Don't laugh, but

[Athy]

. The boat I'm planning to buy is felt by some to be ugly. I, on the other hand, think she's lovely and characterful.

You'll be buying a Steve Hudson boat, then? Or a Springer?

[Laurie Booth]

Psst (looks furtively around), you do realise that we have the Chairman for the campaign for the eradication of Rosie and Jim posting on this forum, don't you?

Roger

 

Who's that behind my wife !!!!

Edited May 23, 2012 by Laurie.Booth

[Ray T]

Who's that behind my wife !!!!

 

 

A nice song:

[Leni]

A nice song:

 

I have to admit it (and pray that my ex doesn't read this forum!) My kids adapted the Rosie and Jim song, inserting the names of their father and step-mother, to " ***** and *****, ***** and *****, and the man who sinks the boat!" after their dad left his weed hatch not properly fastened, and did indeed sink his boat!

 

Mustn't laugh! Mustn't ...

[Decker]

Back on thread at least for the nonce.. what are your views on this one, apart from having a grumpy owner?

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/advert.phtml?id=240076

[Laurie Booth]

Back on thread at least for the nonce.. what are your views on this one, apart from having a grumpy owner?

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/advert.phtml?id=240076

Eco fan not working. The boat just lacks (for me) a sense of home.

[Caprifool]

I'd rather deal with an honest grump than a dishonest smiler. I quite liked it actually. Have to visualise all your own stuff in it though.

[Decker]

Yeah but.. what about the technical side? The aesthetics I can handle, but what pitfalls should I be looking for? Anything that cries out "grab it" or "run"?

For me, 'time-wasters' sounds like people found a problem.. but you're right, it is a little sterile.

 

Hard to tell what's going on with just those photos.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Decker

[Pentargon]

Don't laugh but after a few decades in New Zealand I thought "enough of this unbridled greenery and beaches, what I really need is a dose of a Victorian industrial landscape." So I'm packing up to buy and live aboard a narrowboat as a continual cruiser. So far so good.

 

.. What the hell is it with this hull blacking business and the anodes? I presume the former is for general scrapes and avoiding rust, but how often should a boat be hauled out? Two years? And the anodes.. are they expensive and how long do they last?

 

Try www.pentargon.webs.com for loads of notes, anecdotes and warnings of the pitfalls of buying a boat and a load of techie stuff written for non-techies. Rugby Boats website was the most useful site I came across on the web and was read and read again when I did MY research two years ago. I chose 36' as the longest boat that can do a handbrake turn almost anywhere on t'cut. I chose Springer because they are the Morris Minor of the cut and mine is 1973. I chose a 'compost' toilet from "The Canal Shop" aka Whilton Chandlery although it has nothing to do with the marina. The Air Head is totally eco-friendly and once installed is clean, costs almost nothing to run and suits my style. I have a Hampshire Heater on trial for the same reason. I have an air-cooled Lister engine because they give no trouble, use deisel sparingly and I get respect from the insufferable 'traditional' mob.

 

Welcome to the longest friendliest village in England and don't get paranoid abouyt security. You won't find it a HIGH priority. Listen to the advice to hire first or borrow a boat before even thinking about laying money down. AND Beware of the cold on board during Jan.Feb&Mar. -12C on the cut has to be experienced to be believed. Have fun good buddy I did and still am and the UK canal community is one of the nicest I've come across outside my native Ireland.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Pentargon

[ditchcrawler]

As a newbie to the world of canals and boats, and still looking to buy my home afloat, and after doing a little research into thre pro`s and cons of the dreded toilet dilema i think ill be installing a Thetford cassete loo(no hardship really being an ex-caravaner), for starters with a cassete you dont pay for the privalige of having it sucked out each time around £15 so im told, ...................And really is it that hard to carry the cassete to an empty out point which of course if free........................Just my opinion however.

Good luck with all the decisions its a mine field out there lol

They are not all free, just wait until you visit the Middle Level

[AidanLincs]

You'll be buying a Steve Hudson boat, then? Or a Springer?

 

I'm buying DeanS's boat. which is of unknown build but is probably an Eastwood. She might not win the "prettiest boat" award, but she has oodles of character.

 

Yeah but.. what about the technical side? The aesthetics I can handle, but what pitfalls should I be looking for? Anything that cries out "grab it" or "run"?

For me, 'time-wasters' sounds like people found a problem.. but you're right, it is a little sterile.

 

Hard to tell what's going on with just those photos.

 

It could have been that someone made all the right noises and then tried to get £10k off the price, just as easily as there being a problem found. It has a recent BSC which I would think is a hopeful sign. You might want to ask things likes: when was the hull last blacked? Has it been cruised a lot, or primarily used as a static residence? (If static, and moored in a marina, does it have a galvanic isolator?^*).

