BLUEMOMENT

Hi guys, i'm a newbie.
maybe i shouldn't be here as i'm not a yachtie, i'm a narrow boater and a cruiser enthusiast (both on canals).
I used to have a 36' sea going tub but it got too expensive.
I am an engineer and am good at most things boaty.

Nick did say recently I would just like to make it quite clear that this is a SAILING forum but he was a bit upset at the time I think and anyway it doesn't pay to take these kinds of sweeping generalisations too seriously I find.

So I think we can extend a cautious welcome on the basis that we probably go faster than you. The fact that you are an engineer who can fix boats is neither here nor there of course.

Ah, the very man. I've been quietly asking around about this for a while.

This is all hypothetical of course, so just thought I'd mention that before certain dear friends start putting it about that I'm going to to become a ditch-crawler. All hypothetical, but let's suppose that sometime in the next x years or so, I/we decide to give up work completely, ie move up a gear from semi retired layabout. I quite like sailing in Scotland and have no plans (yet) for warmer climes, but, let's face it, it's not really a very clever all year activity on the west coast (ie every week?). So if I wanted to spend an easy winter cruising about on a narrowboat to inspect our estates in Victorian industrial England, what's the best way to do it? Long term charter, outright purchase, what's the second hand market like etc etc?

All tips appreciated.

Oh, and welcome to the forum.

Now I'm no expert, but here in the midlands, one often comes across narrowboats that are scruffy or home finished rather poorly. These are hard to sell & may be picked up relatively cheaply. If fairly handy chap was living aboard, pottering, repairing/ rebuilding, I reckon you could have a quiet but pleasant year or so pottering & make a small profit on the deal. Might even cover you living expenses.

Probably need to buy in Winter & sell late spring/ early summer to maximise benefit. Just a thought.

Arghiro wrote:one often comes across narrowboats that are scruffy or home finished rather poorly.

Ah well, so no change there then.

Sounds like good advice, so thanks. Actually, it sounds like a really great way to spend October to April, but we'd need to completely stop working. Not sure if I've suffiently matured to have a gap year yet.

You're not alone. I'm something of a closet narrowboater - I buy the magazine and hire for a week every other year or so. The combination of trundling around exploring industrial archaeology and drinking good beer is really satisfying. I would agree with the idea of buying s/h and doing up: some of the new boats have daft prices - £100k is not unusual. An ex-hire boat is often reckoned a good buy: basically well maintained but getting a bit scruffy cosmetically.

One problem with winter boating is that there are a fair number of canal closures for maintenance which could seriously limit cruising plans. I suspect most liveaboards basically hibernate over winter so don't really mind, but it could be a bit of a scunner for the more active...

Scunner for the more active - you say
Shouldn't bother Shard then.

Did I miss something - it says Falkirk...did ye emigrate?

Aye, we flitted just afore Christmas. A right hassle.

To stop the new (to us that is, the house is 105 y.o.) garage from collapsing I had to lay 1300 bricks. Then hire a van to transport the 700kg lathe. Getting that in and out of the garage at each end using the engine crane was entertaining. And then there's the 67 sheets of chipboard for flooring the loft - which I can't lay until I get the electrics sorted (and that's another story!) And did I mention the storage heater that I managed to drop on my finger which then needed 7 stitches?

I seem to have acquired something of a project... I've hardly seen the poor boat for months.

However, I'm currently spending a week working between ski trips nos. 2 & 3.
On the whole being a pensioner is no bad...

The sooner global warming kicks in the better, ski trips 2& 3 indeed!

Yes and when that global warming kicks in those narrow boats will really come into there own. I can just see them now tied up outside the supermarket.
Alan

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ffs . . . . .

Might I suggest http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php for all your narrowboating forum needs ?

Hellsfire nick but you're the sharp one - this was posted so long ago I'd forgotten about it...