Living in Spain, boating in UK

[Whisky]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here and would like to hear your thoughts on my plans. I would like to buy a narrow boat and keep it in the UK near one of my son's homes. The idea is to spend the winters in the sun in Spain and the summers in the UK, when it is too hot in Spain. I usually spend 2 months in the UK in the summer and would like to spend more time in England where my sons and their families live. My only boating experience is a week in a narrow boat on the Thames a few years ago. I have a small caravan which I keep in England and, if I'm in the UK for more than 2 weeks, I always bring my car with me.

My question is: Can you see any problems in my plans? I have given this quite a lot of thought and have read a fair bit but of course I'm virtually a boating virgin.

I'm quite prepared to admit that it's entirely possible that the reality of boat owning may not match up to my dreams but I'm prepared to take that risk and accept the consequences.

Best wishes to all of you and to anyone who can spare the time to tell me their views on this "Muchas gracias".

Peter

[Alan de Enfield]

No problem at all - my only provisos being that you will still have 12 months of costs for just a couple of months usage.

It may well be more economic to hire a boat for a couple or three months than to buy and maintain one.

 

Contact 'escape the rat-race' for longer term hire costs.

http://www.etrr.co.uk/

 

last time I looked in detail they were about £1500 per month

 

Whilst 'running' costs on your own boat can vary widely, I think it is fairly well accepted that you are looking at upwards of £5000 per annum to keep a Narrow boat in fair-fettle

Moorings £3000+

Licence £800

Insurance £200

Maintenance costs £???????

Proportion of painting and blacking costs £1000@ per annum

 

You can either do very little on maintenance costs and 'run it into the ground' and get a low price when you come to sell, or you can keep it looking 'ship-shape' and recoup a good price when you come to sell.

[OldPeculier]

Hi Peter. Sounds like my (early) retirement plan. Only Canaries instead of Spain.

 

You'd need a permanent mooring I guess, which could be a bit expensive and boats in general do require a bit of money throwing at them now and again but I think its an excellent idea.

 

Of course, you either like the life or you don't. Only you can decide that.

[WotEver]

Hi Peter. Sounds like my (early) retirement plan. Only Canaries instead of Spain.

 

We're half way there; we already have the apartment in Gran Canaria. Only trouble is I'll have to keep working for another few years to finish paying for everything...

 

Tony

[Guest]

Whisky, on 29 Feb 2016 - 3:01 PM, said:

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here and would like to hear your thoughts on my plans. I would like to buy a narrow boat and keep it in the UK near one of my son's homes. The idea is to spend the winters in the sun in Spain and the summers in the UK, when it is too hot in Spain. I usually spend 2 months in the UK in the summer and would like to spend more time in England where my sons and their families live. My only boating experience is a week in a narrow boat on the Thames a few years ago. I have a small caravan which I keep in England and, if I'm in the UK for more than 2 weeks, I always bring my car with me.

My question is: Can you see any problems in my plans? I have given this quite a lot of thought and have read a fair bit but of course I'm virtually a boating virgin.

I'm quite prepared to admit that it's entirely possible that the reality of boat owning may not match up to my dreams but I'm prepared to take that risk and accept the consequences.

Best wishes to all of you and to anyone who can spare the time to tell me their views on this "Muchas gracias".

Peter

 

Assuming if by 'near my son's' you mean on a proper mooring then no problem.

 

Costs aside of course which will be a lot for a boat if you are not using it that much.

[Joe Bourke]

There are at least 3 boat owners that do exactly that, in this yard, Goole Marina. They are always nipping back and forth to Spain. Usually appear around July and leave around October, but often come back for various quick visits. Moorings/costs vary through out the country.

[captain birdseye]

If the idea is to boat throughout the summer months, then the boat would probably get more use than most leisure boats do. So the running costs would only be the same as most non live aboards pay for much the same thing.

[Alan de Enfield]

If the idea is to boat throughout the summer months, then the boat would probably get more use than most leisure boats do. So the running costs would only be the same as most non live aboards pay for much the same thing.

