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Author: Subject: canal/narrow boat ownership
02GF74

posted on 4/11/15 at 08:26 PM Reply With Quote
canal/narrow boat ownership

Anyone got or owned one?
Advice and what to look out for?






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davetheboat

posted on 4/11/15 at 09:03 PM Reply With Quote
I do. Been around them all my life What did you want to know?

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twybrow

posted on 4/11/15 at 09:16 PM Reply With Quote
Don't wrap a double mattress around the prop and shaft. There isn't much more tricky to remove, not even the giant traffic cone and shopping trolley combo we picked up 1/2 mile later. Oh and don't go through Dudley area on a canal boat.
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macc man

posted on 4/11/15 at 09:28 PM Reply With Quote
A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into. You need to get a lot of use from a boat for it to be an asset.
A bit like a motor home. Great for retired people. My father in law owned one for a few years but sold it due to lack of use. Just my opinion of course.

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DIY Si

posted on 4/11/15 at 10:02 PM Reply With Quote
Are you thinking of one as a home, or a toy?





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02GF74

posted on 4/11/15 at 10:06 PM Reply With Quote
Thinking of one as project to renovate then hire out or sell.

Could live in it as a break /holiday .






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DIY Si

posted on 4/11/15 at 10:08 PM Reply With Quote
Last time I looked at them was as a possible live aboard. Done right, it might work, but you'd need to find a cheap shell to do up and somewhere cheap in which to store it too! Moving them about is not the work of 5 minutes unfortunately!





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davetheboat

posted on 4/11/15 at 10:46 PM Reply With Quote
If you fancy the challenge of rebuilding making good then go for it. But if you want to see anything like a return on your labour then don't hold your breath. The amount of work & cost will be far more than you imagine. Is it for fun in spare time or as a way of earning money?
As already said finding somewhere to store it whilst doing the work has a cost & if you need to move it by road the cost will climb rapidly. There are yards that can offer hardstanding & will have crane or slipway arrangments. Alternatively you will be looking at having it afloat on a mooring this is likely to mean you need a licence ok if the boat is fit to hold a BSS ticket. No BSS no licence.

Regarding hiring it out do your research its not quite as simple as people think. CR&T set out most the rules & regulations. They even actually enforce them these day's!

Residential use is perfectly possible again worth doing your research.

If you fancy it have a go it can be great fun but at least go into it with your eyes open.

You are welcome to contact me if you need more specific info. Maybe in indication of how much you intend to spend would be helpful.

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mark chandler

posted on 5/11/15 at 12:16 AM Reply With Quote
What is it they say about boats, you only get two great days, the one you buy it, the other when you sell it!

They soon lose their fasination, expensive to keep still & expensive to use.

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ian locostzx9rc2

posted on 5/11/15 at 06:27 AM Reply With Quote
I have looked into this for possible 4 to 6 months cruise around the canals and for just the odd week or days and weekends away and you have got to use it a lot to make worth while buying one mooring licence costs and maintenance will cost £2.5 to £3.0k min a year for a 45 to 50 foot boat plus the cost of buying one in the first place you can long term rent a boat min 3 months for about £1.5 k a month or short weekly rentals £700 to £1.5 a week as I'm not retired yet I would only use it for maybe two weeks a year plus a few weekends or days out a year so it would make sense just to rent I guess if was retired it maybe worth it but as with all boats they are money pits for sure .
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ianhurley20

posted on 5/11/15 at 09:29 AM Reply With Quote
There are a few companies that do a boat share scheme, a friend has one which gives him a 1/12th share of the boat and 4 weeks use each year, much cheaper than outright ownership and any bills are shared. Costs less than half that of hiring one inc all bills - and he can sell the share anytime he wishes

Full story is here http://www.gregafloat.org.uk/blog/index.html#nabble-td2945250

and
http://www.gregafloat.org.uk/canals/2015adderburyviewing.html

etc

[Edited on 5/11/15 by ianhurley20]






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02GF74

posted on 5/11/15 at 10:59 PM Reply With Quote
Hmmmm its sounding awfully expensive for projected use, more than ctax and water.






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Rosco86

posted on 6/11/15 at 08:31 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by twybrow
Don't wrap a double mattress around the prop and shaft. There isn't much more tricky to remove, not even the giant traffic cone and shopping trolley combo we picked up 1/2 mile later. Oh and don't go through Dudley area on a canal boat.


very funny, made me chuckle on a Friday!





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