Living on a boat

[keepsafepat]

A guy on the BBS lives on a barge. I have PM'd a link to this thread to him.

I'm here. We bought a converted Thames Lighter three years ago & it is the best thing we have ever done. Not the cheapest way of life, the upkeep of the barge is expensive, as are the mooring fees but, you get what you pay for & the way of life suits us.

If you want to pm me your email, I will answer any relevant questions, alway happy to help out.

 

[dannyboy]

Yes! How do you know him? I've known him since I was 5/6.

his mum married my dad so i guess that makes us stepbrothers although at my age of 41 you dont really see them as a stepbrother if you know what i mean . not seen him since we had a family bash in italy in may . thats weird!!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

his mum married my dad so i guess that makes us stepbrothers although at my age of 41 you dont really see them as a stepbrother if you know what i mean . not seen him since we had a family bash in italy in may . thats weird!!

Oh wow! I am glad the family has been educated in the ways of BHAFC. I believe your step mother has been to Amex and loved it.

I like your father. Lovely fellow!

 

[dannyboy]

Oh wow! I am glad the family has been educated in the ways of BHAFC. I believe your step mother has been to Amex and loved it.

I like your father. Lovely fellow!

yeh i got tickets for them for the blackpool game i think . youve met my dad too ? even more weird ha ha . small world

 

[Barrel of Fun]

yeh i got tickets for them for the blackpool game i think . youve met my dad too ? even more weird ha ha . small world

Yes, Blackpool, as I recall. A fair few times I have met him. Small world, indeed!

 

[perseus]

Shoreham

My partner and I are considering buying a Dutch Barge with a mooring on or near the River Thames. Has anyone done or know anyone that has done this? There's only so much you can pick up from books and the Internet, so I'd be interested to hear about the less obvious pitfalls from those with any experience.

Mooring fees, heating and the cost of repairs are the major snags. Nine years of experience as an owner occupier. Depending on the boat, one of annoyances is rain coming through the deck.

 

[perseus]

Ruppipa next to Shoreham Beach footbridge

This one was broken up in the early seventies. Not a good address.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Brighton Marina mooring fees are along the lines of £450 a month for a houseboat. My friend Alex was telling me that they wish to discourage houseboats. Newhaven is a similar price. Toulouse is £45 a month (or so), if you fancy moving to France.

 

[perseus]

Another problem is lack of security of tenure. A boat is worth more as a residence with a secure mooring. A freehold mooring may cost more than the boat. Mooring fees may escalate rapidly. Boatyards change hands and the new owner can impose new conditions, increase mooring fees etc.

 

[perseus]

Duplicate posts because of a NSC fault.

 

[perseus]

Security of tenure is a problem. A residential boat is worth much more with a mooring. Freehold moorings may cost more than the boat. New boatyard owners can impose new conditions, increase fees etc. Just like the landlords that you might want to get away from.

Advantages are space and freedom. Best home I have ever lived in. Repairs and improvements (rain-proofing) can cost much more than estimated.

 

[muvs]

My partner and I are considering buying a Dutch Barge with a mooring on or near the River Thames. Has anyone done or know anyone that has done this? There's only so much you can pick up from books and the Internet, so I'd be interested to hear about the less obvious pitfalls from those with any experience.

It was the subject of my university degree dissertation back in 2006......the research was on the barriers of living on houseboats. The pitfalls are many, few benefits, but overall it is the lifestyle that appeals to most.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Quincy, der der der der der der, had the time of his life on a boat. I'd see him sometime on his documentary show on a Monday afternoon at 2.15pm relaxing there as he always did with his v-necked fleece and ever-drooping chin wafting the scent of rohipnol-filled champagne to women he lured to the quayside with tales of wrongdoing and how to get refugee Chinese laboratory workers to do his job for him at well under minimum wage. In the hull of his cruiser lay over a 100 stewing bodies of those who'd enraged him with their off-line parking or them who'd asked whether maybe he'd just drank that little bit too much before climbing into his wagon and driving fullspeed at hobos. Just the same as his regular saggy-faced daytime cohort, Jessica Fletcher, he'd commit close to a thousand near-perfect murders, all the while blaming those more successful than he or she when fearful of their cadaverous catacombs being uncovered. Still, he was comfortable.

 

[ady1973]

Hiya
I work in heathrow and have a 4on and 4off shift pattern. On my 4days on i live on my boat which is moored in Penton Hook (just outside Thorpe park - on the Thames), and commute into work by bike. Great life and would recommend it to anyone, safe a great deal on fuel too....go for it

 

[perseus]

Beware of the Gribble

Mooring fees used to be charged on length, but now this may have changed. Anything under 43 ft is a bit cramped. That was with naval boats. I like a width of at least 14 ft in the widest bit. If not, it may need to be 50 ft long.

Are Dutch Barges steel hulled? Steel is much preferred to wooden hulls.

The main advantage is the view and environment, which goes away on days of continual rain and breeze which seems to blow the rain in through every conceivable crack in the wooden decking and skylights.

 

[perseus]

Dutch barges and other barges look a good bet if researched properly. The boats available look better than the hulks at Shoreham in the seventies. I found the endless repairs both expensive and time consuming (much better if you are an artisan/builder-type!). Also satisfying when they worked which means attention to detail.

I would want a bedroom, saloon, heads, galley and I had a spare room built on the deck as well as a wheelhouse (like hall). Bike was stored on deck or in the wheelhouse, where it got in the way.

 

[Storer 68]

Permanent Moorings
Many people ask questions about how to find a residential or non-residential mooring on London's Regent's Canal or in one of the basins alongside it. The rest of this page offers details of the museum's own moorings, some general information and useful links. If you come accross any extra information which would be useful to others, please contact us using the feedback form

We are frequently asked about the practicalities of living on a boat in London. It is easy to buy a boat, if you have the funds, but very very hard to find a residential mooring and waiting lists can be very long. This is especually true in central London. Living on a boat is not as cheap as some people hope that it might be. In addition to the usual household bills for fuel, taxes, insurance etc.boats require maintenance. There is a shortage of residential moorings in London. If you buy a boat that is already moored, it is important to check whether the mooring owner is willing to transfer the mooring to the new owner of the boat - this may not be the case and whilst the seller may be entitled to sell his or her boat, he/she may not have any right to decide who will take over the mooring. Make sure you have been in touch directly with the owner of the mooring before you part with money for a boat that comes together with an associated mooring.

 

[brighton terra]

Hiya
I work in heathrow and have a 4on and 4off shift pattern. On my 4days on i live on my boat which is moored in Penton Hook (just outside Thorpe park - on the Thames), and commute into work by bike. Great life and would recommend it to anyone, safe a great deal on fuel too....go for it

Funnily enough we were at Penton Hook Marina on Saturday and got talking to someone there that is looking to buy a Dutch Barge. He works for Le Boat; perhaps you know him?

 

[brighton terra]

Thank you for your helpful comments/suggestions. I will get in touch as and when any queries come to mind. On the face of it I've not heard anything to put me off the idea.

 

[Vegas Seagull]

When did he live on one ?

1961, first career money he earnt was busking in Brighton