Decommissioning a functioning boat enough to satisfy CRT that it's a butty..

[Wanted]

So, thoughts at this stage, but as we plan to add a second boat to our family, it would be highly likely that we buy a narrow boat and use it like a butty. Obviously I would like to try and minimise costs and declaring the boat as unpowered would mean savings on second licence fee.

 

So, what do you think I would need to do to satisfy the trust that one of my boats was indeed a butty. I would like to do the bare minimum given the possibility of a later sale.

 

Your thoughts?

 

Best Rob

[MtB]

I'd say unless you removed the engine, you'd have a hard time convincing CRT it was unpowered...

[Laurence Hogg]

Engine removed, stern tube blanked off, fuel tanks and associated controls removed. Seems a lot of trouble to save a few quid.

[Texasboater]

Buy a butty and save the agro?

[MtB]

Yes £20k gets one FAR more butty than powered boat.

An sells for much the same price when finished with, without all the fecking about removing da engun

[DeanS]

does an unpowered butty not have to pay a licence?

[GoodGurl]

does an unpowered butty not have to pay a licence?

50%

[Jay4424]

50%

 

ONLY if paired with a single motor for the entirity of the licence, moored at the same mooring and licecnces applied for at the same time.

 

 

 

...Unfortunatly I found tis out too late, as although I own a motor, its morrings are different to my butties, infac on a different water way!!

[Wanted]

Thanks all, so, mooring and pairing isn't an issue, it seems as if I would need to weigh up the cost savings of buying a cheap NB (of which I only really need a shell for bedrooms) vs an actual butty vs paying a full licence.

 

On balance I think for what I have been offered, it might make sense to pay for two full licences..

Edited May 28, 2015 by Wanted

[Athy]

If bedroom space is your primary requirement, perhaps you could consider one of the many 20-30 foot long NBs which were produced in the '80s and '90s. One of those would offer an extra bedroom (and bathroom of sorts) but would attract low licence and mooring fees. It would also be relatively cheap to buy in the first place - you should get change out of £10,000.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Athy

[Wanted]

If bedroom space is your primary requirement, perhaps you could consider one of the many 20-30 foot long NBs which were produced in the '80s and '90s. One of those would offer an extra bedroom (and bathroom of sorts) but would attract low licence and mooring fees. It would also be relatively cheap to buy in the first place - you should get change out of £10,000.

That's kind of my thinking Athy, mooring wise is not an issue as I have space inclusive of my existing mooring.

 

Thanks all, I am closer to a decision.

[RLWP]

That's kind of my thinking Athy, mooring wise is not an issue as I have space inclusive of my existing mooring.

Thanks all, I am closer to a decision.

Are you sure that you can double up on your mooring?

 

Richard

[Wanted]

Are you sure that you can double up on your mooring?

 

Richard

100%

 

Am a lucky man with a private mooring that can accommodate wide beams or two NBs.

[koukouvagia]

 

ONLY if paired with a single motor for the entirety of the licence, moored at the same mooring and licenes applied for at the same time.

 

 

 

.

This simple condition turned out to be a nightmare to fulfill when I wanted to moor our butty alongside the motor. It turns out that the licences for both boats had to run from the same time, not simply that I had to apply for both licences at the same time.

 

Deep breath. The renewal dates for the two licences were two months apart - so I could either pay for 10 months on the butty or 14 months on the motor to align the two licences.

I was met with the classic response: "the computer says no."

It took dozens of phone calls and copious correspondence before it was sorted out.

Edited May 28, 2015 by koukouvagia

[Wanted]

This simple condition turned out to be a nightmare to fulfill when I wanted to moor our butty alongside the motor. It turns out that the licences for both boats had to run from the same time, not simply that I had to apply for both licences at the same time.

 

Deep breath. The renewal dates for the two licences were two months apart - so I could either pay for 10 months on the butty or 14 months on the motor to align the two licences.

I was met with the classic response: "the computer says no."

It took dozens of phone calls and copious correspondence before it was sorted out.

I can only imagine your struggle! For my own health I wonder if the removal of an engine, a battle with beurocracy and a boat that's harder to sell is worth the 'saving' Edited May 28, 2015 by Wanted

[RLWP]

I can only imagine your struggle! For my own health I wonder if the removal of an engine, a battle with beurocracy and a boat that's harder to sell is worth the 'saving'

To make a boat that will tow like a brick vs a proper butty. Honestly, that engine in the second boat will make life so much simpler

 

Richard

[FadeToScarlet]

To make a boat that will tow like a brick vs a proper butty. Honestly, that engine in the second boat will make life so much simpler

Richard

For electricity generation if nothing else- saves on umbilical cords, or a separate generator, might make hot water, really really really speeds up narrow lock flights.....

[DHutch]

Buy a butty and save the agro?

Yes £20k gets one FAR more butty than powered boat.

 

And an Elum and mast, so you can tow and stear the dam thing!

 

 

Daniel

[Wanted]

Yes, to be honest, this addition is far more likely to be static, although I take your point.

[DHutch]

I guess if its static is less of an issue, and there is the trade of off having a historic hull and all that entails, unless you find a modern repro butty for the right money....

 

Daniel

[Detling]

You could get a lined shell and only fit bathrooms and bedrooms. When you come to sell you or the new owner can fit the engine then.

[onionbargee]

Permanantly fix two narrow boats together abreast and put them on one licence.

 

I did it for a year or so. It caused a meltdown at CRT Headquarters. The letters you will get will be hilarious.

[Giant]

Permanantly fix two narrow boats together abreast and put them on one licence.

 

I did it for a year or so. It caused a meltdown at CRT Headquarters. The letters you will get will be hilarious.

 

That sounds hilarious. Is there a thread about this somewhere?

[David Mack]

ONLY if paired with a single motor for the entirity of the licence, moored at the same mooring and licecnces applied for at the same time.

 

What the CRT Terms and Conditions actually say is

 

Unpowered Butty

50% discount for a butty boat more than 50ft long that never travels separately from its motor boat. The motor boat must be licensed and licences for motor and butty must be concurrent with the same start and end date. To claim this discount, you must declare the name and index number of the motor boat.

So short butties don't get a discount.

 

I presume that "never travels separately from its motor boat" means that you can't take the butty out alone (or lend it to anyone else), but you can take the motor away, leaving the butty behind, providing it them doesn't move at all until the motor returns.

 

I note there is no actual requirement that the butty and motor have to have the same mooring.

[Odana]

I investigated the 'unpowered butty' licence for my 21ft office boat. Nope. BUT, I then discovered that electric powered boats get a 25% licence discount (whereas unpowered boats get none) so off came the dead petrol outboard and on went a small, cheap electric outboard (which lives in the shed as never used). Boat is now officially electric, and much cheaper to licence! Worth noting.