Wanted:Bluewater high powered Narrowboat

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Better add a sonar to that given the canals are quite shallow.

We were offered life jackets when we chartered. However, they did say if you fall in, just stand up

Pete

Obligatory on the rivers

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Better add a sonar to that given the canals are quite shallow.

We were offered life jackets when we chartered. However, they did say if you fall in, just stand up

Pete

Love it

[GILow]

Got very, very close to buying a canal boat a few years back after we’d had a terrific adventure as a family on a rented boat. We all wanted to do more.

Did lots of research and concluded that:

a) a 57 foot narrow boat was the best compromise between living space and the the ability to access nearly all of the canals. 60 foot was limiting on a few and many of the turning bays will not take a a 60 footer. (I learned this the hard way when I had to travel a further two hours before I could turn around and come back near Stratford on Avon)

b) renting a canal boat for any real travel is silly. The maintenance and storage costs were a tiny fraction of what we were paying to keep our 42 foot sailboat and the resale values were both good and predictable. For a real adventure, like doing the Grand Circuit (I think that’s what they call the big outer loop), it was a trivial cost to buy the boat, do the journey over three seasons and then sell it.

Not sure if I will ever get around to doing this, life has moved on, but geez it sure was fun, and even my ex, who was terrified of boats, loved it and wanted to go back.

[weavis]

Here is 3 plus hours of video just showing a trip with no commentary...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTq301T_XZ0&t=640s

[weavis]

To expand.

Firstly, everything you thought you knew about boating, forget.

Canal travel is about THE experience. No really, getting to destinations is the result of moving and not to be confused with the aim of the journey.

For Brits, Pete7 me and thousands of others, it's about, as Boatman61 said, "chilling". From the time you get on the boat to moving away from the mooring, doing 2 hours up or down the canal, you will be 6-8 miles away from the base. Depending on where you are, you will have entered into a quiet country area, and be seeing some fantastic nature vistas.

The job worries start to disappear, the river birds and wildlife suddenly become the sole focus of existence... the desire for a cup of coffee can be fulfilled by using the stovetop on an absolutely stable water experience.

Just pull into the side, tie-up, open the bow doors and enjoy the weather. Oh wait, I forgot its England, if cold and raining, throw another log on the fire or turn up the central heating...

If you don't want to cook, moor up next to a canalside Pub and enjoy Meat and potato pie or the fayre of the day with a pint of British ale.

You will sleep the best sleep you have had in ages.

Season salties love it....a change from the life on the sea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvM9NlcB0io

[Don C L]

Those boats, and their waterways, have always looked like a little slice of heaven to me too...

[GILow]

Originally Posted by weavis

Oh wait, I forgot its England, if cold and raining, throw another log on the fire or turn up the central heating...

It’s no coincidence that any google search on boat heating turns up 10 narrow boat installations to one of any other boat type you care to mention.

But yes, the it’s the vibe...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMuh33BMZYY

[weavis]

I left England in 1990 due almost exclusively to the weather. In retrospect, I have to say, it was due to the weather.

I had a holiday home in Spain and enjoyed the weather. Smart enough to realise that living in Spain was different to holidaying there...but willing to try anyway. I ended up in the States for 14 years.

On my return to the UK in 2011/12 I had sorted out all my internal issues re life, where why and how, and realised that the UK is beautiful, just cold and wet, but not all the time... seems every second Wednesday it stops raining.. but the minor details aside, it has the greatest humour in the world and good beer..

With Brexit about to pop-or not.. and my 5 years in Spain (er yeah, I ended up here) having run its course, I was thinking of going to Hong Kong... well for the observant reader of world news, I think we can all agree that the door is being closed on that one.....

I still have several years till retirement... more than several so I thought of a traveling clinic and teaching unit and went through all the options, and having been on Canal boats many times...... it seemed like a feasible idea.

So ... I cant think of a better way to live and work and travel without actually having to do much... and even liking it despite the weather.

[weavis]

RADAR! I will need RADAR....

[GILow]

I'm gonna be a bit of a party-pooper and mention the one negative that sticks in my mind.

Buy some REALLY strong, full-length rubber gloves.

Clearing the prop was moderately frequent and totally revolting task. Admittedly we were travelling at a time when England was experiencing its wettest Spring in 300 years, so a lot of crud was being washed into the canals, but apparently it is a problem all year round.

(Except when the canals are frozen solid.)

[a64pilot]

I figure it would be great.
For a week or two, then your ready to suicide, or kill something.

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.

I’d love to hire I assume about a 40’ one as it would just be two of us, and be out for two weeks.
Surely Google Earth would be the chart plotter, or a road map?

[weavis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaZ4lSDk3qU

[weavis]

Gonna get this weather if it snows whether in a house or boat.. boat seems better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B7U6coh3AI

[jmh2002]

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

But I would still well prefer winter in tropics instead

[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 dunno.. a premoulded 56 footer would be fit for my purposes and probably reasonably priced too from the mould. making the hull and fitting out from Steel and wood starts around $70K, so there is a slot there for GRP.

Tradition me thinks. Grp fitted with strakes and built in buffers would do the job nicely.