Complete newbies

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, Athy said:

I wonder when the word gained currency. When I were a lad they were wellows. Perhaps Billy Connolly is to blame.

A derivation of 'Welli's (as in belonging to the Duke of Wellington)

[Tumshie]

1 minute ago, Athy said:

I wonder when the word gained currency. When I were a lad they were wellows. Perhaps Billy Connolly is to blame.

I don't know - I have always called then wellies. I'm not sure about the Billy Connolly connection, I wasn't really allowed to watch Billy Connolly my mother thought him a little racy ?

3 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I suppose these would be "wellows"

They call them Mellow Wellows ?

[aracer]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

A derivation of 'Welli's (as in belonging to the Duke of Wellington)

Wellington boots being the original term - hence wellies (I suspect any other term is a corruption of that)

[MtB]

9 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

You can't avoid plaque but you can get a dental hygienist to remove it every so often!

 

The bloke who invented toothpaste died recently. English Heritage have announced they won't be putting up a Blue Plaque on the house he lived in.  They decided he would rather have 'no plaque'.

 

(Jeez that was a difficult joke to draft!!) 

[Tumshie]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

(Jeez that was a difficult joke to draft!!) 

You said it - Boom Boom. 

[TheBiscuits]

2 hours ago, Tumshie said:

They call them Mellow Wellows ?

I thought of that exactly, but I broke with tradition and read to the end of the thread before posting.

 

Well done Tumsh.  You win today's gold star for having the same sense of humour as @TheBiscuits !

 

(I think they call that damning with faint praise!)

Edited November 21, 2018 by TheBiscuits

[rusty69]

4 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Well done Tumsh.  You win today's gold star for having the same sense of humour as @TheBiscuits

Crackers! 

[David Chapman]

13 hours ago, X Alan W said:

Nothing to stop you moving a mile or 2 after work in the  lighter evenings Is your business a shop so you work Saturdays ?

I am trying to workout if we can stick to the rules and over a 7 month period move around close enough to Eccles, Manchester, be able to tie up and get whatever transport to work, however, it means using the Manchester ship canal and I have no clue what the situation is with mooring there

[roland elsdon]

The manchester ship canal is what it says. Most narrowboats transit with agreement and pay a high liability insurance. I cannot imagine living on it. Though i may be wrong its happened enough.

i lived aboard for many years in london and the midlands. If i had spent on houses what i have spent onthe extra costs of boat ownership i would now own a street. ( roughly 60000 on moorings and licences alone)  After all thats only 1000 on a licence and 3000 for 12.5 years.

However you cant put a value on experience, (  even fire flood elsan leaks blown engines etc) and so if you are motivated do it.

we have offset cost by buying and renting property but bear in mind to avoid capital gains your house must be your primary residence.

 

 

[doratheexplorer]

15 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Are you suggesting that 1000Ah battery bank is not normal ?

If you are planning on living aboard I'd suggest that you will be living fairly frugally with only a 450Ah bank,  (4x T105s) and how long before the capacity start to reduce ?

You can only use 50% of it, so that's 225Ah,

It is 'normal' to have at least 3 days capacity (4 is better)

 

Are you REALLY going to have a comfortable 'life' with only 70Ah per day ?

 

Most of the folks I know use between 100-120Ah per day.

 

Do a FULL electrical Audit, you may be surprised.

A 1000ah battery bank is very much not normal.  In my experience it exceeds at least 95% of liveaboards.  Your system may work for you but why would you benefit from 4 days capacity?  If you're right and you use 100ah per day that just means you have charge less frequently but when you do charge, you've got you put loads more back in.  So what you've gained with one hand, you lose with the other.  Meanwhile, leaving your batteries partially discharged shortens their life.  Seriously, what's the point?  I generally use around 50-60ah per day and I'm very comfortable thanks.  Others happily use a lot less than me.  Especially if they have a gas fridge.  Many liveaboards manage with one or two leisure batteries which they charge up daily and expect to change every year or so.  Of course with a reasonably sized solar system you can forget about charging for about 8 months of the year.  So daily charges for 4 months isn't really a lot, and of course lots of liveaboards go into marinas over winter anyway.

