What's it really like to liveaboard?

[Lmcgrath87]

I have spent about 3 hours today reading as much as I can about buying/living afloat, what a terrifying and exciting experience it has been (I have done reading prior to this, but now I'm getting used to terminology it's down to the nitty gritty) I still think for us it's the way of life that we want and haven't been too deterred (despite HUNDREDS of photos of sinking/burnt out boats)

 

I wonder how many people don't get past the reading stage.

[John V]

As it looks like we haven't managed to put you off I suppose you had better learn the answers that people will ask you later

 

Isn't it cold? No it's bl00dy freezing!

Isn't it damp? No it turns to ice so quick you don't get wet

Do you have a toilet? No I use the hedge

Do you have a cooker? No I just eat takeaways

Can you live cheaply? No it costs twice as much as a house in Mayfair

 

You must learn all these so that we can stop too many people coming on the waterways!!!

[John V]

Have you read Starry's classic post things nobody thinks to tell you parts 1 and 2 ? if not you must!!!

[Lmcgrath87]

Haha thanks for those! I shall remember those!

 

I will also check out Starry's post. Just need to get hubs up to speed on the whole thing.

 

Seeing as my landlord has just decided piss me off even more next year cannot come quick enough!

[patty-ann]

I think lots of people do not get past the reading stage.

I scared myself silly reading maybe far to much but I commenced on my journey about 16 months ago and everything I did I read and re read and then checked up but to be honest I did not follow advice over some aspects e.g. my boat builder, it was dodgy and i could have crashed before I began but I had luck and the support of an amazing man, a boat fitter who took my dream and showed me reality. I know I would not have got my dream without him. The advice I give is that if you find someone who your gut instinct tells you can be trusted, follow their advice. I have been so lucky and I have a wonderful boat to show for it. I wrote my journey and thoughts in a blog, sadly cannot yet put it public due to fear from the past but one day hope to shout to the world the pathway I trod.

[Rickent]

I am almost past the reading stage, my house has just sold and the boat search has begun.

Exciting tmes.

Good on you.

I think lots of people do not get past the reading stage.

I scared myself silly reading maybe far to much but I commenced on my journey about 16 months ago and everything I did I read and re read and then checked up but to be honest I did not follow advice over some aspects e.g. my boat builder, it was dodgy and i could have crashed before I began but I had luck and the support of an amazing man, a boat fitter who took my dream and showed me reality. I know I would not have got my dream without him. The advice I give is that if you find someone who your gut instinct tells you can be trusted, follow their advice. I have been so lucky and I have a wonderful boat to show for it. I wrote my journey and thoughts in a blog, sadly cannot yet put it public due to fear from the past but one day hope to shout to the world the pathway I trod.

[Ange]

 

No idea - what does your marine engineer friend know about canal boats?

 

I'm getting highly pissed off with threads knocking surveyors

 

Richard

Wot he said.

 

We had a fantastic day with our surveyor - yes an entire day. He talked us through all the boat's systems, was incredibly thorough and looked in nooks and cubbyholes we wouldn't have even known existed. We bought a rather tatty boat but found the steel pitting was minimal, so could move aboard feeling a good degree of confidence that the hull was sound and she wasn't going to sink.

 

Every penny very well spent and never regretted.

[MtB]

It isn't surveyors being knocked.

 

The knocking is mostly of posts suggesting one sues the surveyor for oversights and errors. This attitude of getting a survey so you have a target to sue should a problem arise later need stamping out.

 

If you are getting a survey so you can learn and benefit from the surveyor's knowledge then excellent.

 

MtB

[Rickent]

It isn't surveyors being knocked.

 

The knocking is mostly of posts suggesting one sues the surveyor for oversights and errors. This attitude of getting a survey so you have a target to sue should a problem arise later need stamping out.

 

If you are getting a survey so you can learn and benefit from the surveyor's knowledge then excellent.

 

MtB

 

 

 

 

 

From everything I have read up to now , it seems there is so much small print and ass covering that the chance of suing a surveyor seems quite small.

feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

[Lmcgrath87]

From everything I have read up to now , it seems there is so much small print and ass covering that the chance of suing a surveyor seems quite small.

feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

That is certainly how it is with residential surveys. Still looks like regardless, there is a lot of be learnt from attending a boat survey.

[Athy]

Do you subscribe to the Living On A Narrowboat web site? It is compiled by paul Smith who works at Calcutt Marina and who lives with his wife on their narrowboat. It's free, and Paul's newsletter arrives by e-mail most weeks. Although I don't live on my boat I find the content well-written, interesting and useful.

Edited September 28, 2014 by Athy

[Bettie Boo]

That is certainly how it is with residential surveys. Still looks like regardless, there is a lot of be learnt from attending a boat survey.

 

As well as giving us the satisfaction of knowing the thickness of the steel of the hull, our surveyor taught us loads about our boat, things to look out for, how to carry out some of the simple maintenance, basic engine maintenance, caring for the wood interior and on and on. He also told us what value he would put on the boat.

 

For anyone who is a novice to canal boats and thinking of buying one, personally I would highly recommend getting yourself a good boat surveyor.

[Lmcgrath87]

Do you subscribe to the Living On A Narrowboat web site? It is compiled by paul Smith who works at Calcutt Marina and who lives with his wife on their narrowboat. It's free, and Paul's newsletter arrives by e-mail most weeks. Although I don't live on my boat I find the content well-written, interesting and useful.

I don't but I will check the site out!

 

I was trying to explain to my gran about our move today, she didn't quite grasp it bless her.

