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Residential Mooring advice needed!


xxmarypoppinsxx

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It seemed off the wall because you are asking about something that you don't plan to do for 6 years, and a whole lot can change with moorings in that time. I'd be looking at the mooring situation a couple of years before, but that's me smile.png I'd be looking at boats from now, 'cause its exciting, and useful research. I might identify a load of potential residential moorings and go an have a look, purely for fun, and to see how the land lies

 

We bought our 10 year old 45ft boat in 2011 for £18,000. The hull was as thick as the day it was launched and, with a few improvements, and ongoing stuff, it's pretty much good enough to live on. We have a house near our mooring, but I spend a lot of time on the boat, my wife spends a lot of time at home - the dog flits between the two smile.png

 

I did a bit of research last year and have found some figures which suggest it would cost about £2.5k to £3k for mooring, licence and council tax at New Islington in Manchester. So, with a bit of compromise, and a bit of luck, you might be able to make your move in 4 years, rather than 6. I'd guess the cost would rise as you venture further South.

 

Ha! yes well as you can see due to our situation we have a lot to ask about and plan before we do this, living in a rented flat in Swansea we don't have the option of living somewhere else whilst we work on a boat due to anywhere we do moor being at the least 1.5hrs away.. Then, like you said we're looking at higher mooring fees.. I guess the longer we leave it the more funds we'll have for any eventuality.. I'd love to think we could go in 4yrs.. fingers crossed!

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Sorry to tell you this.....

 

but....

 

You'll probably go looking at boats.

 

and you'll walk the towpaths talking to boaters.

 

and you'll probably take the plunge before Dec 2014.

 

 

that's how it works.

The bug doesnt wait 6 yrs.

 

:)

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Again, I would say not to go down the new build route in this situation. There are loads of good points for new builds, but not enough when money is tight. Better,in my opinion, to buy the best suited and best condition second hand boat you can find that won't break you. Keep some of your savings back for unexpected costs the boat might throw at you.

I would also say, stay clear of buying a leasehold mooring.

When you have free time together, take trips out to brokerages when you can and just look and look. Not to buy, but to learn what you might like or really don't like,and what you will eventually be looking for.this will also give you more idea of budget finally. It will save you time and decisions in the future.

All the best for it....I'm going to put a bet down now that you don't wait till 2020!

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Ha! yes well as you can see due to our situation we have a lot to ask about and plan before we do this, living in a rented flat in Swansea we don't have the option of living somewhere else whilst we work on a boat due to anywhere we do moor being at the least 1.5hrs away.. Then, like you said we're looking at higher mooring fees.. I guess the longer we leave it the more funds we'll have for any eventuality.. I'd love to think we could go in 4yrs.. fingers crossed!

 

There's no reason that I can see that you wouldn't be able to achieve it in 4 years. It's not as though you're leaping in blindly with no clue about what you're doing. You're asking all the questions, getting yourselves on those all-important waiting lists and appear to both be working toward the same goal. VERY important.

 

I, on the other hand, am trying to convince my best friend that instead of buying a "house" we should buy somewhere on the waterfront and invest in a boat as well. Totally doable. Would be easier if it wasn't aquaphile vs aquaphobe!

 

Keep your hopes up high. It will all come together!

 

SF

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No the River Cam is not a CaRT water way. Its Cambridge Council.

okie dokie thanks.. would it be through the council website?? Sorry to appear silly..

 

Sorry to tell you this.....

 

but....

 

You'll probably go looking at boats.

 

and you'll walk the towpaths talking to boaters.

 

and you'll probably take the plunge before Dec 2014.

 

 

that's how it works.

The bug doesnt wait 6 yrs.

 

smile.png

haha!!! If we weren't LITERALLY in a situation where we have no funds, we would.. it's the only thing stopping us! save save saavvvveeeee

 

Again, I would say not to go down the new build route in this situation. There are loads of good points for new builds, but not enough when money is tight. Better,in my opinion, to buy the best suited and best condition second hand boat you can find that won't break you. Keep some of your savings back for unexpected costs the boat might throw at you.

I would also say, stay clear of buying a leasehold mooring.

When you have free time together, take trips out to brokerages when you can and just look and look. Not to buy, but to learn what you might like or really don't like,and what you will eventually be looking for.this will also give you more idea of budget finally. It will save you time and decisions in the future.

All the best for it....I'm going to put a bet down now that you don't wait till 2020!

this is REALLY helpful.. thank you so much, we're already planning our first weekend of looking.. it'll keep us busy too and as though we're already "on our journey".. thank you again..

