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cuthound Veteran II

cuthoundDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Hi I'm at the boat buying stage which has been quite drawn out giving time to learn a bit. Still need loads of technical info though...

Welcome Viki, and ask away.

 

There are lots of knowlegable and experienced people on here who can help with almost any problem, boat related or not :)

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LoneCruiser Engager

LoneCruiser

Posted
Posted

Hi,, David here (aka Nooky)...

 

New to this boating thing, although I have posted a couple of questions on here and have had some >>>>>>Speedy> replies.. thank you...

 

About me...

 

I have taken my Helmsman Course, this was done before I had ever steered any kind of boat... I loved it.. Well and truly hooked...

 

Found a boat, but sadly due to problems with it being on a different canal and with winter closures, I eventually lost it... So am back looking, but without transport of my own its a tad difficult

 

I would really appreciate the expertise & knowledge of all the lovely people on the website and cannot wait to converse with you all...

 

I am 50, and am following in my Great Grandma / Grandad's footsteps and aiming to liveaboard (eventually) they were on the Grand Union at Brentford..

 

Champing at the bit to meet some fellow boaters, so much so, I am now tending to be found wandering the Lancaster Canal in my spare time...

 

I have joined the Lancaster Canal Trust who are aiming to restore the Northern Reaches up to Kendal from Tewitfield..

 

And that's me... Sort of...

 

Best wishes to you all

 

David

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stegra Proficient

stegra

Posted
Posted

Hi folks

 

I'm Stephen and I intend to fit out a new shell from scratch this year as a live-aboard for myself. It's been a dream since my first canal experience over 30 years ago on a family holiday. I guess this is the first occasion that I've had the time, the funds and the passion to actually take the plunge. I realize it's an enormous undertaking and my intention to be quite unconventional in some respects can only complicate this. Hopefully I'm not over-estimating my abilities; I have fitted kitchens and bathrooms for 25 years so have a broad range of skills. Around six years ago I fitted out a van from scratch and that's why I'm under no delusions regarding this project's difficulty.

 

Anyway, I'm still at the stage of deciding on a shell so need to get into gear pretty sharpish. The original plan was 6'10"x57" narrowboat but my first visit to a boatbuilder made me realize that a 12" boat around 45-50" in length was incomparable as a live-aboard and being based in the south west was suitable for the local waterways.

 

I've got lots to ask and hopefully I can contribute plenty as well. I'll save the questions for the relevant sections of the forum.

 

Thanks for having me and best regards

 

Stephen

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Meg Gongoozler

Meg

Posted
Posted

Greetings of the season

Does anyone know about how I can temporarily look after a boat that is needing someone abord in winter to look after keep dry...also I can do work on decoration etc...situation doing each other a favor kind of arrangement .I've met a few people done this before as I've been in out canal world .just got back to u.k so need to test out which place to go live settle.. im also interested to rent. For a larger rent I'm thinking to get housing benefit to help pay. So if anyone has boat to rent.. or make trade.

Iong term dream is make theatre on boat so if theres a company doing this..or people that want start with me...or a boat suitable for this. The last one i got years ago had been abandoned person unable to pay boat yard want to get rid of it.

So im looking for loopholes initiative luck call it cheaky ...gotta work from where you are...what you got...mail me on thestageship@gmail.com. merci

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Ray T Veteran II

Ray TDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

Greetings of the season

Does anyone know about how I can temporarily look after a boat that is needing someone abord in winter to look after keep dry...also I can do work on decoration etc...situation doing each other a favor kind of arrangement .I've met a few people done this before as I've been in out canal world .just got back to u.k so need to test out which place to go live settle.. im also interested to rent. For a larger rent I'm thinking to get housing benefit to help pay. So if anyone has boat to rent.. or make trade.

Iong term dream is make theatre on boat so if theres a company doing this..or people that want start with me...or a boat suitable for this. The last one i got years ago had been abandoned person unable to pay boat yard want to get rid of it.

