Continuous Cruisers

[MaryP]

When I bought my licence, BW asked of I had a permanent mooring, if not I was a CC.

So, I'm a CC but not a liveaboard. That just means that we have to move from one community to another every 2 weeks. The reason I bought the boat (a tiny 23ft springer, so difficult to live on anyway - 3 people, 3 cockers and a rabbit!!!!!!!! ) was to see the canal network, so we are happy to make the trip to move the boat, as moving the boat was the reason for buying it!!.

[John Orentas]

When I bought my licence, BW asked of I had a permanent mooring, if not I was a CC.

So, I'm a CC but not a liveaboard. That just means that we have to move from one community to another every 2 weeks. The reason I bought the boat (a tiny 23ft springer, so difficult to live on anyway - 3 people, 3 cockers and a rabbit!!!!!!!! ) was to see the canal network, so we are happy to make the trip to move the boat, as moving the boat was the reason for buying it!!.

 

 

Hi 'Mary P'

 

Ah that's more like it, where have you been.

[MaryP]

Hi 'Mary P'

 

Ah that's more like it, where have you been.

 

Trent and Mersey, Shroppie, back to T&M, touched on the Bridgewater, Weaver, back to T&M (no choice there!!), Llangollen, Shroppie and at the moment it's having some work done on T&M.

Got an overstay notice on Shroppie as we moored by the same bridge twice, but 2 months apart , but wrote to BW saying that if they looked on their Anderton Lift records, they'd see their mistake.

My next plan is 4 counties when Audlem and the boat are back in action, then Caldon, Macclesfield, and onto Huddersfield.

Edited January 10, 2007 by Mary P

[John Orentas]

Trent and Mersey, Shroppie, back to T&M, touched on the Bridgewater, Weaver, back to T&M (no choice there!!), Llangollen, Shroppie and at the moment it's having some work done on T&M.

Got an overstay notice on Shroppie as we moored by the same bridge twice, but 2 months apart , but wrote to BW saying that if they looked on their Anderton Lift records, they'd see their mistake.

My next plan is 4 counties when Audlem and the boat are back in action, then Caldon, Macclesfield, and onto Huddersfield.

 

 

Just my humorous bent Mary P. Don't take me too seriously, no one else ever does.

[minerva]

I did !

 

[MaryP]

John - no worries - I'm actually quite proud of how far we've been as a first time boat owner!

I've done some single handed, some with my kids and my friends, and we've loved every minute of it!

So far so good!

[Dr Bradley]

We like to think that we have been continually cruising and we have been moving round the system since we bought Alnwick in September 2005, but it isn't easy for us with all the stoppages in the Winter.

 

Last year we booked a Winter Mooring at Fenny Compto and stayed there for a couple of months (but still took off round the Leicester Ring, and made several excursions to banbury when the locks were open) and we did some maintenence on the boat. This year we have paid BW nearly £600 for a Winter Mooring at Napton so that we can do some work on our house as well as finishing the repaint on the boat - we haven't decided what we will do after that - the options are:

 

a) Continue cruising round the system and living on my pension - in which case we may decide to sell the house and invest the proceeds because it seems to be a very expensive 'box' in which to store our surplus 'stuff';

 

Get a job, keep the house and put the boat in a marina but still use it at weekends and holidays;

 

c) Sell the boat and do nothing at all . . .

 

What would you do?

 

a - no decision to make

[minerva]

go for it! what's the worst thing that can happen?

 

life is or should be a big adventure....its no good when the time comes to shuffle off this mortal coil, saying, oh i wish we had done so and so...

 

do it!

 

[tomsk]

This is getting very boring, isn't there a single bridge hopper or someone who has just decided not to pay for moorings who chooses to call himself a continuous cruiser out there somewhere.

 

 

 

 

John, Have you any opinions regarding the CC's amongst us, I would be most interested to hear them.

[minerva]

lol

 

stand by stand by! incoming

[NB Alnwick]

stand by stand by! incoming

 

. . . is it safe to come out of the shelter yet?

