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Moving boat every 2 weeks but not living aboard


Wakes

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How many people do this? With mooring fees, licence and general maintenance, owning a narrow boat can be very expensive unless you live aboard full time.

With a family and mortgage, for some people this would prove impossible so would it be worthwhile to just move the boat every 2 weeks and how safe would an empty boat be? 

Wakes.

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It is in effect what we do with Emily Anne throughout summer and have done so for years.

We have a cost effective home mooring which we use for 6 months of the year, and then throughout summer we move around the system, basically every other weekend. If on occasion we need to leave it longer we secure a short term mooring as and when (and where) required, often using contacts within the boating community.

There are also times places your likely to get away with a slightly longer stay of say 19days, although we got our first ever reminder earlier this year having done 16 of the planned 19 days. With an increasing number of volunteers with CRT tablets, and the constant drive to replace government cuts to funding closer monitoring was I guess inevitable?

For me the reason is as much to explore the wider canal network within the constraints of a normal working week than the financial benefits, although that's obviously welcome also. Touch wood we have never had any damage and only two minor thefts, once of a 56lb weight from the back deck and once of the centerline. Otherwise it's just like leaving a car insurance railway station carpark for a fortnight.

 

Daniel

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Thanks for the advice, it could work quite well then. I am currently on the Slough arm of the Grand Union on a cruising mooring so it is something to think about as it would also enable me to get out on the boat more often, something which I need a very good excuse to do currently now that I have a family. 

My main concerns would be that undesirables may cotton that the boat is empty and that I would have to cruise it a long way from my home thus having to get there by car and finding parking near to where the boat is moored, cruise the boat 2 miles down the canal then get back to the car in order to drive home. What if there is nowhere to park nearby? The other concern is that the batteries will no longer be on shore power and could flatten leaving me in the lurch. Would the licence be more expensive as well technically being a CC?

 

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4 minutes ago, Wakes said:

Thanks for the advice, it could work quite well then. I am currently on the Slough arm of the Grand Union on a cruising mooring so it is something to think about as it would also enable me to get out on the boat more often, something which I need a very good excuse to do currently now that I have a family. 

My main concerns would be that undesirables may cotton that the boat is empty and that I would have to cruise it a long way from my home thus having to get there by car and finding parking near to where the boat is moored, cruise the boat 2 miles down the canal then get back to the car in order to drive home. What if there is nowhere to park nearby? The other concern is that the batteries will no longer be on shore power and could flatten leaving me in the lurch. Would the licence be more expensive as well technically being a CC?

 

Licence is same price. A solar panel would keep batteries charged. Bin the silly house and live on the boat.

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2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Licence is same price. A solar panel would keep batteries charged. Bin the silly house and live on the boat.

Quite - houses completely overated!  :D

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2 minutes ago, Wakes said:

Toddlers and boats don't mix lol!

There was a guy on here about a year ago asking similar questions wanting to live aboard. I helped him along and gave advice he bought a boat just a few months ago and now lives on just near me. He has a young lad and a crawling baby!! No way I would have done it but several do.

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2 minutes ago, Wakes said:

Toddlers and boats don't mix lol!

Best upbringing they could have - chained to the chimney and covered in soot............:D seriously though it's great for kids as I am sure you know, some people home educate, but work etc does make that difficult for many parents.

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24 minutes ago, Wakes said:

Thanks for the advice, it could work quite well then. I am currently on the Slough arm of the Grand Union on a cruising mooring so it is something to think about as it would also enable me to get out on the boat more often, something which I need a very good excuse to do currently now that I have a family. 

My main concerns would be that undesirables may cotton that the boat is empty and that I would have to cruise it a long way from my home thus having to get there by car and finding parking near to where the boat is moored, cruise the boat 2 miles down the canal then get back to the car in order to drive home. What if there is nowhere to park nearby? The other concern is that the batteries will no longer be on shore power and could flatten leaving me in the lurch. Would the licence be more expensive as well technically being a CC?

 

Canal side parking is reasonable prevalent, and with google satellite imagery easier than ever to find.

