Barge V Moho? (1 Viewer)

[Foxy1956]

Having spent a week cycling and scootering parts of the Oxford canal and Kennet and Avon navigation and chatting to bargees, we weighed up the pros and cons of ownership. We love the freedom of the road and ability to travel to Europe. However, some barges cross the channel to France, they all had wood burners and they carried far more batteries than we can. We enjoyed chatting to fellow moho owners on the camp site, but also enjoyed the great camaraderie on the canal. The speed we travel at leaves barges far behind, but for many it's not getting there, but the journey. Ideally I would like both. What do other Funsters think?

 

[wasp]

I think it’s horses for courses as it were, you have to be realistic about what you want from a boat, you have to pay mooring fees, every so often it has to be taken out of the water to have the hull repainted etc, you need a waterways certificate of worthiness. Then, how big and wide do you go they seem to start from around 25 feet up to 75 with varying width, if you sailing the seven seas it also has to be seaworthy , Good luck

 

[Speve]

My brother has a barge on the Kennet and Avon at Kane hill marina he loves it and the speed of travel but it’s a bit slow for me,he’s done all the courses even an engine one.

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[busby]

Don't think i could travel Europe very easy in a narrow boat and i like sunshine,,,,BUSBY.

 

[sweetie]

Martin you also have to think about operating locks and mooring with your wife’s disabilities. We have thought about a boat on the broads although no locks and being a bit older than you at 71 and 76 but not sure it we could manage the mooring being a bit decrepid now.
Bought many good and bad items from you while you where a great auctioneer at Keys.

 

[Foxy1956]

Martin you also have to think about operating locks and mooring with your wife’s disabilities. We have thought about a boat on the broads although no locks and being a bit older than you at 71 and 76 but not sure it we could manage the mooring being a bit decrepid now.
Bought many good and bad items from you while you where a great auctioneer at Keys.

Oh thanks. It was a wonderful 35 years at the auction,made extra special by all the punters who were really an extended family. We would have to take family with us on a barge holiday.

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[arto stu]

I have both a boat and motor home... i have traveled from the UK through France and into the med on my boat... The French canals are much better than the UK and the network is very extensive... you can get from Calais to Marseilles and the rest of of the French South coast easily... many do it in narrow boats, frankly I would not use one,they are narrow ( obliviously ) nearly all locks are automatic much easier life than the UK.... you can stop anywhere for free, and some places have free services as well... there is quite a large ex pat community living on the canals some buy a permanent mooring and never move some move every day... with regards to service costs a boat on the canals is probably cheaper than the service cost of motor home... all sorts of options.. its a lovely way of life, i took 2 years to travel down... stopped near Toulouse for the winter, cost me 600 euro for 6 months .... still for me.. two years in the canals I wanted to be on the sea... 4 years on the sea I wanted to try life on wheels for a bit!.... its all good!!!

 

[Northernraider]

Have you ever thought of hiring one for a week or so and see how you like it?

I hired one with my ex wife on the Norfolk broads about 15 years ago.
First few days I enjoyed it but have to say I was bored by day 3 and swore if I heard another duck quacking outside my window at 5am I'd eat it.

I also nearly drowned once trying to jump off to secure it and my croc fell of and I landed in the canal lol.

 

[Spriddler]

Oh thanks. It was a wonderful 35 years at the auction,...

I could give you the benefit of my barge and m/h ownership experience, but I'd have to charge you VAT and 15% commission....

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[Northernraider]

I could give you the benefit of my barge and m/h ownership experience, but I'd have to charge you VAT and 15% commission....

We have 15% ...looking for 20

Do I see 20?

Will take 17.5 to get it away

 

[Reallyretired]

I have hired narrowboats and it's great fun. By the way a barge is a canal boat that has to be towed as it has no engine, I'm sure the narrowboating fraternity would be quite upset at having their pride and joy called a barge.
My ex-wife used to call them longboats as in Viking

 

[Northernraider]

This is like the one i hired only a little newer i expect


Not as picturesque as the wooden ones from rosie and jim but couldn't find one of those to hire at the time.

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[Podney]

We had a share in a narrow boat for a few years.
It rained a lot. Canals are grubby. Kids in Birmingham threw bricks at us from the bridges. You can’t get far and can soon get fed up with the scenery. The novelty of going through locks wore off after a (short) while...especially in the rain.
Apart from that it was great!

 

[Foxy1956]

I could give you the benefit of my barge and m/h ownership experience, but I'd have to charge you VAT and 15% commission....

Cor, that's cheap. Do you have a high reserve?

 

[Spriddler]

You can’t get far and can soon get fed up with the scenery.

Exactly how I felt and I didn't like retracing my route to get back to where I started. I never do that in the m/h or when walking the dog!

