Does anyone work/live out of the country and still keep a narrowboat? How?

[kazbluesky]

I'll be coming back to live permanently in England at some point, but am wondering if it would be possible to buy a narrowboat now and then work on it/live on it the times I'm back in England on holiday. With my job I get really, really big holidays. I could come back for the months of August, September and February, March. Does anyone on this forum do this kind of thing already?

 

Cost is a big issue, so I couldn't just throw money out as a solution. I don't care at all where in the UK the boat would be moored. So what do you think is the absolute, most cost effective answer to this problem?

[Mike on the Wey]

Hire. You could get a good deal in the colder months.

[Mac of Cygnet]

Four months a year on the boat is a lot more than some people spend on their boat while living in this country!

 

I think quite a few people maintain a boat while working abroad.

 

Yes, you could hire cheaply in the winter, but July and August would be anything but.

 

A boatshare arrangement may suit you as a compromise. Quite a few come up on Philip Duerdon's site, http://www.boatshare.co.uk/

 

Keeping the boat in a marina is cheaper away from the south-east.

[John V]

Did it for a few years in the 70's with a bit less time in the UK than you (averaged about 2.5 months a year)

Things were a bit easier then to find sensible places at sensible prices

It's possible, but the more "economic" it is required to be the more footwork needed to find a suitable place, I found a small privately run boatyard where the owner lived on site and looked after the boats on his moorings

 

IMO You do need either a marina that you can trust to look after your boat or one or two good friends who you can depend on to do the same.

Unexpected events can happen.

[kazbluesky]

Is it much to have your boat taken out of the water and put on land and 'stored' than having it in water? But then I guess it costs an arm and a leg to to get it lifted out and then again when you want it lifted back in again.

[Alan de Enfield]

If you arrange long term hire with such as ETTR.com at £1000-£2000 per month you are looking at a lot of money.

 

The alternative would be buy a boat and pay for a marina in the Midlands/North at around £2500 per annum. You would have the costs of buying and maintaining, licence insurance etc but it would probably work out less than long term hire.

 

You have security (locked gates, no public access) water, electricity on tap, showers etc etc. Neighbours who can keep an eye on the boat for you - even give them a key and they can put some heating on for you in the winter.- but when you want to go cruising just untie and off you go,

 

We are in a BWML marina and one of the benefits is that you get free use of any of the other 19 marinas in the group - so if (for example) your berth is in Newark, and you are cruising down towards London you get free moorings in London

 

Edit to add link (other marinas avalable - just personal knowledge of BWML)

 

http://www.bwml.co.uk/marina-map

Edited September 21, 2014 by Alan de Enfield

[John V]

Huh!!!

 

Alan I have just had to erase a load of two finger typing !!!

 

I'll just address the second question....it depends on what type of boat and where you go and what on site equipment they have.....My small cruiser spent two winters on chocks in a Marina in the Midlands and costwise it was very little different to it being in the water.......again it all involves a lot of legwork.

[kazbluesky]

If you arrange long term hire with such as ETTR.com at £1000-£2000 per month you are looking at a lot of money.

 

The alternative would be buy a boat and pay for a marina in the Midlands/North at around £2500 per annum. You would have the costs of buying and maintaining, licence insurance etc but it would probably work out less than long term hire.

 

You have security (locked gates, no public access) water, electricity on tap, showers etc etc. Neighbours who can keep an eye on the boat for you - even give them a key and they can put some heating on for you in the winter.- but when you want to go cruising just untie and off you go,

 

We are in a BWML marina and one of the benefits is that you get free use of any of the other 19 marinas in the group - so if (for example) your berth is in Newark, and you are cruising down towards London you get free moorings in London

 

Edit to add link (other marinas avalable - just personal knowledge of BWML)

 

http://www.bwml.co.uk/marina-map

 

I'll have a look at their website, thanks.

 

The reason why I don't want to hire a boat is 1 that it's really expensive (8-900 a week last time I looked) and 2 I want to potter about on the boat and do bits and pieces. My hobby is fixing (breaking?) stuff so that's going to be a big part of what boat I buy. Nothing too hard though, I can just about pull the trigger on a Black and Decker and hold a hammer - that's my level.

[Sabcat]

There's a Kiwi fella here who lives in perpetual summer. 6 months over here on the boat, 6 months in New Zealand.

[Odana]

There's a Kiwi fella here who lives in perpetual summer. 6 months over here on the boat, 6 months in New Zealand.

We have an Australian neighbour who does the same.

If you prep the boat properly when leaving, should be OK. A trusted neighbour/friend to check in every now and again is better though.

[Burgiesburnin]

Myself and another person that also lives out of the UK are in a similar position to yourself. We are looking to buy a boat in the UK that we can use for extended holidays afloat.

We are currently looking for two ( maybe three) more people and one of these would ideally live in the UK just to coordinate the usage and to look after any maintenance issues that may need attention.

If you want to discuse this a bit more and kick some ideas around then send me a pm.