Wanted:Bluewater high powered Narrowboat

[weavis]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

Well, at least by comparison there is no freezing cold water splashing in your face while the boat heeled over at 45deg during this type of winter cruising

But I would well prefer winter in tropics instead

Comparison:

Cost of boat from 20K
Cost of permit insurance etc per year $3K

Mooring costs: on the river free. Marina mooring per year from $1K
Water free.

So for a net cost of under $3500, you are on the water, can moor in frequent designated areas, refill your water, use the toilets, empty your waste and toilets, and as long as you keep moving every 14 days, the life is good.

The spring, Summer and Autumns are amazing........ even the winters have their own character....

Its not a turning of the back on saltwater sailing, its a change of pace and something I think I could do for a couple of years... I still have the Centaur for going out of Eastbourne across to France on a good day.

Its all about finding exactly what I want/need on the vessel.

[jmh2002]

Yes the cost comparison absolutely can't be argued with Weavis
And the added advantage for you of still being able to use this situation to work is a massive benefit

In the past I for one had narrowboat live aboard cruising in France and Europe in mind for older age.

I'm currently in a continental europe location where there is a full on winter with snow and minus temperatures and as you said this can have it's own character too. And it's a matter of preparing for this and utilising this time of the year differently.

And certainly a narrowboat is much more 'apartment like' in regards to winter weather, and a more proper heating system is much easilier achievable.

But wouldn't it still be nice if there was a large enough narrowboat cruising location somewhere with at least a southern mediterranean climate all year round?

[weavis]

I would love to do in France. Sadly Brexit is an unknown for us.. Be limited to 3 months plus the tariffs added to overseas purchase etc..

[weavis]

I have lived in Spain for the last 5 years.... It will NOT be easy to give this up.

[jmh2002]

Yes, understood, in regards to both posts.

[weavis]

Friends of mine take their boat to exotic countries and then live on the boat and explore. I'm a little different, I fly there and do the same... I have taken my boat and explored the south coast of Portugal and Spain, and round to Mallorca, but then I know the areas from land travel previously. I do love the coastal hopping just for the delight of being on the water.

There are 2000 miles of canals... A lot of the canals go through the towns and cities in the centre and I can moor up in an expensive area for a nominal cost if a private mooring. I can run a seminar in the richest areas, where attendees can park their car and walk down to.

And I can live on the boat. Just the weather lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82JX0pkRHg

[jmh2002]

Personally, all joking aside, I think that it's a great plan all things considered.

The weather, yeah ok, but a compromise generally needs to be made somewhere, and if you are lucky europe will still let you brits visit for a holiday, so flying somewhere, or to other exotic places is still on the table too. Perhaps that can connect with some of the winter period too, to lessen the impact?

Alternatively, can you do most of your teaching over the winter instead? Stay busy during that time, and then have summers more free to enjoy and cruise when the weather is better? Can I ask what type of seminars you gibe, or is it not relevant to this?

[jmh2002]

Separately, I have seen some news in previous years about the Canal River Trust (I think) starting to make it very difficult for live aboards, and really strictly enforcing and taking action against such people and boats.

Do you have some thoughts about this? Or was this really just 'tramp' boats/live aboards who never moved and were essentially fixed to the dock all year round?

One the one hand moving every 14 days doesn't sound too onerous, but on the other hand, when 'normal' cruising' we would easily stay at anchor for several weeks (maybe up to 6 or 8 weeks) in a location that we liked.

Have you given some consideration to this, and in relation to the various different times of the year? Eg: it seems that you might not be to settle in somewhere for the winter, put the fire on, and hibernate until spring? Or is that not correct?

Possibly for us sailors this is less of an issue, we are more used to moving. Possibly it was more of an issue for land lubbers that moved aboard canal boats as a cheap way to live?

[weavis]

I teach medicine.

The canal and river authority is actually pretty good. 14 days in one location and then move is not bad. I think the requirement is 20 miles a year to qualify as a "continuous" cruiser... I don't have a job in a locale so not necessary for me to be around a specific place. For families and schools for the children etc is better if they pay for a mooring in a marina or something.

I usually get bored after a few days so moving suits my nature.

[weavis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_p70h-Rxps

[GILow]

After our holiday I spent a lot of time researching this one. My ex wife is a UK citizen, so the practicalities of buying a boat and leaving it in the UK were pretty reasonable for us, even though we were all the way over in Oz.

There has been some discussion of the financials here, and they fit well with my recollection. In short, these boats are dirt cheap to own and keep, at least compared to Australian costs, don't know how they compare with other countries. The financial aspect was so good, that we were more than happy to lay down the cost of economy air fares to and from Oz each year, knowing that the holiday itself was going to be so cheap.

We had a rough plan to do the Grand Circuit (I think that's the name) over three years. This was made super-easy by the fact that we could park the boat practically anywhere around the circuit with just a few weeks notice. I phoned a number of boat yards to confirm this, and they all assured me that they could fit us in with very little notice. And the storage costs, as noted, were trivial. (At least, compared to Oz.)

Boat size... I would NOT consider anything less than 50 feet, for a number of reasons. The main one being resale value. The 57 footers turn over really quickly, the smaller boats are harder and harder to shift as they get smaller. A 40 footer would be really hard to sell, based on my observations and discussions on a Canal Boat equivalent of Cruisers Forum.

Fibreglass boat? No way! Seriously, these boats cop a SERIOUS pounding. I pride myself on being pretty darn careful and kind to boats, but the number of things you bounce off is breathtaking. Getting into a lock will go smooth as silk for the first nine locks, then on the tenth you get the angle slightly wrong and you ricochet in like a pinball on steroids. And sadly, the greatest risk is other hire boats, many of which are being driven by people who have never driven anything but a car before and they bounce off you like bugs on a windshield. Every bend reveals a new challenge. Thankfully at a very reasonable speed, but if you cannot relax that you will simply bounce off whatever is blocking your way, you'll soon have stress ulcers and that's no kind of a holiday.

