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Boat Lease / Hire?


jimxtc

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A thought...

I would like / intend to spend most of the summer on a narrowboat cruising the waterways of England.  I am happy to buy a boat and have the funds to do so but really don't know enough about them to know what to buy.  I don't even know the difference between a trad, semi-trad and a cruiser stern!  I know I want a liveaboard and not a hire boat.  A thought occurred to me that here may well be someone out there who has a boat that they are unable to use this summer for some reason and rather than have it sat on a mooring eating money - perhaps they would like to lease/hire it for a few months to make it earn some money?  I am happy to pay a sizeable deposit and insurance.  I have done a couple of narrowboat holidays in the past so I am not a complete novice.

The other thought is the possibility of crewing with someone who is off on an adventure and sharing the costs?

The third thought (I am only allowed three...!) is that someone may have a boat for sale?

The first two thoughts may suit me best as I intend to winter in the sun and wouldn't mind missing out on winter mooring fees!

Is this the right forum/page to be asking this question?

Jim

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It' the right place and the experts will be along. I don't think anyone will hire their boat out because of licence insurance and the rigourous bss that goes with it.

 

I suspect the cost would make buying a boat and then selling it worth doing. You never know you may love it so much you will decide to keep it and do it every year. 

 

I know mate boats do long hires as they have been spotted a long way from home and may do a deal for a guaranteed booking over a long term.

 

A wide beam that was moored next to us decided winter sun was the way forward and shipped it over to France and are cruising over there now.

 

But the experienced folk will be along soon.

Edited by thebfg
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2 hours ago, jimxtc said:

A thought...

I would like / intend to spend most of the summer on a narrowboat cruising the waterways of England.  I am happy to buy a boat and have the funds to do so but really don't know enough about them to know what to buy.  I don't even know the difference between a trad, semi-trad and a cruiser stern!  I know I want a liveaboard and not a hire boat.  A thought occurred to me that here may well be someone out there who has a boat that they are unable to use this summer for some reason and rather than have it sat on a mooring eating money - perhaps they would like to lease/hire it for a few months to make it earn some money?  I am happy to pay a sizeable deposit and insurance.  I have done a couple of narrowboat holidays in the past so I am not a complete novice.

The other thought is the possibility of crewing with someone who is off on an adventure and sharing the costs?

The third thought (I am only allowed three...!) is that someone may have a boat for sale?

The first two thoughts may suit me best as I intend to winter in the sun and wouldn't mind missing out on winter mooring fees!

Is this the right forum/page to be asking this question?

Jim

 

There are hundreds if not thousands of narrow boats for sale at any given time. If you just want to jump in  with both feet and no knowledge then look in the 'for sale' section on here. There is a geezer trying flog an old hire boat for a LOT of money but it is probably a fundamentally sound boat. You could buy it, use it to learn about boating while you boat, then flog it again and buy something you truly want. 

The alternative is to spend hundreds of hours doing your homework, getting an education, looking at dozens of boats to find exactly the right one. How much does your time cost you?

P.S. I hope you will be able to offer the geezer his desired 'fluid realisation'. This is probably what normal people call a 'quick sale'. 

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Whilst there might be some Arthur Daley long term private hire deals about, they come with considerable risk to all parties. Most advice to all would be avoid.

When ever you buy a boat you must also budget on selling it again some time later with the considerable work, and generally fees that implies. Brokers fees are typically 4-6% of the sales price with VAT additional, say another 1%. A significant expense if over a short period.

The only creative way I have heard of of bypassing this expense for a defined short / medium term boating experience is a privately arranged, buy, buy back arrangement (which can include vendor financing)

Thousands of Non EU residents use such a scheme to get new cars from Renault and Peugeot complete with red french tourist plates to tour Europe each year for up to six months. (the money is made in that such cars avoid VAT) The legal agreement and insurance are comprehensive.

We have heard of one Antipodean couple who had a  narrowboat for two summers using a buy, buy back agreement that seemed to work for both parties.  

