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Boat Lease / Hire?


jimxtc

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2 minutes ago, jimxtc said:

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.

I hope I didn't cause offence by mentioning it.

As said, I have known people who caravan/motorhome with sleep apnoea who have 12v pumps either powered directly from their supply or from a portable power pack. If the latter, they recharge them during the day. That would easily be possible when the boat engne is running.

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8 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

I hope I didn't cause offence by mentioning it.

As said, I have known people who caravan/motorhome with sleep apnoea who have 12v pumps either powered directly from their supply or from a portable power pack. If the latter, they recharge them during the day. That would easily be possible when the boat engne is running.

Hi Graham, no you didn't cause offence at all, I am too old to be offended!  It is good information and solves a dilemma I was contemplating when I find a driver who want to tour the UK in a camper van - after I have done the narrowboat of course!

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5 minutes ago, jimxtc said:

 (snip) 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 (snip)

Have you browsed the Crew Swap section, that is where folk ask to be crew or say they need crew. Please don't right off the forum just yet.

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5 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

Have you browsed the Crew Swap section, that is where folk ask to be crew or say they need crew. Please don't right off the forum just yet.

Hi Tumshie, no I haven't looked at those sections on the forum, I struggled to find this one!  Not a fault of the website or forum you understand.  I will take a look thank you for the pointer.

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I know that in one of your earlier posts you said that you didn't want to spend too much time researching, but can I offer you a couple of things for quick research, you have mentioned that you are registered blind so books might not be for you but I bough two books that I found helpful and they are both available as ebooks so the font size could be changed - one was “The Narrowboat Guide” by Tony Jones and the other was "Narrowboat Life" by Jim Batty. I really enjoyed both and they very informative for newbies like us. 

Rugby Boats have a website for the boats that they sell but they also have a youtube channel where they film a walk through of the boat but also a chap talks about the boat and he is very easy to listen to. This is a good place to learn about the different types of boats, even if you’re watching stuff about boats that have sold you’re still learning.

Tumsh

Edited by Tumshie
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Thinking about your situation and the need for you to have someone to skipper for you alongside the desire to own your own boat and I realise it is a checken and egg situation.   

If you had the boat I expect you would find crew (there are always far more people who would jump at the chance to go boating than there are people who can afford to own or hire a boat)

But. you want the opportunity to spend some time boating to get to understand what is right for you in terms of owning a boat before you jump in with both feet.

I just wondered how it might work for you if you switched the equation around and offer to crew for other boaters for a while? There are often boaters who enjoy having a bit of company and companionship on their travels or a bit of help doing the locks for parts of their journey, there are even a lot of good people on this forum who may well be happy to invite you to join them for a couple of days here and there just to give to a taste of what it is like being on board their boat. You can learn a great deal standing next to the helm of a boat as they steer and talking to them about their experiences, what works for them and what went wrong and if that conversation relocates to the pub over a pint in the evening it can still come under the heading of "research"!

Often newbies come to the forum and fire loads of questions about the lifestyle and what can and can't be done and the answer often suggested to them is to get out there and get on as many boats as they can, visit brokers etc and they will get an understanding of what works for them. I think that is even more relevant to you because the space has to feel right for you but I can appreciate that visiting brokers to "look" at a boat when you want the visual aspect of it is not so easy for you is going to be fraught with problems and probably not a particularly enjoyable experience.

Your determination to "make it happen" is indeed admirable and I am sure there are others here, not just me who want this to happen for you but, are at pains to try and make sure you are aware of the obstacles that might be in your way.

Perhaps, if you find your way to the crew swap section, write a post saying a little about who you are and what you are hoping to do and ask outright if there is anyone who would be willing to invite you along to spend a little time (whether it be a day, a weekend or a month!) boating with them sometime this spring. Those poeple who rock up with a bottle of some reasonable tincture or cake - especially of the home made variety are often made very welcome on folks boats if they are open and honest about why they want to be there.

I think there are two potential problems with my suggestion, boat owners are going to be fearful about whether their boat is a safe place to invite someone visually impared onto. There could also be a potential problem with transport at either end of the time on the boat but, everything is possible with some planning and if you don't ask you don't get.

If I had any plans to untie our ropes in the foreseeable future I would be happy to invite you along but sadly we struggle to get the time on board we would like to at present .