Typically I am boating with friends and we do a 'car shuffle' where on Friday night both cars drive to point we are expecting to get to on Sunday night, leave on car there and drive to the boat in the other, before boating back to the first car and using it to undo the shuffle before both drive home. However you can also use trains to reasonable effect as most canals have a railway line alongside, perhaps with a short taxi ride at one end, or else a bike can be used as well. A days boating only takes around 20-30minutes in the car depending on route/locks.

If you are mainly moving the boat during the day, and then isolate the batteries (or turn absolutely everything off) , there should be no reason why the batteries should get charged while under way and then stay up for two weeks till you return. We dont have a tv or microwave, but only have a single tiny alternator and have never had an issue doing this, fridge runs all day but I make sure I turn it off as we moor on the Sunday so we're leave the batteries 'up' at the end of every weekend.

As we have a home mooring where we base for 6months of the year we are not on a CC licence, but as said I understand they cost the same.

Daniel

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15 minutes ago, Wakes said:

Thanks for advice, some good tips there. Just trying it for the summer sounds like a good idea for starters!

Im sure you can do it most of the year round, bar when the canal has frozen over, but for me its much more fun and or manageable to do Easter to October and then lay it up and do something inside for a few months! If only because I have too many other hobbies and a boat that will take all the hours in the workshop you can give it. 

Daniel

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33 minutes ago, DHutch said:

Canal side parking is reasonable prevalent, and with google satellite imagery easier than ever to find.

Typically I am boating with friends and we do a 'car shuffle' where on Friday night both cars drive to point we are expecting to get to on Sunday night, leave on car there and drive to the boat in the other, before boating back to the first car and using it to undo the shuffle before both drive home. However you can also use trains to reasonable effect as most canals have a railway line alongside, perhaps with a short taxi ride at one end, or else a bike can be used as well. A days boating only takes around 20-30minutes in the car depending on route/locks.

If you are mainly moving the boat during the day, and then isolate the batteries (or turn absolutely everything off) , there should be no reason why the batteries should get charged while under way and then stay up for two weeks till you return. We dont have a tv or microwave, but only have a single tiny alternator and have never had an issue doing this, fridge runs all day but I make sure I turn it off as we moor on the Sunday so we're leave the batteries 'up' at the end of every weekend.

As we have a home mooring where we base for 6months of the year we are not on a CC licence, but as said I understand they cost the same.

Daniel

I think you normally do more than 2 miles per fortnight Daniel, so your batteries would get a bit more charge.

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The main problem I found when I did it is mooring securely. Pins are no good when leaving the boat for a fortnight, and most moorings with rings are short term VMs so that leaves Armco, which limits you to where Armco is available (and not already occupied). I was using public transport, which had additional complications.  And your boat security measures need to be thorough & strong. Also, don't keep anything seriously valuable like a generator on board. Its hard work.

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1 hour ago, Meanderingviking said:

Best upbringing they could have - chained to the chimney and covered in soot............:D seriously though it's great for kids as I am sure you know, some people home educate, but work etc does make that difficult for many parents.

Nearly a direct quote from Hemel Pike in the Bargee there! :)

George

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37 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

The main problem I found when I did it is mooring securely. Pins are no good when leaving the boat for a fortnight, and most moorings with rings are short term VMs so that leaves Armco, which limits you to where Armco is available (and not already occupied). I was using public transport, which had additional complications.  And your boat security measures need to be thorough & strong. Also, don't keep anything seriously valuable like a generator on board. Its hard work.

I'd go along with that.  Some years ago BW  told us to leave our towpath mooring as they could not maintain the water levels in the pound.  When I asked about a rebate they pointed out that under their mooring conditions there is no obligation on their part to maintain water levels ie I had to carry on paying them for a mooring I couldn't use even though it was their fault I couldn't use it.  Yes I know, you couldn't make it up.  

