old - Fazer Owners Club - old
General => General => Topic started by: Punkstig on 02 April 2014, 07:29:26 am
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So, I've decided that this year I'm going to move on to a boat, I have several friends, including families that do this quite comfortably.
Anybody had any experiences, what are your thoughts?
It is in part financial why I'm doing this, it can be more expensive than people think to live on a boat, but it's a dam sight cheaper than continuing to rent something I'll never own in this area!
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I assume a river boat / canal boat? Buying / renting? What are the mooring fees like?
I lived on a 12m ocean going race cruiser (the sports tourer of boats) for 6 years. But I'm guessing this will be somewhat different!!
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Canal boat, preferably a widebeam, and I'll be buying.
All fees like the waterways license are based on size, but that can be up to a grand for the year.
I'll be moving every two weeks in line with the regulations so no mooring fees!
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Punk as a canal boat builder i can speak with reasonable authority.
Initial purchase, plus survey costs for piece of mind and costs to fix anything the survey brings up. Craning and dry dock costs maybe. Canal boats have a system like an MOT to ensure safety, so the boat has to reach a minimum standard should be meet by the seller.
OK, wide beam obviously has more space, fine if you stay on the river but once you get onto the canal system you can be limited by lock sizes.
Yes you have to pay a license to CRT, usually done on length, might be more to cruise on the Themes.
No mooring, thats fine for the moment, there are rumours that you may have to get a permanent mooring soon, don't know. BUT that will be thousands if introduced.
Other costs, fuel - diesel is cheaper for domestic use more expensive for moving the boat, you have to declare at point of purchase.
Coal - for heating it does cost, or wood if you can get it cheaper.
Pump outs - depends on the boats system but expect to pay to get rid of it.
Fines - if you don't move every 2 weeks you can get fined.
Access bear it in mind you might have to leave the bike a mile up the towpath, depending on where you moor.
Thats it for now.
Nick
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Such a cool idea:) I've often had thoughts of buying one. :)
but for my plan to work I'd have to be able to easiy get a reasonable size motorbike on board
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Don't know why anyone is worried about getting the bike on board - Christo has already half solved the problem for you. Tow ball on back of boat for your bike boat :D
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Was seriously considering living on a Narrow boat when retired but that idea got scuppered when I found I had a chronic heart condition and have to have blood tests every month or so. Quite liked the thought of moving around the country on the canals!
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Found this Stiggy - looks good advice.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ARE-YOU-BUYING-A-NARROWBOAT-CANALBOAT-WIDEBEAM-READ-ON-/111316447630?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item19eafa318e (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ARE-YOU-BUYING-A-NARROWBOAT-CANALBOAT-WIDEBEAM-READ-ON-/111316447630?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item19eafa318e)
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I couldn't trust myself, i just know i'd get up for a piss during the night and end up in the canal. :look
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It is bloody crowded around London so a pain in the arse. Moorings are really expensive (like rent expensive).
From what I've seen outside of London the residents are a mixed bag, some are quite well to do and tidy, some are pikey, some are eccentric. Most hate the day boat crews for motoring past and creating a wake.
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Such a cool idea:) I've often had thoughts of buying one. :)
but for my plan to work I'd have to be able to easiy get a reasonable size motorbike on board
Sorted. ;)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jRV5JRpHtpE/TgjfZjJbWqI/AAAAAAAAMIM/xbTdLKVTH2c/s1600/Z..DSCF0001%2BTug.jpg)
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Walking to the bike isn't an issue tbh, it's another of those small prices to pay in order to own a home.
To put prices in perspective I have mates rates rent of £650 pm for a 2 bed flat, plus my bills (council tax £100 pm on its own!)
the neighbours is advertised at £800 pm and £200,000 to buy, these are 1970's flats!
I can't even stay locally and get a one bed flat for the same as what I'm currently paying so down sizing won't work.
I have my daughter every other weekend hence the 2nd bedroom at the moment.
There will be obstacles to overcome but for the end result I don't see why I shouldn't do it at this stage in my life!