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12 hours ago, jimxtc said:

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.

This is the right forum for finding a skipper to help you. As has been said, hiring a professional skipper for a whole summer would be expensive, I think they charge about £100 a day. For that you get someone with long experience of boating, who carries their own insurance because they're being paid to do it. Sometimes people hire someone like that for just a day or two to teach them the basics of steering and otherwise operating their boat, so that might be a good idea for your friends to learn to steer if they don't have prior experience.

A normal boat insurance policy will cover you to have a friend steering your boat for you provided that no money changes hands. If you pay them and they're not the sort of freelance skipper I described above, they become your employee and you enter a world of paperwork. If they pay you for the privilege of going boating they become a paying passenger and you become a business, another world of paperwork. But in between is the informal but legal arrangement under which I get to go boating, not having a boat of my own; I just ask for food and the accommodation. Much of my boating is with the Narrow Boat Trust, where I pay for my share of the food (they're a charity), but I sometimes do a week or two crewing for members of this forum, and although I have no paper qualifications I am competent to steer a boat and could teach others. So I may be of some help to you and your friends.

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16 hours 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.

Im new to boating but I am able to spend the summer cruising. Don't need a wage just feed me. I had planned to take a rya course during my summer adventure. If you are prepared to pay for that,you have a skipper. The Blind Novice. Im waiting for the jokes now

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On ‎1‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 05:54, cheshire~rose said:

Thinking about your situation and the need for you to have someone to skipper for you alongside the desire to own your own boat and I realise it is a checken and egg situation.   

If you had the boat I expect you would find crew (there are always far more people who would jump at the chance to go boating than there are people who can afford to own or hire a boat)

But. you want the opportunity to spend some time boating to get to understand what is right for you in terms of owning a boat before you jump in with both feet.

I just wondered how it might work for you if you switched the equation around and offer to crew for other boaters for a while? There are often boaters who enjoy having a bit of company and companionship on their travels or a bit of help doing the locks for parts of their journey, there are even a lot of good people on this forum who may well be happy to invite you to join them for a couple of days here and there just to give to a taste of what it is like being on board their boat. You can learn a great deal standing next to the helm of a boat as they steer and talking to them about their experiences, what works for them and what went wrong and if that conversation relocates to the pub over a pint in the evening it can still come under the heading of "research"!

Often newbies come to the forum and fire loads of questions about the lifestyle and what can and can't be done and the answer often suggested to them is to get out there and get on as many boats as they can, visit brokers etc and they will get an understanding of what works for them. I think that is even more relevant to you because the space has to feel right for you but I can appreciate that visiting brokers to "look" at a boat when you want the visual aspect of it is not so easy for you is going to be fraught with problems and probably not a particularly enjoyable experience.

Your determination to "make it happen" is indeed admirable and I am sure there are others here, not just me who want this to happen for you but, are at pains to try and make sure you are aware of the obstacles that might be in your way.

Perhaps, if you find your way to the crew swap section, write a post saying a little about who you are and what you are hoping to do and ask outright if there is anyone who would be willing to invite you along to spend a little time (whether it be a day, a weekend or a month!) boating with them sometime this spring. Those poeple who rock up with a bottle of some reasonable tincture or cake - especially of the home made variety are often made very welcome on folks boats if they are open and honest about why they want to be there.

I think there are two potential problems with my suggestion, boat owners are going to be fearful about whether their boat is a safe place to invite someone visually impared onto. There could also be a potential problem with transport at either end of the time on the boat but, everything is possible with some planning and if you don't ask you don't get.

If I had any plans to untie our ropes in the foreseeable future I would be happy to invite you along but sadly we struggle to get the time on board we would like to at present .

Cheshire-Rose, thank you so much for your very thoughtful reply.  Indeed I would love to crew for someone for a short length of time to 'learn on the job' as it where.  I lived in a mobile home for 7 years about 40 years ago so I know about living in confined spaces, I took my aunt and sister & husband on a cruiser from Ely the Sept before last (all the naorrowbaots were hired), we went up the Ouse and Little Ouse for a long weekend, I loved it and did most of the 'crewing' as my brother in law was steering - his first time ever!  I am more capable than you may think, I ride a trials bike in competition off-road still - I am rubbish but I enjoy it!  I have ridden in Spain and Belgium.  I won my own house and live alone and look after myself, I own a sports car for my friends to drive me in.  I travel alone and don't ask for assistance, I worked in central London before I retired, I have fostered 50 children - that was a challenge and a half!

