Saying hello,

[Guest]

Hi, I am looking to buying my first boat, and Im sure lots of it is answered here in FAQs, but I think we are all in different circumstances.

So thought id just quickly layout a couple of my questions. And maybe get some feedback.

I grew up working on outboards, and even worked as a mechanic in Australia for a while.

I started woodwork and metalwork a couple of years back - making tables and my own products.

I also work in animation in London, so earn enough - but most goes in rent each month.

The transition to a narrowboat seems obvious to me now.

 

1. I can't seem to secure a loan, as I have not been registered to vote. I thought by having about £5,000 in account and show earnings I could get a loan easy -

But no one will give me a loan.

 

2. I am going to buy one, and will get there , so if I do get the money, loan, or next summer, is a second hand at £22,000 going to be any good?

 

3. If I were to strip it out and rebuild inside, I d also like to build a new top - shell is it called?

any advice on this would be great, prob deserves a separate post.

 

 

Anyway, will start with that.

 

Thanks,

Graham

 

[OldGoat]

Welcome to the forum

Methinks you need to do a bit more research - for example over here the shell means the whole outer of the boat including the roof.

Some very old boats had timber cabin sides and roof, others had fibreglass sides and roof. Both are very problematical and will leak - no matter what you do. You'd be better off going for a fully steel shell - but you'd be hard pushed in today's climate to find a reasonable example for the £22k.

The above doesn't apply to a fibreglass boat - but there aren't many around.

 

Now others will come on and demolish my statements....

[Dr Bob]

Yes, welcome to the forum.

As Old Goat posts, what sort of canal boat are you looking for? A steel narrow boat or a GRP cruiser......or something else?

You ask about loans, and say you are not registered to vote. Can we assume you have not been in the country that long? If so, to get a loan you need to build up your credit history here. My son returned to living in the UK a few years back after 10 years in Asia and it took a year to re-establish himself here financially despite a reasonable high paid job. Marine mortgages are not as easy to get as they used to be.

[Guest]

Thanks old goat, sounds like the steel is the way to go.

 

however I'll have to work my way up to a decent live aboard. Making do with a basic boat to start with. Seeing some of the crap that's out there, I thought re-doing a cabin with timber construction, then skinning that with some kind of material. Possibly taking her out of the water and doing it at a marina.

 

but that's down the road a bit yet.

I've lived in London off and on past 10 years. But the nature of my work (freelance) I would often leave and come back.

 

i never felt the need to register to vote as politics frustrates me. Let's not get into that :).

[David Mack]

22 minutes ago, Charles_Graham said:

 

i never felt the need to register to vote as politics frustrates me. Let's not get into that :).

But you've now discovered that there are good reasons other than voting (as well as a legal requirement) to be on the electoral roll.

[Guest]

Legal requirement. soon we will all be tagged and monitored. That too will then be required. 

 

I'll get a boat without a loan, thanks very much. 

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, Charles_Graham said:

Legal requirement. soon we will all be tagged and monitored. That too will then be required. 

 

I'll get a boat without a loan, thanks very much. 

Can't complain about legal requirements being imposed on you if you can't be bothered to vote. 

[Guest]

You may want to reserve judgement until you know someone's full circumstances. Very easy to comment on people sitting behind a computer.

[Athy]

8 minutes ago, Charles_Graham said:

You may want to reserve judgement until you know someone's full circumstances. Very easy to comment on people sitting behind a computer.

Yes, this is what we all do on this forum - and, for that matter, on others.

[MtB]

8 minutes ago, Charles_Graham said:

You may want to reserve judgement until you know someone's full circumstances. Very easy to comment on people sitting behind a computer.

 

Disagree. Arthur was simply stating a fact about living in a representative democracy.

 

The system is, collectively we vote in politicians who pass the laws we want. Perhaps you are prevented from being on the electoral roll rather than choosing not to be.

 

 

[OldGoat]

I don't do politics - so back on topic

3 hours ago, Charles_Graham said:

Thanks old goat, sounds like the steel is the way to go.

 

however I'll have to work my way up to a decent live aboard. Making do with a basic boat to start with. Seeing some of the crap that's out there, I thought re-doing a cabin with timber construction, then skinning that with some kind of material. Possibly taking her out of the water and doing it at a marina.

 ......

You missed my point, thus -

timber topped / ditto covered with 'some fabric' are invariably second best or worse. At best moisture wicks up between the steel shell and the cabin sides. There aren't many such boats around and they will be very old - so you may even not be able to cover your costs when you discover the wisdom and move on...

[JamesFrance]

I have a suggestion for you, how about buying a nice boat to live on on the Canal du Midi, where the mooring fees and license fees are really low.   You could then fly to Stansted from Carcassonne as often as you like for 10 Euros each way then take the Stansted Express to link up with the underground.   That way you could see your family regularly and have a much nicer life than being stuck in the horror of inner London.

[Mac of Cygnet]

I must admit that the single word that jumped out at me in the OP was 'London'. 