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Such a cool idea:) I've often had thoughts of buying one. :)
but for my plan to work I'd have to be able to easiy get a reasonable size motorbike on board
Sorted. ;)
([url]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jRV5JRpHtpE/TgjfZjJbWqI/AAAAAAAAMIM/xbTdLKVTH2c/s1600/Z..DSCF0001%2BTug.jpg[/url])
Now that is a proper boat!!!
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I think you should jump at the chance. I've seen some really nice examples with fully fitted bathroom including round bath, proper kingsize bed.
My only negative to living in one full time has been (even with all the above) the actually lack of space inside which you won't have being half my size ;) but even that I've swung the positive with the size of garden and pond I get to share.
As for the bike situation, my ideal plan is to live in the house while on shifts then on the 4 plus restdays go to the boat and travel the water until I had to leave it where I ended up and ride back to kent for work. Skipper has highlighted the difficulty of that so not really viable.
A dream I know but a nice one ;)
Not about me though, it's about you and real life living and I personally think it's a win win, money saver, freedom giver and your daughter I'm sure would love the holidays afloat :)
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Sounds like a brilliant plan....i reckon i could live on a boat...most ex millitary or seafarers are prob quite well suited to it....you keep things squared away & you tidy as you go....all the clutter goes & because of that you get to enjoy more of the few things that you can keep...you appreciate them more.
My missus couldn't though....it doesn't matter how much space there is......she is like the osmosis of the house junk world......it just keeps building up & flowing from one space to the next until i get focced off & start chucking it.
I dont blame you with those prices.....i cant see how any 'normal' london folk can get by...i feel sorry for yous....cities are a bit much for me anyway but i've never quite understood how people still stay there but like you say are stuck in flats costing mega money...not for me thanks.
To put things into perspective down where i am in Wales...lovely countryside, low crime, still have internet, excellent biking roads.....i got a brand new house in a 23 house development in a village on outskirts of town......for £135,000....i'm £600 a month mortgage with good equity.
In 2006 i bought my first house back home in Scotland...ok council estate etc...but was only £82,000.
So i say do it, get that boat & enjoy life...plus the peace & quiet you'll have.
1 question though.....how the foc dya get your post on a boat???
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Sounds idyllic Stiggy, hope you can do it and make it work.
A mate of a mate did it in Hertfordshire/Essex area - my mate spoke to me about it - one thing to consider is that every 2 years he had to dry-dock it for maintenance, painting etc; apparently these facilities are quite expensive. This guy used to share crane hire costs etc with other boat owners. But yes, he also used to move across the jurisdiction lines often enough to avoid high mooring fees.
Personally, I don't think I could do it - being 6' 2'' I think I'd have a sore, bruised head a lot! :lol
But at your age, that's the time to do these things I reckon :)
Parking the bike - if you're moving around, how will you find somewhere safe for it each time you move?
Receiving post? PO box?
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Sounds like a brilliant plan....i reckon i could live on a boat...most ex millitary or seafarers are prob quite well suited to it....you keep things squared away & you tidy as you go....all the clutter goes & because of that you get to enjoy more of the few things that you can keep...you appreciate them more.
My missus couldn't though....it doesn't matter how much space there is......she is like the osmosis of the house junk world......it just keeps building up & flowing from one space to the next until i get focced off & start chucking it.
I dont blame you with those prices.....i cant see how any 'normal' london folk can get by...i feel sorry for yous....cities are a bit much for me anyway but i've never quite understood how people still stay there but like you say are stuck in flats costing mega money...not for me thanks.
To put things into perspective down where i am in Wales...lovely countryside, low crime, still have internet, excellent biking roads.....i got a brand new house in a 23 house development in a village on outskirts of town......for £135,000....i'm £600 a month mortgage with good equity.
In 2006 i bought my first house back home in Scotland...ok council estate etc...but was only £82,000.
So i say do it, get that boat & enjoy life...plus the peace & quiet you'll have.
1 question though.....how the foc dya get your post on a boat???
.....ROYAL SAIL nogg? :D
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Noggy- I'm not even in London, but in a beautiful commuter town 30 miles north which bumps up the prices!
I sound like your misses, I amass ridiculous stuff and it's all going over the next few months, keep an eye on the fir sale section, I'm talking snowboards, guitar, vintage wharfedale speakers, even an old wooden wurlitzer juke box shell which I've only kept because the speakers are just phenomenal, makes quite the unique ipod dock!