 

 

There's no reason that I can see that you wouldn't be able to achieve it in 4 years. It's not as though you're leaping in blindly with no clue about what you're doing. You're asking all the questions, getting yourselves on those all-important waiting lists and appear to both be working toward the same goal. VERY important.

 

I, on the other hand, am trying to convince my best friend that instead of buying a "house" we should buy somewhere on the waterfront and invest in a boat as well. Totally doable. Would be easier if it wasn't aquaphile vs aquaphobe!

 

Keep your hopes up high. It will all come together!

 

SF

this is very kind.. thank you!

Aww I REALLY hope you find a compromise and get what you're wishing for! Maybe we'll pass you on the water one day ;)

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If you are coming to the Crick boat show, and staying over night, Whilton boat sales are not far away, and worth a visit, if only to dream! (you will learn a lot by just looking)

 

Bod

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okie dokie thanks.. would it be through the council website?? Sorry to appear silly..

 

haha!!! If we weren't LITERALLY in a situation where we have no funds, we would.. it's the only thing stopping us! save save saavvvveeeee

 

this is REALLY helpful.. thank you so much, we're already planning our first weekend of looking.. it'll keep us busy too and as though we're already "on our journey".. thank you again..

 

this is very kind.. thank you!

Aww I REALLY hope you find a compromise and get what you're wishing for! Maybe we'll pass you on the water one day wink.png

Drop a PM to Black Ibis he will be able to give you the lowdown on it

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If you are coming to the Crick boat show, and staying over night, Whilton boat sales are not far away, and worth a visit, if only to dream! (you will learn a lot by just looking)

 

Bod

 

I second that. Whilton is great for having a look around boats and finding what you really like. I went with my friend whose boat requirements are radically different to mine, so the questions that he raised really made me think about what I wanted, why I wanted it and how practical it would be. In the end, he found his dream boat which was a 72ft trad stern with a boatman's cabin... whereas I was looking at pocket-sized cruiser sterns!

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1 thing to look out for with regards to a resi mooring, is new marinas, & keep an eye on the planning permission from the council.

Where I live the 2 closest marinas were unsuitable for me due to location, lack of transport, lack of public transport.

A new marina was built right in the middle of town, ideal for me, it had 6 resi moorings. I was able to bag 1 of these, no waiting list. Unfortunately I never managed to get a boat & so had to let the mooring go. 2 or 3 years later, just as I was in the process of buying my 1st boat, the same marina applied for planning permission for another 12 fully resi moorings, they got it, & I managed to bag 1 of these new ones for myself. Within the month all the resi moorings had gone.

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Drop a PM to Black Ibis he will be able to give you the lowdown on it

ooo ok thanks!

 

 

I second that. Whilton is great for having a look around boats and finding what you really like. I went with my friend whose boat requirements are radically different to mine, so the questions that he raised really made me think about what I wanted, why I wanted it and how practical it would be. In the end, he found his dream boat which was a 72ft trad stern with a boatman's cabin... whereas I was looking at pocket-sized cruiser sterns!

well exactly we all want different and we won't know until we look..

 

1 thing to look out for with regards to a resi mooring, is new marinas, & keep an eye on the planning permission from the council.

 

Where I live the 2 closest marinas were unsuitable for me due to location, lack of transport, lack of public transport.

 

A new marina was built right in the middle of town, ideal for me, it had 6 resi moorings. I was able to bag 1 of these, no waiting list. Unfortunately I never managed to get a boat & so had to let the mooring go. 2 or 3 years later, just as I was in the process of buying my 1st boat, the same marina applied for planning permission for another 12 fully resi moorings, they got it, & I managed to bag 1 of these new ones for myself. Within the month all the resi moorings had gone.

fab thanks this is great info, being in Swansea we have nothing near so we'll just contact lots!

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Welcome to the forum. We're planning to buy a liveaboard boat a year or two before you do - though we do already have a 24 foot 'practice' boat for weekends and holidays.

 

Our plan is to buy the best boat we can afford in cash - hopefully something around the £30k mark. There seem to be plenty of perfectly decent, well-maintained boats around at that price.

 

I really balk at the idea of paying interest on a boat mortgage. If you buy a £100,000 flat with borrowed money and repay that capital plus an additional £100,000 in interest over 25 years, you're likely to be quids in because that flat is likely to be worth more than £200,000 by the end of that period. Borrow and repay the same amount over the same period to buy a £100,000 new boat and you're going to be left with something worth closer to £20,000.

