Are the canals getting crowded?

[RufusR]

We are in a usually very busy spot on the GU but everyone is commenting how quiet this year has been . No idea why !!

[Catnip King]

Its not overcrowded and its also not cheaper than living in a house.

[peterboat]

I have found it busier than previous years up North which was a surprise to say the least. The upside was I shared a lot of locks with other boaters so it was easier as I was single handed. I liked the level of activity this year I want to see the canals used and enjoyed

[magictime]

its also not cheaper than living in a house.

 

I never understand how people can make this generalization.

 

Is living on a £50,000 boat you own outright cheaper than living in a £250,000 house you own outright? Probably not, especially if you're paying for a residential mooring.

 

Is living on a £50,000 boat you own outright cheaper than living in a £250,000 house you owe a £200,000 mortgage on? Almost certainly, especially if you're CCing.

[MoominPapa]

 

I never understand how people can make this generalization.

 

Is living on a £50,000 boat you own outright cheaper than living in a £250,000 house you own outright? Probably not, especially if you're paying for a residential mooring.

 

Is living on a £50,000 boat you own outright cheaper than living in a £250,000 house you owe a £200,000 mortgage on? Almost certainly, especially if you're CCing.

 

Mortgaged versus owned outright is a red herring. The opportunity cost of a quarter of a mill of capital is more expensive than the opportunity cost of £50,000 of capital, no matter how you organise it. OTOH, historically, putting capital (yours or the banks) into the UK housing market has been a damn good one-way bet. Past performance may not guide future performance, however.

 

MP.

[magictime]

 

Mortgaged versus owned outright is a red herring.

 

Not if the question at hand is "on a month-to-month basis, how might my cost of living on a boat compare to my cost of living in a house?"

 

I take your point(s) about the longer-term view, though.

[chris667]

The cost of maintenance is usually much higher on a boat than a house. And the value of a boat is unlikely to go up unless you spend a lot on it.

 

Besides which, the cost of ccing is only low in the winter. Do it because you want the lifestyle, not because you think you're "escaping the rat race" and somehow beating the system.

And to answer your original question, no it isn't overcrowded unless you look at small parts of the system.

[magictime]

Besides which, the cost of ccing is only low in the winter.

 

I'm confused. Do you mean it's high in summer because you're cruising so much and therefore using so much diesel? Because (1) you don't have to cruise that much in summer, and (2) I'd imagine any extra costs associated with cruising in summer would be (at least) balanced out by the extra costs associated with generating power and keeping the boat warm in winter.

[Ray T]

Had a mooch round the Anderton Boat Lift this morning, not busy at all, two boats going up and only the trip boat going down. Only one boat on the visitor moorings at the top.

[chris667]

Sorry, typo. The cost of not having a mooring is much higher in the winter.

[Alan de Enfield]

Sorry, typo. The cost of not having a mooring is much higher in the winter.

 

Confused - I thought the idea of CCing was that you didn't have a mooring at all, although it now appears that some folk do take a 'winter mooring' for 3-5 months.

 

In cannot see how not having a winter mooring, is more expensive than having a winter mooring

[chris667]

Not having mains when it's dark most of the time costs a fortune! Generators are expensive, and so is your engine. If you add it up, a mooring with mains is often cheaper than fuel.

And with regards to the mooring, sometimes you can get stuck. So even if you don't take one, you can find yourself in one place.

[Alan de Enfield]

Not having mains when it's dark most of the time costs a fortune! Generators are expensive, and so is your engine. If you add it up, a mooring with mains is often cheaper than fuel.

 

I am not quite following the logic here - why do you need 'mains' when it is dark ?

 

Lights are 12 volt

You can even get 12 volt fridges, freezers, and even TVs.

If there is nothing on TV go to bed.

 

When you are moving (every few days ?) then your batteries will recharge and you are all set to 'do it again'.

 

And the cost of a mooring (say - £500) pays for a lot of diesel.

[Catnip King]

To put it fairly I can buy a house for same price as a boat for where I come from. I would never buy a house though for my own reasons. From experience living on a boat for me is more expensive. I use lots of internet and those extra addons I have to buy every month build up to quite a bill. I was living for less in my house. My mooring costs more than the house did so for me its a different situation I guess. I never considered owning when we were debating living in a house just the renting.

Edited August 23, 2016 by Catnip King

[magictime]

Not having mains when it's dark most of the time costs a fortune! Generators are expensive, and so is your engine. If you add it up, a mooring with mains is often cheaper than fuel.

 

I find that very hard to believe. A mooring with shoreline power might cost you, what, £200+ a month? Do people really find they're spending £200+ a month on extra diesel for power generation every month during the winter? Or £100+ for that matter?

[Peter-Bullfinch]

From lock 8W on the Huddersfield narrow West of Stalybridge to Portland Basin and then onto the Peak Forest at Marple Aqueduct where we are now moored we have seen no moving boats today.Thats over six hours, ten miles,eight locks and a couple of tunnels. It all seems very quiet. I even wondered if there was a stoppage on the Marple flight. But no...all seems well...it's just eerily quiet.

[Scholar Gypsy]

 

 

Is that the New Bedford River, Scholar?

 

 

 

 

Well spotted. It got rather narrow and shallow in places - I suppose it is a canal really...

 

[AllanC]

good grief, that's more like a ditch. I wouldn't even fish in it.

 

Bet your glad you didn't meet someone coming the other way.

[Scholar Gypsy]

good grief, that's more like a ditch. I wouldn't even fish in it.

 

Bet your glad you didn't meet someone coming the other way.

 

Yes indeed - though I think the lock keeper at Denver would have asked them to hang on a bit until it gets wider (photo very near Denver below).

 

That photo was taken at low water, with practically no fresh water coming down from Earith. I was expecting to sit on the bottom for a bit around here (Welney) and wait for the flood tide, but in the end I got through without stopping.

 

 

[fretman]

moored up in Masebury Marsh,, one boat on the move yesterday,,, today well, two boats moving,, is that over crowding or what.

[chris667]

And the cost of a mooring (say - £500) pays for a lot of diesel.

Ah, but it isn't the diesel. There are other costs.

 

People that know me are always surprised that no keep quite detailed records of the money I spend; I know that the years I spent on the cut all winter my outgoings were far higher than the years I spent with a winter mooring.

 

Of course, you might have different expectations and results. But that was the case for me.

[Alan de Enfield]

Ah, but it isn't the diesel. There are other costs.

 

People that know me are always surprised that no keep quite detailed records of the money I spend; I know that the years I spent on the cut all winter my outgoings were far higher than the years I spent with a winter mooring.

 

Of course, you might have different expectations and results. But that was the case for me.

 

This is quite interesting and at odds with what one would expect, would you be kind enough to detail (from your detailed records) the cost comparisons for

1) Wintering in a marina

2) Wintering on the cut without a mooring

[chris667]

Well, laundry was more expensive, as it always meant a bus journey and higher prices to use the machines.

 

I paid out more in repairs and servicing the two years I stayed out.

 

And I spent a lot more going out, because frankly mooring on my own in the winter was miserable.

Mains hookup meant I could do nicer food, and I had a fan heater and electric blankets, which made the boat much nicer to be on.

 

Your mileage may vary, of course. But that is how it worked out for me.

Edited August 24, 2016 by chris667