CC'ing + full time job = possible?

[snicho]

Hi there, I'm new to the forum (and boating) and have a couple of questions that I hope someone on here can help me with.

My partner and I are looking to buy a 19m (mostly) liveaboard barge and we're looking for a mooring somewhere on the grand Union between London and marsworth, but there are none big enough for us that we can find atm. So we're thinking of cc'ing (even once we have a mooring we plan on cruising for several weeks at a time, but just coming back to 'Home base' in between) around the lower grand Union/regents canal and the Thames. I work full time in Marylebone and my partner is freelance with most of his work in Aylesbury/shepperton/London area.

 

Is there anyone on here who works full time and manages to CC around the London area? Mostly concerned about fitting the maintenance and daily extras around the day job, as well as the more obvious challenge of moving every 2 weeks. Any insights/advice much appreciated!

 

Another big factor is just how possible it is to get through London and find a mooring for a boat as big as ours?! We've seen a few similar boats moored up on regents canal but at 4.2m beam she's quite a monster.

[jenlyn]

The cruising patern you wish to do with that boat will be a pain in my opinion. Get a couple of pushbikes, and spend a couple of days cycling to London on the towpath. It will give you a good view of what you will be up against.

Something of that size, I would suggest a mooring first.

[Graham Davis]

Do you have any experience of navigating a boat 19mt by 4.2mt (63' x 14)?

Or even any canal boat?

[Lady Muck]

The boat is very wide and even on the Lee you'll struggle. It's mooring space. I have a narrowboat and I've written off most of town, as regards mooring, now. I'm not gonna mince my words, it's a really stupid idea.
Get used to boats first. It's not a flat, you will be navigating it. On the London canals, bigger does not mean better, it can be a bloody nightmare. I know of someone new (ok two years) with a boat as big as that and they still can't even moor the damn thing up.
If its a big Dutch barge, Get experience on a smaller boat first, even if the dimensions seem ok, it may be too big for the Regents purely because of the shape ( some are) , the bigger ones need two crew. You will have no weed hatch and will be scraping your arse through plastic bags everywhere you go, ( slow, frustrating progress) you'd be better off on the Thames or Medway.
You are buying a boat, not fitting a bra. So don't look at the lock dimensions and go as big as you can and try to fit those dimensions, because that does not take into account bridge shapes, tunnels, tight bends, available mooring space, shallow waters. Worst case scenario, the boat can only be navigated on a short stretch of canal, because it is too big for the navigation and you end up in enforcement and threatened with losing your home, as someone I know of who has chanced it, with the size of boat they bought. Not surprised, either, we predicted it.
Unless you are loaded there are no permanent moorings anywhere near London for a boat that big. Don't end up finding out the hard way that it's so hard to cruise it that you'll be in enforcement before you can say 'luxury floating apartment.'
Ok whinge over, places with moorings for big boats, Penton Hook on the Thames always has space for bigguns, but at a price. Try Highline at Iver, Harefield marina, get on your bike like Jenlyn says, cycle the towpath, a lot of moorings are private, if you show up at some, you never know, if they have space or a waiting list and they like you, a lot of it is luck. Good luck.

[peterboat]

the sort of boat you are looking at is ok up north where the canals were designed for them but down south its a different kettle of fish. also down south there are far more boats than up here i am in complete agreement with lady muck your dream will become a nightmare to say the least

[howardang]

It would be a real breath of fresh air if just once in a while one of these increasingly frequent types of postings would start with .....Although having no interest in boating, or awareness of any issues associated with boating, I am looking for an alternative and cheaper housing alternative to allow us to continue living and working in the London area. Any ideas?

 

I live in hope:-)

 

Howard

[Burgiesburnin]

It would be a real breath of fresh air if just once in a while one of these increasingly frequent types of postings would start with .....Although having no interest in boating, or awareness of any issues associated with boating, I am looking for an alternative and cheaper housing alternative to allow us to continue living and working in the London area. Any ideas?

I live in hope:-)

Howard

 

Seconded

[John V]

I think we should all make a note of LM's post and just refer to it when the next one pops up, I think it says it all perfectly

[matty40s]

Lady Muck has it correct for me.

