Living on Narrowboats in London

[Buzyizzy]

Hi

I have spent time aboard boats of various types during my life. I am a middle aged divorcee with two grown up children living away from home. I am keen to live a different life, away from estates and blocks of flats. I am resourceful, moved to Ireland last year to renovate a small farm on my own, had animals to care for as well as organise all the works, carrying out as much as possible myself. How difficult or otherwise is it to find a decent quality boat on a permanent mooring somewhere fairly close to London?  I intend to carry on working part time as a community HCA as well as continuing to have my pets with me. 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, Buzyizzy said:

Hi

I have spent time aboard boats of various types during my life. I am a middle aged divorcee with two grown up children living away from home. I am keen to live a different life, away from estates and blocks of flats. I am resourceful, moved to Ireland last year to renovate a small farm on my own, had animals to care for as well as organise all the works, carrying out as much as possible myself. How difficult or otherwise is it to find a decent quality boat on a permanent mooring somewhere fairly close to London?  I intend to carry on working part time as a community HCA as well as continuing to have my pets with me. 

 

You will be joining the 1000+ others looking to do the same.

London is virtually 'closed' as the numbers of boats has now risen to 12,000.

 

It is possible - almost impossible, but possible.

Many people decide to 'live the dream' thinking its a cheap way of living, not realising that the cost of residential moorings can be as high as £15,000 per annum.

 

Why London ?
If your skills are transferable you will get a better deal (a heck of a lot easier, a much more pleasant standard of boat and standard of living and 50% cheaper) if you choose the Midlands instead.

 

Good Luck

[Buzyizzy]

10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You will be joining the 1000+ others looking to do the same.

London is virtually 'closed' as the numbers of boats has now risen to 12,000.

 

It is possible - almost impossible, but possible.

Many people decide to 'live the dream' thinking its a cheap way of living, not realising that the cost of residential moorings can be as high as £15,000 per annum.

 

Why London ?
If your skills are transferable you will get a better deal (a heck of a lot easier, a much more pleasant standard of boat and standard of living and 50% cheaper) if you choose the Midlands instead.

 

Good Luck

I thought by the number of articles that may be the case.  London because both children are living in Kingston and I'd like to be fairly nearby.

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Buzyizzy said:

I thought by the number of articles that may be the case.  London because both children are living in Kingston and I'd like to be fairly nearby.

 

I'd suggest two things then.

 

1) Drop your requirement for a formally residential mooring. 99.999999999% of boat dwellers with moorings fly below the radar and live on leisure moorings. Don't rock the boat, 'know your rights' or get bolshie in any of a million ways and you'll be fine. 

 

2) Try Thames and Kennet Marina at Reading. Most boaters there 'spend a lot of time' on their boats. Just to be clear they don't 'live on them', oh no definitely not. No I'm not winking, there is something in my eye.... 

[Buzyizzy]

https://www.riverhomes.co.uk/properties/10584311/sales 

 

Sounds good. 

[matty40s]

Midlands is full !!!!!!!

[Buzyizzy]

4 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I'd suggest two things then.

 

1) Drop your requirement for a formally residential mooring. 99.999999999% of boat dwellers with moorings fly below the radar and live on leisure moorings. Don't rock the boat, 'know your rights' or get bolshie in any of a million ways and you'll be fine. 

 

2) Try Thames and Kennet Marina at Reading. Most boaters there 'spend a lot of time' on their boats. Just to be clear they don't 'live on them', oh no definitely not. No I'm not winking, there is something in my eye.... 

Message received  

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Buzyizzy said:

https://www.riverhomes.co.uk/properties/10584311/sales 

 

Sounds good. 

Guide price.

[Buzyizzy]

Thanks for the suggestion. This sounds cool  

 

http://www.tingdeneboatsales.net/boat-spec?BoatID=6811217

7 minutes ago, MJG said:

Guide price.