Nick, for post people use either a po box address or my mates use the local pub which I'll probably do too!
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.....ROYAL SAIL nogg? :D
:lol ....i've heard it all now.
Perhaps you could branch out stig & get a jet ski for waterborne courier services. :think
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I've still not convinced the boss to get me a Quadski seen on top gear!
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I lived for 2 years in a fibreglass 'American houseboat'.
It seemed like a romantic idea at the time, permanently moored in a little harbour.
It was a sauna in the summer, freezing in the winter, the boat rocked quite violently every time another vessel passed the harbour, I often ran out of water mid shower, limited space and stuff got damp.
I had moved in with the option of purchasing it but the novelty soon wore off.
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ive had a few boats only small river cruisers upto 30ft but we love it.and will be buying a liveaboard in a few years time.its not as cheap to live on the river as you think and getting a good residential mooring is the hard part especially the thames.there is a legal way around the river licence by continuous cruising ;) which a alot of people do.you cant beat that sort of life go for it.
just make sure you get a full survey because re plating a narrowboat is not cheap.
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I lived on the independence of the seas for a couple of weeks, was very nice plenty of space, :rollin
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Haha, I've been on that ship as well! :P
This year it's the Adventure of the Seas... need to try out a few before committing to buy ;)
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never had a boat but a friend who who did said " a boat is a hole in the water where you put all your money?"
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Boats are scary expensive. And if you skimp on maintenance, it risks sinking! :eek
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I must be strange but I have no interest in even a narrow boating holiday, but I really like the idea of building one from scratch, starting with a delivery of sheet steel and finishing with the last tin of paint. But there is not enough time in life for that one. But I might be interested in welding on a few patches should you ever find your standing in your home with wet feet Punkstig.
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I work in hemel hempstead on a friday.nextdoor to aspley mill and the grand union canal, not far from you stiggy......lots of canal boats there at the moment, great way to live and good for you daughter too.........go for it stiggy :)
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One of my bikey neighbour's has done this, he also has 4 dogs works for him something he always wanted to do. Not sure how he coped in the recent floods though as on the Medway!
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I must be strange but I have no interest in even a narrow boating holiday, but I really like the idea of building one from scratch, starting with a delivery of sheet steel and finishing with the last tin of paint. But there is not enough time in life for that one. But I might be interested in welding on a few patches should you ever find your standing in your home with wet feet Punkstig.
Yes you are strange:)
Many years ago I worked with a bloke who was building a wooden one in his back garden. Unfortunately he died before he could finish and enjoy.
Another plus side, you'll never starve, just throw a trap over the side with some meat in and live on the crayfish....yum
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One of my bikey neighbour's has done this, he also has 4 dogs works for him something he always wanted to do. Not sure how he coped in the recent floods though as on the Medway!
Now there's inflation, Noah only allowed animals to come aboard in two's
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I must be strange but I have no interest in even a narrow boating holiday, but I really like the idea of building one from scratch, starting with a delivery of sheet steel and finishing with the last tin of paint. But there is not enough time in life for that one. But I might be interested in welding on a few patches should you ever find your standing in your home with wet feet Punkstig.
Yes you are strange:)
Many years ago I worked with a bloke who was building a wooden one in his back garden. Unfortunately he died before he could finish and enjoy.
Another plus side, you'll never starve, just throw a trap over the side with some meat in and live on the crayfish....yum
Christ don't eat anything out of the cut its full leptospirosis from rat piss. :eek
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buy a used Submarine, no mooring fees, and peeps never know where you'll pop up :pc
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People live in old tug boats on the Medway. They are solid
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some of them can look really nice
(http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac294/biblebasher_photo/Canal_boat_U-boat_pic_zps513d4884.jpg) (http://s909.photobucket.com/user/biblebasher_photo/media/Canal_boat_U-boat_pic_zps513d4884.jpg.html)
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fair play to you mate. i wish you all the best, and hope it works out. sounds like its the right time of your life to do it too. apparently, the japanese have the same word for "problem", as they do "opportunity", i think thats a brilliant philosophy.