Boating is never cheap and it can be seriously expensive.

That said we had an absolutely wonderful five summer six months narrowboating and we could have easily spent a lot more money and had a lot less fun.

Don

 

 

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9 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

There are hundreds if not thousands of narrow boats for sale at any given time. If you just want to jump in  with both feet and no knowledge then look in the 'for sale' section on here. There is a geezer trying flog an old hire boat for a LOT of money but it is probably a fundamentally sound boat. You could buy it, use it to learn about boating while you boat, then flog it again and buy something you truly want. 

The alternative is to spend hundreds of hours doing your homework, getting an education, looking at dozens of boats to find exactly the right one. How much does your time cost you?

P.S. I hope you will be able to offer the geezer his desired 'fluid realisation'. This is probably what normal people call a 'quick sale'. 

Thanks for the advice Mike, an ex-hire boat is exactly what I am not looking for!  My time costs nothing as I am retired but I have more than enough to do that I don't want to spend months researching either.  Neither do I want some old nail stuck sideway up my posterior that only another fool may buy!  Something will turn up, it always does.

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7 hours ago, DandV said:

Whilst there might be some Arthur Daley long term private hire deals about, they come with considerable risk to all parties. Most advice to all would be avoid.

When ever you buy a boat you must also budget on selling it again some time later with the considerable work, and generally fees that implies. Brokers fees are typically 4-6% of the sales price with VAT additional, say another 1%. A significant expense if over a short period.

The only creative way I have heard of of bypassing this expense for a defined short / medium term boating experience is a privately arranged, buy, buy back arrangement (which can include vendor financing)

Thousands of Non EU residents use such a scheme to get new cars from Renault and Peugeot complete with red french tourist plates to tour Europe each year for up to six months. (the money is made in that such cars avoid VAT) The legal agreement and insurance are comprehensive.

We have heard of one Antipodean couple who had a  narrowboat for two summers using a buy, buy back agreement that seemed to work for both parties.  

Boating is never cheap and it can be seriously expensive.

That said we had an absolutely wonderful five summer six months narrowboating and we could have easily spent a lot more money and had a lot less fun.

Don

 

 

Thanks for that Don, the 'buy / buy back' idea may have legs, I will keep that one in mind.  I am aware that boating is not cheap, I believe that 'boat' stands for Bung On Another Thousand'!  Fulfilling any dream is never cheap, thank goodness I never dreamt of racing F1 cars!

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1 hour ago, Up-Side-Down said:

Grantham Bridge Boat Services (near Rugby) offer long term hires and are flexible in accommodating needs such as yours. Telephone 01788 578661/07812 039110.

Thank you Up-Side-Down that looks like a good contact and definitely worth following up on.

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1 hour ago, jimxtc said:

Thanks for the advice Mike, an ex-hire boat is exactly what I am not looking for!  My time costs nothing as I am retired but I have more than enough to do that I don't want to spend months researching either.  Neither do I want some old nail stuck sideway up my posterior that only another fool may buy!  Something will turn up, it always does.

I wouldn't be quite so quick to dismiss ex hire boats. They tend to be solidly built, very well maintained and nice and easy to work on.

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7 minutes ago, Sally Grim said:

I know it is not what you are looking for, but if you ever should reconsider: Canal Cruising Company in Stone also has a couple of boats for long term hire. https://www.canalboatlongtermhire.co.uk

Thank you for that Sally, I guess any solution to my aim of getting on the water for the summer is worth considering, I am open to all suggestions!

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As N. Cal says don't dismiss hire boats just yet, they are built to spend every summer out on the water in such a way that they are not overly complicated for the novice boater and generally the build quality is good and the fit out is designed to be durable. They have been maintained to within an inch of their lives and when sold they have usually been run in so the snagging list is nt usually too big unless you plan to strip it out and refit. You could buy one, spend a summer getting used to the waterways and finding out how you want to use a boat and then sell when you have used it for research for a similar figure to what you bought it for.