So im looking for loopholes initiative luck call it cheaky ...gotta work from where you are...what you got...mail me on thestageship@gmail.com. merci

 

 

Welcome:

 

tyseleyhattonfuller-h800-h800.jpg

 

https://mikron.org.uk/

Edited by Ray T
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Sunshinelollipop Gongoozler

Sunshinelollipop

Posted
Posted

Hi am a complete novice, as in my only previous canal experience was a coffee onboard a moored narrowboat in Amsterdam. That said i've always wanted to try a liveabord life and have finally convinced husband to give it a go so now I have a thousand and one questions, the first ones are...

 

We travel a lot and ideally would like to have a permanent residential mooring with easy and fast access by train or road to north london. Any suggestions?

 

If we have a permanent mooring can we still take the boat out whenever we want?

 

If we have a liveaboard are we allowed to rent it out if we aren't using it? We travel a lot at the moment.

 

How physically demanding are locks? My husband and I are in our 60s, both quite fit and active but i'm very short and not agile (bit on the round side) so leaping across watery gaps etc isn't my forte.

 

Neither of us have any relevant experience so will be relying on expert help to start with, are there any courses we can go on for steering, engine maintenance etc.

 

i keep reading of boats in different areas and I dont really have any idea of where we can go. Do some of the canals join up or does the boat have to be transported from one to the other? I imagine thats a pretty costly exercise, can anyone give me an idea of cost?

 

I'm tempted by a 35' dutch barge as i think it may be easier to manoeuvre but will probably look for a widebeam around 50' which i think will be more liveable. I know i need to have an out of water inspection, any suggestions as to reliable surveyors and estimated cost would be welcome.

 

So much to learn, looking forward to meeting new friends and learning the ropes.

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Phil Ambrose Veteran II

Phil Ambrose

Posted
Posted

Hi am a complete novice, as in my only previous canal experience was a coffee onboard a moored narrowboat in Amsterdam. That said i've always wanted to try a liveabord life and have finally convinced husband to give it a go so now I have a thousand and one questions, the first ones are...

 

We travel a lot and ideally would like to have a permanent residential mooring with easy and fast access by train or road to north london. Any suggestions?

 

If we have a permanent mooring can we still take the boat out whenever we want?

 

If we have a liveaboard are we allowed to rent it out if we aren't using it? We travel a lot at the moment.

 

How physically demanding are locks? My husband and I are in our 60s, both quite fit and active but i'm very short and not agile (bit on the round side) so leaping across watery gaps etc isn't my forte.

 

Neither of us have any relevant experience so will be relying on expert help to start with, are there any courses we can go on for steering, engine maintenance etc.

 

i keep reading of boats in different areas and I dont really have any idea of where we can go. Do some of the canals join up or does the boat have to be transported from one to the other? I imagine thats a pretty costly exercise, can anyone give me an idea of cost?

 

I'm tempted by a 35' dutch barge as i think it may be easier to manoeuvre but will probably look for a widebeam around 50' which i think will be more liveable. I know i need to have an out of water inspection, any suggestions as to reliable surveyors and estimated cost would be welcome.

 

So much to learn, looking forward to meeting new friends and learning the ropes.

Crikey, that's a lot of questions to start with. In broad terms the canal system is all connected but if you choose a widebeam you will be restricted as to where you can go.

Having a permanent residential mooring does not in anyway restrict your movement but resi moorings are not easy to find. 35 foot boat may not suit you for living aboard, age should not be a barrier, I'm in my seventies and live aboard a 60 footer with my wife. A Dutch barge may not fit under bridges dur to the wheel house

I live in a marina in the Cambridgeshire fens from which we can get all over the country, we are near Ely which is off the M11 or about an hour by train, hope this helps you a bit.

Phil

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Mac of Cygnet Veteran II

Mac of CygnetDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Hi am a complete novice, as in my only previous canal experience was a coffee onboard a moored narrowboat in Amsterdam. That said i've always wanted to try a liveabord life and have finally convinced husband to give it a go so now I have a thousand and one questions, the first ones are...