 

To the OP - yes boating can be expensive, but no nearly as expensive as some on here seem to think it is.

[X Alan W]

1 hour ago, David Chapman said:

I am trying to workout if we can stick to the rules and over a 7 month period move around close enough to Eccles, Manchester, be able to tie up and get whatever transport to work, however, it means using the Manchester ship canal and I have no clue what the situation is with mooring there

I pretty sure you wouldn't be able to/get a mooring on the ship cut it's an out & out commercial water way when we used to load at Weston Point with multiple NB loads we had to be towed by tug on the MSC portion of the waterway/s used

Edited November 21, 2018 by X Alan W

[roland elsdon]

If you add opportunity cost in its phenomenal... when we bought our first boat it was 9500. We were offered a flat in harmondsworth under the heathrow flight path at 12000. Guess what we bought. I suggest our old boat now 43 years old is worth 10% of not a lot. The flat in harmondsworth who knows.

however if id bought the flat  id probably be divorced or dead by now, or living in a house in surrey with kids...all of which would have been a bit of a second choice.

[Quaysider]

The whole battery thing...  I have to agree that to start with don't spend a fortune on "good" batteries... We're heading into our 3rd winter and despite me thinking I'd looked after our first set well/had a good charging regime - the reality is that we knackered them within 12 months.. mainly during the fit out over the winter months - (btw timing wise IF you are not feckless, you CAN work a 70hour + week (at work)  and STILL fit out a boat in just over 6 months like we did... it takes energy, commitment and down-right stubbornness/borderline obsession but it can be done... after that, it's "tinkering" and enjoying it....

 

Since then, despite thinking I'm better at it, I bought cheapos (4 x 130ah for £320 all in) and 12 months down the line they are doing ok.   When these are due for replacement - IF I'm a little more confident I won't screw up, I'll buy the GTP ones that were recommended to me by someone who's opinion I respect and trust.

 

As far as  "just doing it's" concerned - personally I would and did...  I rent out the house which covers the mortgage barring the last 35 quid a month... there is a slight tax liability from that however it IS offset from our personal tax allowances now we don't earn anywhere NEAR enough money anyway - ADD to that being able to offset most of the boat's expenses from tax liability, things are much simpler and we can finance our "new way of life - having stopped the world and got off".  

 

If you can USE the boat for some kind of business space to offset tax liability that would be a good option.  

 

Re blogs/you tubers... I did the former and when I read back from the beginning sometimes I'd like to slap myself - AS would many others I'm sure lol

 

As nike would say "Just do it"....

 

 

 

[David Chapman]

25 minutes ago, X Alan W said:

I pretty sure you wouldn't be able to/get a mooring on the ship cut it's an out & out commercial water way when we used to load at Weston Point with multiple NB loads we had to be towed by tug on the MSC portion of the waterway/s used

it is just unlucky that the waterways around the area I need are not suitable, but it won't stop me

[Nightwatch]

20 hours ago, LadyG said:

I think reality is sinking in ...........................

I like this one, it has style :)

http://newandusedboat.co.uk/used-boats-for-sale/986

This might be over your  budget, its got a lot of traditional features.

https://narrowboats.apolloduck.com/boat/narrow-boats-traditional/567310

Brokers sell boats, not all are private sales

https://www.abnb.co.uk/boat_pages/3408web/3408abnb.php?BoatID=3408

 

The first one on the list is one of my dreams that are in the pipeline. Now getting a bit aged, I wonder if it'll be a wise move to circumnavigate uk coastal waters.

[Alan de Enfield]

11 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

The first one on the list is one of my dreams that are in the pipeline. Now getting a bit aged, I wonder if it'll be a wise move to circumnavigate uk coastal waters.

Did you watch the TV series of Timothy Spall's trip around the UK coast in his DB ?

6 years I think it took him  he decided to 'do it' after beating Leukemia in 1996.

[LadyG]

36 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

The first one on the list is one of my dreams that are in the pipeline. Now getting a bit aged, I wonder if it'll be a wise move to circumnavigate uk coastal waters.