Our boat is not a hire boat but the shell was built by a company who makes shells for a major hire boat fleet and it was fitted out by the staff of the hire fleet in their spare time. I's a great boat and yet if it had a name relating to the hire fleet some folks would turn their nose up at it

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7 minutes ago, Ray T said:

You'll find lots of information about boats here, including styles:

http://rugbyboats.co.uk/ click on Hints and tips.

http://rugbyboats.co.uk/narrow-boat-styles/

Thanks Ray, I shall take a look.

14 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

As N. Cal says don't dismiss hire boats just yet, they are built to spend every summer out on the water in such a way that they are not overly complicated for the novice boater and generally the build quality is good and the fit out is designed to be durable. They have been maintained to within an inch of their lives and when sold they have usually been run in so the snagging list is nt usually too big unless you plan to strip it out and refit. You could buy one, spend a summer getting used to the waterways and finding out how you want to use a boat and then sell when you have used it for research for a similar figure to what you bought it for.

Our boat is not a hire boat but the shell was built by a company who makes shells for a major hire boat fleet and it was fitted out by the staff of the hire fleet in their spare time. I's a great boat and yet if it had a name relating to the hire fleet some folks would turn their nose up at it

Thanks Cheshire-Rose, I only dismiss hire boats because they are fitted out for one or two week hires generally, I am hoping to find one with a washing machine and an inverter (I have sleep apnoea and need a 240V power supply all night for my air pump).  I also have to find a skipper too of course but hope that will come once I have the boat!

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2 hours ago, jimxtc said:

Thanks Cheshire-Rose, I only dismiss hire boats because they are fitted out for one or two week hires generally, I am hoping to find one with a washing machine and an inverter (I have sleep apnoea and need a 240V power supply all night for my air pump).  I also have to find a skipper too of course but hope that will come once I have the boat!

Washing machine on a hire boat; I very much doubt it. I've never heard of one.
Inverter; fairly common but may be of limited output, and the bigger problem will be the battery power available.
Air pump; I suspect you would be better looking for a 12v one.
Skipper: Sorry but I think you are being very hopeful finding one of those for an extended "holiday" as you want. You would be much better advised to learn how to "drive" the boat yourself.

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4 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

I wouldn't be quite so quick to dismiss ex hire boats. They tend to be solidly built, very well maintained and nice and easy to work on.

Quote

I go along with that especially if you buy one from the hire company, Normally well maintained and well put together with a view to easy maintenance.

 

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14 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

Washing machine on a hire boat; I very much doubt it. I've never heard of one.
Inverter; fairly common but may be of limited output, and the bigger problem will be the battery power available.
Air pump; I suspect you would be better looking for a 12v one.
Skipper: Sorry but I think you are being very hopeful finding one of those for an extended "holiday" as you want. You would be much better advised to learn how to "drive" the boat yourself.

Thanks Cheshire-Rose, a 12v air pump is not an option, it is a piece of medical equipment that is calibrated to my sleep apnoea level.  Indeed, a washing machine is unlikely on a hire boat which is why I don't think a hire boat is probably an option but I could be flexible on that.  I will find a skipper eventually or maybe more than one for a week or two at a time - I keep looking!  Much as I would love to pilot the boat myself, being registered blind I don't think other boat owners would be too happy to meet me coming the other way!  Where there is a will there is a way and I will succeed in my quest!

  • Greenie 2
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Just a thought, but would spending time on several hotel boats (so that you would cover a lot of the system) be of use? Presumably they will have powerful inverters and they certainly have a skipper and you could get involved/sit back and enjoy as mush as you wished

haggis

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8 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

Thanks Cheshire-Rose, great tip on the washing machine, that could well be an option.  There is a skipper out there somewhere I am sure, it would be nice to find a lady skipper but don't get me wrong - I am not into women or men - after 4 wives I am happily single!  Also, I have to sleep in a mask similar to a WW2 pilots mask which is not exactly sexy in bed!!

