The things that nobody thinks to tell you...

[Berengaria]

u need 2 get out more .

 

Bob, not the Vital Spark that was on sale at Braunston 3 or 4 years ago is it?

[StarUKKiwi]

Are there different ways of displaying the mop if you are:

 

1) looking for your first husband/wife

2) looking for a replacement husband/wife

3) not actively looking but open to trade-in offers?

 

LOL - I put ours in the boat but never knew the reason

 

My mop is a Tesco value one... I wonder if it's giving out the wrong message about me to potential suitors?

Ours is an ASDA one - just enjoyed rereading this thread at the end of our third month aboard - O have to day, we have experienced most of the sentiments now and we also had not been on a narrowboat before we bought Gracie - but it is the best thing we did - oh and we think a dog and cat are essential (we have two of each)

[pelicanafloat]

Blimey! Didn't know we had a celeb on board! We would have asked for your autograph in the visitors book

Things we have discovered...

 

Alternators pack up when you have no petrol for your generator!

When you have saved enough money, the washing machine will die.

On the one occasion you go outside in slippers you will find the dog poo!

[Doorman]

Just enjoyed rereading this thread at the end of our third month aboard - O have to day, we have experienced most of the sentiments now and we also had not been on a narrowboat before we bought Gracie - but it is the best thing we did - oh and we think a dog and cat are essential (we have two of each)

 

Two of each!

 

How on earth do you cope with that? We have our lunatic Lab Paddy and his new partner in crime Charlie, the 14 week old kitten whom insists on lying across the IPad screen when I'm peeping on the forum. His party piece is to paw the screen and post a comment before it's finished. Two pets are enough for this sixty footer. :-)

[Dave_P]

Blimey! Didn't know we had a celeb on board! We would have asked for your autograph in the visitors book

Things we have discovered...

 

Alternators pack up when you have no petrol for your generator!

When you have saved enough money, the washing machine will die.

On the one occasion you go outside in slippers you will find the dog poo!

On one occassion, when putting on my slippers, I found the cat poo!

[madcat]

Not guilty of the slippers.

 

Nobody tells you when you get a boat you will get fed up of your house.

[MyLady]

We've owned the boat for 4 days and now know what we have to look forward to! (It follows a week hiring - and for me a solo return trip from Liverpool to Bingley in a 24 foot sailing cruiser to do some maintenance).

One from me is that the most effective way to control the heat from the stove is to poke (or not) the ash out.

[Starcoaster]

I could add so much to this list now, which is rather freaky as I felt very wise and like I had a handle on it all when I wrote it!

[Beaker]

I could add so much to this list now, which is rather freaky as I felt very wise and like I had a handle on it all when I wrote it!

I only came across this thread tonight, I've missed most of Children in Need reading through it!

 

Thank you, I've been chuckling all night, to the annoyance of SWMBO, have another greenie!

 

ETA Sorry, added that to the wrong post, D'OH!

I only came across this thread tonight, I've missed most of Children in Need reading through it!

Thank you, I've been chuckling all night, to the annoyance of SWMBO, have another greenie!

ETA Sorry, added that to the wrong post, D'OH!

ETA SWMBO isn't really annoyed that I gave you a greenie. Edited November 15, 2013 by Beaker

[Athy]

 

I could add so much to this list now,

Yes please!

[StarUKKiwi]

Two of each!

 

How on earth do you cope with that? We have our lunatic Lab Paddy and his new partner in crime Charlie, the 14 week old kitten whom insists on lying across the IPad screen when I'm peeping on the forum. His party piece is to paw the screen and post a comment before it's finished. Two pets are enough for this sixty footer. :-)

We have two Labradors (4 & 2 years old) and two 15 year old cats - they are all Rescue and to be fair the cats have had a new lease of life since moving onboard - the dogs adore the life (supply of towels near door to dry the off after swimming)

[StarUKKiwi]

Two of each!

 

How on earth do you cope with that? We have our lunatic Lab Paddy and his new partner in crime Charlie, the 14 week old kitten whom insists on lying across the IPad screen when I'm peeping on the forum. His party piece is to paw the screen and post a comment before it's finished. Two pets are enough for this sixty footer. :-)

We have two Labradors (4 & 2 years old) and two 15 year old cats - they are all Rescue and to be fair the cats have had a new lease of life since moving onboard - the dogs adore the life (supply of towels near door to dry the off after swimming)

[Doorman]

Dave_P, on 15 Nov 2013 - 10:01 AM, said:

On one occassion, when putting on my slippers, I found the cat poo!

 

Serves you right for putting cat litter in them!

[Doorman]

StarUKKiwi, on 16 Nov 2013 - 08:24 AM, said:StarUKKiwi, on 16 Nov 2013 - 08:24 AM, said:StarUKKiwi, on 16 Nov 2013 - 08:24 AM, said:

We have two Labradors (4 & 2 years old) and two 15 year old cats - they are all Rescue and to be fair the cats have had a new lease of life since moving onboard - the dogs adore the life (supply of towels near door to dry the off after swimming)

 

You have our respect for giving these animals a new home and such an interesting one too! Life on board for dogs or cats must be so far removed from urban based pets. Our lab loves it when we go off cruising to a new location, but until Charlie the kitten is old enough to be neutered, we are keeping him indoors, more's the pity!

 

This is him being caught in the act of sliding between the blinds and the window!

 

 

And his insulent expression of; "Who are you lookin at?"

 

Edited November 16, 2013 by Doorman

[Athy]

 

until Charlie the kitten is old enough to be neutered, we are keeping him indoors

I hope he can't read, or he'll stay indoors for ever.

[Doorman]

Athy, on 16 Nov 2013 - 12:13 PM, said:

 

 

I hope he can't read, or he'll stay indoors for ever.

