Renting a boat to use as a crash pad

[G4YVM]

I dont know whether this is going to go anywhere, but bear with me...even though to almost everyone I am essentially a stranger here!

I live darn sarf in Salisbury but soon will have to go the Birmingham area to work for a few days each week, weekdays and weekends, who knows. I will obviously need somewhere to live and as my job is basically shift work (Im a pilot) my comings and goings are at odd hours of the day and night. I would be happy to travel up to about 40 minutes each way to the airport.

I can either get a b and b, or rent a room somewhere or, it occurred to me, try to live on a canal boat. Is this likely to be a possibility do you think? Can I rent a vessel for this purpose? Does anyone have a boat they might want someone on a few nights or days a week throughout the winter to keep it warm and safe?

I have rented boats in the past, and borrowed boats from friends so Im a safe pair of hands and it will only be me on board, no family etc etc.

David

[Paul C]

Yeah you can rent but its not official - unless its actually a hire boat, which sounds wholly unsuitable to your needs. This means its much harder to find out openly about boats for rent. Also, few boats have timed central heating - do you really want to be coming back to a boat at, say, 9pm, unable to run the engine and have to wait a couple of hours for the SF stove to warm the interior up? I'd go with renting a small flat or B&Bs in the situation you're in.

 

If your idea was slightly modified into buying a secondhand boat, keeping it on a mooring, then using it part time, it would be a much better one. And its quite possible to buy secondhand and resell later with not too much loss (you won't gain, boats in general depreciate). Its also possible to search around, or add, central heating eg diesel Mikuni or Webasto, which could be upgraded to have a timer, even a remote on/off function via text message.

[OldGoat]

Your work style really wouldn't work (as above) if your boat was just on the towpath, but could work if you kept it in a marina with a mains power supply - then warming it up could be set with a quick CQ, CQ (haha).

 

If you're based at 'birmingham' airport, then perhaps Fazeley Mills Marina might suit/ Slightly off the flightpath (query that) it should be quiet and you wouldn't be residential due to your work pattern (an assumption).

 

WinWin

[Dalslandia]

G4? the cream della cream

[GUMPY]

G4? the cream della cream

No

G6xxx is still the best

unless of course you are G2,G3,or G8

[MtB]

 

I dont know whether this is going to go anywhere, but bear with me...even though to almost everyone I am essentially a stranger here!

 

I live darn sarf in Salisbury but soon will have to go the Birmingham area to work for a few days each week, weekdays and weekends, who knows. I will obviously need somewhere to live and as my job is basically shift work (Im a pilot)

 

 

That's interesting.

 

Is it Calor you work for, or British Gas?

[G4YVM]

Well I am a proppa G4...because before that I was a G8 so I think that counts. G8YJI in fact...if youve got a QSL card of mine from the 80s I'd love to see it.

 

A pilot...no, I drive boats around the airport on wet days. On dry days it's just Thomas Cook jets!!!

 

Buying a boat is an interesting option, cheaper than a flat I guess but as you say, a depreciating asset (does that make it a liability??)

 

Lots to chew over

 

D

[Dalslandia]

http://www.aviationbridge.com/our-fleet/gulfstream-g4/

[MtB]

http://gulfstream-repairs.co.uk/

 

Lol!

[Arthur Brown]

Just work out where the neatly pressed uniform will come from! Boats and ironing seldom go together. You could need a professional cleaners to keep the uniform in the condition that your company expects.

 

Alternatively sit in the back row before the pax get there, in casual clothes. Then after they are all seated just say "If no-one else is going to fly this thing, I will!" and march up to the left seat.

[Alan de Enfield]

No

G6xxx is still the best

unless of course you are G2,G3,or G8

 

Agreed

 

(G3LCR retired)

[Dave_P]

 

I dont know whether this is going to go anywhere, but bear with me...even though to almost everyone I am essentially a stranger here!

 

I live darn sarf in Salisbury but soon will have to go the Birmingham area to work for a few days each week, weekdays and weekends, who knows. I will obviously need somewhere to live and as my job is basically shift work (Im a pilot) my comings and goings are at odd hours of the day and night. I would be happy to travel up to about 40 minutes each way to the airport.

 

I can either get a b and b, or rent a room somewhere or, it occurred to me, try to live on a canal boat. Is this likely to be a possibility do you think? Can I rent a vessel for this purpose? Does anyone have a boat they might want someone on a few nights or days a week throughout the winter to keep it warm and safe?

 

I have rented boats in the past, and borrowed boats from friends so Im a safe pair of hands and it will only be me on board, no family etc etc.

 

David

 

It happens a bit in Brum but mostly to friends or friends-of-friends on a fairly informal basis. It seems that won't apply in your case so you could check gumtree regularly, as boats to hire like this pop up from time to time. If I wasn't living on my boat, I might consider letting someone stay from time to time, but only if I knew them well. As has been mentioned already, it isn't officially allowed but I'm not aware of anyone ending up in court etc. Its more a case of the landlord risking an ownership dispute over the boat and the tenant having no security of tenure.

more info https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/a-boat-of-your-own/renting-a-boat-to-live-on-or-hiring-out-your-own-boat

[Dave Clinton]

Just work out where the neatly pressed uniform will come from! Boats and ironing seldom go together.

 

Gosh, what ill-informed prejudice.

 

What exactly is it about a boat prevents the use of an iron?

[Heffalump]

 

Gosh, what ill-informed prejudice.

 

What exactly is it about a boat prevents the use of an iron?

 

I was thinking that too - as a drill instructor I have to have the highest standards of irony, I mean ironing. I certainly can't see them depreciating when I get on board.

[Arthur Brown]

Unless this proposed boat is on shoreline, I can see issues with power for an electric iron after a few weeks of occasional attendance by someone unfamiliar with power generation and use on a boat.

[Paul C]

 

Gosh, what ill-informed prejudice.

 

What exactly is it about a boat prevents the use of an iron?

 

Sounds like its the other way round, and you've assumed the boat has a shoreline or some kind of magical electrical system which means you arrive at the boat late at night and can flick a switch and run the large inverter required to power an iron for a while, to warm up then iron a bunch of clothes. Of course, a minority of boats not on shoreline can do this - but a rented out boat is unlikely to be configured as such.

[Arthur Brown]

Add to that the opportunity to destroy a nice pair of uniform dress shoes while walking along a dark muddy towpath.

[David Mack]

 

Sounds like its the other way round, and you've assumed the boat has a shoreline or some kind of magical electrical system which means you arrive at the boat late at night and can flick a switch and run the large inverter required to power an iron for a while, to warm up then iron a bunch of clothes. Of course, a minority of boats not on shoreline can do this - but a rented out boat is unlikely to be configured as such.

 

+

[Paul C]

Best of liuck in the heat of a hot summer running the stove too!!!!!