I think something a good bit smaller for a UK coastal cruise, saves on marina fees for a start! 

Technology is such that one no longer relies on Dead Reckoning, and an echo sounder. So much information is available at the touch of a button. It's a lot easier these days, but also a lot more expensive.

I'm not sure I trust motor boats enough to venture out in all weathers on one engine, but I know someone well in to his 50's who is looking for a Fisher 34 to complete his [ mostly ] single circumnavigation. 

Yes Timothy Spall, he did pretty well, not being what I would call an experienced sailor [ie been in survival conditions a few times] The Dutch Barge has beautiful style, but its not really suited to boating in the Northern parts of the UK. 

 

Edited November 21, 2018 by LadyG

[Alan de Enfield]

19 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I'm not sure I trust motor boats enough to venture out in all weathers on one engine,

Having had an electrical / engine fire (many years ago) whilst out at sea, fortunately in a twin engine boat, I completely agree.

But - they do need completely separate 'systems', ideally to include separate fuel tanks as the problems caused by 'new' specification diesel encourages bug growth and fuel problems in a single tank will affect both engines.

[Nightwatch]

I'm playing a game with myself. Unless my finances change considerably and I suddenly become a lot younger there's no way I can realise this particular dream.

 

I love the sea, I respect the sea and I miss the sea. 

 

So, to carry on my dream.

I am now looking for a twin engined vessel with dual fuel systems. Perhaps the ability to raise the odd sail in the event of.

It's not to be.

Anyone want to take me to sea?

 

Hey ho! Now where's that rum?

[rusty69]

2 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

I'm playing a game with myself. Unless my finances change considerably and I suddenly become a lot younger there's no way I can realise this particular dream.

 

I love the sea, I respect the sea and I miss the sea. 

 

So, to carry on my dream.

I am now looking for a twin engined vessel with dual fuel systems. Perhaps the ability to raise the odd sail in the event of.

It's not to be.

Anyone want to take me to sea?

 

Hey ho! Now where's that rum?

John Masefield:-

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

 

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; 

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over

[Nightwatch]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Did you watch the TV series of Timothy Spall's trip around the UK coast in his DB ?

6 years I think it took him  he decided to 'do it' after beating Leukemia in 1996.

Yes I did and was envious for every minute. Unlike Tim, I don't have to work so it wouldn't, hopefully, take me 6 years. (I hadn't realised it took 6 years to film the series.)

20 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

John Masefield:-

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

 

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; 

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over

Mr S Milligan wrote this or similar.

 

I must go down to the sea again

To the lonely sea and the sky

I left my pants and my socks there

I must see if they're dry.

Edited November 21, 2018 by Nightwatch
Bloomin smell cheek.

[philjw]

Spike Milligan

 

I must go down to the sea again, 
to the lonely sea and the sky;
I left my shoes and socks there - 
I wonder if they're dry

[Tumshie]

For a very short moment in time I considered one of those sea going Peter Nicholls barges, because they're RCD Cat B they would be very much at home pootling about on the Caley canal (which can be more sea like than canal like some times ?) and doing the odd jaunt out to the islands or around the firths; but for the money one of those barges would cost I could get a narrowboat and really lovely classic yacht so no competition there. ?

 

 

 

https://www.steelboats.co.uk/fcn_steel_seagoing_barge.html

[rusty69]

6 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

lovely classic yacht

Summit like this you mean? (mrsmelly would approve)

 

ETA. Apologies for the monstrosity in the background

Edited November 21, 2018 by rusty69

[LadyG]

I must admit to missing the West of Scotland sailing grounds, which we first ventured on to as youths. The boat was 19ft and as we rounded Ardnamurchan in a calm sea we were met by a curious  killer whale of considerable dimensions, he was quite close and had a good look at us, it was a bit scary!

I've never seen Temeraire, a beautiful Nicholson 36, I expect she has sailed on southern waters, the Solent, The Scilly Isles, and France. A beauty.

Edited November 21, 2018 by LadyG