 

lol,

 

He's currently reading a feline behavioural journal penned by the world famous authority on the subject, Yusef Islam.

 

I hope that he learns something and pretty damn quick, as on each occasion that I log on to the forum my time is punctuated by correcting his devilish antics!

[Athy]

 

lol,

 

a feline behavioural journal penned by the world famous authority on the subject, Yusef Islam.

Ah yes, we saw him at Cropredy Festival a few years ago. Maybe he'll learn to make tea for the tillerman, then.

[StarUKKiwi]

 

You have our respect for giving these animals a new home and such an interesting one too! Life on board for dogs or cats must be so far removed from urban based pets. Our lab loves it when we go off cruising to a new location, but until Charlie the kitten is old enough to be neutered, we are keeping him indoors, more's the pity!

 

This is him being caught in the act of sliding between the blinds and the window!

 

 

And his insulent expression of; "Who are you lookin at?"

 

Hehe - he looks gorgeous!

 

our two cats!

and dogs!

[Doorman]

Ah yes, we saw him at Cropredy Festival a few years ago. Maybe he'll learn to make tea for the tillerman, then.

That's if I don't trade him in for some stern grease beforehand. The sod's just rolled a load of grapes along the galley floor. Mrs Doorman will have those on her cereal tomorrow (little does she know!).

 

 

 

A fine pair of fuel pump attendants if ever I saw them!

 

Labs and cats, brilliant crew members. :-)

Edited November 16, 2013 by Doorman

[debsv]

 

Ha ha...well i still want my boat...so i'm hoping the life for me. This is my first venture onto this site and just the one question, private sale vs marina, advantages and disadvantages...can i have some tips please?...I really am new to this and ANY help will be greatly appreciated. Are there any alternative magazines with boats for sale? I'd like to buy soon and work on it over the winter to move in spring, I think i can cope with me mum for that long! Thanks.

Edited November 24, 2013 by debsv

[Athy]

^{Deb, firstly, welcome.}

 

^{Regarding boat adverts: the on line site whch offers the widest choice is Apollo Duck. Type "Apollo Duck Narrowboat" into your browser.}

 

^{Canal Boat and Waterways World magazines also carry numerous for-sale adverts but of course you have to buy them,. The newspaper "Towpath", available at many waterways locations such as marinas, also has boat adverts and is free.}

^{Good hunting,}

^Mike

[Lady Muck]

Just bear in mind that working on /renovating a boat takes a lot longer than you think - maybe triple or quadruple how long you think it will take to give you a more realistic idea. also do not recommend fitting out on towpath if you're not living onboard. You risk the boat being broken in and the tools being nicked (I have seen this happen, many, many times) .

[Chop!]

Ha ha...well i still want my boat...so i'm hoping the life for me. This is my first venture onto this site and just the one question, private sale vs marina, advantages and disadvantages...can i have some tips please?...I really am new to this and ANY help will be greatly appreciated. Are there any alternative magazines with boats for sale? I'd like to buy soon and work on it over the winter to move in spring, I think i can cope with me mum for that long! Thanks.

Welcome to the forum Debs, a big thing to bear in mind, especially in the London area is where you can moor it, C&RT are presently tightening the rules on unofficial permanent moorings on our canals as is The Environment Agency on their waterways (such as The Thames)

If you are going to moor in a marina then moorings are charged by the foot. And get a lot more expensive the nearer to the centre of London you go.

Also when you find THE boat, make sure you get it surveyed.

The very best of luck with your search. Chop & Glenda

Edited November 24, 2013 by Chop!

[Top cat]

Debs

 

Take a look round the forum, you will spot some threads warning you of places that it's probably best to steer clear of when buying a boat.

 

TC

[Bettie Boo]

Hi Debs,

 

Welcome to the forum, I'm a novice myself so can only speak of the experiences hubby and I have had so far in looking for our dream boat. We've looked at both boats being sold via brokerage firms and private sales.

 

We had our heart set on a WB we seen on the K&A (private sale), at the point of making an offer pending the outcome of a full pre purchase survey; the seller was Very reluctant to move the boat to either a marina or yard where the boat could be hauled out for said survey. Long story short, we ended up walking away even though the boat "looked to us" to be a perfect match to our requirements. We simply don't know enough about boats to risk our one and only chance at this new lifestyle change, by buying one without the expert advice of a surveyor.

 

- Using a brokerage firm will hold any deposit you are required to make during the buying process and if for whatever reason you decide the boat isn't the one for you, "I believe" you are able to get your deposit refunded. With a private sale, you may find this is not so easy.

 

- If you are new to boats as well as living on them, I would highly recommend setting yourself up with a surveyor once you find something you are interested in. There are numerous types of surveys you can get dependant on your own knowledge, the age of the boat etc etc. These range from just a hull survey, to a full pre-purchase survey.

 

- Again, if this is all completely new to you, best advice I could give (from experience) is get out there, make as many appointments to see as many different style / size boats as you can, whether they are in your price range or not. Then you can decide which style suits you best.

 

- Second best piece of advice one novice to another.....read as many of the different topics and threads in this forum as you can. Separate the wheat from the chaf, ignore as much as possible the bickering and squabbling as you can. If someone's reply seams sharpish or rude just ask them if they meant to be, in some cases it's just their sense of humor. There's an awful lot of nice, friendly and more than helpful ppl on this forum. But whatevery you do, never bring up types of loos - just read any of the numerous threads already in existence about this Very hot topic!!

 

Loads of ppl will share their thoughts & opinions on which is best whether it be Narrow or Wide Beam; Trad, Semi Trad, or Curiser; Reverse layout or Trad Layout etc etc; but at the end of the day, it's whatever suits you and feels right for you that is what is most important.

 

Best of Luck with your search

 

B~