How long before you jumped in...

[Sanddancer]

As soon as I clapped eyes on Dolly I knew it was the boat for me and never regretted the day

[Grassman]

I had my first hire boat holiday in 1976 with 4 fellow students, and a few years later hired boats with my wife and she loved it too, so we continued hiring over the next 30 years, then in 2009 bought a 12th share in one. But it wasn't until I was approaching retirement that we considered buying our own, and living aboard meant we could rent the house out and retire a bit early.

 

Once the decision was made it took about 6 months. Many hours seeking advice from this wonderful forum and then looking at broker's websites, then actually going to see about 20 boats. We finally bought one in December 2012 and moved aboard to live on it 4 months later.

 

Our only regret is that we didn't do it earlier!

[cuthound]

I had my first hire boat holiday in 1976 with 4 fellow students, and a few years later hired boats with my wife and she loved it too, so we continued hiring over the next 30 years, then in 2009 bought a 12th share in one. But it wasn't until I was approaching retirement that we considered buying our own, and living aboard meant we could rent the house out and retire a bit early.

 

Once the decision was made it took about 6 months. Many hours seeking advice from this wonderful forum and then looking at broker's websites, then actually going to see about 20 boats. We finally bought one in December 2012 and moved aboard to live on it 4 months later.

 

Our only regret is that we didn't do it earlier!

My story is similar to this.

 

First experience of a canal boat was in 1972, when I fell in lust with a girl who belonged to a mixed scout group. I joined to be near to her and on the first meeting they were arranging a canal holiday on ex working "camping" boats.

 

I signed up, but the romance was over well before the holiday. Enjoyed it, but felt it was limited by the scouts, so arranged one for the next year with mates.

 

Then hired for a few years, then 22 years of shared ownership, before retiring and buying one of my own.

 

Edited to remove a spurious word that had somehow crept into my post.

Edited November 26, 2016 by cuthound

[Starcoaster]

I got a small amount of money and decided I'd try and see if I could get a small boat with it at some point to live on. I joined the forum with this in mind, made a mad Ebay bid on a boat that should have gone for a lot more than the money I had, won it unexpectedly and moved aboard three weeks later.

[Jim Batty]

Once we thought, ‘Could we live on a narrowboat?’, we hired a 60-footer in late October to get an idea what it might be like ... and loved it. We then spent three and a half years visiting second-hand boats all over the place, looking for something we could afford, fit into and liked the look of. Then, on the verge of giving up, we went up to Braunston one weekend to see a boat -- and found it had been sold the day before. Hmmm. We then stepped aboard an fairly unlikely looking 53’ narrowboat not on the books yet, just for the hell of it ... and we knew within two minutes that that was the one. Within three months we had completely downsized from a 2-bedroom rental flat and moved onto it. That was over 7 years ago. Best thing we ever did in the past decade.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

I had my first hire boat holiday in 1976 with 4 fellow students, and a few years later hired boats with my wife and she loved it too, so we continued hiring over the next 30 years, then in 2009 bought a 12th share in one. But it wasn't until I was approaching retirement that we considered buying our own, and living aboard meant we could rent the house out and retire a bit early.

 

Once the decision was made it took about 6 months. Many hours seeking advice from this wonderful forum and then looking at broker's websites, then actually going to see about 20 boats. We finally bought one in December 2012 and moved aboard to live on it 4 months later.

 

Our only regret is that we didn't do it earlier!

Same as cuthound our story is very similar to this. First took to the water on Norfolk Broads with my father back in about 1970 (neither of us could swim). Had a variety of Broads holidays until 1974 when I went from Wolverhampton to Llangollen with 5 mates, my first taste of the canals. Hadn't really thought about living on the canal until a 'lightbulb' moment whilst passing though the locks in Bath with another boater. Usual sort of conversation with the guy on the tiller, 'Where have you travelled from?' my reply to his question was 'From Trowbridge', his reply to my question was 'From Doncaster'. I thought, 'Wow, that's a fair old weeks trip' but he did then point out that he'd set out in April and this was now the end of August.

 

From that point on decided to direct my efforts into getting a boat when retired and travelling the system, as this other boater was clearly doing. I continued hiring whilst in employment (and also a few years of Timeshare ownership), but decided not to buy until we could make fullest use of the boat. Living in a South Coast resort I'd seen very many boats that had been bought with initial enthusiasm but then rarely left the marina due to the owners work commitments.

 

In answer to the OP's original question, we saw the boater in Bath in about 1997 and moved aboard our own boat in 2013 so I suppose it was a sort of rushed decision over 16 years!

[mrsmelly]

I got a small amount of money and decided I'd try and see if I could get a small boat with it at some point to live on. I joined the forum with this in mind, made a mad Ebay bid on a boat that should have gone for a lot more than the money I had, won it unexpectedly and moved aboard three weeks later.

 

I luuurv Ebay I ALWAYS buy bargain cars including my present cars on Ebay. You always prove the point that springers are often a good buy.

[Guest]

Did narrowboat holidays with my parents since I was a nipper and into my primary school years. Had an idea in the back of my mind for many years that I'd be interested in buying one to live on, and did another few family holidays in my mid twenties. Started to save hard and do plenty of research and 3 years later after scouring many boats for sale on t'interweb viewed my first boat. A couple of months later viewed my second one and bought it! Turns out she's a good'un and hasn't given me any major headaches so far. Moved on board 6 months ago and currently marina living for my first winter but possibly move canal side in future if I can find a suitable mooring.