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The big problem is your money is just disappearing in a depreciating boat, costing you more to maintain, run and keep up with fees.
As an alternative to buying property, it fails. In 10 years time, you will have spent a pile and have nowt worth much. A house will/should have earnt a tidy amount of equity in same time.
In your position, I'd be looking at buying somewhere up North and renting it out. Stills pays, even if still renting down here. Give it 5-10years, cash in equity for deposit for another place to rent. Rinse repeat.
Edit: re-reading that, it seems a bit condescending. :) I guess, what I'm trying to say is, don't go down this route simply thinking it'll be a cheaper alternative to buying. it won't be. You should go down this route because you really want the living on a boat lifestyle, regardless of financial sense.
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The big problem is your money is just disappearing in a depreciating boat, costing you more to maintain, run and keep up with fees.
As an alternative to buying property, it fails. In 10 years time, you will have spent a pile and have nowt worth much. A house will/should have earnt a tidy amount of equity in same time.
In your position, I'd be looking at buying somewhere up North and renting it out. Stills pays, even if still renting down here. Give it 5-10years, cash in equity for deposit for another place to rent. Rinse repeat.
Edit: re-reading that, it seems a bit condescending. :) I guess, what I'm trying to say is, don't go down this route simply thinking it'll be a cheaper alternative to buying. it won't be. You should go down this route because you really want the living on a boat lifestyle, regardless of financial sense.
A lot of good talk there, boats don't appreciate unfortunately.
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Haha, that submarine one is pure comedy!
I'm intrigued arfa - please give me some advice on how I get to buy property up north when my current living costs are higher than my income?
Obviously I don't have enough savings for a deposit to get a mortgage.
Bearing in mind my job, and daughter are here so moving up north isn't an option either!
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Haha, that submarine one is pure comedy!
I'm intrigued arfa - please give me some advice on how I get to buy property up north when my current living costs are higher than my income?
Obviously I don't have enough savings for a deposit to get a mortgage.
Bearing in mind my job, and daughter are here so moving up north isn't an option either!
The train of thought is you use mortgage allowance to buy house up north where prices are dirt cheap still. Not to move there but to rent thus not costing you a penny and giving you hopefully a monthly income while waiting for property to rise in value.
A couple of problems there
1. As you say your outgoings are more than your income so getting mortgage could be hard
Although if going the not so straight way your rent here wouldn't come in to the calculation since in theory you'd be moving to the property
2. if doing it the legit way you would have to go for a buy to let mortgage and even if you could get the 100% mortgage buy to lets aren't available to first time buyers. Or so I am told.
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My point! ;)
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Aye Aye Cap'n Stig :thumbup
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Now, to think of a paint scheme, lol
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Now, to think of a paint scheme, lol
As long as its not F**king blue with cream coach lines. :wall
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I spent a week on the Norfolk Broads in a Fibreglass cruiser and the only negative I found was damp, the sides of the boats were dripping. We went in August so the ambient temperature was high so I'm assuming it was from breathing and bathing,I hate to think what it would it would be like in winter.
I went through divorce many years ago and getting restarted was a nightmare. I was very lucky my parents could help me out with the deposit for another place, something i couldn't do with my kids.
Good luck with your decision, it sounds like a lovely way to live and a great environment to bring up children.
All the best mate, Mickey
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I spent a week on the Norfolk Broads in a Fibreglass cruiser and the only negative I found was damp, the sides of the boats were dripping. We went in August so the ambient temperature was high so I'm assuming it was from breathing and bathing,I hate to think what it would it would be like in winter.
I went through divorce many years ago and getting restarted was a nightmare. I was very lucky my parents could help me out with the deposit for another place, something i couldn't do with my kids.
Good luck with your decision, it sounds like a lovely way to live and a great environment to bring up children.
All the best mate, Mickey
Got to admit as much as I love boating holidays, it's this very reason I don't think I could live on one. I've been on narrowboats and done the Norfolk broads in a cruiser, and every time we end up damp. It's just part of it I suppose.
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Haha, that submarine one is pure comedy!
I'm intrigued arfa - please give me some advice on how I get to buy property up north when my current living costs are higher than my income?