 

^* Can of worms

[Decker]

Oh gawd, why can't people make just one thing. Old Henry Ford had it right when he talked about colours..

Most of you seem to recommend a test drive. I can assume why, but can you tell me anyway please because it's costly and might be unnecessary.

[Athy]

Reasons would perhaps include ensuring that she steers responsively and not like an inebriated pig, listening to engine and ascertaining that it runs smoothly, using the gearbox to make sure that the boat goes forward, reverses and stops when she's supposed to, but most of all, making sure that you feel happy and comfortable at the helm of that particular boat (expect a tinge of scared witless to surround this feeling).

Henry Ford got it right regarding the lower part of narrowboats, as they're nearly all black!

[Albion]

Oh gawd, why can't people make just one thing. Old Henry Ford had it right when he talked about colours..

Most of you seem to recommend a test drive. I can assume why, but can you tell me anyway please because it's costly and might be unnecessary.

Well, to illustrate one simple example and there will be many others. Just because a boat has a rudder and a propeller and can be guaranteed to move forwards and backwards doesn't mean that it is perfectly usable. In another thread here recently someone was wondering what was causing an irritating tiller judder all the time at certain revs. If you test the boat you might find that the tiller judder/rattle occurs at just the rev range that you feel is a nice cruising speed. Could you put up with that constant judder for 8 hours a day? I reckon that you would soon find it wearing and irritating and you would be cursing the fact that you hadn't had a test drive that revealed the problem.

Roger

[Decker]

Ah, ok, my bad. When I said test drive I meant some of you had suggested hiring a boat first. A test drive makes perfect sense but I'm not sure about hiring a different boat.

And I know these questions must seem pretty basic to you guys, but believe me your answers are appreciated.

[RLWP]

Ah, ok, my bad. When I said test drive I meant some of you had suggested hiring a boat first. <snip>

 

Well, what's your current experience of living in a six foot wide corridor made of steel that rocks about with no mains water/electricity/sewage?

 

Richard

Edited May 24, 2012 by RLWP

[Athy]

Ah, ok, my bad. When I said test drive I meant some of you had suggested hiring a boat first. A test drive makes perfect sense but I'm not sure about hiring a different boat.

And I know these questions must seem pretty basic to you guys, but believe me your answers are appreciated.

Yes, hiring does make sense. if at the end of a week you can't wait to see the back of the boat and can't wait to get back to your house, then perhaps life afloat is not for you. If on the other hand you get back to base grimy*, knackered but triumphant and have to be prised away from the tiller with a crowbar, then it's time to call on a couple of boat brokers on your way home.

You really won't know how you'll react until you try. Our first hire-boat holiday (in France) was in 1994. At the end of the week we had "modified" the boat's windscreen against a lift-bridge, had at least two near-divorces and were utterly exhausted. We sat hunched and aching on the TGV back to Blighty and were so happy to be back in our nice wide spacious house with its mains water, flushing loos, etc.

After a week or so we went out and got brochures (no internet back then) for 1995 boating holidays.....

 

* griminess is optional, normally applies to chaps only.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Athy

[Decker]

@RLWP I was in jail in Germany briefly, does that count? Joly nice chaps though they did try and pass me off onto the BAOR.

@Athy. Goody I was hoping it was a question of whether I was suited or not. I'm in the happy position of having no choice. I hate choice.

Plus I know I'll love it. : o )

Edited May 24, 2012 by Decker

[Decker]

One important question: how much is a pint of beer? Over here it's NZ$6.50; when I left the UK it was just getting to be a quid a pint in London. Has it gone up at all?

Edited May 24, 2012 by Decker

[Albion]

One important question: how much is a pint of beer? Over here it's NZ$6.50; when I left the UK it was just getting to be a quid a pint in London. Has it gone up at all?

You're 'aving a larf ain't yuh!

Roger

[bizzard]

One important question: how much is a pint of beer? Over here it's NZ$6.50; when I left the UK it was just getting to be a quid a pint in London. Has it gone up at all?

Beer started to top the £1 a pint mark over here roughly in the early 1980's.

[Decker]

1985 iirc. Just tell me it isn't three quid a pint yet

[carlt]

Just tell me it isn't three quid a pint yet

It isn't three quid a pint yet.

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<Yes it is>

[Albion]

It isn't three quid a pint yet.

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<Yes it is>

 

Yep, and can be over, depending on strength, quality etc and all the Chancellors of the Exchequer for years and years consistently raising the levels of duty and tax on alcohol.

Roger

[Arthur Brown]

Beer isn't £3 a pint any longer! Half (or more) of the pubs have gone