4 minutes ago, haggis said:

Just a thought, but would spending time on several hotel boats (so that you would cover a lot of the system) be of use? Presumably they will have powerful inverters and they certainly have a skipper and you could get involved/sit back and enjoy as mush as you wished

haggis

Thanks for the suggestion Haggis, I intend to do at least one narrowboat hotel with my aunt later this year but want the freedom to go where I choose.  All things are possible - I make them so!  Someone did suggest a camera at the front of the boat with a screen at the rear, someone else suggested a boat steered from the front - I am open to all suggestions as there will be a solution somewhere.

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51 minutes ago, jimxtc said:

Thanks Cheshire-Rose, a 12v air pump is not an option, it is a piece of medical equipment that is calibrated to my sleep apnoea level.  Indeed, a washing machine is unlikely on a hire boat which is why I don't think a hire boat is probably an option but I could be flexible on that.  I will find a skipper eventually or maybe more than one for a week or two at a time - I keep looking!  Much as I would love to pilot the boat myself, being registered blind I don't think other boat owners would be too happy to meet me coming the other way!  Where there is a will there is a way and I will succeed in my quest!

Wrong name quoted but not to worry.


When I said air pump I meant one for sleep apnoea. They are available as I have known camper van users with them.
I really do think you will have difficulty finding skippers for what you want to do. Just paying their wages for a week is going to be very expensive. I would suggest you look at some of the hotel boats that ply the canals and rivers.

Sorry about your disability, but it might have been better to have told us that at the start as it will alter the advice given.

 

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5 hours ago, jimxtc said:

...

Thanks for the suggestion Haggis, I intend to do at least one narrowboat hotel with my aunt later this year but want the freedom to go where I choose.  All things are possible - I make them so!  Someone did suggest a camera at the front of the boat with a screen at the rear, someone else suggested a boat steered from the front - I am open to all suggestions as there will be a solution somewhere.

Was it Gerry Anderson? This was the setup used in the Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle, evidently Captain Scarlet was way ahead of his time.

Joking apart, if you can find technical aids or some other way to overcome your limited eyesight to steer a boat safely, that's the way to go. If not, you ideally need to find some like minded person to share use of a boat with. Someone who wants to follow the same sort of pattern for the whole summer as you, but either can steer or can learn to; professional instructors and courses are available, or they can just learn from a boating friend. How much you do to help will of course depend on your health; maybe you'd be fine at operating lock gates and paddles with limited vision, I don't know.

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5 hours ago, Graham Davis said:

Wrong name quoted but not to worry.


When I said air pump I meant one for sleep apnoea. They are available as I have known camper van users with them.
I really do think you will have difficulty finding skippers for what you want to do. Just paying their wages for a week is going to be very expensive. I would suggest you look at some of the hotel boats that ply the canals and rivers.

Sorry about your disability, but it might have been better to have told us that at the start as it will alter the advice given.

 

Sorry Graham, I get a bit confused as to who has written what!  Interesting what you say about the 12V air pumps, I will ask at the hospital, thank you.  When I was talking about a skipper for a week  or two I was thinking more of my friends who can not spare any more time than that but hopefully I have enough friends to cover the whole period!  My disability doesn't stop me doing anything I just have to think laterally how to achieve my goals.  I am capable of crewing and operating locks but not steering.

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54 minutes ago, Peter X said:

Was it Gerry Anderson? This was the setup used in the Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle, evidently Captain Scarlet was way ahead of his time.

Joking apart, if you can find technical aids or some other way to overcome your limited eyesight to steer a boat safely, that's the way to go. If not, you ideally need to find some like minded person to share use of a boat with. Someone who wants to follow the same sort of pattern for the whole summer as you, but either can steer or can learn to; professional instructors and courses are available, or they can just learn from a boating friend. How much you do to help will of course depend on your health; maybe you'd be fine at operating lock gates and paddles with limited vision, I don't know.

Hi Peter, if I buy a boat I may just have to call it Tunderbird One!  I am pretty sure I am not the only one who wants to spend the summer on a boat, maybe this forum is not the right place  to find such a person but I am a novice in all things at present.

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