Obviously I don't have enough savings for a deposit to get a mortgage.
Bearing in mind my job, and daughter are here so moving up north isn't an option either!
The train of thought is you use mortgage allowance to buy house up north where prices are dirt cheap still. Not to move there but to rent thus not costing you a penny and giving you hopefully a monthly income while waiting for property to rise in value.
A couple of problems there
1. As you say your outgoings are more than your income so getting mortgage could be hard
Although if going the not so straight way your rent here wouldn't come in to the calculation since in theory you'd be moving to the property
2. if doing it the legit way you would have to go for a buy to let mortgage and even if you could get the 100% mortgage buy to lets aren't available to first time buyers. Or so I am told.
First up, I kind of assumed you had a little pot of cash to cover purchase of said boat and cover all the fees, bills and such worth to get yourself setup on one. And hence a pot of cash that may cover a deposit for a buy-to-let mortgage up North. If you don't have this, how were you planning on moving onto a boat? Renting one? Is that any better than renting flat down here?
Yes, you really would have to go for a buy-to-let mortgage, yep you'd almost certainly need a larger deposit compared to a mortgage for somewhere you'd be living in. And yes, the bank would ensure a very conservative amount of rent more than covers repayments.
Didn't realise Buy-to-let mortgages aren't available to first time buyers though.
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20% deposit required for a boat mortgage, difference between cost of a boat compared to flat shows where I am- plus the first time buyer position!
Atm, this is my only choice of owning somewhere to live, and I don't see this position changing in the near or distant future, so instead of paying rent for someone else to own property I might as well start paying towards what I can!
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In financial terms the argument for living on a boat doesn't really hold up. A mate of mine liked the idea and looked into it a year or so ago but the costs were higher than living in his flat. Apparently, it is the mornings that are the problem.
Ignoring the financial considerations it does look like a great lifestyle choice though.
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In financial terms the argument for living on a boat doesn't really hold up. A mate of mine liked the idea and looked into it a year or so ago but the costs were higher than living in his flat. Apparently, it is the mornings that are the problem.
I live in a house, the mornings are the problem there too... :wink
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20% deposit required for a boat mortgage, difference between cost of a boat compared to flat shows where I am- plus the first time buyer position!
Atm, this is my only choice of owning somewhere to live, and I don't see this position changing in the near or distant future, so instead of paying rent for someone else to own property I might as well start paying towards what I can!
Have you thought/looked into affordable homes where you buy a percentage of the property you can afford and I believe pay a rent (possibly as a lease holder) for the remainder
It'll get you on the property ladder and the beauty being you buy more of the property as your finances allow.
Once you own/mortgage something like 75% of the property you get the freehold.
Not fully sure on the details but a friend did it years ago and it worked for him, he is now in a much bigger house.
Worth looking at imo
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In financial terms the argument for living on a boat doesn't really hold up. A mate of mine liked the idea and looked into it a year or so ago but the costs were higher than living in his flat. Apparently, it is the mornings that are the problem.
I live in a house, the mornings are the problem there too... :wink
Haha, we all know what he meant!
The financial difference depends on where you live!
Boat living isn't cheap as chips as many initially believe, but without a mooring and moving every 2 weeks is cheaper than renting in the area I live, not forgetting that living cost will drastically reduce in 10 years when the boat is payed off!
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Soooo,
Went to view two boats in Cambridgeshire area yesterday (Sunday) saw a black'n'grey fz6 on the A10 on way to Ely. Good start!
First one I viewed 'appeared' to be in good condition and was built entirely by the owner, 59’ long 10’ wide very nice size having a second bedroom for the kiddiwink, only 3 years old! (The boat, not my daughter)
Ticked all the right boxes before I went to view and those ticks confirmed with a good 2 hour visit and chat to the owner Trevor who seemed genuine enough.
Reason for sale? He'd recently finished his new boat for him to move onto, same length but 12’ wide, moored right next to the current boat so legitimate, plus within budget including transporting to the Grand union!
2nd boat was in a marina, owners already moved out and not on site to chat to.
