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Planning to take the plunge


joe hoyle

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2 hours ago, joe hoyle said:

Lol I sent this link to my partner this morning and got an excited reply that the deck might be long enough for two bikes! 

 

https://m.apolloduck.com/boat/david-harris/579188

 

I’ve made it clear one will be sufficient though! 

You don't mess about! Mr. Harris is a very respected builder, noted for the handsome lines of his boats. But then, you aren't going to live on the outside of it, so the interior layout and spec will be more important than a flowing shape.

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1 minute ago, Athy said:

You don't mess about! Mr. Harris is a very respected builder, noted for the handsome lines of his boats. But then, you aren't going to live on the outside of it, so the interior layout and spec will be more important than a flowing shape.

Is £87k for a 15 year old narrowboat good value for money?

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3 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Is £87k for a 15 year old narrowboat good value for money?

Its maybe a bit over priced, but likely not by much. Proper boats by proper builders are a minority interest on the cut so the seller is probably willing to wait a while till the right buyer comes along. There will be a few people who really want a boat like this and be prepared to pay for it.

 

............Dave

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Well I knew this forum was active but I didn’t expect quite this many replies so quickly! 

 

I love the idea of a short butty and 58 boat to make to 70, but the concept of putting my dogs in there doesn’t bare thinking about. Perhaps the OH though when we get stressed! 

 

I had seen the video before of the bike lift. As epic as that could be, I really don’t think retro fitting that would be worth the headache. A good hoist or crane would be doable. 

 

As as for winter cruising, I’d love this. But I thought the risk of frozen canals and not getting to water / pumps out (if working) is worth the hassle? 

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49 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Is £87k for a 15 year old narrowboat good value for money?

I don't know, as I have not personally seen that one. But as the buyer will be getting a Bentley, rather than a Vauxhall, among boats, and as said Bentley comes with a sought-after vintage engine which appears to work, then I'd say, not far off - after all, boats, like most higher-priced items, rarely sell for their first advertised price.

To have such a craft built new would probably cost double the advertised price - and I'm not sure that you'd legally be allowed to install that engine either.

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Just a thought, and a bit of long shot really, but Di Blasi still make those little folding mopeds. They're not cheap, but they do fold down well so could fit inside the boat, and they are fairly lightweight. 

I doubt they'd manage to carry a pillion though, so you would need a bike each. 

I've been wondering how the folks with larger bikes get them up the slopes or steps that you often have getting from the towpath onto the road? 

Even a short slope must be tough going for a bike weighing over 200kg, (as most of the middleweight bikes seem to do these days).

And pushing a middleweight bike uphill even a short distance if the ground is muddy looks like a bit of a challenge. 

On the other hand, a middleweight bike will carry two easily (plus shopping), and will cover greater distances, and a lot more quickly, than a moped. 

Some cc'ers use cars, and simply ride a pushbike back to fetch/move the car to a new location every few days. 

Another long shot this one, but electric bikes have a range of maybe 20 miles, and many will also fold down and stow inside the boat. But you do have the 15mph speed limit on those to contend with... 

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Over the last two years we have cruised virtually all of the connected system on a 60 ft narrowboat, including bits that claim to be 57 ft maximum. Some locks can be a bit fiddly but were there is a will there is usually a way. A friend of ours has done the Huddersfield narrow on a 60 ft boat although that was more to prove a point than anything else and she certainly will not do it again.

I would suggest you think more about the living accommodation rather than the ability to carry motor bikes. You can't legally use a motor bike on a towpath and often reaching a road can be a trek.

Oh and the North East has without doubt the best maintained canals and rivers on the entire system.

Whatever you decide to do enjoy.

 

Ken 

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1 hour ago, dmr said:

Its maybe a bit over priced, but likely not by much. Proper boats by proper builders are a minority interest on the cut so the seller is probably willing to wait a while till the right buyer comes along. There will be a few people who really want a boat like this and be prepared to pay for it.

 

............Dave

 

I thought something similar, but I thought it was cheap for a boat that would probably cost £250k to build today.

 

Maybe the "London whiteout" effect inside is stopping it selling. 