[Neil2]

The simple answer to your question is no.  

 

£22,000 will buy you what on the face of it looks like a reasonable budget boat but in reality will be a load of trouble, basically a long list of defects/shortcomings that previous owners have failed to address and will cost you a lot of money, and stress, to put right.  

 

I have said this many times before and others can disagree if they want, but on that sort of money what you need is an absolute basket case, a write off that no-one else is prepared to take on, and that you can buy for silly money.  The fact is that even the worst case of neglect can be put right, and repairing a dodgy hull is a lot cheaper than you might think.  But you need a lot of "headroom" and a boat at around £20k doesn't give you that.  

 

There are also many issues regarding living on a boat in London others are better placed to comment than I.

 

It helps to have some practical skills but if doing up a project boat the main thing you need is time and a decent place to do the work.   

[Mad Harold]

An all steel boat is arguably the best choice to live on,however,five grand will get you a really nice fibreglass cruiser.It may well need insulating and a heating system installing but you wouldn't need to get into debt.

Norman cruisers are fairly cheap and plentiful,and you may find one with an inboard diesel.There are other makes of course,but I think to live on,it needs to be at least 23ft.

A friend of mine lived for years quite happily on a 25ft Buckingham,admittedly with shore power and electric heating,and only moved off due to ill health.

From what I have heard and read,your main problem is going to be finding somewhere to moor in the London area.

Please let us know how you get on.

 

 

[OldGoat]

1 hour ago, Mad Harold said:

An all steel boat is arguably the best choice to live on,however,five grand will get you a really nice fibreglass cruiser.It may well need insulating and a heating system installing but you wouldn't need to get into debt.

Norman cruisers are fairly cheap and plentiful,and you may find one with an inboard diesel.There are other makes of course,but I think to live on,it needs to be at least 23ft.

A friend of mine lived for years quite happily on a 25ft Buckingham,admittedly with shore power and electric heating,and only moved off due to ill health.

From what I have heard and read,your main problem is going to be finding somewhere to moor in the London area.

Please let us know how you get on.

 

 

Ferzacally - you have to be Spartan and fit on a boat that small - but its an option.

'We' try to save folks from themselves, thus tend to be a bit more circumspect.

Whatever lights your fire.....

[mark99]

Where are you intending to moor?

 

Deleted.

Edited September 23, 2018 by mark99

[mark99]

Are you a boater who travels in boats and like boats  or someone using our heritage to save rent money and crowd the rest out?

Edited September 23, 2018 by mark99

[mrsmelly]

6 hours ago, David Mack said:

But you've now discovered that there are good reasons other than voting (as well as a legal requirement) to be on the electoral roll.

I am not on any electoral role. Did you mean it's a legal requirement to be on one? Cos it ain't.

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I am not on any electoral role. Did you mean it's a legal requirement to be on one? Cos it ain't.

 

This is a tricky one. On another forum I was once a member of, this exact point resulted in possibly one of the longest threads I've ever seen on a forum. 

[mrsmelly]

9 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

This is a tricky one. On another forum I was once a member of, this exact point resulted in possibly one of the longest threads I've ever seen on a forum. 

That's interesting Mike. How Can a homeless person with absolutely no connection to any property in any way and who moves daily around the uk be on an electoral role and were would he/she register? How did the other thread end up?

[system 4-50]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

That's interesting Mike. How Can a homeless person with absolutely no connection to any property in any way and who moves daily around the uk be on an electoral role and were would he/she register? How did the other thread end up?

Can Athy hive this bit off into a new thread so that we can keep this original thread calm?

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

That's interesting Mike. How Can a homeless person with absolutely no connection to any property in any way and who moves daily around the uk be on an electoral role and were would he/she register? How did the other thread end up?

 

I can't remember. 

 

Broadly speaking, you have both a constitutional right and duty to vote. Equally you need a postcode to be on the electrical roll.

[ditchcrawler]

5 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

That's interesting Mike. How Can a homeless person with absolutely no connection to any property in any way and who moves daily around the uk be on an electoral role and were would he/she register? How did the other thread end up?

From the Gov site https://www.gov.uk/electoral-register

What happens if you do not register

You must register to vote if you’re asked to do so and you meet the conditions for registering, for example you’re 16 or over and you’re British or a national of an EU or Commonwealth country.

If you’re asked to register and do not do so, you could be fined.

You will not be fined if you have a valid reason for not registering, for example a long stay in hospital, or you have severe learning difficulties.

Edited September 23, 2018 by ditchcrawler

[Sea Dog]

1 minute ago, system 4-50 said:

Can Athy hive this bit off into a new thread so that we can keep this original thread calm?

Possibly, but very few "Hi, I've got very little money and want to buy a boat to live on in London" type threads proceed calmly and attract advice entirely to the OP's satisfaction.  I wonder if we should have a dedicated sub-heading for the subject to make such posts easier to avoid so not everyone gets sucked in?