 

I know this boat is supposed to be a home and not an investment, but for that reason I would be wary of borrowing any more than you have to. Living costs (moorings, maintenance, licence etc.) are one thing; but the cost of borrowing plus the cost of depreciation (which is always higher/faster on a new boat) is an awful lot of money for nothing. Imagine shelling out £75,000 in interest while watching your boat lose £75,000 in value. That's £150,000 down the Swannee, or £6,000 a year over 25 years. It doesn't bear thinking about.

 

Look at it this way: suppose it comes down to a choice between buying a £25,000 second-hand boat outright, and borrowing £75,000 to buy a £100,000 new boat. Which would cost you more every year: the extra maintenance on the old boat, or the interest payments on the new one? The interest payments, surely. And whereas the old boat might only lose £10,000 in value over the next 25 years (say), the new one could easily lose £70,000.

Edited by magictime
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I was also going to say: we're hoping to live a nomadic CCing life, but if we were tied to our local area, I still don't think we'd be worrying too much about getting a residential rather than a leisure mooring because I don't think we'd be expecting to spend the whole year on that mooring anyway.

 

Say we still had our old leisure mooring in Shipley and worked in Bradford. We could easily spend part of the year shuttling between places like Gargrave, Skipton, Silsden, Bingley and Saltaire, spending a week or two in each, cruising at weekends and always staying within walking distance of a train station. Throw in a couple of longer holiday cruises and it wouldn't be hard to spend, I dunno, three or four months of the year away from 'home'. Sounds a lot more fun than the static 'houseboat' experience too.

 

Of course it all depends on the geography of your local area, whether you commute by car or train, etc., but it might be something to bear in mind when you're planning where to live.

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Fantastic and sound advice there Magic! This is exactly the route we are going to take now and are very excited at filling out pot of savings NOT to invest it in finance but to buy our own home OUTRIGHT!

 

Thanks for taking the time out to write that message I'm quite overwhelmed at the kindness of everyone on here :)

 

Best of luck for your adventure too I'm sure we'll do more chatting on here :)

 

Yeah logistically with our base being in Swansea that's not an option for us we'll be moving aboard :)

Edited by xxmarypoppinsxx
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Thanks for taking the time out to write that message I'm quite overwhelmed at the kindness of everyone on here smile.png

 

Best of luck for your adventure too I'm sure we'll do more chatting on here smile.png

 

My pleasure, and thank you!

 

 

Yeah logistically with our base being in Swansea that's not an option for us we'll be moving aboard smile.png

 

What I was thinking was, when you do look to move aboard and aren't tied to Swansea any more, you could look to take a mooring in an area that allows you to combine cruising with commuting for part of the year - just so that you could take a leisure mooring (rather than a residential) without feeling that you were bending any rules.

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What I was thinking was, when you do look to move aboard and aren't tied to Swansea any more, you could look to take a mooring in an area that allows you to combine cruising with commuting for part of the year - just so that you could take a leisure mooring (rather than a residential) without feeling that you were bending any rules.

 

If you're considering this route, you might want to take a look at Wanted's thread about the Electoral Roll and obtaining credit. One of the main reasons I see for getting an official residential mooring - if you have no other 'official' address - is to get on the Electoral Roll. If you come to apply for substantial loans or a mortgage in the future, you might struggle if you've had years of not being registered to vote.

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Hmm.. I'm gonna sound silly now but when you say combine commuting/cruising.. I don't know what you mean.. HA! We're not in the kind of jobs (or likely to be) that mean we would be away from home for any length of time so.. Yeah, sorry to sound like an ignoramus

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Sorry, I'm not making myself very clear am I?

 

I just mean that if you're worried about living all year round on a leisure mooring, you could aim to be away from that mooring for part of the year - while still commuting to work. That way you wouldn't have to worry about bending the rules by using a leisure mooring as a residential mooring.

 

It would all depend where your job was and where your leisure mooring was, of course. But sticking to the area of the network I know best, just as an example: say you found work in Leeds and took a leisure mooring in Shipley (10 minutes away by train). There'd be nothing to stop you travelling a mile down the canal to Saltaire one weekend and mooring there for a week or two, while still commuting to Leeds every day (an extra minute's journey); then moving on to Bingley for a week or two (still only 15 minutes away from work), then to Silsden, then to Skipton (still only 45 minutes from Leeds by train). Then you could come back and head off in the other direction to Leeds itself, then Woodlesford, then Castleford - both easy commutes. Nothing would be forcing you to stay on your mooring all year round. And if you wanted to do some longer cruises during holidays, you wouldn't be stuck with your home mooring as a starting point. You could start in Skipton, spend two weeks going the long way round to Castleford (via the Rochdale etc.), and be back in commuting distance again!

 

That's the sort of thing I'd be wanting to do if I was living aboard while tied to a job, anyway - using my mooring as a base, but trying to fit in as much cruising as possible.

