Fair enough Mike the Boilerman - I am most definitely a newbie! Does anyone (if they're in a position to do so), have a property that they have registered as their home address, AND a boat? I know you mentioned using your best friend's house, but not sure whether that's a long-term solution when we start thinking about applying for schools etc!
My thinking is that we can then use a leisure mooring without the disadvantages of having no permanent residence. We can then live more-or-less permanently on a leisure mooring (although obviously we don't REALLY live there, honest...) and not hanker after the pipe-dream of a residential.