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First time buyer 100% new to Narrowboating & I need some advice :)


RobMcD

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Sounds good to me, my brother & mom live 5 mins away from the moorings in the city by gas st, but don't plan on staying around there, maybe just a day trip hear and there. I understand what you are saying about the evidence type of thing but I recently won a court case against the NHS & local gov & if it was not for my evidence 2 years of court cases & legal action would have been a waste of my time and money. I won all of my cases because of my evidence, took two years to win but I got there. Don't get me wrong I'm not looking to do anything more than cover myself & will be doing so, but nothing more. My goal is to stay within my boundrys and keep to the rules of the waterways. But most of all enjoy my new home and suroundings & might meet some new friends along the way. Thanks for the advice it is appreciated smile.png

 

CaRT really do not like court cases, its expensive, bad PR, and the loss of a customer. They do it as last resort and you will get lots of warnings before it gets serious. Unless you get warnings I would just relax and enjoy boat life. If you go out through Edgbaston you've got a whole load of countryside to play in less than a days cruise from central Brum.

 

(I spent the first 6 months of my life just outside Gas street in Ickneild Port road but sadly I can't remember any of it.)

 

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

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CaRT really do not like court cases, its expensive, bad PR, and the loss of a customer. They do it as last resort and you will get lots of warnings before it gets serious. Unless you get warnings I would just relax and enjoy boat life. If you go out through Edgbaston you've got a whole load of countryside to play in less than a days cruise from central Brum.

 

(I spent the first 6 months of my life just outside Gas street in Ickneild Port road but sadly I can't remember any of it.)

 

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

I'm looking forward to it and once past the maypole & kings heath the country side should be nice this time of year. But of a short question off topic, one trip I am thinking of doing is B,ham to Brownhills Walsall how long is the trip about in terms of time as it sounds like you know Birmingham well, so say I start from bridge 3 not far from brandwood tunnel and want to get to anchor bridge browhills any idea how long that would take?

Thanks again for your help.

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I'm looking forward to it and once past the maypole & kings heath the country side should be nice this time of year. But of a short question off topic, one trip I am thinking of doing is B,ham to Brownhills Walsall how long is the trip about in terms of time as it sounds like you know Birmingham well, so say I start from bridge 3 not far from brandwood tunnel and want to get to anchor bridge browhills any idea how long that would take?

Thanks again for your help.

Please excuse me if you're already aware of it, but there is a very useful web site called "Canalplan AC" , one facet of which allows you to plan a journey: you put in your departure and arrival points, and it tells you how long the trip should take. For longer trips it will suggest overnight mooring places too.

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I'm looking forward to it and once past the maypole & kings heath the country side should be nice this time of year. But of a short question off topic, one trip I am thinking of doing is B,ham to Brownhills Walsall how long is the trip about in terms of time as it sounds like you know Birmingham well, so say I start from bridge 3 not far from brandwood tunnel and want to get to anchor bridge browhills any idea how long that would take?

Thanks again for your help.

 

Here's the link to the website Athy mentions:

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/

 

For the trip you describe, Brandwood Tunnel to Anchor Bridge, it calculates a journey time of just over 13 hours to do 26 miles and 18 locks. So you could call it two days' cruising.

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Please excuse me if you're already aware of it, but there is a very useful web site called "Canalplan AC" , one facet of which allows you to plan a journey: you put in your departure and arrival points, and it tells you how long the trip should take. For longer trips it will suggest overnight mooring places too.

Not seen that before so will have a look at the site, thank you for the info.

 

Here's the link to the website Athy mentions:

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/

 

For the trip you describe, Brandwood Tunnel to Anchor Bridge, it calculates a journey time of just over 13 hours to do 26 miles and 18 locks. So you could call it two days' cruising.

Thats good to know and will be bookmarking that site as it sounds very handy, thank you for the link and the info, it has come in very handy.

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Here's the link to the website Athy mentions:

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/

 

For the trip you describe, Brandwood Tunnel to Anchor Bridge, it calculates a journey time of just over 13 hours to do 26 miles and 18 locks. So you could call it two days' cruising.

And playing with options on the site shows that it only takes about an hour and a half longer to go via Horseley Fields (Wolverhampton), and only pass through 4 locks (1 of which is the guillotine lock at Kings Norton which you don't have to work anyway).

 

Or if you really want to do locks you can go via Salford Bridge and do 47 of them,

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And playing with options on the site shows that it only takes about an hour and a half longer to go via Horseley Fields (Wolverhampton), and only pass through 4 locks (1 of which is the guillotine lock at Kings Norton which you don't have to work anyway).

 

Or if you really want to do locks you can go via Salford Bridge and do 47 of them,

I did have a play with the options and noticed the ammount of locks that it cuts out, think I would go for the 4 lock option :)

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Thinking outside the box would it be worth looking at a bit bigger boat say 57 or 58 as although you are on your own at the moment you might meet someone and need the extra space, but whatever you choose I wish you luck with your new venture.

