Possible first timer looking for advice :)

[eightpot]

Carshalton beeches? Im curretnly just down the road in sutton! Are there many narrowboats in carshalton? I never saw a canal!

 

You were about 200 years too late. West Croydon station stands on the site of the terminus basin of the old Croydon Canal, the plan was to extend it through Sutton and on to Epsom but it never happened and was closed soon after in the 1830's, being sold on to the London & Croydon Railway co. A small length remains in Anerley Park and the motor factors by West Croydon Tramlink occupy old canalside buildings.

[Jenza]

Sure. The point I was making though is that they were only actually at that price for a few days. Saying that they've fallen to half their value makes it sound like they are doing badly, but they are still up by a few hundred percent over the last few months.

bah! bastards! I would have loved to be able to bring my boat down to visit family

[junior]

Hi there!

 

Since a small narowboating holiday with parents when I was younger, I had fallen in love with narrowboats. And now thanks to some serious luck regarding bitcoins, I now have the cash to get my own one!

 

I have been reading a lot about narrowboats over the years so I know a lot of the theory on owning a narrowboat but i was hoping for a bit of practical advice for first timers.

 

I have roughly 60k to spend on a narrowboat and I am hoping to get a boat either in or around London. I have seen some particularly lovely narrowboats with mooring in uxbridge which has tempted me, I also have considered perhaps taking out a loan/mortgage for perhaps a slightly more expensive one.

 

I intend to buy it for living aboard, preferably of a comfortable size roughly 50-60 ft.

 

Any advice?

Contrary to what you'll hear from most people, moorings in London are not particularly hard to find. SOME will be a bit pricier than in other parts of the country though. It helps to find out what you class as London. To me London is anywhere inside the M25 but some people seem to think London stops once you are west of Little Venice. The fact you're talking about Uxbridge is encouraging!

[MtB]

Contrary to what you'll hear from most people, moorings in London are not particularly hard to find. SOME will be a bit pricier than in other parts of the country though. It helps to find out what you class as London. To me London is anywhere inside the M25 but some people seem to think London stops once you are west of Little Venice. The fact you're talking about Uxbridge is encouraging!

 

It depends what you mean by 'moorings', surely? Renting a home mooring may be ok but when I visited a forum member CCing on the Regents Canal recently, boats on the public moorings were breasted up two, three or even four deep in places, as far as the eye could see.

 

A major overcrowding problem.

 

MtB

[blackrose]

Any advice?

 

Yes, read this: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/

Edited December 27, 2013 by blackrose

[junior]

 

It depends what you mean by 'moorings', surely? Renting a home mooring may be ok but when I visited a forum member CCing on the Regents Canal recently, boats on the public moorings were breasted up two, three or even four deep in places, as far as the eye could see.

 

A major overcrowding problem.

 

MtB

Yes I did mean home mooring, however I've done numerous cruises off my home mooring into the centre of London and never failed to find an space to moor, albeit sometimes that involved breastfeeding up, something you have to accept in London.

[Leggle]

Contrary to what you'll hear from most people, moorings in London are not particularly hard to find. SOME will be a bit pricier than in other parts of the country though. It helps to find out what you class as London. To me London is anywhere inside the M25 but some people seem to think London stops once you are west of Little Venice. The fact you're talking about Uxbridge is encouraging!

Are there any areas you particularly recommend looking into for a home mooring(leisure) in West London? I'd love a basic home mooring Denham/Uxbridge inwards, like Northolt, and to cruise central. I only know of those run by CRT or EA so would appreciate any advice.

[John Williamson 1955]

Are there any areas you particularly recommend looking into for a home mooring(leisure) in West London? I'd love a basic home mooring Denham/Uxbridge inwards, like Northolt, and to cruise central. I only know of those run by CRT or EA so would appreciate any advice.

Leisure moorings are reasonably easy to find, if possibly overpriced, but a lot of them are coming up for renewal in the next few weeks, as the renewal date for the annual permits tends to be around now, and it is sometimes possible to pick up a bargain boat when the mooring fees are due and the owner's a bit short of the readies.

Edited December 27, 2013 by John Williamson 1955

[junior]

Are there any areas you particularly recommend looking into for a home mooring(leisure) in West London? I'd love a basic home mooring Denham/Uxbridge inwards, like Northolt, and to cruise central. I only know of those run by CRT or EA so would appreciate any advice.

I moor at Northolt and think it's really nice. It's also very reasonable price wise. I'm also aware of some moorings at Alperton and Uxbridge that aren't widely advertised. Denham is nice but they had a waiting list a few months ago.

All the CRT moorings in the London area are what I would class as expensive. I spent nearly a year researching London moorings before I chose mine so whilst I wouldn't class myself as an expert, I have some current knowledge.

[Jenza]

I moor at Northolt and think it's really nice. It's also very reasonable price wise. I'm also aware of some moorings at Alperton and Uxbridge that aren't widely advertised. Denham is nice but they had a waiting list a few months ago.

All the CRT moorings in the London area are what I would class as expensive. I spent nearly a year researching London moorings before I chose mine so whilst I wouldn't class myself as an expert, I have some current knowledge.

do you know of any spaces for moorings? I have decieded to go out to take a look at this one http://www.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=225999 next weekend and maybe this one http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=326777 at some point later. While i dont really mind having a go at continuous cruising it would be nice to have options.

