Narrowboats.

[ajlelectronics]

It’s not about money it’s about creating memories, there are no pockets in a shroud

This is exactly my point. With both my parents passing in the last few weeks, it has made me wonder why I am saving money, instead of doing what interests me. HMRC are getting not a penny of my estate if I can help it, so I have two lots of inheritance to spend now, after the dust settles. I have a PPL so it's an HGV (what would I do with it?) or a boat of some sort.

 

[bert]

Last time I crossed the channel we passed a group of canal boats also making the crossing.

It took us 4 hours at 12 knots so God knows how long it took them.

 

[Morrisman]

40hp - open sea.

People have rowed across the Atlantic, so 40hp would be ample to cross the channel on a calm day.

 

[Beanwood]

Have you considered a sailboat? Learn to sail and a 40’ would get you around the world without costing you 5litres/mile or whatever it is that big twin engine motors can manage to consume..

 

[RichardM]

I would love to be able to sail, buy a boat and just **** off to wherever I stopped, unfortunately wifey doesn't want to!!

In the meantime I did see a program once about a person taking a narrow boat across the channel. It is possible, just have to wait for the right conditions.

 

[addjunkie]

Have you considered a sailboat? Learn to sail and a 40’ would get you around the world without costing you 5litres/mile or whatever it is that big twin engine motors can manage to consume..

40 foot yachts eat money, just in different ways to motorboats!

I would love to be able to sail, buy a boat and just **** off to wherever I stopped, unfortunately wifey doesn't want to!!

In the meantime I did see a program once about a person taking a narrow boat across the channel. It is possible, just have to wait for the right conditions.

Do you always do what wifey wants? A friend of my fathers took a small bilge keeled yacht, to the south coat, then over to France, and through the canals to the med.

 

[premmington]

40 foot yachts eat money, just in different ways to motorboats!

Do you always do what wifey wants? A friend of my fathers took a small bilge keeled yacht, to the south coat, then over to France, and through the canals to the med.

So what you telling me/us - all boats eat money...

There is a saying "If it floats, flies or your feelings are involved - it is best rented in"

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There also heard this one "if it floats or flies, your savings sink and die"

 

[ajlelectronics]

On the subject of costs, I neither set fire to money, inhale the toxins and become seriously ill, nor do I spray my money against the porcelain, so I think that blowing some cash on an interest is good value. Same as when I got my PPL, an hour or two a month of flight training was equivalent to what some people were spending to harm themselves.

 

[addjunkie]

So what you telling me/us - all boats eat money...

There is a saying "If it floats or flies or your feelings are involved - it is best rented in"

-----------

There also heard this one "if it floats or flies it sinks and dies"

Basically yes, boating can be an expensive, doubly so if it costs you a divorce as well. But it doesn't have to be if you are careful, sensible and capable of fixing things. As boats get bigger the prices for stuff do not rise in proportion, they tend to rise exponentially.

The secret is to make sure the money you invest in making memories, only makes good memories not bad ones!

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I was looking at narrow boats a few years back. Here in London the values are largely dictated by the mooring that the boat comes with as they're difficult to find.

When I read up on it ...having to pay a proportion of the boat price to the mooring provider and being on the hook for uncertain future mooring fees I decided it was too much stress.

If you have a good mooring then it's a different story I think.

 

[ajlelectronics]

If you have a good mooring then it's a different story I think.

I am looking for a mooring now. The one available I knew about seems to have gone.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I am looking for a mooring now

Here in London the mooring is key and boats on moorings go for a lot more money.

I did try to look for freehold moorings that I could buy but they were crazy money.

Continuous cruising wasn't an option for me...there's a lot of rules around how far the boat needs to travel etc...too much faff.

 

[Morrisman]

I would love to be able to sail, buy a boat and just **** off to wherever I stopped, unfortunately wifey doesn't want to!!

In the meantime I did see a program once about a person taking a narrow boat across the channel. It is possible, just have to wait for the right conditions.

Apparently they tie two together, side by side, so an old narrowboat owner told me years ago. The French canal system is probably as good as their roads, so it could be some amazing cruising over there.

 

[RichardM]

Apparently they tie two together, side by side, so an old narrowboat owner told me years ago. The French canal system is probably as good as their roads, so it could be some amazing cruising over there.

This was a solo boat, waited for really calm day and did a little extra waterproofing if I remember right. He continued down to the Med.

 

[Mick Annick]

Apparently they tie two together, side by side, so an old narrowboat owner told me years ago. The French canal system is probably as good as their roads, so it could be some amazing cruising over there.

We live near the canal du Bourgogne, to an outsider it looks to be well maintained, and has the added benefit of not needing to do the locks yourself - there’re lock keepers that ride the towpath on scooters to meet boats at the lock.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

This was a solo boat, waited for really calm day

Some are rated for costal waters I believe (Dutch barges)...others not so much! The ones I've seen that are capable have the bow a different shape to prevent it digging in and going under.

 

[Robotstar5]

This was a solo boat, waited for really calm day and did a little extra waterproofing if I remember right. He continued down to the Med.

May have been the one I saw, they had to add plates to the front of the cabin to waterproof it, wear life jackets and have an escort boat to shepard them across?

 

[Greeves246]

Timothy Spall with a Dutch barge

Timothy Spall: ...at Sea - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ajlelectronics]

The trees are being cleared and I could tie up here, but how to get in snd out of the boat at various river levels?

 

[gaz1]

use boarding steps hung over the side