Yeah, probably sell for loads more. 

[Buzyizzy]

OMG! And all my misspent youth was in Reading and Henley! lol!! Getting um well, I shall leave it to your no doubt vivid imaginations.  

[Mike on the Wey]

4 hours ago, Buzyizzy said:

https://www.riverhomes.co.uk/properties/10584311/sales 

 

Sounds good. 

Estate Agent blurb always sounds good. The stunning views are available only in an arc of about 20 degrees from one end of the boat if shorter than its neighbours. And the views from the sides of residential boats are typically of other boat windows ... two feet away.

 

Did the Estate Agent mention that the Thames goes into flood regularly (sometimes seriously) over the winter? Of course not, it's all rosy.

[Sea Dog]

10 hours ago, Buzyizzy said:

I am resourceful, moved to Ireland last year to renovate a small farm on my own, had animals to care for as well as organise all the works, carrying out as much as possible myself. 

 A move to Ireland, a farm renovation and taking on animals all sounds like a very long term commitment to me.  That lasted a year - have you thought of hiring a boat?

 

(Good luck in your quest and welcome to the forum) 

 

 

[MtB]

18 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

 A move to Ireland, a farm renovation and taking on animals all sounds like a very long term commitment to me.  That lasted a year - have you thought of hiring a boat?

 

(Good luck in your quest and welcome to the forum) 

 

 

 

Buzyizzy, ignore Mr Dog. As you can see from his avatar selfie he is a three legged dog, not a human. He just like to pretend he knows lots about boats. Fools us all sometimes! 

[MtB]

10 hours ago, Buzyizzy said:

https://www.riverhomes.co.uk/properties/10584311/sales 

 

Sounds good. 

 

It looks very nice. Almost tempted myself!

 

There are a couple of downsides not obvious from the listing.

 

1) There is no parking associated with the mooring so if you have a car, this will be a problem. There is on-street parking around looking at the site on googlemaps, but this is likely to be Residents' Parking for which the boaters may or may not qualify. A Residents' Permit does not guarantee you a parking space.

 

2) The boat itself (separated from the mooring) is probably worth about £30k (or perhaps £40k tops at London prices), so you are paying a £35k premium for the mooring. You are unlikely to have any security of tenure so should the landlord choose (perhaps on a whim) not to renew your £563 a month moorings tenancy, you will be have  been stuffed for £35k at least. Is this a risk that bothers you?

 

I see another nearby on Ash Island with the same agent. Ash Island has no bridge onto it IIRC. Pedestrian access only, across the weir or lock. Even less parking!

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2018 by Mike the Boilerman
Add a bit.

[LEO]

Hi,

Try joining the London Boaters group on Facebook.

 

Life for moorers in in and around London sounds tough, with security being a very real problem, finding moorings another and then sewage disposal points are limited and often not working.

 

Mechanical breakdowns - seem frequent and costly as often mechanics do not want the work as parking for them is very tricky.

 

As someone suggested try the Midlands.

 

L.

[doratheexplorer]

Can everyone stop recommending the midlands please!!! Next you'll be pointing out that journey times to London will be 50 minutes when HS2 comes, and then the midlands will be thoroughly ruined.

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, doratheexplorer said:

Can everyone stop recommending the midlands please!!! Next you'll be pointing out that journey times to London will be 50 minutes when HS2 comes, and then the midlands will be thoroughly ruined.

Joking apart you are in fact quite right. The midlands at present are very pleasant with some fab moorings available all over. Where it to become like London it would make me consider selling my boat.

[mark99]

The best next step is to step out and walk the towpaths asking lots of questions assuming you are the outgoing type. IF you find a suitable spot that's the most likely source of fresh info. You may find that trudging up and down a wet muddy winter towpath is not for you.

 

My wifes mate just moved out of a widebeam off a Thames marina (fully residential) - sold it on - so they exist. My last mooring was a livaboard spot near Harefield and that was secured on the basis of a towpath conversation with a stranger (who is now a mate).

