Living aboard!

[Ellie]

I am currently investigating in the long term living aboard a canal boat and was wondering whether anyone has any tips on where to find information, or any advice? Any input would be very welcome... had a lovely party on a canal and it inspired me... although I realise life would not be all rosey. Want to find out as much now as I can before I need to make any decisions! Thanks

[Martin]

lived aboard a boat when we first married - it can be great fun, but you have to be adaptable - do be VERY careful when buying boats - to a novice, they'll quietly gloss over the fact that the bottom of the boat is totally shot, all the electrics are lethal, and the berth tenancy finishes at the end of the month ("other expenses" like berthing charges and maintenance can be cripplingly expensive!)...........
Not for the faint-hearted!

[Tay]

I have some relatives who live on a house-boat which is permanently docked at a boatyard. The boat can be moved if needed, but they don't travel on it.

They are currently trying to sell it, and are having difficulty as apparently it is next to impossible to get a mortgage on a house-boat - especially if you have renovated it yourself.

I also know a number of people who build their own boats/renovate them as I used to frequent and work at two pubs near to boat yards. It can be a good way to get into boating as you can pick up some bargains, providing you can do the work. In fact, one friend 'gave' us an old lifeboat! We never took him up on the offer as the boat yard fees were high, and we didn't have the skills to take the project on board (groan!). Two other friends lost their boats through accidents. The first had his boat catch fire - fortunately he hadn't done much work to it, and he lived elsewhere. The second lived on the boat and had all of his possessions on it. He lost everything and wasn't insured. In both cases, they had tried to insure, but weren't able to find a company prepared to insure them.

Great fun, as Martin says, but be careful!

[Muddypause]

Funnily enough, this very evening I was talking to some people who are looking into living on a boat. They're off to look at one tomorrow.

I did look into it myself, once, but it was about 20 years ago, so many things are probably different.

First good stop may be the Residential Boat Owners Association, who can probably tell you all you need to know.

[supersprout]

As a young married, I lived on a houseboat for 18 months. Loved most of it - renovating the butty, peaceful warm evenings chugging down dreamy canals, the camaraderie of the boating community, flowers on the roof, painting castles and roses, the crack of ice shifting as you got up on a winter's morning, towpath walks.

Some of it is fun to remember, though not so much fun at the time - poling for miles when the engine gave up, arguments at locks, feeling vulnerable alone and late at night, being cold when the c.h. packed up, and cramped.

One Easter we came back from Greece to find that the boat had been completely raided and scuttled - very sad, but in retrospect not surprising - we weren't moored at a boatyard, just on a towpath.

Depends on your reasons. I'd suggest hiring a boat off-season and living in it for three months to gauge how well it fits with your stamina, fitness and preferences. Talk to boating families. Houseboats can vary from hulks to palaces; boatyards from boat parks to mini-villages. There's a lot to research and ponder - I think you're very wise to research thoroughly. Good luck with your decision

[Karen_D]

A guy I used to work with did a couple of boat mortgages. If the boat is seaworthy it will be impossible to finance - because the clever plan of buying a boat over here and disappearing to the Med is well known . If it is a narrowboat or similar then you can get a mortgage but it will be more expensive than a loan bricks and mortar.

[Karen_D]

A guy I used to work with did a couple of boat mortgages. If the boat is seaworthy it will be impossible to finance - because the clever plan of buying a boat over here and disappearing to the Med is well known . If it is a narrowboat or similar then you can get a mortgage but it will be more expensive than a loan bricks and mortar.

[Ellie]

Well you are all a very helpful bunch! Thanks so much for the information so far. Lots to think about, I think I will need a good couple of years to get knowledgeable about everything otherwise I will be a little out of my depth... excuse the pun! I think it is a serious consideration for me though, but much nicer if I can find someone to do a joint venture methinks!

[Thomzo]

Hi
I've also been thinking about living on a houseboat but I would miss my garden. I did find a forum all about living on board (I can't find the link now so I'm afraid you'll have to google it) and there is a magazine called Waterways World which is quite useful. There's a Boat, Caravan and Leisure show at the NEC on the 17th to the 25th Feb. Apparently they have a whole section on canal boats and the like.

Have fun and keep me posted how you get on.

[Shirley]

Hi Thomzo

:welcomeish: - if you get a minute why not come and say hello in the welcome section

Ellie

Friends of ours had a houseboat that was at a permanent mooring near Brighton.. I very VERY nearly bought it from them. I was soooooooooooooooo interested and often kick myself for not doing it. The mortgage was a stumbling block for me though.

[Smooth Hound]

I think most boats of a certain value would if it were a good boat be sold with a recent boat survey done, as it makes it easier to sell, if it hasnt got one then i would be wondering why??? It would be the thing to do though if you were really tempted but werent sure to get your own survey done if they havent, costs money but 1 you wont borrow money if you need it unless it has one, and2 it would be like buying a house with out a survey.

[Thomzo]

Hi
I would definitely want a survey done if you are going to live on board. I have a friend who lives in Australia and is renovating an old fishing boat. I was over there when he had the survey done. It was very thorough and revealed a lot of things that a novice wouldn't notice. From the thickness of the hull and the state of the anodes, to the problems with the electrics and the prop shaft and so on.

He financed it by increasing the mortgage on his house. The plan is to sell or rent the house once the boat is finished and they can live on board.

Zoe

[Smooth Hound]

Now this is interesting, its not something you here alot of. It is something i have been toying over in my mind for a year or so though, that one day i would love to do that, i wonder if your friend would mind telling us how he is going on the project and the probs hes over come and so forth, how big is the boat????

[Thomzo]

Hi
It's a 40(something) foot long fishing trawler. I can't remember exactly how wide it is but probably about 12 ft or so.

The previous owner had started to convert it into a liveaboard but had given up. The cabin has been extended to provide a kitchen and toilet.

Downstairs there are two bedrooms (sorry I don't know enough about boats to know all the technical terms).

It's about 30 something years old and made of wood. The previous owner had started to cover the sides and deck with fibreglass but not finished it and it all needs to be finished properly, sanded down and painted. Apparently this is a bit of a nightmare job and takes ages.

The survey picked up that the prop shaft was very slightly bent which was causing the whole boat to shudder and the bilge pumps haven't been wired in properly. Until these problems are sorted out they can't get insurance which is the biggest problem. Boats this size aren't cheap so it is a constant worry for my friends.

I will see if they fancy letting you have a few more details.

Cheers
Zoe

[Smooth Hound]

I would imagine it would take alot of fibre glass to cover that, Do you have to have insurance in a boat?? I would like to know more about this boat ie how much did it cost and how much do they think it will cost to do up.?
Mike