[minerva]

. . . is it safe to come out of the shelter yet?

 

 

nothing happened! maybe it was a dud?

or maybe it will sneak up on us when we are not watching~~~~hmmmm

[bottle]

We are in exactly the same position and all the time that we were on the boat (and thoroughly enjoying it) the decision seemed quite straightforward, but when we returned to the house after nearly a year's cruising we realised that it isn't that simple - we just have so much stuff!

 

We have spent years collecting things - to the extent that last time we moved house we had four containers full - and only two of them contained furniture and household necessities. There is no way that we could get all of our most valued possessions onto the boat and it isn't that easy to get rid of stuff. I have been selling on eBay (and on this forum) but so far haven't even scratched the surface!

 

I would love to hear how other people have dealt with that problem. For us it was simple, unless we need it on the boat it is going or already gone, some things, photo's etc are to be stored with our daughter.

 

Other considerations (nagging worries) include what will we do for a 'permanent address' - something that is needed for things like driving licences, bank accounts, insurance etc. - and mail? Again we will use our daughters address. Mail can be sent to any PO. Your 'permanent' address just puts it in a large envelope and sends it to the local P.O. (It would be nice to ask, inform them) There are company's that will do it but they charge.

 

And do we sell the cars? We will be selling ours, does any one want an MG B roadster.

[NB Alnwick]

And do we sell the cars? We will be selling ours, does any one want an MG B roadster.

 

All excellent advice - we have a '67 B GT in the garage which was bought to replace our original after it was written off. Sadly we haven't driven it more than a few miles since we bought the boat.

 

Your really lucky having an understanding daughter - I shall have to work on one of my sons but at the moment they probably think we are all mad!

[bottle]

My MG is '73. Three months to young to be road fund exempt.

 

Has not been used for about three years (but has current M O T ) long story, but not for publication.

 

Things have changed and maybe able to use her this year as boat is over a year away.

[fender.]

cc'ers:

 

1) continous cruisers

 

2) contentious cruisers (aka bridge hoppers)

 

3) (in)continent cruisers (dont go anywhere, stay at moorings 24/7)

 

4) contemplating cruisers (have paid moorings in marina somewhere - real lucky bastards!)

 

5) codswallop cruisers (they say they're this and this and not that and that)

 

6) clapped-out cruisers (waiting to be relived by a section 8 enforcement)

 

7) consiqential cruisers (have mooring off BW waterways - lucky buggers dont get flak)

 

8) considerating cruisers (thinking about being a cc'er - dont you'll get al the sh*ite thrown at you!

 

9) causation cruisers (always starting arguements about cc'ers!)

[tomsk]

cc'ers:

 

1) continous cruisers

 

2) contentious cruisers (aka bridge hoppers)

 

3) (in)continent cruisers (dont go anywhere, stay at moorings 24/7)

 

4) contemplating cruisers (have paid moorings in marina somewhere - real lucky bastards!)

 

5) codswallop cruisers (they say they're this and this and not that and that)

 

6) clapped-out cruisers (waiting to be relived by a section 8 enforcement)

 

7) consiqential cruisers (have mooring off BW waterways - lucky buggers dont get flak)

 

8) considerating cruisers (thinking about being a cc'er - dont you'll get al the sh*ite thrown at you!

 

9) causation cruisers (always starting arguements about cc'ers!)

 

[magnetman]

I was formerly taking part in 'continuous cruising' but have now acquired a BW mooring where I am considering taking up my neighbours' major activity, 'continuously boozing'.

 

I remember when BW produced a little guidance leaflet which described the activity of moving the boat from one place to another and back again.

 

In their words "This describes what continuous cruising is not". Well, so does just about anything really.

 

I always thought the word 'place' was going to be problematic really, looking at its first definition. floating boats are constantly in a different place, as they move around even when moored.

[minerva]

I was formerly taking part in 'continuous cruising' but have now acquired a BW mooring where I am considering taking up my neighbours' major activity, 'continuously boozing'.

 

I remember when BW produced a little guidance leaflet which described the activity of moving the boat from one place to another and back again.