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Hi and what a great feeling it is to start looking at this as a way of life, we have been looking at this for well over a year now and still have the same feeling about it. I am planning to retire a few years early to do this as we do not want to sit in a house looking out the window at the same view, i suppose we are lucky we have family we can stay with, if we want a rest from it, but honestly i do not think we will be off the boat for more than a few weeks a year. [ grandkids birthdays special events] We went to Crick last year for one day will be three days this year had a great time picked up lots information and great looking at all the boats/equipment and looking forward to it this year [food a bit pricy] as others have said it grips you and you find it hard to think about anything else, we take holidays to look at boats, walks along canal towpath, i am on the forum 6 times a day reading the posts, wish you all the best, hoping time passes quick for you and may be we will bump into you [ oops wrong use of words ]

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Sorry, I'm not making myself very clear am I?

 

I just mean that if you're worried about living all year round on a leisure mooring, you could aim to be away from that mooring for part of the year - while still commuting to work. That way you wouldn't have to worry about bending the rules by using a leisure mooring as a residential mooring.

 

It would all depend where your job was and where your leisure mooring was, of course. But sticking to the area of the network I know best, just as an example: say you found work in Leeds and took a leisure mooring in Shipley (10 minutes away by train). There'd be nothing to stop you travelling a mile down the canal to Saltaire one weekend and mooring there for a week or two, while still commuting to Leeds every day (an extra minute's journey); then moving on to Bingley for a week or two (still only 15 minutes away from work), then to Silsden, then to Skipton (still only 45 minutes from Leeds by train). Then you could come back and head off in the other direction to Leeds itself, then Woodlesford, then Castleford - both easy commutes. Nothing would be forcing you to stay on your mooring all year round. And if you wanted to do some longer cruises during holidays, you wouldn't be stuck with your home mooring as a starting point. You could start in Skipton, spend two weeks going the long way round to Castleford (via the Rochdale etc.), and be back in commuting distance again!

 

That's the sort of thing I'd be wanting to do if I was living aboard while tied to a job, anyway - using my mooring as a base, but trying to fit in as much cruising as possible.

OOOHHHHH!!!! I see!!!! Haha!

 

Now that's a great idea.. Although if you're on the mooring for say 4-5mths would you get spotted "living" or are they more concerned with people literally setting up gardens, chickens etc etc and being there 24-7 (in other words making it VERY obvious they're a permanent fixture) the rules around the leisure thing are rather confusing lol

 

I put this idea to hubs and he thinks it's fab I mean we're only gonna be in our late 30's early 40's so why stay put all the time.. And use all our money to pay much higher mooring fees etc!

 

I love how you and others on here are actually shaping our final decisions.. What a wonderful asset this site is in making for a much smoother and informed end result!

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Now that's a great idea.. Although if you're on the mooring for say 4-5mths would you get spotted "living" or are they more concerned with people literally setting up gardens, chickens etc etc and being there 24-7 (in other words making it VERY obvious they're a permanent fixture) the rules around the leisure thing are rather confusing lol

 

I think different marinas have different rules about how many nights per week, or month, or year, or whatever you can be on your boat on your leisure mooring - and many just turn a blind eye. But if you were regularly away from your mooring for days, weeks or months at a stretch, I don't see how that could be counted as 'residential' use for the purposes of, say, planning permission or council tax.

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I mean we're only gonna be in our late 30's early 40's so why stay put all the time..

 

We'll be the same sort of age when we start living aboard - 43 if all goes to plan. But we'll be reaching the same point from a very different direction, I suspect! 43 is the age we'll be when our youngest child heads off to uni, and we should also have paid off our mortgage by that time. So hopefully we'll be in a position to sell the family home and buy a smaller place (to rent out, and maybe retire to!) plus a boat, in cash. Then it's off to live an income-poor but happy nomadic existence as continuous cruisers. That's the theory, anyway...

 

Incidentally - and not wanting to overcomplicate things here - have you thought about taking the first £5,000 or so you manage to save and using it as a deposit on a flat/house? Now that house prices are rising again, that might make more sense than renting for another five or six years. Assuming your mortgage was no more expensive than your rent, you'd be able to keep saving at the same rate but you'd also be likely to make a profit when you sold the house.

 

It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think that a place bought for £100,000 next year should be worth £120,000+ three or four years later. That could make all the difference in terms of affording the right boat sooner rather than later.

 

Obviously there are risks though, so for God's sake take some advice from someone more qualified than me! I just know that even with the recent slump in prices, owning a house has made all the difference to us in terms of funding our boating plans.

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