New Start :)

[Lea]

Im in the stages of divorce selling up and thinking of a change in my lifestyle, im looking to live on a narrowboat.

Ive joined this forum today (my first forum) to gain knowledge and the practicalities also bad bits and how to deal with them im looking to turn this around subject to mooring availability and house sale within 6 months fingers crossed.

Im a 44 year old male that needs a mooring close to a gym and local amenities i was thinking lincoln area but work in newark and can commute up to 30 mins.

any help and advice will be most appreciated

Lea

 

[MtB]

Welcome Lea!

 

First thing to say is this forum is totally breathtaking in the sheer volume of posts, threads and info already here. Use the search facility top right hand corner for even the most narrow and arcane questions you ever think of. It will have been covered!

 

For living on a boat on a mooring, you'll need a to first decide if you want a marina mooring or an 'on-line' mooring. i.e. out on the canal. Some marinas accept residential formally, others only informally (i.e. you don't live there but you 'spend a lot of time' on your boat), others ban it rigidly.

 

In a marina you get 240v hook up normally, but not on-line. In a marina you are jammed in amongst a load of other baots a bit like a caravan park and you get to know your neighbours quite well. On-line its all more rural and 'boaty', but less secure as out on the towpath the general public can just walk past your boat and peer in. And they do, complete with dogs, kids, etc. Marinas are usually fenced off and gated.

 

Just some thoughts to get you started...

 

 

MtB

Edited August 17, 2013 by Mike the Boilerman

[Lea]

Really appreciate your comments

Thanks

I

Edited August 17, 2013 by Lea

[Guest]

Welcome Lea!

 

First thing to say is this forum is totally breathtaking in the sheer volume of posts, threads and info already here. Use the search facility top right hand corner for even the most narrow and arcane questions you ever think of. It will have been covered!

 

For living on a boat on a mooring, you'll need a to first decide if you want a marina mooring or an 'on-line' mooring. i.e. out on the canal. Some marinas accept residential formally, others only informally (i.e. you don't live there but you 'spend a lot of time' on your boat), others ban it rigidly.

 

In a marina you get 240v hook up normally, but not on-line. In a marina you are jammed in amongst a load of other baots a bit like a caravan park and you get to know your neighbours quite well. On-line its all more rural and 'boaty', but less secure as out on the towpath the general public can just walk past your boat and peer in. And they do, complete with dogs, kids, etc.

 

Just some thoughts to get you started...

 

 

MtB

 

Sorry to nit pick Mike but some on line moorings do offer a degree of security and are not on the tow path, ours (a CRT one) has gates protected by a bespoke key. So you can get the feel of not being hemmed in as in a marina but with a degree of security.

 

Other on line moorings are often on the 'off-side and on private land with private access too, and you can get on line moorings with shore power too.

 

Though I agree a lot of on line moorings are on the towpath.

Im in the stages of divorce selling up and thinking of a change in my lifestyle, im looking to live on a narrowboat.

Ive joined this forum today (my first forum) to gain knowledge and the practicalities also bad bits and how to deal with them im looking to turn this around subject to mooring availability and house sale within 6 months fingers crossed.

Im a 44 year old male that needs a mooring close to a gym and local amenities i was thinking lincoln area but work in newark and can commute up to 30 mins.

any help and advice will be most appreciated

Lea

 

 

You might consider investing in this book too, as well as using the forum.

 

We bought it when we were considering moving on board some time ago and found it useful.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Liveaboard-Guide-Living-Afloat-Waterways/dp/1408145553

 

and yes welcome to the forum!

[Lea]

I also have 2 labradors whats the practicalities of walking them am and pm

Sorry to be so geen but im going to cover all aspects of living aboard

Lea

[MtB]

Good to think it through in detail in advance. Lots of peeps live on boats with dogs and walking them is not a problem, but leaving a dog in a boat while you go to work is barely feasible, although some posters here do it I believe.

 

The thing is, boats get hot in the sun just like cars. Sounds like a deal breaker to me. TDH will no doubt nit pick again with the rare exceptions!

 

MtB

You might consider investing in this book too, as well as using the forum.

 

We bought it when we were considering moving on board some time ago and found it useful.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Liveaboard-Guide-Living-Afloat-Waterways/dp/1408145553

For those who didn't realise, Tony Jones the author of this book is forum member TonyReptiles. All round top bloke (although one other forum member will disagree!)

 

MtB

[Guest]

Good to think it through in detail in advance. Lots of peeps live on boats with dogs and walking them is not a problem, but leaving a dog in a boat while you go to work is barely feasible, although some posters here do it I believe.

 

The thing is, boats get hot in the sun just like cars. Sounds like a deal breaker to me. TDH will no doubt nit pick again with the rare exceptions!

 

MtB

 

For those who didn't realise, Tony Jones the author of this book is forum member TonyReptiles. All round top bloke (although one other forum member will disagree!)

 

MtB

 

Actually not at all ~ I agree as I did when this topic came up in a thread recently.

 

(Others however did say they managed with dogs in their boats left all day and how they did it.

 

On line moorings with private access rare?? - I would say less common but then that would be picking the nits again.....