 

Neil

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You have already said you are looking to buy second hand but the Crick boat show is at the end of May. The boats are new but it would give you a good idea about layouts, ask questions etc. Even have a chat with C&RT, some of them are very nice people. Probably give you the chance to talk to a few boaters as well, also generally very nice people.

 

Ken

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And playing with options on the site shows that it only takes about an hour and a half longer to go via Horseley Fields (Wolverhampton), and only pass through 4 locks (1 of which is the guillotine lock at Kings Norton which you don't have to work anyway).

 

Or if you really want to do locks you can go via Salford Bridge and do 47 of them,

 

But be careful with Canal Plan and Birmingham, especially if you go off the beaten track. It can take twice as long as you expect due to frequent weedhatch visits etc. Going into Walsall proper for example, takes ages, some lock gates don't open fully and you need a team of helpers to lean on them, Its shallow in places and you can get well stuck on things on the bottom, and because its not used much at some times of the year the water-lilies and weed can slow you down to the pace of a snail.

 

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

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Thinking outside the box would it be worth looking at a bit bigger boat say 57 or 58 as although you are on your own at the moment you might meet someone and need the extra space, but whatever you choose I wish you luck with your new venture.

 

Neil

Thanks Neil, I was just thinking about running cost and maintenance also as I wanted to do a lot on my own, not really sure yet. Will have to see if the right boat comes along and as for company that stays over for the night...I'm in zero rush what so ever :)

You have already said you are looking to buy second hand but the Crick boat show is at the end of May. The boats are new but it would give you a good idea about layouts, ask questions etc. Even have a chat with C&RT, some of them are very nice people. Probably give you the chance to talk to a few boaters as well, also generally very nice people.

 

Ken

Sounds like a good idea Ken, think I might have to pop down there, visited two boat yards already to get more of a feal for what I want in the flesh. Thanks for the info.

 

But be careful with Canal Plan and Birmingham, especially if you go off the beaten track. It can take twice as long as you expect due to frequent weedhatch visits etc. Going into Walsall proper for example, takes ages, some lock gates don't open fully and you need a team of helpers to lean on them, Its shallow in places and you can get well stuck on things on the bottom, and because its not used much at some times of the year the water-lilies and weed can slow you down to the pace of a snail.

 

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

That don't sound good Dave but will keep it in mind as it's a trip I will have to do but thanks for the advice as I had no idea about the pitfalls of a Walsall run...

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There are two good starter liveaboard boats soon going up for sale at our mooring (Hockley Port) in Bham - if you want (PM me with contact details) I can put you in touch with the owners. One (50ft trad?) will be on the market imminently as they are having a new sailaway shell delivered. The other (similar) will depend on how soon he gets his replacement boat how he wants it. Both sound as far as I know and used for cruising a lot. Somewhere in the £25-40k range, not sure.

A third is a 70ft wooden top one which may go on the market in the summer - maybe less suitable for cc as it hasn't been used much

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Sounds like a good idea Ken, think I might have to pop down there, visited two boat yards already to get more of a feal for what I want in the flesh. Thanks for the info.

 

It's worth mentioning that AB NarrowBoats, a reputable brokers, are based at Crick and usually have a stall at the show, so you can look at second-hand boats as well as new ones.

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I just bought a boat (got her on Good Friday) and found it invaluable to view at least 12. Of those, most ruled themselves out straightaway, one I offered on but was relieved not to get, one I couldn't stretch to although I love her (think is still FS so maybe was overpriced) and one was just right. Like Baby Bear's porridge! Anyway the more I saw the more I could get a feel for what was right and what was nice but wrong for us (me and dd, 5). Good luck and let us know how you get on!

  • Greenie 1
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There are two good starter liveaboard boats soon going up for sale at our mooring (Hockley Port) in Bham - if you want (PM me with contact details) I can put you in touch with the owners. One (50ft trad?) will be on the market imminently as they are having a new sailaway shell delivered. The other (similar) will depend on how soon he gets his replacement boat how he wants it. Both sound as far as I know and used for cruising a lot. Somewhere in the £25-40k range, not sure.

A third is a 70ft wooden top one which may go on the market in the summer - maybe less suitable for cc as it hasn't been used much

Thanks for the info, will they be on your website? Not sure how you sell your boats but will have a search for you now, once again thats for leting me know.

It's worth mentioning that AB NarrowBoats, a reputable brokers, are based at Crick and usually have a stall at the show, so you can look at second-hand boats as well as new ones.

I will have a look at AB now, thanks for the info.

I just bought a boat (got her on Good Friday) and found it invaluable to view at least 12. Of those, most ruled themselves out straightaway, one I offered on but was relieved not to get, one I couldn't stretch to although I love her (think is still FS so maybe was overpriced) and one was just right. Like Baby Bear's porridge! Anyway the more I saw the more I could get a feel for what was right and what was nice but wrong for us (me and dd, 5). Good luck and let us know how you get on!

