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Wanting to buy canal boat


Sharon881

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Hi everyone. I just found this forum so decided to join. When my plans to move to spain were scuppered by brexit I started to wonder about life on a canal boat, so I joined the forum to get advise from other people who have done it. I want to know if its possible to get unlimited wifi access, a good signal suitable for using social media and webcam and how much does it cost, I also have 4 dogs to accommodate as well as myself so need the most space I can get without costing the earth. My motrgage will be finished in around 18mths and need some work done on my house to get it ready to sell, then was going to perhaps look for a widebeam that I can afford. If anyone has any tips and advice for me I would love to hear from you. I've never even driven a dinghy before and am worried about how I will learn how to drive the boat, especially as I need a good size one. Look forward to hearing from you, thanxs, Sharon.

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Welcome sharon.

I have to say, unless you have a fundamental interest or curiosity (or better, fascination) for boats and boating I think this will end in tears. 

Boats are not a proxy for  houses unless you have good technical ability and can get a permanent residential mooring, in which case to cost is much the same as a house. If excellent internet access is you priority then choose your marina carefully.

Why does brexit stop you moving to Spain? 

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I would suggest you take a holiday on a dog friendly hire boat before you jump into buying one. book the holiday late season or in winter if you can, then you may get a taste of what real life living on a boat is with muddy towpaths, running out of diesel/water/gas/room in pump out tank etc .

 

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There was a program on Channel 4 tonight called Sarah Beeny's how to live mortgage free. The main feature was about a single lady buying on old widebeam to live on a continuous cruiser licence in London, so to avoid 1700 a month rent. Also featured a couple in Birmingham on a springer, again continuous cruising. No mention of the practicalities of emptying toilets, getting water etc. Brief mention of moving every 14 days. Expect more rose tinted glasses enquiries on this forum soon !

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7 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I'd suggest you go to Spain if that's what you really, really want to do. Otherwise, find out what it is you do really, really want to do (I'd be surprised if it's really "go boating"). ;)

 

Seconded. 

Going boating because 'some vote or other stopped me going to Spain' seems a very unfortunate cop out.

Are you SURE you can't go to Spain? You have about a two year window still. And even then back in the day, peeps still managed to emigrate to places like Spain before we joined the EU.

Edited by Mike the Boilerman
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1 minute ago, Rickent said:

If all you are worried about is unlimited wi fi connection for webcam and social media then i am afraid boating is not for you.

 

Those are the words I was thrashing about looking for :)))

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if you buy a property in Spain you will be given a Spanish NI number. By virtue of having a Spanish NI number you would be entitled to live in Spain.

I don't see how Brexit has changed that. 

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11 minutes ago, Exturnaroundman said:

There was a program on Channel 4 tonight called Sarah Beeny's how to live mortgage free. The main feature was about a single lady buying on old widebeam to live on a continuous cruiser licence in London, so to avoid 1700 a month rent. Also featured a couple in Birmingham on a springer, again continuous cruising. No mention of the practicalities of emptying toilets, getting water etc. Brief mention of moving every 14 days. Expect more rose tinted glasses enquiries on this forum soon !

She had a sparkly composting loo

 

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Buy your place in Spain, unlike a boat it should increase in value as they are at rock bottom at the moment and can only go up unlike boats that only go down, or rent your house out and hire a boat for a few. Months or buy a cheapie to see if it's for you. My gut feeling is it won't be if your main concern is constant wi fi , unless you get a permanent berth in a residential marina with good internet signal and cost loads of money, and that's not proper boating and it would probably be better and as cheap to stay on land.

Neil

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If your mortgage is paid off soon does that mean you have spent 25 years accruing an appreciating asset only to then sell it off any buy a fast depreciating high maintenance stress ridden asset?

Edited by mark99
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17 minutes ago, mark99 said:

If your mortgage is paid off soon does that mean you have spent 25 years accruing an appreciating asset only to then sell it off any buy a fast depreciating high maintenance stress ridden asset?

Have you ever owned a house which did not have its "stress-ridden" moments?

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8 minutes ago, Athy said:

Have you ever owned a house which did not have its "stress-ridden" moments?

I think it's best to throw the hard facts across and if the OP can overcome or is ok then fine. The best advice is to go hire one as suggested NOT in summer and see what it's really like.

The last wideboat buyer I became aware off did the same thing. Decided to buy a widebeam with no experience whatsoever (never even steered a narrowboat) and demanded it delivered to Little Venice as part of the sale. Quite where it wobbled off to after I've no idea but they prob faced a long cruise trying to find a mooring.