Edited August 17, 2013 by The Dog House

[MtB]

Just winding you up Martin, but you knew that anyway

 

 

MtB

[Guest]

Just winding you up Martin, but you knew that anyway

 

 

MtB

 

Ditto

[Grace and Favour]

Lea, welcome to the forum...

 

Now, before you are completely inundated with advice (and by its very nature, you'll receive conflicting advice) - - may I ask - - have you spent much time on a narrowboat/any boat before?

 

There are aspects of boating that are truly lovely, and there are a number of downsides too - - - may I first suggest that before you make the jump - take a few weeks on hireboats, including a week or so in the winter, just to get an idea of living aboard

[MtB]

Lea, ignore TDH. He isn't real. I mean, look at his photo!

 

MtB

[Lea]

Lea, welcome to the forum...

 

Now, before you are completely inundated with advice (and by its very nature, you'll receive conflicting advice) - - may I ask - - have you spent much time on a narrowboat/any boat before?

 

There are aspects of boating that are truly lovely, and there are a number of downsides too - - - may I first suggest that before you make the jump - take a few weeks on hireboats, including a week or so in the winter, just to get an idea of living aboard

Thanks Grace

Yes ive hired all seasons and im ok

i appreciate your help and comments

thanks

Lea

[bottle]

Lea welcome

 

There is so much info via the search button but sometimes hard to find exactly what you want.

 

I will start you off with this, search for toilet and by the time you have read all there is to read, you will have retired.

 

 

Edit whilst typing

 

just read your last post so you may already know all there is to know about the above

[MtB]

Thanks Grace

Yes ive hired all seasons and im ok

i appreciate your help and comments

thanks

Lea

In that case I'm not sure what it is that you are asking.

 

Maybe your post is more to do with coming to terms the divorce you mention. I'm in much the same position.

 

 

MtB

[loubyscooby]

Hi Lea and welcome.

 

I work full time and can be away from the boat for a long time during the day so when I bought my boat I knew I would want a marina mooring (there were other reasons too) I have a Westie so found someone who was happy to walk my dog during the day. He gets walked morning and afternoon, Harvey (dog walker) checks he has fresh water etc during the day and if its warm weather I can leave the hatch & doors open to have some breeze. Considering when I lived in a house he had access to the garden all day he has adjusted very well (he is 15yrs old)

 

Living in the marina has meant that my neighbours have all got to know George and one of them even "calls" for him a weekends so that he and his wife have a reason to go for a walk.

 

Good luck with your new start

Louise

[AidanLincs]

Hi Lea,

 

I am a single man, with two dogs, moored in a marina in Newark. I have a 57' trad, which suits us well. I could probably get by with a few feet less, but everyone is different. What is a lot of space for me, may be unbearably cramped for you. And vice versa.

 

Residential moorings in Lincoln and Newark are very hard to find, and have got rarer in the last 12 months. This time last year, there were two resi moorings free at Kings Marina in Newark, but now I understand that there are none, and there are several boats on the waiting list. There are other marinas in the area which allow "heavy users" (let the reader understand), but with councils now taking a more proactive approach to council tax collection, I am given to believe that this is not as workable as it once was.

 

This summer was unbearably hot, both for me and my dogs. For most of the summer I worked from the boat, and I have recently got a small office that is less than 10 minutes walk from the marina. Thus I was able to come back several time a day and check on them. Fortunately, I have fairly good insulation on my boat and it was cooler inside than out for most of the day. Two powerful (240V) fans also helped: one at the back to suck air in, another at the front to push air out. The worst time was actually between 6pm and 8pm, when the humidity became absolutely intolerable, and I was forced outside to cool off (and obviously, the dogs came with me). An aircon unit might have helped, but the shoreline is only 16A, so that would be another energy drain to be balanced along with the washing machine, fridge, and so on. This is a difficult thing to judge, because you won't know how effective your boat's insulation is until you experience it for yourself. And that usually means that you won't have time to take corrective action the first time around.

 

Sorry if I sound negative. I don't mean to - I absolutely love living on my boat - but it's important to consider the potential problems even more carefully than the benefits.

[Phil Ambrose]

16amps is loads, did you mean 6amp?

 

Phil

[AidanLincs]

16A. Split into 10A and 6A lines on the boat. The charger and the washing machine are both on the 10A feed. They do not play happily together. Even less happily if the kettle is on.

 

It's not an insurmountable obstacle: it just requires a bit of consideration about what is plugged in where, and when.

[JayDub]

Hi Lea and welcome to the forum. I'm in much the same position as you and I have to say moving onto the boat is the best thing I have ever done, it certainly suits me. I'm thinking of getting a dog and don't think there will be any problems other than those that always accompany pet ownership.

At the moment I'm living in a marina and it is very convenient, everything is nearby, either on site or a short walk away. I would rather be continuous cruising but various things, mainly elderly parents, dictate that I need to be near transport as much as possible, so it's a compromise.

I've been a member of this forum for about 18 months and have learned so much from everyone here. As has been mentioned it's always worth doing a search of previous threads, you will find hundreds of them and more answers than you would think possible. There are also several good books and the magazines which can yield more information. The wealth of knowledge on here is second to none, so search and then ask if you need to. Generally a specific question rather than a general one will bring the answers flooding in.

Most of all, enjoy the learning process, then enjoy living it.

 

JW