Marinas and boats.

[canals are us?]

Hi everyone I have been reading up on these forums and others and am thinking of buying a narrow boat to live on in a residential mooring.

 

I would like to be moored up to 90 minutes away from Birmingham by car! We are hopefully selling our house and returning to the UK. Me and my Grandparents. I want to buy a narroboat and my Grandparents want to buy a flat or house depending on what we get from the sale of our house.

 

My Grandparents said they may buy a narrowboat instead!!

 

Can anyone recommend any residential marinas preferebaly to the west of Birmingham or non residential who don't mind you staying permanently so long as your discreet? I like being in a rural setting.

I did find a marina who didn't mind you staying and it was £1,500 a year, but to the east. I would prefer a formal residential marina though!!

 

Is there any you wouldn't recommend? Pm me.

 

Finally I hope to be able to buy a narrowboat this year if the house sells. Is there any makers of narrowboats that I should avoid? Likewise with boat engines?

I will have a budget of up to £25,000 and like the fixed rear bed, bathroom, galley, lounge. I think my ideal boat length would be 35/6 feet.

 

I like this layout and its the interior style I like. My link

 

Are liverpool boats a cheaper brand?

 

I would prefer to buy from a dealer and have it surveyed. Can anyone recommend a dealer in the Midlands area? but willing to travel to a dealer with a good reputation.

 

Many thanks. James.

Edited March 11, 2012 by canals are us?

[Naughty Cal]

A 35-36ft narrowboat wont give you a lot of living accomodation. People do manage on boats of this size and smaller in some cases but you would be well advised to go and look at boats of this size and making your own mind up regards the avaliable accomodation.

[Grace and Favour]

Hi everyone I have been reading up on these forums and others and am thinking of buying a narrow boat to live on in a residential mooring.

 

I would like to be moored up to 90 minutes away from Birmingham by car! We are hopefully selling our house and returning to the UK. Me and my Grandparents. I want to buy a narroboat and my Grandparents want to buy a flat or house depending on what we get from the sale of our house.

 

My Grandparents said they may buy a narrowboat instead!!

 

Can anyone recommend any residential marinas preferebaly to the west of Birmingham or non residential who don't mind you staying permanently so long as your discreet? I like being in a rural setting.

I did find a marina who didn't mind you staying and it was £1,500 a year, but to the east. I would prefer a formal residential marina though!!

 

Is there any you wouldn't recommend? Pm me.

 

Finally I hope to be able to buy a narrowboat this year if the house sells. Is there any makers of narrowboats that I should avoid? Likewise with boat engines?

I will have a budget of up to £25,000 and like the fixed rear bed, bathroom, galley, lounge. I think my ideal boat length would be 35/6 feet.

 

I like this layout and its the interior style I like. My link

 

Are liverpool boats a cheaper brand?

 

I would prefer to buy from a dealer and have it surveyed. Can anyone recommend a dealer in the Midlands area? but willing to travel to a dealer with a good reputation.

 

Many thanks. James.

 

Welcome to the forum,

 

You've asked some important questions here - - and questions to which you may receive many diverse answers - - so, may I suggest that before you get bogged down with these questions - - go and have a look at as many boats as you possibly can

 

There are a number of brokers that have a wide selection of narrowboats - - A couple are at Whilton, Braunston and Mercia

 

(of all these three I'd recommend the New & Used Boat Co at Mercia - ) but the important thing first is just to look round as many boats as possible - - and gradually you'll develop a list of things that you do, and don't, want on your future boat.

 

And yes - when you think you've found the boat for you - BEFORE you buy - - get it surveyed - - (by all means ask on here for recommendations for a good surveyor in the locale of the boat) - and - when you're not out looking at boats - - read up as much as you wish on this forum - - you'll find an enormous amount of info on here, and a wildly diverse set of opinions (but that's boaters for you!)

[Nightwatch]

What he said, before I did/could.

 

Martyn

[Woodstock]

Hi

If you do Mercia at Willington- you could also see BWML at Sawley. Get one of the canal mags- there's loads of adverts at the back and it'll introduce you to a number of brokers.Look at lots of boats- and dont believe what you see on the internet will be what you find- we found 2 beautiful boats on the internet- went to have a look and they were frightening- neglected, dirty, lack of maintenance etc and one I discounted from a broker on the internet was the one we bought (nicer when we saw it)

 

Shardlow have residential moorings- not sure if there's any spare- It's close to M1 / M42 so within your timing to Birmingham if you dont get anywhere closer. Mercia at Willington, Barton Marina and Streethay at Lichfield are marinas my side of Birmingham. Shardlow have a residential mobile home park around the marina- would that be any use to your grandparents- they have the odd mobile home for sale?