 

In their words "This describes what continuous cruising is not". Well, so does just about anything really.

 

I always thought the word 'place' was going to be problematic really, looking at its first definition. floating boats are constantly in a different place, as they move around even when moored.

 

LOL

 

[fender.]

I always thought the word 'place' was going to be problematic really, looking at its first definition. floating boats are constantly in a different place, as they move around even when moored.

 

Yes and we are of course 65,000 miles on from the previous spot once an hour has passed.

[Jason King]

I've been living on a boat for a year and three months and in that time I've stuck to the lower Grand Union, Regent's canal and the Thames as far as Reading. Not exactly bridge hopping but not that adventurous either. It's having an office-based job that's prevented me cruising more. So I'm quitting my job this week and going freelance. I can leave London far behind and go on a tour of Yorkshire, then somewhere else entirely. Can't wait for some Yorkshire bitter. Continuous boozer?

 

Jason King

www.afloat.org.uk

Edited January 28, 2007 by Jason King

[John Orentas]

Going back to Gary's original topic.

 

"It strikes me that this continuous cruising lark is a bit of a pipe dream in reality. So how many of this radical breed do you know of or are you one yourself?

Just a thought but lack of use killed the canals once before shouldn't the continuous cruising life be promoted to bring use and life back to the canals?"

 

I have met many genuine continuous cruisers over the years, some taking a one or two years sabbatical, others permanently retired, even a surprising number of Australians who own a boat and spend six months of the year cruising the system, they must be included. I can see what is behind Gary's thoughts however.

 

I believe it would suit our venerable controlling body very well if they could argue that the overwhelming majority of boaters were quite content to stay moored in their favourite spot for year after year and those that are content to pay for moorings in private marinas have no real need or motivation to go anywhere, that tiny minority of continuous cruisers, (we would dispute if they exist at all), well there are so very few of them, they can continuous cruise when we tell them they can.

 

"What is all the fuss about" they would say, "just because the canal has been closed for a few months this summer, nobody uses the lock even when they are fully maintained and most of the boats are still floating at their moorings". The walkers, cyclists, anglers and all those new apartment dwellers never complain and think of the money we're saving.

[NB Alnwick]

Going back to Gary's original topic.

 

"It strikes me that this continuous cruising lark is a bit of a pipe dream in reality. So how many of this radical breed do you know of or are you one yourself?

Just a thought but lack of use killed the canals once before shouldn't the continuous cruising life be promoted to bring use and life back to the canals?"

 

I have met many genuine continuous cruisers over the years, some taking a one or two years sabbatical, others permanently retired, even a surprising number of Australians who own a boat and spend six months of the year cruising the system, they must be included. I can see what is behind Gary's thoughts however.

 

I believe it would suit our venerable controlling body very well if they could argue that the overwhelming majority of boaters were quite content to stay moored in their favourite spot for year after year and those that are content to pay for moorings in private marinas have no real need or motivation to go anywhere, that tiny minority of continuous cruisers, (we would dispute if they exist at all), well there are so very few of them, they can continuous cruise when we tell them they can.

 

"What is all the fuss about" they would say, "just because the canal has been closed for a few months this summer, nobody uses the lock even when they are fully maintained and most of the boats are still floating at their moorings". The walkers, cyclists, anglers and all those new apartment dwellers never complain and think of the money we're saving.

 

We are not continuous cruisers because we usually tie-up in the same spot for most of the winter and pay BW handsomely for the privilege but it is our aim to cruise around a thousand miles a year - so we are more than doing our bit to keep the navigations open . . .

[doomed1]

Well to keep it simple then lets just ask the first question?

 

Do you continually cruise? Or do you know of someone who does?

 

And maybe we should clarify that slightly by saying that we aren't discussing the bridge hoppers just the real pedigree creatures.

 

That should give us a clue to how many exist, I don't think many do.

 

 

 

i doubt many have a computer/so its a pretty dumb question.

[Pirate]

I am a new continuous cruiser...........Honestly..........Stuck only because of stoppages