Edited by mark99
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7 minutes ago, Athy said:

Have you ever owned a house which did not have its "stress-ridden" moments?

Generally a house :

1) Don't potentially sink

2) Don't need gas bottles fetching and connecting every week or two

3) Don't need lifting up and having their foundations painted every couple of years

4) Don't need their electricity replenished every day

5) Don't need their toilet contents emptying every few days

6) Don't need their water tanks filling every few days

7) Don't have engines that need servicing every 1000/200 hours

8) Don't have engines / gearboxes that can break down

 

Yes - a house can be a 'difficult' entity but it is really just a 'turn-on and use' lifestyle whereas as boat living requires much more 'interaction' & involvement from its occupier.

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10 minutes ago, mark99 said:

 

The last wideboat buyer I became aware off did the same thing. Decided to buy a widebeam with no experience whatsoever (never even steered a narrowboat) and demanded it delivered to Little Venice as part of the sale. Quite where it wobbled off to after I've no idea but they prob faced a long cruise trying to find a mooring.

Probably Kensal Green as the visitor moorings seem to be full of wide beams that are welded to the bank....

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47 minutes ago, mark99 said:

If your mortgage is paid off soon does that mean you have spent 25 years accruing an appreciating asset only to then sell it off any buy a fast depreciating high maintenance stress ridden asset?

You must be quite young? Only a few short years ago it didnt take anywhere near 25 years ago to pay a mortgage off. We used to buy a house and sell it 2/5 years later for double what we payed for it and Roberts your auntie plenty of cash to buy yer boat which we did on a couple of occasions. I doubt poor sods today could do that now.

Being in debt is the single most awful position to be in and a morgage is a debt. I would rather live in a tent than have a mortgage today.

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1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

You must be quite young? Only a few short years ago it didnt take anywhere near 25 years ago to pay a mortgage off. We used to buy a house and sell it 2/5 years later for double what we payed for it and Roberts your auntie plenty of cash to buy yer boat which we did on a couple of occasions. I doubt poor sods today could do that now.

Being in debt is the single most awful position to be in and a morgage is a debt. I would rather live in a tent than have a mortgage today.

Not so sure I agree as I remember when interest rates were pushing 15%, paying that mortgage was hard, though if you had a decent job, you did get a lot of pay rises.

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Just now, Chewbacka said:

Not so sure I agree as I remember when interest rates were pushing 15%, paying that mortgage was hard, though if you had a decent job, you did get a lot of pay rises.

Yes I paid a short stint at 15 percent but house prices rocketed ( not a good thing ) I bought in Yorkshire and doubled my outlay twice. I bought my last house in Cornwall in 2002 for 61k and sold instantly for cash in 2007 for 125k and had paid mortgage off and the cash made alone bought me another boat. A reasonable job has always been a pre requisite for house purchase. I never borrowed anywhere near the maximum the lender would have given me hence when interest rates rose I absorbed them easily, my take has always been buy a small house and pay easily and have a life rather than buy big and worry and never have a social life being strapped for cash. My ex wife has a fab house.........she also still has a mortgage at age 60 :o..............I would rather jump off a cliff. Her choice of course.

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5 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

You must be quite young? Only a few short years ago it didnt take anywhere near 25 years ago to pay a mortgage off. We used to buy a house and sell it 2/5 years later for double what we payed for it and Roberts your auntie plenty of cash to buy yer boat which we did on a couple of occasions. I doubt poor sods today could do that now.

Being in debt is the single most awful position to be in and a morgage is a debt. I would rather live in a tent than have a mortgage today.

 

I disagree. Pretty much everything I've ever achieved in the world of business has been done using other people's money.

Bank loans and mortgages are a prime source of capital for people starting out with nothing. Debt is a tool which can be very effective in helping establish a far bigger and profitable business than if the businessman tries to do it from a standing start using only their own capital/savings.

I owe everything I have to the availability of 'debt'. 

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9 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

You must be quite young? Only a few short years ago it didnt take anywhere near 25 years ago to pay a mortgage off. We used to buy a house and sell it 2/5 years later for double what we payed for it and Roberts your auntie plenty of cash to buy yer boat which we did on a couple of occasions. I doubt poor sods today could do that now.

Being in debt is the single most awful position to be in and a morgage is a debt. I would rather live in a tent than have a mortgage today.

You are right Tim I hated being in debt, loved it when someone gave me 182K for the cottage and we had a 16k mortgage perfik.

Would I go back to a house though.......................no not if I can help it anyway I love the freedom of the boat. Anyway lets see if the poster ever reapears after the doom and gloom merchants have finished

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