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1 hour ago, Athy said:

You don't mess about! Mr. Harris is a very respected builder, noted for the handsome lines of his boats. But then, you aren't going to live on the outside of it, so the interior layout and spec will be more important than a flowing shape.

Am I missing some thing because that seem a bit about a**e the round the wrong way to me. ?

Edited by Tumshie
sweary words
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42 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

Just a thought, and a bit of long shot really, but Di Blasi still make those little folding mopeds. They're not cheap, but they do fold down well so could fit inside the boat, and they are fairly lightweight. 

 

Ah no! A proper motorbike is pretty much essential. We love our motorbikes; A moped hurts to think about! We'll have push bikes as well to nip to shops or somewhere close. 

 

44 minutes ago, KenK said:

I would suggest you think more about the living accommodation rather than the ability to carry motor bikes. You can't legally use a motor bike on a towpath and often reaching a road can be a trek. 

 

We won't be on the bike daily. It will probably be once a fortnight. I'm sure we can find a mooring spot near road access when we plan to take it out. Motorbikes are illegal to ride on a towpath, but if I'm only pushing it 20 yards to the road, I can't really see a problem? I'd also wager that'd be difficult to prosecute a motorbike being pushed rather than driven along a towpath?? 

 

 

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2 hours ago, dmr said:

Its maybe a bit over priced, but likely not by much. Proper boats by proper builders are a minority interest on the cut so the seller is probably willing to wait a while till the right buyer comes along. There will be a few people who really want a boat like this and be prepared to pay for it.

 

............Dave

The trouble today with proper boats is that not many people have the knowledge and time to look after the horse.

4 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

58 ft narrow boat and a short butty so the lot fits in a 70 ft lock. Bikes and kennel and generator on the butty, big saloon with sofa, small bedroom (not a cross bed) bathroom and galley. bliss. Will go anywhere even the North East, mooring easy, cruising a doddle.

Take notice of these wise words. Back in the day Ghengis Khan and Vlad the impaler banned cross beds saying they were too evil a method of torture!!

  • Greenie 1
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1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

The trouble today with proper boats is that not many people have the knowledge and time to look after the horse.

?Hmmm - I could buy an old Butty and just pull round the canals with a horse. Moor boat and ride horse to the nearest Co-oP to get milk and carrots - ah just the life for me ?

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5 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

?Hmmm - I could buy an old Butty and just pull round the canals with a horse. Moor boat and ride horse to the nearest Co-oP to get milk and carrots - ah just the life for me ?

I think you may find its illegal these days to ride a horse on the towpath as it may inconvenience an angler or cyclist?

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Just now, Robbo said:

Was it ever legal to ride a horse on the towpath?

I doubt it. I think a few years back they used them to pull stuff along but you need special permission nowadays to do that methinks. Still its no matter we are allowed cyclists.

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Just now, mrsmelly said:

I doubt it. I think a few years back they used them to pull stuff along but you need special permission nowadays to do that methinks. Still its no matter we are allowed cyclists.

But the horses were never ridden when they were pulling stuff tho.

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3 hours ago, Tony1 said:

Just a thought, and a bit of long shot really, but Di Blasi still make those little folding mopeds. They're not cheap, but they do fold down well so could fit inside the boat, and they are fairly lightweight. 

I doubt they'd manage to carry a pillion though, so you would need a bike each. 

I've been wondering how the folks with larger bikes get them up the slopes or steps that you often have getting from the towpath onto the road? 

Even a short slope must be tough going for a bike weighing over 200kg, (as most of the middleweight bikes seem to do these days).

And pushing a middleweight bike uphill even a short distance if the ground is muddy looks like a bit of a challenge. 

On the other hand, a middleweight bike will carry two easily (plus shopping), and will cover greater distances, and a lot more quickly, than a moped. 

Some cc'ers use cars, and simply ride a pushbike back to fetch/move the car to a new location every few days. 

Another long shot this one, but electric bikes have a range of maybe 20 miles, and many will also fold down and stow inside the boat. But you do have the 15mph speed limit on those to contend with... 

And remember you shouldn't ride it on the towpath at all

 

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