0ur boat is 37foot- used for weekends and the odd week away-fixed bed at the back etc- I dont think a couple could live on it- but my OH says he could. The shorter length is great though as its a cheaper licence, mooring, painting, easier turning around etc and we thought it would be good to start with a smaller first time boat. Our budget was similar to yours and even with the boat, marina and a paint job- we're within the initial budget- so it is do-able. We bought ours last year so the experience is still fresh- and this site is great for advice (although it will differ)

 

You'll get to a point where you look so much, you cant take anymore- but you will find the right boat.

 

Have fun and good luck

Jackie

[canals are us?]

Hi, thanks everyone, some great information. Time to start looking . I'm going to look at those links I'm a single 33 year old so think I should find 35ft ok, but as you say I have never stepped on a narrowboat, so might think too small

The main reasons for me wanting one around 35foot is the cheaper maintenance costs and mooring/ licence fees. I also think being a smaller boat they may find me room in a residential mooring I can hope!

 

 

I think the best thing to do, as you say, is to read up as much as possible, and then when the house is sold, view as many as possible. This would have to be a trip over to the UK. It's very awkward to organise a move and at the same time find something to live in and then search

 

I know what you mean with things not as described!! We went on an 8 hour round trip looking at a caravan dealers. Spoke on the phone to him and he said it's immaculate, you won't be dissapointed!!

 

Got there only to find it very scruffy/damp and broken windows. It wanted scrapping!!

We promised ourselves afterwards to only travel 90 minutes away. We eventually found a very clean 1990 abi rallyman 2 berth caravan in very clean/tidy condition for the sum of 1000 euros. He delivered it as we don't have a towbar. As soon as we viewed it we thought this is the one !! Sometimes they just click

 

Many thanks . Off to look at the marinas and dealers

 

James.

[KevMc]

Hi, thanks everyone, some great information. Time to start looking . I'm going to look at those links I'm a single 33 year old so think I should find 35ft ok, but as you say I have never stepped on a narrowboat, so might think too small

The main reasons for me wanting one around 35foot is the cheaper maintenance costs and mooring/ licence fees. I also think being a smaller boat they may find me room in a residential mooring I can hope!

 

 

Hi James.... you might think that 35ft is a enough but I started with 40ft and it was fine for the first year but gradually it started to feel a little cramped. Maybe it was the layout that I had but I decided to upgrade - I think an extra 5-10ft would have been enough to get rid of the claustrophobic feeling but ended up with a 57ft and it was the best thing I ever did.

 

My advice would be to go for at least 45ft - its expensive to upgrade later

[Alan de Enfield]

Just remember that you will probably be 'losing' six-foot at each end so your 35 footer becomes 23 foot of living / bedroom / bathroom / cooking space.

 

Just to simplify things you will have 4 'boxes' (areas) that are six-feet wide.

 

Bedroom 6' x 6'

Kitchen 6' x 6'

Bathroom 4' x 6' (maybe 6' x 6')

Lounge / living area 6' x 6'

 

Go for the biggest you can.

 

I dont know if this is common practice - but in the BWML marinas it is a fixed charge for 'residential' moorings and not "paid for by the foot" so your mooring cost would be the same be it a 30 footer or a 70 footer.

[canals are us?]

Hi, thanks everyone When you take into the lost space front and back, then I think I would find it cramped!! As you say best to buy something bigger now, than have to sell later, and all the hassle and expense of selling and re buying costs. It's a no brainer I'm going to look at a 45ft boat as a minimum but not over 50ft.

 

What would the living space be on a 45feet boat? would it be 45-12=33ft of living space? Do some boats have less outside deck space than others?

 

Many thanks. James

Edited March 13, 2012 by canals are us?

[Grace and Favour]

Hi, thanks everyone When you take into the lost space front and back, then I think I would find it cramped!! As you say best to buy something bigger now, than have to sell later, and all the hassle and expense of selling and re buying costs. It's a no brainer I'm going to look at a 45ft boat as a minimum but not over 50ft.

 

What would the living space be on a 45feet boat? would it be 45-12=33ft of living space? Do some boats have less outside deck space than others?

 

Many thanks. James

 

See post #3! The more boats you look at - the more you'll realise how different they can be. . . .

 

Walk round them, walk in them, walk through them - - you'll soon realise what you want

[Alan de Enfield]

James - yes - some have longer / shorter front and back ends depending on 'type' and / or maker.

 

The front (cratch) can often be 9 foot and the stern (if a cruiser stern in particular) can be over 6 foot.