[floatsyourboat]

 

 

Now, having been on building surveys/homebuyers and read/edited more than probably 1000 I know they are chock full of caveats and other bum covering comments and general vague recommendations like 'will require ongoing maintenance' I would be reluctant to ever really get one done one a property... is this the same with boats? As a newbie I appreciate going out with a surveyor to look at a boat would be highly beneficial from a learning point of view. But what can a surveyor offer me that my marine engineer friend can't?

A thickness test and a hammer test if needed so all your books don't get wet unless you have a kindle then you can just download them all again!

I am keeping loads of my books as some of them are not on kindle but I have a kindle too for some magazines I can't get easily in the Uk.

I find living on a boat or in a van you think more about your life rather than sustaining the need to fill a house with meaningless "stuff"

[Alan de Enfield]

.................but I have a kindle too for some magazines I can't get easily in the Uk

 

 

 

Are those the ones available on the Dutch websites ?

[Trillian]

As it looks like we haven't managed to put you off I suppose you had better learn the answers that people will ask you later

 

Isn't it cold? No it's bl00dy freezing!

Isn't it damp? No it turns to ice so quick you don't get wet

Do you have a toilet? No I use the hedge

Do you have a cooker? No I just eat takeaways

Can you live cheaply? No it costs twice as much as a house in Mayfair

 

You must learn all these so that we can stop too many people coming on the waterways!!!

I am also playing with:

 

Why do you want to live on a boat? No choice mate, too old for a mortgage and can't afford to rent around here so got to make the best of a bad thing <sigh>

 

Really really looking forward to getting out there!

[RLWP]

No choice mate, too old for a mortgage and can't afford to rent around here so got to make the best of a bad thing <sigh>

 

I take it you are assuming it will be cheaper than renting?

 

Richard

[Lmcgrath87]

My next research task is electrics/gas/generally running the boat. I AM A COMPLETE NOVICE - to the point where I don't even understand how electricity works (seriously.) I don't understand battery sizes, I understand If we're not hooked up to a power supply we will need to run the engine to charge our batteries, but I don't know what this means in terms of cooking,heating, water, etc.

 

What i DO know is i like the idea of solar panels.

 

Is there a guide for dummies I can get hold of?

[RLWP]

Is there a guide for dummies I can get hold of?

 

Yes - go visit a boat, hire a boat, borrow a boat, go sit in a boat - go on a boat!

 

If you turn up to the Buckby Banter, you can see how it is done on a late 1980's boat

 

Richard

[Lmcgrath87]

 

Yes - go visit a boat, hire a boat, borrow a boat, go sit in a boat - go on a boat!

 

If you turn up to the Buckby Banter, you can see how it is done on a late 1980's boat

 

Richard

 

Thanks - I do intend to hire boat (hopefully for a long weekend), but when I say I know nothing i mean nothing, I'm not even sure how I managed to get a science GCSE.

[Phil Ambrose]

My next research task is electrics/gas/generally running the boat. I AM A COMPLETE NOVICE - to the point where I don't even understand how electricity works (seriously.) I don't understand battery sizes, I understand If we're not hooked up to a power supply we will need to run the engine to charge our batteries, but I don't know what this means in terms of cooking,heating, water, etc.

 

What i DO know is i like the idea of solar panels.

 

Is there a guide for dummies I can get hold of?

What might be a good idea is to ask one question at a time, then we could sort of drip feed you the basics which would give you more time to absorb the info plus you wouldn't suffer from info overload.

It is a steep learning curve but don't sweat on it.

Phil

[Athy]

 

Yes - go visit a boat, hire a boat, borrow a boat, go sit in a boat - go on a boat!

 

 

 

 

Very sound advice - to do otherwise would be like looking at pictures of curry/ beer/ whatever's your fancy without ever tasting them.

 

As a very starting point, a boat with a water-cooled engine will generally heat domestic water, through a little tank called a calorifier, while the engine is running. A boat with an air-cooled engine will usually not heat domestic water. Other methods include instant gas powered water heaters of the kind found in bedsits, back boilers in solid fuel stoves, and central heating systems. It is prudent to have at least two of these methods available in case one goes wrong!

Gas for boats usually comes in 13 kilogram bottles. These generally live in a compartment in the bows and last for absolutely ages but always run out when you are half way through cooking a meal.

[RLWP]

 

Thanks - I do intend to hire boat (hopefully for a long weekend), but when I say I know nothing i mean nothing, I'm not even sure how I managed to get a science GCSE.

 

So, why try to fill your head with this stuff by reading it - a couple of hours on a real boat will give you a lot more info in a way that is easier to digest

 

Get off your computer and out on the cut. We know you are new to this, you are happy to let people know you are ignorant rather than pretending you know stuff, so people will willingly answer your questions.

 

Richard

Edited September 29, 2014 by RLWP

[Lmcgrath87]

thanks guys - I have just been looking into hire around. It's a shame you can't only do 1 night on a boat as due to holiday restrictions and hubs working on Sundays we don't have full weekends to spend away. But I think I have found something that could work.

 

I have suggested a book because that's how I learn and absorb information better than doing stuff hands on at first. But I will endeavour to get out on the river this weekend with any luck and see if I can introduce myself to folk and maybe get a little tour/idea of the workings of a boat. - Will be in Whitchurch in Hampshire this weekend, not sure if there will be any boats near there?

[Trillian]

 

I take it you are assuming it will be cheaper than renting?

 

Richard

 

Nope, fully aware that it is probably around the same. Mind you renting around here is absurdly expensive so maybe more accurate to say as expensive as my mortgage but maybe cheaper than renting.

 

Maybe I should consider renting my flat out instead of selling?