Sounds like what I have to come, did you buy through a broker or private and what was your experiences (no need to mention name if you don't want to) just interested, also how did you get on with serveys and any work if you had any done. Thanks again, look forward to hearing more of your buying experience. One last thing have you got much previous narrowbat experiance before buying?

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Thanks for the info, will they be on your website? Not sure how you sell your boats but will have a search for you now, once again thats for leting me know.

 

Odana isn't a boat seller, she just knows a couple of boats that are for sale, and she's offering her service to put you in touch with these people.

 

To avoid giving the contact details of these people to the use (abuse) of everybody, she wants you to send her a personal message by clicking on her details at the left of the message, and help you further.

 

Good luck with your boat search.

 

Peter.

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No previous experience beyond a holiday when I was 15, but we like camping and surfing!

 

There's a thread somewhere in here about my survey, which I broke the "rules" on and just had an in-water inspection. It was a brokerage, which was a bit more safe-feeling in that you know they aren't going to take your money and run, leaving you with no boat and no money! But if the right boat had been sold privately I would have gone for it, it wouldn't have put me off. The broker I contacted was good with my tricky situation and found me a few good boats to look at, they also would have arranged the survey with my nominated surveyor, sorted the dry docking and blacking if possible...

 

I also didn't make deal-breakers about things like pump-out vs cassette toilet, because I didn't feel I knew enough about either to make it a crucial issue. I wanted a cruiser stern because I wanted somewhere to sit and to keep plants, but the other boat I would have bought was a trad stern. Storage/potential storage was a big thing and also not having too much work to do as I wanted to move on straight away. It was just great to see lots and lots of boats in, under and just above my budget (though I don't think there's much wiggle room in price at the moment for the nicest boats, they're selling like the proverbial hot cakes) to see what you could get at the different levels, and what you feel is something you can live with or not (in the end I thought we needed the potential at least for two permanent beds up, I'm not going to be up for building a bed every night before I can go to sleep!).

 

Do PM me if you want to, and best of luck!

Edited by Witchword
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But be careful with Canal Plan and Birmingham, especially if you go off the beaten track. It can take twice as long as you expect due to frequent weedhatch visits etc. Going into Walsall proper for example, takes ages, some lock gates don't open fully and you need a team of helpers to lean on them, Its shallow in places and you can get well stuck on things on the bottom, and because its not used much at some times of the year the water-lilies and weed can slow you down to the pace of a snail.

 

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

 

Wise words, Dave.

 

I just bought a boat (got her on Good Friday) and found it invaluable to view at least 12. Of those, most ruled themselves out straightaway, one I offered on but was relieved not to get, one I couldn't stretch to although I love her (think is still FS so maybe was overpriced) and one was just right. Like Baby Bear's porridge! Anyway the more I saw the more I could get a feel for what was right and what was nice but wrong for us (me and dd, 5). Good luck and let us know how you get on!

 

Wise Words, Witch Word!

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Odana isn't a boat seller, she just knows a couple of boats that are for sale, and she's offering her service to put you in touch with these people.

 

To avoid giving the contact details of these people to the use (abuse) of everybody, she wants you to send her a personal message by clicking on her details at the left of the message, and help you further.

 

Good luck with your boat search.

 

Peter.

Oh right, ok thanks Peter.

No previous experience beyond a holiday when I was 15, but we like camping and surfing!

 

There's a thread somewhere in here about my survey, which I broke the "rules" on and just had an in-water inspection. It was a brokerage, which was a bit more safe-feeling in that you know they aren't going to take your money and run, leaving you with no boat and no money! But if the right boat had been sold privately I would have gone for it, it wouldn't have put me off. The broker I contacted was good with my tricky situation and found me a few good boats to look at, they also would have arranged the survey with my nominated surveyor, sorted the dry docking and blacking if possible...

 

I also didn't make deal-breakers about things like pump-out vs cassette toilet, because I didn't feel I knew enough about either to make it a crucial issue. I wanted a cruiser stern because I wanted somewhere to sit and to keep plants, but the other boat I would have bought was a trad stern. Storage/potential storage was a big thing and also not having too much work to do as I wanted to move on straight away. It was just great to see lots and lots of boats in, under and just above my budget (though I don't think there's much wiggle room in price at the moment for the nicest boats, they're selling like the proverbial hot cakes) to see what you could get at the different levels, and what you feel is something you can live with or not (in the end I thought we needed the potential at least for two permanent beds up, I'm not going to be up for building a bed every night before I can go to sleep!).

 

Do PM me if you want to, and best of luck!

Thank you for geting back to me, loads of good advice there, I will be going for the fixed beds myself, not wanting to sleep on bed sofas or make up a bed every night that's for sure. Thanks again.

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