From Narrowboat To Motorhome! (1 Viewer)

[parknride]

Is there a boatingfun web site on the way?

 

[irnbru]

 

[pops]

Hi and welcome from South Glos.

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[Gandhi]

Hi we've had boats for years including a narrow boat. MH'ing is much cheaper. No more marina owners ripping you off or British Waterways chasing you or insurance companies asking for hull thickness tests or...... finding burst pipes everywhere in the depth of winter or......it goes on....

It''s often said a boat is a hole in the water you throw money into. They weren't wrong!

At least most of my costs are now associated with when I use my MH not when I don't.

You won't look back.

Paul

 

[Scattycat]

Hi from another pair of ex-narrowboaters.

 

[gus-lopez]

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[Gandhi]

Stop......stop.....stop it right now!

I want one even more!

Trust me when I say you will need DEEP DEEP pockets! Nothing, absolutely nothing is cheap or even moderately affordable when it comes to narrow boats. I reckon with my BW licence, insurances, marina charges and running costs I was throwing around 3 grand a year at it and that was for just a couple of weeks away and the odd weekend. We could have flown to a 4 star Caribbean beach front place for 2 weeks for that.

Trying to get good mooring is a nightmare and when you find one they know you're so desperate you'll pay anything, When the boat reaches a certain age insurers won't touch you unless you have a hull thickness test. Cost? I was quoted around £500 to include dry docking! If the hull is below a certain thickness the cost of re-plating? My mate paid over £6000 for his to be done. You are also constantly worried about security. Mine was broken into twice. One occasion they smashed leaded windows to get in which set me back around £800 to get sorted.
Chugging along at 4 mph sounds terribly romantic but it can desperately dull looking at the same stretch of canal bank week in week out. And before you think 6 hrs of 4 mph means 24 miles it doesn't work that way... not when you come up to some locks with a couple of boats in front of you. You can lose 2 or 3 hours easily then.

Unless you go away for very long periods of time you most definitely will see the same bit of bank all the time.

Since owning my MH I have seen most Wales, Cumbria, Norfolk. I've experienced everything from luxury sites with jacuzzis to wild camping on beaches watching seals on rocks to sitting around a bbq with strangers on French cliff tops watching the sun dip and saved a fortune on B and B costs attending courses and visiting friends in obscure parts of the UK.

Narrow Boat? Nah. Not again thanks. Give me the open road and a MH any time.

Paul

 

[tufty]

A big welcome to the Fun. We still have a 1/12th share in boat and just manage to fit in our 4 weeks afloat!

That sounds like a great option and a good compromise between owning (& paying all those mooring/ licence fees that Ghandi mentions above) and hiring. Unfortunately until we retire we don't have time to do both....so it's the MH only for us for now.

 

[tufty]

Yes Ghandi our costs were about £3kpa too but the narrow boat doubled up as a base for OH to stay during the week when working in Midlands instead of buying a property or renting so had that added benefit. Also grown up children used it when in town, as did we on a night out. Also had lots of fun on weekends away and holidays and I loved doing the locks... Setting a time challenge to get up Tardebigg flight of 30 locks was much more fun to us than going to Carribean!! (Well almost!) However the limitations were that we could only ever take 2 weeks off at one time so we had seen all that we could from our mooring in that time and now the MH is a much better option (OH now staying in MH 2 nights a week) We are already making the most of our new found freedom and looking forward to visiting lots of new places but not ruling out a return to narrowboat in the future if we have the time (and money). I like the idea of having a part share.

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[Carol]

Hello and welcome.

 

[Gandhi]

Agree with a lot of what you said Tufty but back on the boat I could maybe get 10 to 20 miles down the 'road; after a day standing leaning on the tiller hoping it doesn't rain, that the next lock won't have a traffic jam and looking at shops that I could drive to within ten minutes of leaving my house. After a days travelling in the MH now I can be trying to speak French and buying good wine at a quid a bottle. It was the constant heart-in-mouth thing driving to the marina after we had had -10 degrees C nights just knowing I would be facing burst pipes and huge expense every time. Now when it's minus 10 deg C I just make sure I put a radiator on a timer in the MH on the drive. MH'ing is so much more user friendly and flexible.

 

[tufty]

You reminded me of when I told my work colleagues that I spent my 2 weeknholiday going round the Midlands when I could have driven to all of them in half a day.... How they laughed. However we had a great time. The great thing is being able to moor up almost anywhere for free, loads of wildlife on the canals and rivers and you can sip wine and beer as you go. Always people to chat to at the locks and great amusement to be had from watching (& helping) the hirers who sometimes haven't a clue what they are doing. Met some great lovely friendly people on the canals. Many a time stopping in a double lock half way up a flight to share a drink with a fellow boater while we had a rest. We were lucky as we were never broken into. We did have a leaking water pump once after a freeze but that was all so no real problems.