Took the keys and walked round to it, externally in a state- needed completely repainting, it has a wooden wheelhouse which originally caught my eye as this creates an extra room on the boat, at the time of viewing it was raining and roof was leaking in several places, not only that but the whole wooden structure looked in disrepair!
At 57’ foot long it had a great living space but no 2nd bedroom, interiors can be refitted to accommodate but as the boat was already 'just' over budget I didn't see the point in making an offer so went home and enjoyed a lovely lunch!
Spent a few hours looking on internet on other boats on watch list and without viewing them personally they were already not up to the same standard as the first boat I viewed, older and smaller!
Deliberated for a while, had a positive chat to a guy who owns and lives aboard an 8 year old boat built by Trevor, made a phone call and placed a deposit with a third party marina He has used to sell his boats in the past!
So, it's being booked to be lifted out the water for a full survey at my cost (which is the norm for a buyer)
Trevor is so confident in the integrity he has said if anything negative comes back he'll pay for the survey and rectify the issue.
A new 4 year boat safety certificate is to be issued at the same time at his cost, then it will be craned on to a lorry and transported over to Leighton buzzard to be put on the Grand Union.
Well, that's the current plan anyway.
Big thanks to skippernick for enduring my constant questions, I daren't count the 'Re's Re's on the messages list!
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Sounds GRRRRReat hope all goes smoothly :)
Just one silly question why does it need to be transported by lorry to the grand union, can you not don the Captins hat and ride the waves round?
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The second boats in a marina ? Mate...i know i heard an echo but that's just takin the piss lol. Post up some PICCIES
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Sounds GRRRRReat hope all goes smoothly :)
Just one silly question why does it need to be transported by lorry to the grand union, can you not don the Captins hat and ride the waves round?
It's currently moored on the little ouse to which there is no direct link to get a widebeam onto the grand union so craning and lorry transport is needed!
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The second boats in a marina ? Mate...i know i heard an echo but that's just takin the piss lol. Post up some PICCIES
:thumbup
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This was my last boat and glad to see the back of them after 43 years at sea.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j478/lew600fazer/DSC_0066.jpg) (http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/lew600fazer/media/DSC_0066.jpg.html)
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j478/lew600fazer/DSC_0063.jpg) (http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/lew600fazer/media/DSC_0063.jpg.html)
The day I retired from seafaring 43 years , would have got less for murder. lol
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So we gonna be having a lofo meet at little Venice?
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So we gonna be having a lofo meet at little Venice?
Only if Punkstig puts tiger print on his narrow boat! :lol :lol
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So we gonna be having a lofo meet at little Venice?
Only if Punkstig puts tiger print on his narrow boat! :lol :lol
Stupid boy ;)
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Ultimately when I have the spare money I'd like to paint it like the mystery machine from Scooby doo!!!
No tiger print on this one!
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thats great news mate hope all works out.willbe boating on the ouse myself this summer im sure you can go up the great ouse to denver and get on the grand union from there.
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Only problem with getting a boat 10ft wide is that if you intend to cruise the canals a lot of the locks only take boats up to 8ft wide.
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Only problem with getting a boat 10ft wide is that if you intend to cruise the canals a lot of the locks only take boats up to 8ft wide.
I have no intention of cruising the network- I have a job and a daughter.
That being said I can get from London to Birmingham, and London out to bath, that's further than capable to do on a two week holiday and return to where I am!
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So how are you settling in to life on a boat? Sounds idylic?
Mickey
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Yeah, feel a bit daft for not making updates or creating new thread but I've not been on here overly much-
To be blunt, it'd be difficult to make life better atm.
I have the joy of two extremes of lifestyle, zooming round London during the day, chilling out in the relaxed atmosphere of an evening/ weekend.
The community is comparable to the friendliness of the biking community but even more so believe it or not!
Still working out my living costs but it's a shitload cheaper than bricks and mortar - that being said winter will obviously become more expensive with the need for coal and running engine to charge batteries more due to less sunlight ( I had a 600 watt solar panel system fitted!)
I've had issues- I found a couple of inches of water in the front bow locker after a few weeks of having it, I believe this came from storing the hose I fill the water tank with in, I dried it out, repainted it and no longer store the hose in there and haven't had a problem since!
