Full time liveaboards and cars

[Robbo]

In your opinion, perhaps.

 

3 years of trouble free, luxury motoring, with all the trimmings associated with a top of the range model and the awesome Honda 2.7l V6 under the bonnet, for £300, makes me disagree.

 

The Honda Rovers were the better Rover's I agree. But if I was only using a car for about once a month and CC'ing I wouldn't want to bother to keep going back for it for the little money you save.

[carlt]

The Honda Rovers were the better Rover's I agree. But if I was only using a car for about once a month and CC'ing I wouldn't want to bother to keep going back for it for the little money you save.

As the OP didn't specify how they often they would be using the car, I based my comment on my needs, when I was ccing, rather than how often you needed a car (as I had no idea about your car usage).

 

If you are only using a car once a month then there is probably no need to own one, even though it would cost more, to hire.

 

When I was ccing I was commuting, having a cheap car was by far the cheaper option.

[rgreg]

I went cruising around the system for six months and initially tried to keep the car handy. It wasn't long before I got fed up of the logistics of trying to move the car and took it home. When I needed to go home for the weekend I used Enterprise: very cheap weekend deals, they picked me up and brought me back to and from the boat (yes, canal-side, as long as it was near to a road of course). I felt much more free without a car.

[Mikeonb4c]

I doubt if you'd get a better car than a Rover Sterling, for £40 a weekend.

 

Yea but no but (says the v. rare visitor on here)....you'd get better MPG out of that diesel Corsa, plus you have to factor in joker factors (breakdown, repair, accident, theft, vandalism, other capital items) plus occasional capital purchase, plus the cost of moving the car around and returning to boat, if you are to arrive at a meaningful figure for annual cost of owning a car vs. hire cost. Factors like stress and (in)convenience lie outside the numbers, but are also real.

Edited September 15, 2011 by Mikeonb4c

[Lesd]

Id buy a cheap old car you wont mind getting scratched or bumped. Ideally you will find a nice car parking spot eah time but in reality you may have to leave the car tucked up against trees and bushes down dark lanes where anything may happen. A fancy mini convertible would cause you much stress wondering whats happening to it while you're away !

[Windfola]

Fanks folks. I think I will probably go for something big around the £6K mark to be going on with, and then if it gets to be a nuisance I'll dispose of it next year.

[wandering snail]

Get rid of the car..............Enterpise adverts says they will deliver their hire car to you................now that could be interesting

They always found us ok. Great service once you get past the usual request for utility bills.

 

Well, I would have agreed --- combination of taxis, train, bus, hire car & you don't have to buy, tax, insure etc, a car.

 

However, with the dogs you may have to stick with some wheels.

 

 

They never say that they will get you back at the end though.

Oh yes they do!

We were very happily carless for 5 years, relying on Enterprise hire cars when we needed. Now because of change of circs, we've had to become car-owners again. Not too happy about this, much too 'normal',and with the hassle of boat hopping that we could do without, but if circumstances dictate...

Edited September 16, 2011 by wandering snail

[Ange]

Just remembered another reason why having a car is a good idea for a continuous cruiser (only applies to limited circumstances). Our engine broke twice while we were on the Lancaster (drive plate and then lift pump). Both times we were in a location where we could drive the car up to the boat and attach leads so the car charged our batteries. Lucky in the locations I know but would have been stuffed if we didn't have the car.

[davey b]

This is one of those questions that has been slightly twisted.

 

If a boat owner needs a car, they will have made the decision for their own reasons and will need to work out how to make this fit their lifestyle, be that cc or marina etc. The debate as whether to have a car is a rather different question to how to manage a car and will have a far wider set of criteria such as cost, location, employment, lifestyle, mobility, interest, requirements, choice of car... this list is almost limitless.

 

The OP asked about cars and cc arrangements and whilst no car is one way of managing this, she has identified the need for a car. I'd suggest it very much depends on where you are basing yourself (by region) as to how easy it is to manage.

 

Personally I'd advise against the fold-up motorbike suggestion as it is yet another tax/insurance/licence/fuel cost. It will also depend on the longer term plan for cc e.g. will it be a national tour or is there a node to centre upon (job, family, etc) or is it a 4 mile a day voyage of discovery - whatever float your boat.

 

I won't be giving up a car until absolutely the end of fuel! I'll just have to work out how to do this if cc becomes my way of life, but the dog walking and random permitted car parks may be the simplest plan.

[cotswoldsman]

They always found us ok. Great service once you get past the usual request for utility bills.

 

 

 

 

Get there loyalty card (free) and then you no longer have to worry about utility bills and when you have hired a certain amount of cars you get free days. My 4 day hire last week cost me £20.

[Djuwenda]

I cc with both a van and motorbike.

 

One of the apects of being a liveaboard CC with an office job is I tend to only make a few big cruises every year, most of the time I keep my progress slow and steady so as no to visit the same places the same year again.

 

Generally speaking I find the walk back to the vehicle just as enjoyable, if not more, than the cruise itself.

 

If I need to cover some distance(ie: I got to the end of one my cruising ranges and want to start back from the other side) I'll either make a big run out of it, or organise a lift with someone.

 

If I was desperate, I could always shuffle motorbike and van.

[Pretty Funked Up]

Honda 2.7l V6 under the bonnet

 

but that engine is mental!

 

[NB Alnwick]

Posts of sympathy and condolence following the loss of our member 'Windfola' have been moved here.

Edited October 12, 2011 by NB Alnwick