h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's something I'm considering. Mainly, admittedly, because there is no way in hell I could afford to buy a house (but that little discussion/gripe is not for this thread. ).

Good things:
I would actually own a boat, and could sell up if I found a house or whatever.
I can move around the country.
I could actually afford to live out of city centre, in the countryside.
It's got to be a bit better than throwing money at a landlord (though of course there are many, many arguments about that in itself).
It could be a holiday vehicle- if I wasn't sick of it.

Bad things:
It's small, could be cramped, and, likely as not, dark inside.
The canals are never the best bit of cities (if I was to stay in Birmingham, this is certainly true).
I could never have broadband, unless I set up wireless across the marina or something.
No garden.
The hull could fall apart (etc. etc. which is sort of tied up with the landlord argument and applies just as much to a house).


Anybody got anything to add? I certainly need to find out whether the cost of mooring + amenities is as extortionate as I am thinking...

The toilets on canal boats are _very_ unreliable.

Mooring can be very* expensive depending where you are, don't forget you don't necessarily need a 'cannel' boat, a nice cruiser would be kinda cool A fair few years ago, our neightbour back home in Suffolk, had to move to work in London, they kept their house (they are very* well off), but couldn't afford to buy anything in London, and checked out renting etc., etc.,, In the end, they bought a houseboat type thing, and have it moored up somehwere on the Thames I think they mange alright

Hi Vip, glad to see you around these parts again!

Couple of my friends life on a canal boat. The +ve for them is living in the middle of the countryside, being mobile and just living their dream.

-ve points (and I can ask them for costings if you wish?)
Yearly or so dry dock to scrape the hull down and re-do it.
Ongoing boat type repairs.
Small - normally when you clean a room you move all the furniture, well, on a boat there is nowhere really to move it to. So cleaning is more of a chore than usual. They are difficult to keep spotless.
And another thing to remember, bilges and small creatures. Nuff said
Well, other than to say if something gets down there and croaks it, you'll spend a couple of days trying to work out what the smell is and then you have to work out where it is and how to get to it.

They ain;t that cheap on running.

But as I say, known a couple of people do it and they seem happy!

Ah, yeah. Toilets. I forgotten that particular delight...

Don't you just hate simulposts?

"Small - normally when you clean a room you move all the furniture, well, on a boat there is nowhere really to move it to. So cleaning is more of a chore than usual. They are difficult to keep spotless."

--Definitely something I hadn't thought about. Hmmm.

If you could ask them for costings that would be superb. I have been having a google for such things, but I don't really know where to look. It might be best to email me (laura _ sheep at hot mail dot com) if they wouldn't want their finances splurged on h2g2.

Thanks!

I lived on a boat for 6 months, the main issue to look at is mooring fees and how long they will let you stay in own place.

Yes, mooring seems to be the problem. I cannot find anything in Birmingham at the moment. I need to head down to the basin anyway, so I shall ask when I go down there later. If I still have to pay £2000 a year, and then council tax too... Hmmm.

request made, will pass on any info I get.
can't you try a mooring outside brum and use local rail transport?

Before you go for it check that there aren't any new laws regarding canal boats in the offing.

I almost built a houseboat some years back, then learned that Miami was about to regulate that no new houseboats could be moored on the river. Shot that plan down.

"can't you try a mooring outside brum and use local rail transport?"

That would be my perfect thing. I meant within commuting distance, really. Sorry that I wasn't clear. I was going to the basin in the centre of town simply because that's the only one that I know. What I have thought of doing is emailing/writing to British Waterways. Surely they'd know exactly where all the moorings are, and, hopefully, who to contact.

MoG, my sympathies. It's certainly something to be wary of. I'd like to think that it's not something that would happen on the canals over here, but I guess it's always best to be wary.

oh yes, there's plenty about, or so I understand. Take out a permanent mooring. That's what my friends have in the middle of nowhere in a little village. Best bet, go for a cruise or a walk and see whats out there in the sort of places you are looking for.

*dances*

Ah, just what these little ears wanted to hear.

Anyways, I must make tracks as I'm going swimming in a bit, and I have yet to get home. Thanks for all your comments (dare I add 'so far'?), and see you online in a bit...

Hi Vip,

British canals are getting to be pretty expensive and a smart boat is going to cost the best part of £30k-£50k. British Waterways run the show, link attached. Cruising the cannals is probably the most relaxing way of traveling. Living on board is easy but you need an old sea going attitude

Pretty cold in winter too, only the real upmarket boats have washing machines, fridges and cookers usually gas so you have to hump gas cylinders from the shop to the boat, you need to top up the water regulary and empty the loo, which could mean moving the boat say at least once a week. Last encouraging point some places can be pretty rough with burglary on the increase, even in areas you would think were pretty safe. Which is why lots of owners are moving to marinas.

Hope this doesn't put you off, where else could you get Kingfishers in your back garden.

http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/

Ok. Sister and Brother-in-Law lived on a Narrow Boat for 5 years, and I lived on a 1920's Motor Cruiser for 2 summers 14 years ago, and for 2 years 6 years ago, here in Brentford.

So... the pro's....

Peace and quiet.
Manouverability.
Sitting on deck on a sunny afternoon with a cool drink.
Novelty factor.