At the weekend I found a couple of inches of water in the engine bilge, I'm in the process of drying the area out, I think it's come from a loose bolt on the stern gland (lubricated seal that the driveshaft runs through to the propeller) I've tightened it up and shall keep an eye out for more water.
Finding stuff like that is quite concerning but I believe I'm on top of it.
I was going to get winter moorings which is a license to stay in one location if wanted for 5, 3, or one monthfrom Nov. to March at just under £100 per month, I'm now thinking for the first year I'll save my money and keep moving to see how it goes.
I'm looking for a new TV, my 4 year old 42" is just to power hungry -100 watts with power saving options turned on, a decent new 32" will run around 30 watts (for a naff one) to 40 watts for a new Sony with very good reviews.
I'd like a more energy efficient fridge/freezer but there's little choice with what I have already - 12v fridges are available but stupid money in comparison to domestic!
Continuing with power saving I should change the light bulbs to led ones, but as I have to buy adapters for the current fittings I'm looking at a good £75 to do that.
My driving's getting better, that being said last weekend I tried to turn the boat around twice in different locations that were too small, so had to straighten up and try further down, lol.
Lit the fire for the first time on one of the chilly nights the other week and completely smoked the boat out, had to go to the pub!
Second time I did the fire I'd learnt from my previous mistakes and the Internet and all went well.
My dad's got me a chainsaw and I'm currently stocking up on logs and other bits of wood lying about the place.
Got several plans to make the place more mine, starting with replacing the bleurgh beige tiles around the log burner and kitchen with slate tiles.
All in all, as far as I'm concerned I wouldn't be interested in living on land again, imagine the freedom you have on a bike then having that freedom with your home too!
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Oh, and I had some porthole covers made for the bedroom-
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/02/a06e5e9fd4b4a4a44b7316a00015bb58.jpg)
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Punk,
Regarding water in bilges, remember this.
All boats sink, some just do it faster than others!!
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Cheers skip, been doing a lot of research, I have one of those vetus non maintenance stern glands that apparently according to vetus need maintenance every 200 hours, makes sense obviously!
The fact that the bolt was loose makes me assume that's the point of water entry but I shall keep an eye open to make sure!
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Cheers skip, been doing a lot of research, I have one of those vetus non maintenance stern glands that apparently according to vetus need maintenance every 200 hours, makes sense obviously!
The fact that the bolt was loose makes me assume that's the point of water entry but I shall keep an eye open to make sure!
Yeah not the best of things, you're doing the right thing though.
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Sounds great. Been a pipe dream of mine for many years now.
I'm in the fortunate position of having the cash and no mortgage outstanding but...............
Everyone says it would be expensive
I worry about being too hot in summer, too cold/damp in winter.
I worry that the novelty may quickly wear off and all those little things like filling water tanks, emptying shit tanks, carrying crap ashore and goods on board, moving every few days etc., etc. would take the shine off the lifestyle?
Anyhoo, if you find yourself on the Thames going through Shepperton lock on a Monday I may be the kindly keeper waving you through??
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Not sure where expensive comes from, but it depends if you're thinking of living aboard or just a weekend cruiser kind of affair!
Summer was lovely- open front and rear doors and a lovely cooling breeze swept the inside of the boat, not that you spend much time indoors when it's nice weather out- why would you?
I fill water every four weeks and I'm no where near empty and that takes about 40 minutes, but while that's happening I do other stuff like clothes washing or cleaning.
If the boat has a pump out tank there's boats that travel the canals that'll empty them for you, obviously costs a couple of quid.
There's also fuel boats that travel the system and you don't even need to be there for them to fill the tank for you and leave coal, you just pay online or over the phone after they do it- plus fuel from the boats is a much cheaper rate than marina's - about 10p difference in my area!
Yes I'm yet to go through winter but I'm looking forward to that roaring fire!
You're more than welcome to come up for a weekend if you wanted, so long as you enjoy a few pints and play pool!
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Shame you're 10ft, you could have stopped by for a coffee :)
http://canalplan.eu/gazetteer/q4u9 (http://canalplan.eu/gazetteer/q4u9)
I'm in the mobile home on the farm.
cheap living on wheels ;-)