 

No argument about that.

 

But if you know nothing about boats then you do not know what the potential 'fixed' costs are, or the fact that they are 'truly' fixed costs and will not change just because you only use the boat for 2 months a year.

[Whisky]

Wow, that was quick! Thank you all for your replies. I am very much encouraged by them too. When I think about it, buying a boat is less of a risk than buying a home abroad, so I think it's likely to happen - probably early next year. In the meantime I need to find moorings, the right boat and read a lot more. Have found Youtube quite useful too. At least I won't have to learn a new language before I buy the boat! Escape the rat race sounds an interesting website. A long term let is always less of a risk than jumping in the deep end and buying, as long as the rentals are affordable.

 

No argument about that.

 

But if you know nothing about boats then you do not know what the potential 'fixed' costs are, or the fact that they are 'truly' fixed costs and will not change just because you only use the boat for 2 months a year.

I see what you mean. But there is also a risk in NOT buying a boat. The pound is worth a lot more than it was against the euro and I have accumulated some cash. As the Spanish say "There's not much point in being the richest man in the cemetery".

[Jim Batty]

... I would like to buy a narrow boat and keep it in the UK ... The idea is to spend the winters in the sun in Spain and the summers in the UK, when it is too hot in Spain. ...

My question is: Can you see any problems in my plans? ...

 

That sounds like a great idea and shouldn’t be a problem (given you can cover the costs). If you’re used to caravanning you should get on well with something similar that floats, but that can be even more customised to suit your own tastes and needs.

 

I know a couple who do exactly what you plan: live in Spain for half the year, on an narrowboat the other half ... and link the lifestyles with two campervan excursions across Europe each year! Seems like the best of all worlds if that’s your thing.

[Jack48]

Blimey, must be in the Spanish Agua, currently Almeria, heading up in April for the same job.

Currently looking at palm trees and the Med just cant leave it totally

[Whisky]

 

That sounds like a great idea and shouldn’t be a problem (given you can cover the costs). If you’re used to caravanning you should get on well with something similar that floats, but that can be even more customised to suit your own tastes and needs.

 

I know a couple who do exactly what you plan: live in Spain for half the year, on an narrowboat the other half ... and link the lifestyles with two campervan excursions across Europe each year! Seems like the best of all worlds if that’s your thing.

Couldn't agree more, Jim. I really enjoy the trip to the UK and back too. Love, Spain, love France and love the UK too.

[captain birdseye]

 

No argument about that.

 

But if you know nothing about boats then you do not know what the potential 'fixed' costs are, or the fact that they are 'truly' fixed costs and will not change just because you only use the boat for 2 months a year.

My only point was that the fact that the OP is living in Spain is not an issue and he is doing what leisure boaters do, in fact he would probably see more of his boat than some do. There are some boats near us that in sixteen years of mooring there I have yet to see people on, or see them move

[Alan de Enfield]

........ The pound is worth a lot more than it was against the euro and I have accumulated some cash. As the Spanish say "There's not much point in being the richest man in the cemetery".

 

£1 was originally Euro1.44, I recently transferred £100,000 and managed to get Euro 1.41.

I have today asked my broker to transfer some pounds to a euro account and only got 1.26.

The longer term forecast (particularly with the Brexit uncertainty) is parity.

 

If you are using euros to fund the purchase then hang on as the pound will continue to weaken and you will get (probably) 20% more pounds for your Euros.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Alan de Enfield

[WotEver]

I have today asked my broker to transfer some pounds to a euro account and only got 1.26.

Check out Transferwise Alan. I just transferred some today and got £1.28 (and only £4 commission).

 

Tony

[Paul C]

There's no massive issues but it would be worth having someone not too far, ie your son, who could go to the boat and check on it if needs be every now and again. If the boat is left too long then problems start to occur, batteries going flat, things seizing up etc etc. If you moored in a marina (or an online mooring for that matter) you would probably be able to find a fellow boater who could start the engine every so often, keep an eye on it etc.