Cons
Damp and Mildew.
Cold in winter, usually using a wood/coal stove for warmth, which needs regular tending.
Electric/Gas facilities. LPG is very heavy and dense, so dangerous for leakage, electric is usually supplied by battery power which means regular turnover of the engine.
Waste. Usually entails trips to a pump-out station, which costs £££££. Excessive water usage can fill the Cess-tank fast. Otherwise Chemi-Loo.
Water tanks. You need to find a regular source. If in a Marina, then most of the above will not be a problem, but if Canal/river based, then beware.
Purchasing. You cannot get a mortgage on a boat. Purchasing is normally via a Ship Chandler, by using a Marine Loan, which is 20% down, balance over 10 years, rates being varied, but higher than mortgage rates.
Mooring. Moorings are generally sold by boat length. My first cruiser was moored at £10:00 per foot, and at 40' was £400:00 per month. It is virtually impossible to purchase a mooring, as canal/river frontage is extortionate.
Canal/River. There is a distinct advantage being canal-based to river-based. It is non-tidal, generally has slow traffic (so no bouncing around through bow-waves) and close mooring to land.
Rivers are more problematical, as they are generally tidal. This poses a problem for keeled boats, as they can fall over (it happened three times to me) causing major devastation inside the boat, and if leaning too far over it may not self-right (one of those occassions was very touch-and-go). Flat-bottomed boats can also have detritus like gas canisters wedge underneath the hull, that can be disastrous as it can strain the base plates, as well as buckling the frame, that's beside the cans etc. banging against the metal hull.
Also on rivers, pilot and police boats (as well as speed freaks) can cause a boat to bounce around quite badly, which is very disturbing especially at night.
Insurance. Again a ship chandler would need to be approached re:- insurance which is expensive, primarily because the property is mobile and so is a high-risk liabilty. This also affects your contents insurance, and many companies will not provide cover due to the factors listed above.

So Land-based or water-based?
With the right boat (and not a wooden-hulled, non-heated cruiser like last time) very much a yes. Houseboat certainly! Narrowboat? depends on whether solo or sharing, as there is little space, either living or storage. The bifg advantage with them is ease of navigation, which can be done single-handed.

Would I do it again?

Just give me the keys........ NOW!!!!!!

Hope that helps. Any further questions I'm happy to help, and this is the brief answer. there are many other factors to take into account, but some of my mates have lived on the Thames for thirty years. (my neighbour was Betty Marsden of 'Round The Horn' Fame who'd lived there for 50+ years, and Susan Penhaligan has been there for six)

I'll try not to repeat the tallyman's comments, but here's another opinion for what it's worth.

British waterways requires a licence. You can get a continuous cruising licence, which has lengthy regulations about where and how long you can stay, or a normal licence which requires you have a permanent mooring. Realistically, if you're living aboard, imho, you want a permanent mooring for the conveniences this affords - 240 volt electrical access, for example, somewhere to park your motorbike if you have one, often a toilet block, and of course, somewhere to send your mail. These vary in price from around £800 annually to - well, to some large numbers, depending on where you are. But - here's the key thing: moorings are few and far between - nice moorings doubly so. Again, this depends on whereabout you are, but people told me "Get a mooring before you get a boat" even if you have to pay for it empty for six months. I didn't believe them, of course, but they were right. Notice that this means it's not that easy to move around - which is a bit counter intuitive, but there you go.
I pay about £1400 a year mooring fees (it's a nice mooring though) for a 50 foot steel narrowboat. My insurance is about £100 (boat) and about he same again (contents), The BW licence is about £400 annually. Council tax? Nah - council tax is something that happens to other people.

Pros -
It makes you cool.
Everybody you meet is cool.
Everybody you meet is helpful and there is a sense of community.
It's cheapish.
Moving is easier than moving house.
Summers
You have to throw away everything you own and haven't used it for six months.
It's easy to have a real fire.

cons-
It's not as easy to move as you think.
You have to throw away everything you own and haven't used it for six months.
winters.
Safety regulations are tough.
Everything is covered in mud and diesel.
Toilet arrangements are not to everybodies taste.
Spiders everywhere.
Low level hassle - gas bottles, heating fuel, emptying toilets, water tanks, bilges etc.
The value of a boat will go down.

I'll try not to repeat the tallyman's comments, but here's another opinion for what it's worth.

British waterways requires a licence. You can get a continuous cruising licence, which has lengthy regulations about where and how long you can stay, or a normal licence which requires you have a permanent mooring. Realistically, if you're living aboard, imho, you want a permanent mooring for the conveniences this affords - 240 volt electrical access, for example, somewhere to park your motorbike if you have one, often a toilet block, and of course, somewhere to send your mail. These vary in price from around £800 annually to - well, to some large numbers, depending on where you are. But - here's the key thing: moorings are few and far between - nice moorings doubly so. Again, this depends on whereabout you are, but people told me "Get a mooring before you get a boat" even if you have to pay for it empty for six months. I didn't believe them, of course, but they were right. Notice that this means it's not that easy to move around - which is a bit counter intuitive, but there you go.
I pay about £1400 a year mooring fees (it's a nice mooring though) for a 50 foot steel narrowboat. My insurance is about £100 (boat) and about he same again (contents), The BW licence is about £400 annually. Council tax? Nah - council tax is something that happens to other people.

Pros -
It makes you cool.
Everybody you meet is cool.
Everybody you meet is helpful and there is a sense of community.
It's cheapish.
Moving is easier than moving house.
Summers
You have to throw away everything you own and haven't used it for six months.
It's easy to have a real fire.

cons-
It's not as easy to move as you think.
You have to throw away everything you own and haven't used it for six months.
winters.
Safety regulations are tough.
Everything is covered in mud and diesel.
Toilet arrangements are not to everybodies taste.
Spiders everywhere.
Low level hassle - gas bottles, heating fuel, emptying toilets, water tanks, bilges etc.
The value of a boat will go down.


More later...

Or drop me a message.

D'oh!

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.

Thanks ever so much. I hadn't thought of renting the mooring, whether I have a boat or not. As the waiting list for one of the places I would like is 1-2 years, I ought to think about getting my name down!

x x