However if I can get a good bottle of wine for a quid then I'm there.....the OH will be so excited at the thought of all the money we will save now we are MHers look forward to sharing some one day with some Funsters

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[Momo]

Hi Aud & Mike and welcome to the Fun!

 

[Chockswahay]

We have lived on a sailing yacht for 3 years.... we love boats. We have also hired narrow boats a few times and love them too. For us it would to be a 'weekend thing'....... we would be 'constant cruisers' for 4 to 6 months a year.

We would cruise in the same way as we use our motorhome............ travel, stop, visit, travel, stop.......... no marinas, just tie up alongside.

I agree it's not for everyone, but it would suit us. We will probably do it when we have 'done' most of Europe haha

My view is definitely in agreement with the 'KISS' principle......... infact, we will probably fit out our own based on our previous boating and motor camping experience and needs.

STILL WANT ONE!

Ciao for now, off to Venice today

 

[tufty]

Ooh Venice...lovely. Lots of boats there. Ciao & enjoy chockswayhay

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[hilldweller]

We will probably do it when we have 'done' most of Europe haha

That will be July then.

 

[hilldweller]

Ooh Venice...lovely. Lots of boats there. Ciao & enjoy chockswayhay

Equally nice Choggia and less tourity.

 

[tufty]

Equally nice Choggia and less tourity.

Choggia... I don't know that but will look it up as we really liked Venice and it would be even better if less touristy (can't really complain about the tourists though as I was one of them!)

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[swidy]

Hello and welcome from Yorkshire, we had a narrow boat for 12 years and loved every minute, we have now been motor homing for 4 years and we are touring for 12 months come October this year, I would certainly go back to the canals there are some beautiful places along the canals.

 

[Chockswahay]

For us it would to be a 'weekend thing'....... we would be 'constant cruisers' for 4 to 6 months a year.

Bogger! I meant NOT be a weekend thing....

 

[Chockswahay]

That will be July then.

Nah, should have it in the bag by early June....haha

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[Daifuse]

Hi from another pair of ex-narrowboaters.

And us too, miss it dreadfully, but the expense gradually became too much (and the physical effort of all the maintenance - steel trying to return to its naturally occurring form of iron oxide after 35 years!)

 

[Madjaxy]

Hi,
Did you cruise the Llangollen ?
Madjaxy

 

[Apache]

We had narrowboats for 11 years and covered quite a lot of the canal system in that time. We would recommend it to anyone, especially those who live a fast paced life at work ( who doesn't ? ). It's the best way to slow down and become human again ever invented. Having said that , we've put a lot of miles on our MH in the last 12 months since we got it and fully enjoy the new slightly quicker way of travel. Would still have another Narrowboat if funds allowed it tho .

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[Teuchter]

We have lived on a sailing yacht for 3 years.... we love boats. We have also hired narrow boats a few times and love them too. For us it would to be a 'weekend thing'....... we would be 'constant cruisers' for 4 to 6 months a year.

We would cruise in the same way as we use our motorhome............ travel, stop, visit, travel, stop.......... no marinas, just tie up alongside.

I agree it's not for everyone, but it would suit us. We will probably do it when we have 'done' most of Europe haha

My view is definitely in agreement with the 'KISS' principle......... infact, we will probably fit out our own based on our previous boating and motor camping experience and needs.

STILL WANT ONE!

Ciao for now, off to Venice today

I love motorhomes and |I also love boats, except fast motor gin palaces who dash past a mere few feet away from and leave me wallowing in the subsequent wash!!

I hope to be off tomorrow on my old boat "Shantou" (that's her in my avatar)

If I had to give up one though it would be the boat not the motorhome!

 

[Apache]

I love motorhomes and |I also love boats, except fast motor gin palaces who dash past a mere few feet away from and leave me wallowing in the subsequent wash!!

I hope to be off tomorrow on my old boat "Shantou" (that's her in my avatar)

If I had to give up one though it would be the boat not the motorhome!

Nice one Teuchter. I love sailing too but haven't done any for years . Had several dinghies in the past, club racing. I was lucky enough to get a week on an Elizibeathan 31 and race the round the island race as a crew member, Magic .

 

[Daifuse]

Hi,
Did you cruise the Llangollen ?
Madjaxy

Yes, but many years ago now. It's probably changed a bit by now and the last time I suggested it as a cruise to SWMBO she said "no". (Terrified of Chirk aqueduct.)

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[John69]

Hi
Ive just recently bought a motorhome used to live on a narrowboat welcome aboard