Hello, think we might be starting on our dream - have a few questions

[nicknorman]

would something like this be ok on the canal network http://apolloduck.net/465090

 

sorry if its a silly question I am very new to dutch barges

It's 8'6" beam which rules out narrow canals. I suggest if you are going to rule out narrow canals you might as well go for something wider.

[magictime]

Have you considered the possibility of buying two shorter narrowboats rather than one long one, and splitting your living space between them? Maybe even one with an engine and one 'butty' without. That would maximise your cruising options as well as your living space. I've seen a pair of hotel boats along these lines, with most of the living space on the large motor boat and extra bedrooms on the small butty.

 

It's not out of the question that with a 30k budget, you could afford a little 25-footer with space for two kids' bedrooms and a toilet as well as a longer boat for living space and an adult bedroom. Obviously you'd be looking at the cheaper end of the market, but the same would be true if you were looking for a 70-footer, a widebeam, or whatever.

 

Might or might not be practical for you depending on kids' ages etc., of course.

[Idunhoe]

would something like this be ok on the canal network http://apolloduck.net/465090

 

sorry if its a silly question I am very new to dutch barges

Unless the wheelhouse can be lowered in some way then I would say it is a 'no goer' for the canal system Edited April 8, 2016 by Idunhoe

[Phil Ambrose]

I can confirm that there are plenty of 12' widebeams at and around Isleham and Ely, I moor at Isleham.

And may I ask by boards fo you mean Broads?

Phil

Edited April 8, 2016 by Phil Ambrose

[Claude]

Have to agree. 'Project' boats only make sense for people who can do 95% of the work themselves.

 

Yes, it's the same with sailaways. I knew a bloke who bought a sailaway and then spent many tens of thousands of pounds getting skilled tradespeople to fit it out for him! Absolute madness! It would have been much cheaper for him to get it fully fitted by the builder. Sorry to go off the subject but it's the same principal.

[Claude]

In general £30,000 is sort of money that should (just) get you a decent boat, though prices do appear surprisingly high at present.

 

 

Is that the case now? I ask only because this morning I ran into a bloke I hadn't seen for a while who sold his widebeam a few months ago and made quite a loss on it. He bought it a few years before for about £70k and only sold it for £47k. I'd never been on the boat but knowing the guy and his wife I think it would have been nice inside. Not sure about the hull condition. Anyway, I was chatting to him and he reckons because people can't easily get finance on boats any more prices have dropped?

Unless the wheelhouse is can be lowered in some way then I would say it is a 'no goer' for the canal system

 

That wheelhouse could easily be cut down and build a folding aluminium or hardwood wheelhouse.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Claude

[sjadja]

I can confirm that there are plenty of 12' widebeams at and around Isleham and Ely, I moor at Isleham.

And may I ask by boards fo you mean Broads?

Phil

 

Yes I do sorry, I am going to blame typos and not my dyslexia

 

But thanks for confirming about widebeams, how is life at Isleham? thats are dream location/base

Edited April 8, 2016 by sjadja

[Claude]

I think the cheapest boat in terms of money for space is a GRP (fibreglass) Broads or Caribbean Cruiser. A bloke moored near me has a really nice one which he got for £18k. Loads of space, solid fuel stove, no corrosion worries... If you can find a decent one it's a good liveaboard boat.

 

 

 

Edited April 8, 2016 by Claude

[sjadja]

Have you considered the possibility of buying two shorter narrowboats rather than one long one, and splitting your living space between them? Maybe even one with an engine and one 'butty' without. That would maximise your cruising options as well as your living space. I've seen a pair of hotel boats along these lines, with most of the living space on the large motor boat and extra bedrooms on the small butty.

 

It's not out of the question that with a 30k budget, you could afford a little 25-footer with space for two kids' bedrooms and a toilet as well as a longer boat for living space and an adult bedroom. Obviously you'd be looking at the cheaper end of the market, but the same would be true if you were looking for a 70-footer, a widebeam, or whatever.

 

Might or might not be practical for you depending on kids' ages etc., of course.

Thanks Phil that is not something I had considered, I think considering the ages of the children that would be a option but it certainly is a option for another venture I had, I was thinking of doing dog grooming, I am trained and having a wash on the water dog salon, a small towed butty would be perfect for that and could be left when we want to go cruising. Like I say it is only an idea at the moment and I would need to thoroughly think through marketing and a plan to ensure customers.