If it helps,I worked long shifts in Central London for 2 1/2 years, My cruising range was Leighton Buzzard to Hertford/ Bishops Stortford. Train , tube, car and bike were all used. I also love boating, don't boat to live.

I have a 70ft narrowboat and could already single hand it easily. It was 5 years ago and thousands of boats have been added to central London since, filling existing moorings and now mooring in places that nobody used to moor.

So mooring is far more difficult to find now, even for a normal canal boat never mind a Dutch barge.

It is do - able , but will be hard work, especially in the Winter.

[bargemast]

I think we should all make a note of LM's post and just refer to it when the next one pops up, I think it says it all perfectly

 

Very true and the best answer they could wish for, also it's far from the first time that Lady Muck tells people about this.

 

It almost sounds like a broken record that nobody (new would-be boaters) seems to listen to.

 

Peter.

[alan_fincher]

At one point you say "looking to buy" the boat, but aother you refer to it as "ours".

 

So do you own it or not, and if you are referring to a specific boat, exactly what kind of "barge"is it.?

 

Is the 4.2 metre beam strictly accurate, and what is the draught and air draught?

 

Have you had a look at bridges like the double arched one on the Grand Union at Apsley? Are you sure it would fit?

 

Where is the boat at the moment?

[Murflynn]

the best answer would be 'search this forum'.

 

I find it amazing that these threads crop up regularly, suggesting that although the OP has found this forum, he has not even bothered to search for answers on previous threads ............... implying that he probably hasn't even been considering this option for more than a day or two.

[Alan de Enfield]

It would be much simpler to use C&RTs thinking to answer the question :

 

" No - CCing is to allow retired people the freedom to cruise - anyone with 'ties' to an area cannot CC".

Edited December 21, 2015 by Alan de Enfield

[bargemast]

the best answer would be 'search this forum'.

 

I find it amazing that these threads crop up regularly, suggesting that although the OP has found this forum, he has not even bothered to search for answers on previous threads ............... implying that he probably hasn't even been considering this option for more than a day or two.

 

Apart from the fact that the OP seems to be a "she", I agree completely with what you wrote.

 

Peter.

[mrsmelly]

the sort of boat you are looking at is ok up north where the canals were designed for them but down south its a different kettle of fish. also down south there are far more boats than up here i am in complete agreement with lady muck your dream will become a nightmare to say the least

 

I would second this. Also its nice in fact very nice oop north on the big system with moorings a plenty so you could jack your jobs in daarn souff and move somewhere nice to live instead of that sh--hole London. Thats why bnoat ownership is so great it enables moving around and escaping a dump.

 

Tim

[bottle]

snicho

 

Welcome to the forum, you may think that we are giving you a rough ride but the number of people that come on here and wish to 'live' in London on a boat...

 

At least, I hope, you are asking before buying if not then you have a big, big problem.

 

All I can say is read post #4 (Lady Muck), her post is honest and true.

 

I have been boating for many, many years and live-aboard (narrow-boat) and would not even contemplate a boat that big and trying to CC in London, in fact, I would not like to try with my narrow-boat.

 

C&RT are very tough on the 'rules' in London and it will only get worse.

[MtB]

One point in the OP's defence is that we all started somewhere, with no knowledge, to do our research. Even me :-/

 

The OP landed on the forum, saw it was busy and posted their question. The search facility is hardly obvious or easy to use.

 

Although I note they haven't been back since, so far, to check for answers.

[dmr]

It would be a real breath of fresh air if just once in a while one of these increasingly frequent types of postings would start with .....Although having no interest in boating, or awareness of any issues associated with boating, I am looking for an alternative and cheaper housing alternative to allow us to continue living and working in the London area. Any ideas?

 

I live in hope:-)

 

Howard

 

You forgot the second paragraph..

I have never been on a boat or spent any time on a canal but I have done lots of research on the internet and decided to get a 70 foot by 14 foot boat built for me, my friend is a designer and will be designing it for me.

 

.............Dave

[MtB]

 

You forgot the second paragraph..

I have never been on a boat or spent any time on a canal but I have done lots of research on the internet and decided to get a 70 foot by 14 foot boat built for me, my friend is a designer and will be designing it for me.

