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Making the leap in Leicestershire


SilverComet

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Hi All, new here.

Me and my partner are making the leap on to a narrowboat from a city centre flat. There are many reasons for this, one of which is finding life on the water a lot more relaxing. Whilst she has spent a lot of holidays on a narrowboat, and her family have a narrowboat that she has spent time on, this will be our first time with our own boat, living aboard.

I'm confident I can handle the boat, as I have a little experience with her family's boat, and love it. However there are a few things worrying me:

  • To begin with we are looking like we will be continually cruising, are there any places in Leicestershire that are fantastic to stop at?
  • Similarly, are there any places we should be avoiding?
  • Does anyone here commute in Leicestershire to the city centre?
  • Internet - My job is as a web developer, and my partner loves to stream her shows from Netflix. Any level of data usage will probably be hit - has anyne had to deal with this issue? We need a large data cap or an unlimited package.

I've done research elsewhere, and watched ThisNarrowBoatAdventure as well as CruisingTheCut (really great in depth videos that show the working out not just the "answer") on YouTube, but I'd love an actual conversation with people living aboard.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

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Looking from the outside - as your post indicates - is just the beginning. That's the good and romantic part. So that it all doesn't end in tears, methinks you should consider the day to day tedious bits:-

  • Powering your boat  - fuel supplies
  • Generating electricity - you're going to be a medium to high user
  • Cooking - gas? (electricity is a nono)
  • heating in winter
  • hot water  - all year round
  • Where will you moor, a lot of Leicestershire canals are on the Soar, being a river there aren't a lot of places that you can stop - marina based might be better.

The above are not downers - just matters to be considered.

Now folks not as miserable as I will come along and pour scorn on my attempts....

Most important is what sort, size and type of boat. If broadbeam you'll be stuck for cruising range (ducks for cover)

It would pay you to look at some other threads on here as most points are well covered and there's been spate  of potential liveaboards recently.....

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We've been living aboard for a year now - our only regret is that we didn't do it sooner! 

BUT - and it's a big BUT - we did a shed-load of research first. I also started off wanting to CC; but a few reads on here and on lots of FB groups quickly made it obvious that holding down a job AND cc-ing would be too exhausting! 

We started off in a marina for a few months until we lucked out and got the most excellent on line mooring on the Ashby (imho!). 

Get the right boat, get a mooring or a darn good cc-ing plan. To do this I'm afraid you're going to have to do a fair bit of reading! 

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Thanks both, to address your points:

I've planned a lot, we've looked at a lot of boats and we are in the process of buying one (a 60ft 4 birth semi trad). I'm aware of the fuel issues, electrical, gas and diesel - we accounted for all of these in our purchasing budget so as to make sure we could make improvements to help with this.

We've picked a marina already (same one the family boat is already at), and have been on their waiting list for about a month, but we are aware it could take a few months which is why I was asking about the best areas in Leicestershire whilst we wait for that space.

I've done a lot of research, I'm just looking for the human element now as reading sometimes doesn't account for experience (for example the area we live in has sky rocketed in crime in the last 6 months - but online everywhere says it is a lovely safe area to stay in unless you take the time to look at crime statistics).

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We have lived aboard for two years now and it's great. My advice would to be marina based for the first 12 months as this will give you time to get used to your boat and iron out any problems you may have before you venture into the big wide world.

We are based in Barrow and i commute to Thurmaston daily.

  • Greenie 1
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Continuous cruising is possible in the Leicester area but bear in mind that the Soar floods regularly so you could get stuck for sometime in a less than ideal location. Redhill, Loughborough, Barrow Sileby and Syston have a good gtrain service into Leicester and Birstall and Thurmaston have buses. There is a real shortage of facilities in the area. There are sanitary stations at Loughborough, Barrow and not another until Kilby Bridge although water is available by the Hope and Anchor and the new pontoons in Leicester. Pillings Lock and Sileby Mill have pump out facilities and diesel and so might Leicester Marina - I've never been in there. Your cruising range could extend to Beeston and Nottingham using the train to commute or even as far afield as Newark. Residential moorings will not be easy to find - try looking at the CRT ones at Bishops Meadow Loughborough.

Good luck with your venture we may meet on the Soar one day.

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On 2017-7-3 at 19:31, SilverComet said:

 

(for example the area we live in has sky rocketed in crime in the last 6 months - but online everywhere says it is a lovely safe area to stay in unless you take the time to look at crime statistics).

Would that be the West end by any chance? 

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1 minute ago, reg said:

As per RichardT's post above try Nottingham Redhill. Next to East Midlands Parkway station and a good service into Leicester, 30 mind travel time. 

A good spot and there are others nearby. I like Leicester when we were newby liveaboards in our 3rd year in 92 we moored in Leicester it was fab. We have nearly got the hang of this liveaboard life now.

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9 minutes ago, Rickent said:

We lived on Tudor Road. Absolute sh#thole.

Though so left there 10 years ago when it started to go bad. Crack addicts guns and knives were moving in so I though best to get out ASAP. No regrets whatsoever. 

Shame it wasn't a bad place to live before then. 

 

ETA still like Leicester though just not the West end. Miss my spice shops on the Narborough road 

Edited by reg
Cus
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We lived there for nine years and it was the worse nine years of our lives, we had so much trouble with noisy neighbours you would not believe. Never thought we would sell our house but we did and now we have a lovely peaceful life on our boat in Barrow upon Soar.

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4 minutes ago, Rickent said:

We lived there for nine years and it was the worse nine years of our lives, we had so much trouble with noisy neighbours you would not believe. Never thought we would sell our house but we did and now we have a lovely peaceful life on our boat in Barrow upon Soar.

I remember the adrenalin rush I used to get just going to the local shop or take away after dark. Had someone knock on my door late at night saying that their missus was pregnant and was craving a baked potato and "did I have any spare bacofoil". Some people won't understand that story they are the lucky ones. 

Yep live is much better away from the west end 

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5 hours ago, SilverComet said:

Thanks all, I'm now relieved to say we've got ourselves a slot at a lovely marina we went to see. Really excited now, it's all starting to come together.

GL Hope you enjoy it

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