Edited September 23, 2018 by mark99

[OldGoat]

The Thames - further upstream still has possibilities - but not free banksides because of the occasional fast stream and flooding, more importantly - it's getting full. Some marinas will tolerate those who don't go out much and I suspect you might want to go cruising occasionally anyway. The advantage is that there's onsite parking. If you have pets then mebe a wider beam boat would more sensible. Try Penton Hook Marina....

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Buzyizzy, ignore Mr Dog. As you can see from his avatar selfie he is a three legged dog, not a human. He just like to pretend he knows lots about boats. Fools us all sometimes! 

It was tongue in cheek Mike, but that's not to say there's not some point to the question. You know as well as any that there are quite a lot of folk looking for boats in London and many of those are wearing rose tinted specs or pop in temporarily whilst they flit from one half-baked idea to the next.  Whilst recognising that she has some actual boating experience, the response to my teasing post would tell us quite a lot in regards to how serious and determined the OP is in her intent, and therefore assist those in a position to help to target their efforts.

[MtB]

9 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

It was tongue in cheek Mike, but that's not to say there's not some point to the question. You know as well as any that there are quite a lot of folk looking for boats in London and many of those are wearing rose tinted specs or pop in temporarily whilst they flit from one half-baked idea to the next.  Whilst recognising that she has some actual boating experience, the response to my teasing post would tell us quite a lot in regards to how serious and determined the OP is in her intent, and therefore assist those in a position to help to target their efforts.

 

Agreed. 

 

And amazingly articulately expressed for a dog. 

 

[cereal tiller]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

It looks very nice. Almost tempted myself!

 

There are a couple of downsides not obvious from the listing.

 

1) There is no parking associated with the mooring so if you have a car, this will be a problem. There is on-street parking around looking at the site on googlemaps, but this is likely to be Residents' Parking for which the boaters may or may not qualify. A Residents' Permit does not guarantee you a parking space.

 

2) The boat itself (separated from the mooring) is probably worth about £30k (or perhaps £40k tops at London prices), so you are paying a £35k premium for the mooring. You are unlikely to have any security of tenure so should the landlord choose (perhaps on a whim) not to renew your £563 a month moorings tenancy, you will be have  been stuffed for £35k at least. Is this a risk that bothers you?

 

I see another nearby on Ash Island with the same agent. Ash Island has no bridge onto it IIRC. Pedestrian access only, across the weir or lock. Even less parking!

 

 

 

There was a good Hire Boat Fleet on Ash Island for about fifty Years , the reason they folded was Total lack of Parking in the Area!

[Buzyizzy]

11 hours ago, Mike on the Wey said:

Estate Agent blurb always sounds good. The stunning views are available only in an arc of about 20 degrees from one end of the boat if shorter than its neighbours. And the views from the sides of residential boats are typically of other boat windows ... two feet away.

 

Did the Estate Agent mention that the Thames goes into flood regularly (sometimes seriously) over the winter? Of course not, it's all rosy.

Oh dear, do you seriously think that I am that wet behind the ears?  Yes I am aware of all the above, I did live there for a long time.

[Buzyizzy]

5 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 A move to Ireland, a farm renovation and taking on animals all sounds like a very long term commitment to me.  That lasted a year - have you thought of hiring a boat?

 

(Good luck in your quest and welcome to the forum) 

 

 

Not that it’s any concern of yours, but I was not the party who was not committed to the move?

[Buzyizzy]

It seems to me that there are quite a few people who have issues with a newbie. I’m so glad that I am such a lovely, supportive person who wouldn’t dream of leaving such remarks on any board. 

And these are people who know nothing about me. Please don’t pretend to know the type of person I am, or to judge, because I absolutely guarantee you will be so far off, you’ll be on another continent. I know where I want to be, the life I want and with whom I wish to share it.