[Alan de Enfield]

Check out Transferwise Alan. I just transferred some today and got £1.28 (and only £4 commission).

 

Tony

 

Many thanks for that - I use Halo and don't pay commission but always useful to have another option

[NB Lola]

We already have our boat and plan to rent in France/Spain. My annual fixed costs are about £4000 made up of marina mooring and electricity. CRT licence and insurance and one trip to be blacked per year - old boat and needs regular tlc from us. The interior is relatively new but I have added £300 per year sink fund to cover batteries and service. Figures do not include diesel or living aboard costs

[WotEver]

 

Many thanks for that - I use Halo and don't pay commission but always useful to have another option

You're welcome . Dunno why I stuck that pound sign in, but you knew what I meant.

 

Richard Branson has invested in Transferwise.

 

Tony

[GreenDuck]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here and would like to hear your thoughts on my plans. I would like to buy a narrow boat and keep it in the UK near one of my son's homes. The idea is to spend the winters in the sun in Spain and the summers in the UK, when it is too hot in Spain. I usually spend 2 months in the UK in the summer and would like to spend more time in England where my sons and their families live. My only boating experience is a week in a narrow boat on the Thames a few years ago. I have a small caravan which I keep in England and, if I'm in the UK for more than 2 weeks, I always bring my car with me.

My question is: Can you see any problems in my plans? I have given this quite a lot of thought and have read a fair bit but of course I'm virtually a boating virgin.

I'm quite prepared to admit that it's entirely possible that the reality of boat owning may not match up to my dreams but I'm prepared to take that risk and accept the consequences.

Best wishes to all of you and to anyone who can spare the time to tell me their views on this "Muchas gracias".

Peter

I do exactly the same and find condensation and mould management a constant problem with a boat left in the water do would suggest hard standing storage over winter.

[Whisky]

I do exactly the same and find condensation and mould management a constant problem with a boat left in the water do would suggest hard standing storage over winter.

Thanks for that. How much does hard standing cost? Narrow boats are pretty big, it sounds expensive. There's getting the boat out of water and later putting it back, then there's the storage itself. My caravan doesn't suffer from condensation or mold. Do you have double glazing?

[Whisky]

We already have our boat and plan to rent in France/Spain. My annual fixed costs are about £4000 made up of marina mooring and electricity. CRT licence and insurance and one trip to be blacked per year - old boat and needs regular tlc from us. The interior is relatively new but I have added £300 per year sink fund to cover batteries and service. Figures do not include diesel or living aboard costs

I could live with those costs for the boat. How long is your boat?

Re. living abroad. Check out house prices before you decide to rent. There were some very cheap deals for houses in Spain a couple of years back. Andalucia on the Med is a lot warmer than France in the winter but again check out local temperatures. Madrid is colder than most parts of England in winter. The Costa del Sol (on the coast itself) has the best winter temperatures. We hardly need to heat the house here at all but you only have to go a few miles inland and the temperature drops quite a lot.

[cuthound]

Thanks for that. How much does hard standing cost? Narrow boats are pretty big, it sounds expensive. There's getting the boat out of water and later putting it back, then there's the storage itself. My caravan doesn't suffer from condensation or mold. Do you have double glazing?

I use a Meaco DD8L dehumidifier to control condensation in the winter. I supplement it with two 700 watt oil filled radiators to prevent freezing and avoid having to drain the boat down in winter.

 

Of course you will need a landline at your mooring to do the same. Cost is £10-20 per month for 4-5 months, cheaper than putting the boat on hardstanding.

[NB Lola]

Boat is 57ft

[Whisky]

I use a Meaco DD8L dehumidifier to control condensation in the winter. I supplement it with two 700 watt oil filled radiators to prevent freezing and avoid having to drain the boat down in winter.

 

Of course you will need a landline at your mooring to do the same. Cost is £10-20 per month for 4-5 months, cheaper than putting the boat on hardstanding.

Do you mean £10-20 per month for mooring? That is cheaper than I had expected. Thanks for the hint about dehumidifier.