 

.............Dave

 

 

Haha yes!

 

Or "we are imaginative young professionals, and have noticed all boats are remarkably similar. We have loads of great new ideas no-one else has ever thought of we will incorporate into the design of our new boat..."

[snicho]

Thanks for your replies! I've been trawling many forums and messaging any friends of friends of friends who I can find who have experience in the area, but couldn't see much referring to a boat of this size or indeed people that didn't want to actually be 'in' London but around it. She's on the Lee at the moment, so would have to get her through London even if only to escape again up the GU the other side. We haven't bought the boat yet - we lost our hearts to her already but the head is putting on the brakes.

TBH we are both pretty reluctant Londoners, so its definitely boating first, London second in terms of priorities. We do, however, have work and other commitments that tie us to the greater london area for at least the next year or so. After that we hope to be free to cruise more widely (and with a barge there's the coastal options too). It's looking like it might be wise to just put the boating plans on hold until we can have a bit more freedom to explore and make the most out of her, but will be very sad to pass up this particular boat

[blackrose]

I'd also say a boat of that size is too big to CC in the areas described, mainly because of the amount of boats and also due to limited and oversubscribed facilities. My widebeam is 57' x 12' and I know I could do it because I used to CC in that area, plus unlike most Dutch barges my boat is highly maneuverable and I've taken it through London without a problem.

 

Ignoring the issue of contravention of CRT rules, in theory it could be done on a bigger boat, but it wouldn't be an enjoyable lifestyle.

Edited December 21, 2015 by blackrose

[mark99]

I widebeam owner I know sold his 12 wide foot boat via an estate agent (he had dozens of viewers). The person bought it insisted that it MUST be delivered to Little Venice despite him carefully advising the buyer who had never steered a boat that it would be wise to cruise up and down an out of town area first to get the hang of it and at least be able to moor up!

[OldGoat]

Seems to me you'd be better off on the Thames, that is unless you're really wanting to do it on the cheap.....

Try Shepperton or Penton Hook marinas. If you go out regularly to cruise then you'd (most likely) satisfy their occupation requirements.

[Lady Muck]

Thanks for taking it onboard, it's not funny watching boaters being threatened with homelessness due to a decision they made.

Just to add, my neighbour, next to me on our Lea mooring has a Tjalk, she's not far off those dimensions. Probably 12 foot rather than 13 1/2 though. Back in the day, he took her as far as Knowle. (just outside Birmingham).

Now he says it's impossible due to amount of boats and lack of dredging.

The trust even had to 'dig a hole' for him to moor in, here, because it's too shallow.

He took her to Uxbridge last spring to have her surveyed, broke the propeller on something in the water, was stuck up there for ten weeks waiting for a new one (it had to be made to order) , he went back in the summer to have her rebottomed at great expense, came back, declared he is never cruising the canals through London ever again.

I widebeam owner I know sold his 12 wide foot boat via an estate agent (he had dozens of viewers). The person bought it insisted that it MUST be delivered to Little Venice despite him carefully advising the buyer who had never steered a boat that it would be wise to cruise up and down an out of town area first to get the hang of it and at least be able to moor up!

 

We watched someone trying to moor a biggun (70 x 13) opposite us. There was plenty of space, but they just had no clue how to manoeuvre it into the space. They couldn't do it. It was like one of those parallel parking videos you see on youtube. Because they cannot manoeuvre into a bankside space, they double moor all the time, often against little narrowboats, I've seen them tie to three separate boats all around them, at once. This is no good, some of the mooring practise we've witnessed, it's enough to sink the little 'un on the inside. They say they are going to get training, I sincerely hope so. A big boat like that on a river in flood can cause chaos if it comes unmoored.

[GUMPY]

As possibly the only one on here that has run a barge on the GU of almost that size I would say that you should forget it.

Parglena is 18.3 x 3.6m and that was really hard work for two of us, even with my experience (45+ years on boats) it was a struggle. The extra 0.6m on the beam on that boat will make it a nightmare getting under many of the bridges on the GU expect to hit a lot of them.

We had a home mooring and found that we rarely moved cos of the hastle. Ended up buying a second boat to go boating in......

Edited December 21, 2015 by Loddon