 

We travel a lot and ideally would like to have a permanent residential mooring with easy and fast access by train or road to north london. Any suggestions?

 

If we have a permanent mooring can we still take the boat out whenever we want?

 

If we have a liveaboard are we allowed to rent it out if we aren't using it? We travel a lot at the moment.

 

How physically demanding are locks? My husband and I are in our 60s, both quite fit and active but i'm very short and not agile (bit on the round side) so leaping across watery gaps etc isn't my forte.

 

Neither of us have any relevant experience so will be relying on expert help to start with, are there any courses we can go on for steering, engine maintenance etc.

 

i keep reading of boats in different areas and I dont really have any idea of where we can go. Do some of the canals join up or does the boat have to be transported from one to the other? I imagine thats a pretty costly exercise, can anyone give me an idea of cost?

 

I'm tempted by a 35' dutch barge as i think it may be easier to manoeuvre but will probably look for a widebeam around 50' which i think will be more liveable. I know i need to have an out of water inspection, any suggestions as to reliable surveyors and estimated cost would be welcome.

 

So much to learn, looking forward to meeting new friends and learning the ropes.

 

Phil seems to be our regular newbie greeter these days, but as he's only answered some of your questions, I'll have a go.

 

You only need a residential mooring if you intend to live on the boat at the moorings all the time. Ordinary permanent moorings are a lot easier to find, and if you intend to take the boat out a lot, will be fine.

 

Renting out a private boat legally involves a lot of extra rules and regulations and most people here would say it isn't worth it.

 

Fast and easy access to North London? Do you have jobs there? I live in Scotland and keep my boat in Yorkshire.

 

You'll be fine with the locks. Like Phil, I'm over 70, but I cruise singlehanded.

 

Plenty of people hire canal boats with no experience, and manage fine. There are courses, e.g. the RYA Helmsman course, and some people recommend them. I can't say, as I've never been on one. Try hiring and see how you get on.

 

With a few exceptions all the canals and rivers are joined up, but the bit in the middle has narrow locks which stops anything wider than 7ft going from South to North and vice versa. Also you can't take wider boats on some of the most attractive canals.

 

A Dutch Barge would therefore limit where you could go. Are there Dutch barges as short as 35ft? A 57ft narrowboat would let you go anywhere on the connected system.

 

An out of the water survey is indeed recommended before any purchase. A very rough cost would be about £500. Search for boat surveyors on the internet - sorry I don't know anything about those down South.

 

Good luck

 

Mac

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Peter X Experienced

Peter X

Posted
Posted

... mooring with easy and fast access by train or road to north London...

Some people have fast access by train to London, if they're not using Southern Railways.

Nobody has fast access by road to anywhere in London! Except maybe between about 3am and 6am, unless they're trying to get a taxi to go south of the river.

 

More seriously, while Phil and Mac have made a valiant attempt to answer most of your many questions, I would add that some locks can be quite hard physical work, but you can always take your time, and sooner or later someone will turn up who's happy to help you. The toughest obstacle I've yet met is actually not a lock, but a swing bridge, number 44 I think it is, near Newbury on the K&A. I'm quite strong for a 61 year old, but find that one difficult to open alone.

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doriain Gongoozler

doriain

Posted
Posted

We are Doreen and Iain

 

hoping to start our new adventure very soon

 

we have a 60 ft spray foamed narrowboat sail away, looking for advice on fitting out, looking for a boat fitter everyone seems to be busy

 

any advice or information greatly received.

 

thanks

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doriain Gongoozler

doriain

Posted
Posted

Are you a newbie to boating?

 

Well introduce your selves right here!!

 

And everyone will get to now you!!!

We are iain and Doreen, hoping to start our adventure very soon

 

we have a 60ft spray foamed sail away Narrowboat in storage, looking for someone to fit out the interior

 

all suggestions and advice appreciated

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