Every boat will be different so you'll need to look and measure carefully.

Even with a 'trad' or 'semi trad' the engine has to go somewhere so what may look like a longer 'cabin' on the outside may well not be once you get inside.

 

If we take the 45-12 = 33' then you will be getting approx 50% more inside space than a 35-12 = 23'

[Guest wanted]

Hi, thanks everyone When you take into the lost space front and back, then I think I would find it cramped!! As you say best to buy something bigger now, than have to sell later, and all the hassle and expense of selling and re buying costs. It's a no brainer I'm going to look at a 45ft boat as a minimum but not over 50ft.

 

What would the living space be on a 45feet boat? would it be 45-12=33ft of living space? Do some boats have less outside deck space than others?

 

Many thanks. James

 

It depends on the layout and style of the boat, We moved from a 50ft trad stern to a 50ft cruiser stern, so I reckon we lost about 10 / 12 ft of indoor space, but, the layout on our new boat is so much better that it actually feels loads bigger. I also think that things like wall colours make a difference, ours are white and it adds to the feeling of space.

I would also try and not compare it to living in a house as much as possible. I have a rule with our belongings, if it can't be stowed then i get rid of it!

 

Good luck, keep looking and eventually the right boat will find you

[blackrose]

Hi, thanks everyone When you take into the lost space front and back, then I think I would find it cramped!! As you say best to buy something bigger now, than have to sell later, and all the hassle and expense of selling and re buying costs. It's a no brainer I'm going to look at a 45ft boat as a minimum but not over 50ft.

 

What would the living space be on a 45feet boat? would it be 45-12=33ft of living space? Do some boats have less outside deck space than others?

 

Many thanks. James

 

Yes, different boats will have different lengths of decks, engine spaces, etc, all resulting in different internal cabin spaces. One big difference on narrowboats is the type of stern design. Trad sterns have full height engine rooms compared to cruiser sterns with an engine hole below deckboards and a larger stern deck. Semi-trads are a sort of combination of the two. They all have their advantages and disadvantages so you should decide which stern type would suit you best.

 

Why are you limiting yourself to 50ft? I started out living on a 45ft trad stern open-plan narrowboat. I guess the engine room was about 6ft, the stern deck was about 3ft and the entire bow about 7ft, so that left me with about 29ft of internal cabin space. When you take into account the shower room/toilet and the bedroom then that actually left quite a cramped living space. Too cramped for me anyway - I lasted for about 3 years.

 

In good weather it's fine on a small boat because you can sit outside, eat outside, etc, but for me it's during the cold, wet weather when a bigger boat really comes into its own because I can stay indoors without the effects of cabin fever.

Edited March 15, 2012 by blackrose

[canals are us?]

Hi, thanks everyone .

 

When the house is sold I will have a trip to the UK and have a good look at all the different lengths and types to see what would suit me. I have to say I like the traditional stern.

 

The cruiser stern is quite nice though but would I use the outside space as surely I could sit/use the canalside with a small table and 2 chairs.

 

I think interior space would be more beneficial, especially an engine roomed boat to store all the stuff associated with canal living.

 

I like the T&G panelling in either pine or oak in the salon. The main thing I want to create is a light and airy open plan living/kitchen. I like the living room at the front with fully glazed end, with galley, bathroom, and bedroom. I really fancy laying a wood floor throughout.

 

I don't mind refitting the kitchen/bathroom. I'm very good at DIY and am a plumber by trade. I would mostly use a solid fuel stove (probably villager puffin) for heating and if really needed fit a back boiler to heat 2 rads and possibly a calorifier. We have a villager berkley boiler stove here for all our heating/hot water and it's great.

 

James

Edited March 15, 2012 by canals are us?

[Mitchell]

i have a question though .

 

what sort of size would be classed as too big ? 72ft sounds nice , but after reading into what fits where on the system . it seems like 57ft is the "smallest biggest" nb you could have to cruise certain parts of a system?

[Grace and Favour]

i have a question though .

 

what sort of size would be classed as too big ? 72ft sounds nice , but after reading into what fits where on the system . it seems like 57ft is the "smallest biggest" nb you could have to cruise certain parts of a system?

 

Aye - - fundamentally 57' is the optimum size - - - but every part of boating is a compromise - - the more living space you have, the less cruising area you can cover

 

 

We eventually plumped for a widebeam - - which limits us even more - - but we happen to appreciate the internal facilities we have . . . .

 

It's horses for courses . . . .

 

OR - more like . . . .

 

Horses for watercourses

Edited March 15, 2012 by Grace & Favour