As I am sure you have probably worked out by now, I am a cross-dresser or t-girl as I prefer to call it.  I do my own makeup and choose my own clothes.  I get dressed maybe once a fortnight to go out.  Heels on a boat are not a good idea I guess!  I never dress in front of anyone who would be offended by it.  My avatar is me, I am straight but not interested in a relationship with anyone.  I heard yesterday that my trials riding partner has lung cancer - it simply reinforces to me that now is the time to do things.

As I said, I would happily crew and contribute towards costs.  I could 'hitchhike' up the waterways!  When not on a boat I could stay at an Inn or hotel or come home.

Now is the better time to buy a boat I am told, spring is when people are looking to start, now is not the right time for me to buy as I don't know enough so I may leave the purchase until next winter or I may even have changed my mind by then - but I doubt it.  I would have a boat professionally looked at before I bought it but I could select my own boat.  Being on the network would give me access to boatyards and marinas that otherwise are difficult to find and for me to get to on the road.

Thanks again for you response, it was kind and thoughtful.

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On ‎1‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 15:28, the blind novice said:

Im new to boating but I am able to spend the summer cruising. Don't need a wage just feed me. I had planned to take a rya course during my summer adventure. If you are prepared to pay for that,you have a skipper. The Blind Novice. Im waiting for the jokes now

Hello Blind Novice, well that could sound like a plan!  We would have to meet up and be sure we got on of course and it might be nice if I had a boat too....!  Covering the cost of the RYA course would be not a problem as it would be in my interest.  Lots to consider and work out but than you for the offer, it may come about, I shall store it away with all the other info I have gleaned!

I am trying to answer each individual response here but getting lost!  Thanks to Peter X for his offer  and advice.

Just now, jimxtc said:

Hello Blind Novice, well that could sound like a plan!  We would have to meet up and be sure we got on of course and it might be nice if I had a boat too....!  Covering the cost of the RYA course would be not a problem as it would be in my interest.  Lots to consider and work out but than you for the offer, it may come about, I shall store it away with all the other info I have gleaned!

I am trying to answer each individual response here but getting lost!  Thanks to Peter X for his offer  and advice.

 

On ‎1‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 15:54, Alan de Enfield said:

For starters :

"The blind leading the blind".

I know so many blind jokes I would block the forum!

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Sorry I am getting a bit confused as to who said what here so forgive me if I attribute a comment to the wrong person!  Thank you all for your advice, it really has been helpful.  I would still like to know the difference between a trad, semi-trad and cruiser stern though!  Maybe it is such a fundamental question that people thought I was joking about not knowing the difference!

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I was wondering if someone like Willow Wren Training might let you and some of your friends - the ones who would most likely to spend time with you on your boat - book a training day as a group. It might be a good day out but it would also mean that you and your friends could find the best way of working out needs while having an instructor to ask about stuff.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Tumshie
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I have some pictures that I saved from Apolloduck. I any one objects to me posting these photos because they are not mine please say so and I will take them down.

 

This picture is of a cruiser stern - it offers a lot more space Than a traditional or semi traditional.

520017_1.jpg

 

This is a semi traditional.

 

 

551479_1.jpg.ff73433b8f9fce058d44c255dd6c9158.jpg551365_5.jpg.9a0e27831ffe3f48f98af3ca9d5869f2.jpg551479_11.jpg.6abe2d6ab560817aa65525d3d2705b93.jpg

 

 

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On 5 January 2018 at 17:00, jimxtc said:

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! 

Oh I don't know, it could be worse, it could be Tim West comining the other way. Now there's a scary thought:D

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14 hours ago, rusty69 said:

 

images.jpeg

Thanks Rusty, a picture paints a thousand words - now I get it!

13 hours ago, Bewildered said:

Oh I don't know, it could be worse, it could be Tim West comining the other way. Now there's a scary thought:D

Haha, I do remember Timothy West telling his wife that boating was a contact sport!

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