I think the cheapest boat in terms of money for space is a GRP (fibreglass) Broads or Caribbean Cruiser. A bloke moored near me has a really nice one which he got for £18k. Loads of space, solid fuel stove, no corrosion worries... If you can find a decent one it's a good liveaboard boat.

 

 

Thank you, I will certainly look into these (I take it the same restrictions as widebeams would apply) but good for east Anglia, could these on to sea? inland water?

[Claude]

 

Thank you, I will certainly look into these (I take it the same restrictions as widebeams would apply) but good for east Anglia, could these on to sea? inland water?

 

Yes, same width restrictions as NB-style widebeams or Dutch-style barges. You could take one across an estuary like the Wash or Bristol channel on a good day with a pilot, but I wouldn't take one right out to sea.

 

By the way, apologies in advance if this doesn't apply to you, but lots of new inland waterways boaters have this idea that they are going to cruise the entire waterways system. In fact few actually end up doing it. There's plenty of widebeam cruising both north and south of the narrow pinch points.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Claude

[sjadja]

 

Yes, same width restrictions as NB-style widebeams or Dutch-style barges. You could take one across an estuary like the Wash or Bristol channel on a good day with a pilot, but I wouldn't take one right out to sea.

 

By the way, apologies in advance if this doesn't apply to you, but lots of new inland waterways boaters have this idea that they are going to cruise the entire waterways system. In fact few actually end up doing it. There's plenty of widebeam cruising both north and south of the narrow pinch points.

You make a valid point, perhaps while the children are young and since alot of Yorkshire is ruled out anyway due to length if we stayed narrow, we should consider a wider option, but being in east Anglia we could only go as far as bedford as there is no connection to the grand union, although I guess you could go across the wash to the river Witham, up the trent and so on and do most of Leeds liverpool, sheffield, rochdale and the calder, shame you cant get onto the grand union though

 

something like this has alot of space for the money, are they warm though? http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=457103its not homely but that can be added so not worried about that

Edited April 8, 2016 by sjadja

[Claude]

You'd need to check what sort of insulation has been used and what thickness. The wall and ceiling cavities are likely to be stuffed with rockwool. There's no reason a GRP boat can't be warm. My neighbours say theirs is too warm and they have to open windows with the stove on. I'll ask them what insulation they have and get back to you. If you had to take panels down to put extra rockwool in that would probably be possible. I'd want to install a solid fuel stove somewhere near the centre of the boat - not a massive job.

 

Steering one of these boats can take a bit of getting used to as the wheel is near the bow and you've got to remember that most of the boat is behind you! Comfy in winter for the steerer though.

 

You could probably make an offer of £23k on a boat like that. Remember that you'll need to spend money on a stove, etc.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Claude

[ditchcrawler]

You'd need to check what sort of insulation has been used and what thickness. The wall and ceiling cavities are likely to be stuffed with rockwool. There's no reason a GRP boat can't be warm. My neighbours say theirs is too warm and they have to open windows with the stove on. I'll ask them what insulation they have and get back to you. If you had to take panels down to put extra rockwool in that would probably be possible. I'd want to install a solid fuel stove somewhere near the centre of the boat - not a massive job.

 

Steering one of these boats can take a bit of getting used to as the wheel is near the bow and you've got to remember that most of the boat is behind you! Comfy in winter for the steerer though.

 

You could probably make an offer of £23k on a boat like that. Remember that you'll need to spend money on a stove, etc.

And a couple of grand to move it from Acle

[Phil Ambrose]

 

Yes I do sorry, I am going to blame typos and not my dyslexia

 

But thanks for confirming about widebeams, how is life at Isleham? thats are dream location/base

We love it at Isleham, so quiet and chilled opposed to the Broads where we spent 10 years. We have a chap here who had a butty for his teenage son, the son now has his own boat.

Also having been 10 years on a Caribbean, yes they do make very comfortable homes, good cruising boats too.

Phil

[sjadja]

We love it at Isleham, so quiet and chilled opposed to the Broads where we spent 10 years. We have a chap here who had a butty for his teenage son, the son now has his own boat.

Also having been 10 years on a Caribbean, yes they do make very comfortable homes, good cruising boats too.

Phil

Thank you, hopefully be joining at Isleham in the not too distant future