, licensed for 1 year, re-blacked around 4 years ago, BSC till April 2013, 15hp outboard engine and toilet compartment with shower space. The interiors are to a good standard and the appearance of the boat is what i want, on the negative side it has NO survey.

 

Do you think it's worth £10,000????

 

Boat 2

Was built in 1970!! Is this too old?

 

I am very new to the narrowboat world so any advice is welcome.

 

Thanks

 

Kirsty C

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Hi I am very new to boating. I have a small budget for s small but beautiful boat. I'm looking at around 30ft, I viewed two last weekend and viewing another on Tuesday. I'm interested in two boats.

 

Boat 1

27ft called Tinker, licensed for 1 year, re-blacked around 4 years ago, BSC till April 2013, 15hp outboard engine and toilet compartment with shower space. The interiors are to a good standard and the appearance of the boat is what i want, on the negative side it has NO survey.

 

Do you think it's worth £10,000????

 

Boat 2

Was built in 1970!! Is this too old?

 

I am very new to the narrowboat world so any advice is welcome.

 

Thanks

 

Kirsty C

 

:) Welcome to the forum Kirsty :)

 

It is always wise to get a survey, on a boat that you would like to buy. The best advice I can give you, is to decide what type of boat and layout that you would like for your budget, then try and arrange to see as many boats as possible that fit your requirements. I spent months looking at boats online and then narrowing them down and then going to see them.

If you can take someone with you who has some boating experience all the better (not being sexist here folks, but some marinas and boat owners,see a woman on her own viewing a boat and think ££££££££££ lol )

 

There are lots of nice helpful people on this site, and I am sure that if you wanted to view a particular boat, then maybe someone from here could give you advice and maybe you could make arrangements for someone to view the boat with you. I am not sure how much it would cost to have an accompanied viewing, but it dont cost nowt to ask :)

Good luck with your search :)

 

Lorraine :)

Edited by tree
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Umm yes definatly plan to get a survey. I have seen two boats (one good and one bad) I have a viewing on Tuesday and it's between the good one and this one. I'm quite keen to buy AsAp.... Just one question - Does the boat need to be out of water to have a survey done?

 

If you wish to have the hull surveyed, (and I would suggest that you should) - then yes, the boat requires to be taken from the water

 

However, it is not unusual for the cost of a (good) surveyor to be more than repaid by the bargaining power you (then) have with the seller, with specific details of what will/may have to be put right before the transaction is completed.

 

If you let the forum know what geographical area you will need a surveyor - I'm sure you'll get some sound recommendations

 

(Note - do NOT use a brokers/sellers surveyor!)

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