The whole "pull up and stop wherever" thing is real. Over 90% of the river banks are perfectly practical to pull over and tie up, though in practice there tend to be quasi-anchorages that are pretty popular, usually because there's a good pub or supermarket nearby.

Being inland, internet cover is a given, which is refreshing, so the idea of working on the boat is practical from that basis, and regarding the teaching idea, I don't see why not. A bit of pre-advertising, or drive by and drop off the leaflets for a date in the future then come back. Just check your charts REALLY carefully for the turning bay details. As I noted earlier, I couldn't turn in one that I thought I could and it cost me many hours of motoring at a higher speed than was optimal.

Finally, winter on the canals.... yeah... general consensus, talking to a few live-aboards on our travels (English people are so bloody polite) was... DON'T. Even the die-hard, hard-core type reckoned it royally sucked. Frozen into one spot, a few hours of daylight filtering in each day... no way.

They all went to Spain.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by GILow

Boat size... I would NOT consider anything less than 50 feet, for a number of reasons. The main one being resale value. The 57 footers turn over really quickly, the smaller boats are harder and harder to shift as they get smaller. A 40 footer would be really hard to sell, based on my observations and discussions on a Canal Boat equivalent of Cruisers Forum.


The whole "pull up and stop wherever" thing is real. Over 90% of the river banks are perfectly practical to pull over and tie up, though in practice there tend to be quasi-anchorages that are pretty popular, usually because there's a good pub or supermarket nearby.

Being inland, internet cover is a given, which is refreshing, so the idea of working on the boat is practical from that basis, and regarding the teaching idea, I don't see why not. A bit of pre-advertising, or drive by and drop off the leaflets for a date in the future then come back. Just check your charts REALLY carefully for the turning bay details. As I noted earlier, I couldn't turn in one that I thought I could and it cost me many hours of motoring at a higher speed than was optimal.

Finally, winter on the canals.... yeah... general consensus, talking to a few live-aboards on our travels (English people are so bloody polite) was... DON'T. Even the die-hard, hard-core type reckoned it royally sucked. Frozen into one spot, a few hours of daylight filtering in each day... no way.

They all went to Spain.

Winding holes, as in using the wind to help turn the vessel, are marked on every chart... It becomes 2nd nature to read a chart quickly for locks, winding holes and pubs..

As for winter on a canal..... not guaranteed to be frozen in..... not guaranteed to always be a bad day..... not guaranteed to be a bad experience... Ive spent 3 days on a real below freezing experience... Had to open windows coz the heat was too much... TV, internet, pub 2 mins away...no different from being in a house... but then I dont complain too much and a LIDL stocked me up with all I needed. Yes, Id prefer to be in Spain however teaching pays money and winter is a good time for me.

Frickin' Brexit.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by weavis

I made a hard search for GRP canal boats......
Some smaller one made years ago. There is this opinion that "real" canal boats are steel. "GRP" is not strong enough.

I would tend to agree with this. Despite being really careful with the hire boat, it was really quite difficult not to scrape some bridges particularly if they were on a bend, most are. Tunnels were impossible to pass through without touching, several hundred yards with 4" of free space each side.

Thankfully the thick base plate, 10mm is standard, sticks out horizontally each side past the topsides so takes the impact and being in fresh water doesn't corrode very fast. Sacrificial strips on the topsides of the hull protect the rest at the expense of carrying a tin of black paint and touching up occasionally. I think GRP would be trashed in short order if you traveled regularly. There is something very reassuring about 10mm steel on the bottom and 6mm on the sides.

The hire company said don't put the thin narrow solid rubber fenders out in locks or tunnels as they get caught up and tear off off, so we didn't. Other than tying up along side another boat it was difficult to see what they were actually for.

Pete

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I would tend to agree with this. Despite being really careful with the hire boat, it was really quite difficult not to scrape some bridges particularly if they were on a bend, most are. Tunnels were impossible to pass through without touching, several hundred yards with 4" of free space each side.

Thankfully the thick base plate, 10mm is standard, sticks out horizontally each side past the topsides so takes the impact and being in fresh water doesn't corrode very fast. Sacrificial strips on the topsides of the hull protect the rest at the expense of carrying a tin of black paint and touching up occasionally. I think GRP would be trashed in short order if you traveled regularly. There is something very reassuring about 10mm steel on the bottom and 6mm on the sides.

The hire company said don't put the thin narrow solid rubber fenders out in locks or tunnels as they get caught up and tear off off, so we didn't. Other than tying up along side another boat it was difficult to see what they were actually for.

Pete

I would have agreed except...... there are plastic cruisers on the canal everywhere.... and they go through the locks and bridges and have done for years...

Don't get me wrong, I like steel, I just don't like over plating every now and then and painting the hull every 2-3 years......

But not for me to reinvent the wheel.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Then Wx wise, if it’s like central Germany and I assume it is, June through Sept. life is wonderful, glorious, days are Looong and it can even be hot.

But my God, Dec thru I guess March are horrible, terrible actually, back to something is going to die.

Thankfully England has milder winters and cooler summers compared to central Europe. Whilst the canals do occasionally freeze its nothing like the German canals which would freeze solid for months. Like you I have memories of early morning physical training sessions running along the canal banks at some ridiculous time of the morning. Normally timed to co-inside with breakfast to keep the Regiment's food bill down.

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Surely Google Earth would be the chart plotter, or a road map?

I think a chart plotter could be quite fun thing to have on board, the RM Element S series can be linked to engine and tank sensors too.

Pete