So, in a fit of rage I gave up the mooring and went on a  "CC" licence, there were no alternative moorings available.   It was a thoroughly miserable experience and we lived in constant fear of the boat being broken into, vandalised, set adrift or simply breaking free.  Even though we had a car it was a case of finding somewhere to leave the boat convenient to a road and finding somewhere to leave the car that wouldn't upset the locals.  You'll find if you leave your car overnight on a quiet country lane someone will report it to the police.  

I wouldn't do it again. 

 

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1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

I think you normally do more than 2 miles per fortnight Daniel, so your batteries would get a bit more charge.

Well yes, but so might the OP. We boat for around 8 hours Saturday and Sunday, about once a fortnight or occasionally every three weeks and with odd.longer stints, have been to most corners of the system.

1 hour ago, system 4-50 said:

The main problem I found when I did it is mooring securely. Pins are no good when leaving the boat for a fortnight....

Depends on the pins. But yes, you raise a valid point, get some good pins made. Inch bar, circa 650-750mm long, preferably reasonable grade steel, four off. Used in a pair at each end, with atleast one spring. Very rarely had any issues.

I do as timea worry that one day something bad will happen, but we're careful and touch wood have had no issues for long enough I sleep fine! Never had the car reported to the police while boating either. 

Daniel

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We gave up our home mooring after a year or so of boat ownership because we found we were effectively CC-ing for maybe 8 months of the year anyway, making the mooring a complete waste of money. The idea of having to begin and end every cruise at the same spot just seemed so dull and limiting. But the CC-ing/'dumping' option was particularly easy for us because of the nature of the waterways and rail network in our area (West Yorkshire).

On the security issue, our boat was broken into twice - once when 'dumped' on the towpath in Wigan, and once when left on its gated home mooring. Make of that what you will, but personally I'd be happy to do without a home mooring again while trying to be a little more aware of 'black spots' for leaving boats unattended.

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We've not been back to our mooring since christmas, lock mending prevented our initial return, then booked in dry dock, then some trips. It's been lurking about 5 - 10 miles away since, despite moving far enough for the "terms and conditions" I've had a couple of emails about "being in a general area too long", but that was sorted with an email and phone call (which put me through to the famous Debbie Figgy in Leeds). If you have Worcester windows you can get 3mm ali plates cut to replace the glass, I ordered rectangular pieces off tinternet and rounded the bottom corners with a jigsaw. we've used them where we think fit (or unfit, depending how you see it!) I've left it moored on pins, but used double crossed pins, one going through the loop of the other at 45deg. At the moment we are planning to go out east again, so CBA to bring it 20 locks or so up the hill to it's mooring, just to go back down again.

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On 14/08/2017 at 21:19, Wakes said:

Thanks for advice, some good tips there. Just trying it for the summer sounds like a good idea for starters!

You are near Yiewsley.

Don't leave your boat around there for too long.

Been a few boat break ins recently.

Enough to make that area remarkably free of boats unless near the Tesco camera.

 

 

Edited by mark99
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Yes not far from there, I would only leave the boat where there are lots of other boats nearby. It seems to be quite a lonely stretch inbetween Cowley and Greenford apart from the Tescos at Bulls bridge. I would feel nervous about leaving my boat unattended anywhere between those stretches...

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7 minutes ago, Wakes said:

Yes not far from there, I would only leave the boat where there are lots of other boats nearby. It seems to be quite a lonely stretch inbetween Cowley and Greenford apart from the Tescos at Bulls bridge. I would feel nervous about leaving my boat unattended anywhere between those stretches...

The towpath jabba is that it's a smackhead or two that are doing the boats to get enough dough for a fix.

Last time I went through there I watched a zombie resembling bloke in a hoodie over his head (it was over 30c) doing what I took as scoping up and down the towpath.

Probably be ok in a few years time when the ex smackheads are buried.

 

Edited by mark99
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On ‎14‎/‎08‎/‎2017 at 20:32, Wakes said:

My main concerns would be that undesirables may cotton that the boat is empty

The other concern is that the batteries will no longer be on shore power and could flatten leaving me in the lurch.

But no different if you are CCing or have a home mooring on the towpath.

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