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[arto stu]

Ah well if we are doing pics.... I went from Chichester to Sardinia and back by two routes... anyone done that in there Van ... and was walking the dog all the way!!

 

[pappajohn]

I believe a lot of canal boats/barges are flat bottomed......flat bottom boats and open sea aren't good bed partners.

My late bro in law took one across the channel to the European canals.....just once, never again.

He was a Ships Master, (Capt Peter Bruce) licenced to take control of most ships up to container ships and oil tankers but he said he would never do that again.

 

[arto stu]

All sorts of boats all sorts of compromises just like vans ... mine is a Catermaran... two hulls built to cross oceans... also very small draught so ideal for canals ( they are shallow hence some of the flat bottoms ).... many guys use there yachts in canals... if i was living full time i would buy a purpose built canal boat, probably a nice steel dutch barge... That said I would not fancy taking a flat bottom across the channel unless it was a VERY calm day ... wouldn't take my arto across the alps in the middle of winter either... horses for courses

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[PeteH]

I believe a lot of canal boats/barges are flat bottomed......flat bottom boats and open sea aren't good bed partners.

My late bro in law took one across the channel to the European canals.....just once, never again.

He was a Ships Master, (Capt Peter Bruce) licenced to take control of most ships up to container ships and oil tankers but he said he would never do that again.[/QUOTE]

Ditto!.

 

[Four of us]

We had several narrowboat holidays and loved them so when we started planning for retirement we did investigate buying one. But two things put us off: the weather in the UK; and the buying cost. We would never have got a half decent boat for the price of our motorhome. We've never regretted our decision but only you can decide what's right for you. Good luck whatever you go dor.

 

[G-RMPS]

We had a share in a narrow boat for a few years.
It rained a lot. Canals are grubby. Kids in Birmingham threw bricks at us from the bridges. You can’t get far and can soon get fed up with the scenery. The novelty of going through locks wore off after a (short) while...especially in the rain.
Apart from that it was great!

My experience exactly. I bought one and lived in it near Chester for a year, then moved it 20 miles every weekend until I got to Devizes on the Kennet and Avon. I too had to dodge rocks being thrown in Birmingham.

Apart from the annual inspections we had some maintenance issues. Narrow boats do a lot of gear changing from forwards to backwards. Canals are typically muddy so no clear water, often shallow with the risk of getting stuck and lots of weeds to foul your prop, particularly in Brum. Canals are also low, so TV reception can be rubbish if you care about that sort of thing.

As noted elsewhere, these boats are flat-buttomed. Crossing the channel is not something to be considered lightly. Read the book entitled Long Dog something or other about someone who crossed the channel and all the way to the Med in a narrow boat.

EHU is not common, you have to put up with the noise of other people’s generators in the evenings.

I loved the classic narrow boats with their single piston engines going chug....chug.....chug.

Narrow boats on UK canals are not like cruisers on the Norfolk Broads!

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[busby]

I have hired narrowboats and it's great fun. By the way a barge is a canal boat that has to be towed as it has no engine, I'm sure the narrowboating fraternity would be quite upset at having their pride and joy called a barge.
My ex-wife used to call them longboats as in Viking

Yet i drove a powered load carrying boat on a gravel pit and it was called a barge,,BUSBY..

 

[two]

I have both. I think boating is much more expensive but have not done the sums to complete the comparison. Water is very relaxing, which is just as well because you rarely travel fast, but limits where you can travel to. A motorhome gives you much more freedom and speed for your adventures

 

[roamingman]

We had our honeymoon on the Norfork Broads 44 years ago, still waiting to go back.

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[two]

We had several narrowboat holidays and loved them so when we started planning for retirement we did investigate buying one. But two things put us off: the weather in the UK; and the buying cost. We would never have got a half decent boat for the price of our motorhome. We've never regretted our decision but only you can decide what's right for you. Good luck whatever you go dor.

You could go for shared ownership. A more economical solution if you're happy with a 'run-of-the-mill' boat.

 

[arto stu]

With respect guys you are all talking about English canals... French system is a whole lot better... as is the weather

As for regulations on boats... long as you are UK registered and fly the red duster its UK regs..which basically means none ... much easier than vans... i got a ICC with inland endorsement because I read forum and new i would be asked... spent 3 years in the canals and 3 years in in the med... only time i used it was to hire a rib for a day... even then it was only because I wanted one with over 40Hp

 

[treetops1]

Just a quick point .A Barge without a motor is called a dumb boat or a lighter both have to be towed.

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[mitzimad]

i read the book where they take a narrow boat across to europe i think they tied telegraph poles or logs to the sides for stabilty

 

[two]

Just a quick point .A Barge without a motor is called a dumb boat or a lighter both have to be towed.

In the case of narrowboats, a toad is called a 'Butty' and no bacon is involved.