[Athy]

One thing about the Colecraft boat rings an alarm bell: big glass front doors, inviting to burglars. If you find a private offside or marina mooring, of course, that should not be a problem. The boat's a bit rough in parts but at that price you would have some £££ left over to have work done on her.

The other link does not work, so not sure about that boat!

[Jenza]

hmm, thanks for that. Here is the other link again

[Janet S]

...and never failed to find an space to moor, albeit sometimes that involved breastfeeding up, something you have to accept in London.

Don't you just love spell checkers!

 

Janet

[mark99]

Jenza,

 

Both the boats you link to are cruiser sterns - yet the other two you linked to in another thread are semi - trad sterns.

 

It might be a good idea to at least decide what stern you want clear in your mind? go along to a marina and look at as many as you can all three types of stern - then another marina etc. Look at advantages/disads of each stern type. Good luck!

Edited December 30, 2013 by mark99

[Paul C]

sometimes that involved breastfeeding up, .

 

Oops, I guess that post was a bit of a boob? No doubt everyone on the forum will now milk it for all its worth.

[Alan de Enfield]

Bet you feel a right t*t now

[Athy]

hmm, thanks for that. Here is the other link again

Wha-hey! Eccentric styling, tatty exterior, shambolic interior, looks as if it should be called 'Morning After' not 'Morning Mist'. BUT a reputable builder, reputable broker (as far as I am aware) probably a replacement engine (the Shanks is a modern unit), loads of space. This one has possibilites and character: up to you to discover if that's good or bad character!

 

A good excuse to visit Great Heywood if you have not been before, as well, it's quite scenic.

 

Mark, you are speaking sternly. When Mrs. Athy and I were looking for our first boat 15 years ago, we looked at all three types of stern. We chose a boat with a trad stern but that was not a key factor in our choice. Now I would not want a cruiser of semi-trad back, but it's not important to everybody.

Edited December 30, 2013 by Athy

[ditchcrawler]

Are there any areas you particularly recommend looking into for a home mooring(leisure) in West London? I'd love a basic home mooring Denham/Uxbridge inwards, like Northolt, and to cruise central. I only know of those run by CRT or EA so would appreciate any advice.

I have visited Alperton a few times and they seem a very friendly bunch.

[Jenza]

Jenza,

 

Both the boats you link to are cruiser sterns - yet the other two you linked to in another thread are semi - trad sterns.

 

It might be a good idea to at least decide what stern you want clear in your mind? go along to a marina and look at as many as you can all three types of stern - then another marina etc. Look at advantages/disads of each stern type. Good luck!

honestly the stern doesnt really matter to much to me, I think all of them have their charms. That being said i do seem to have a soft spot for the semis

[Paul C]

honestly the stern doesnt really matter to much to me, I think all of them have their charms. That being said i do seem to have a soft spot for the semis

 

When we started looking at boats the stern type was a minor consideration, but after having driven boats with all 3 types, and looked at many others (not driven), it focused our minds that semi-trad was right for us. One notable thing is that not all sterns are the same. For example, one could have a cruiser stern with an awkward guard rail and nowhere to sit (thus forcing you to stand all day driving, for example) or it could be much more sensible and have seats too; or a semi trad stern could have stuff in the way (little seats on the outside flat bit) making using the tiller a nightmare when sitting on them (ie swings right over you almost forcing you into the canal) or it could have a good relationship of tiller length and other dimensions to make steering from within comfy. One boat we hired, had a semi trad stern but the tiller was at a funny angle, such that some combinations of throttle and tiller meant the two controls hit each other! Also look for trad sterns with larger than average hatches, and a more compact, or less intrusive, engine boxing in.

[mark99]

I guess it depends upon your pattern of useage.

 

We hired cruisers and semi trads cos we were travelling in decent weather and they layouts are sociable. Ended up with trad which helps when moving the boat about in cold weather and our opinion (aesthetics aside) is it maximises useful space and gives us a back cabin - aka "blokes shed on a boat".

[MtB]

Wha-hey! Eccentric styling, tatty exterior, shambolic interior, looks as if it should be called 'Morning After' not 'Morning Mist'. BUT a reputable builder,

You're kidding, right? Whenever did Black Country Narrowboat ever build boats with an abomination of a bow like that? Looks like the first attempt at a bow by someone normally accustomed to building skips!

 

There's something disturbingly wrong with that listing. Either the broker can't recognise when a vendor is pulling the wool and having a laugh OR, they are complicit in it.

 

 

repputable broker (as far as I am aware)

Yeah well, there have been a few on here suggesting otherwise... with evidence to back it up IIRC. Happy to be shown wrong but ISTR threads criticising them tend to get deleted.

 

 

MtB

[Athy]

You're kidding, right?

MtB

No, it really is eccentic! The paint job doesn't help, mind you, if it was all one colour it might look almost normal.

 

I do think that, of all the boats which Jenza has asked about, this is the one which is crying out to be loved. She would need to throw a fair few £££ at it but could end up with an attractive and distinctive craft.

[ditchcrawler]

You're kidding, right? Whenever did Black Country Narrowboat ever build boats with an abomination of a bow like that? Looks like the first attempt at a bow by someone normally accustomed to building skips!

 

 

This comment made me look at the add, and I am just amazed that anyone could suggest it comes from a reputal builder

[PaddingtonBear]

That 'Colecraft' boat looks a serious dog and needs walking away from very quickly. Peugeot 1.7 TURBO!!!! diesel indeed and requires

lots of 'finishing' and appears to have been 'extended'.