Trevor wrote: > As a *total* newbie to the canals I have been following the various > threads here with interest - BUT ... > > Is this the right group for me to start asking (the *most* basic) > questions about narrowboats, both buying and and living aboard, or > should I really be doing this elsewhere?
Welcome to the list Trevor, and don't worry about asking seemingly daft questions. We are mostly a pretty friendly bunch and are happy to answer any questions you ask. What may appear as an acrimonious exchange between a few people is usually a long running wind up between friends. As a (temporarily lapsed) liveaboard, I would strongly recommend you hire or borrow a boat for a month or two in the winter time. I'm a great believer in going in at the deep end, and if you can cope with boating in the cold wet wintry weather then the summertime is an absolute breeze. You will either need to find a residential mooring - about as rare as hen's teeth, and almost as expensive - or declare yourself as a continuous cruiser. This means that you are supposed to cruise around a substantial portion of the network, tying up in one place for at most two weeks. The rule is very vaguely worded, and there are some (variously referred to as towpath shufflers or bridge hoppers) who do not comply with the spirit of the rule, but remain semi-permanently in the same small geographic area. I hope you are not thinking of doing this, as BW are thankfully beginning to crack down on this practice. If you are a continuous cruiser and you need to keep a car as well then this poses additional challenges. It is best to have a reliable but older uninteresting car, as it will spend a lot of time parked at the roadside in all sorts of minor roads and lanes. Keeping the car near to the boat requires a certain amount of logistical planning with transport back to the car being by foot, bus, train, taxi, lift from friends, bicycle etc. all being available options. Having no car is the other option, of course, but then what happens when you need to see your doctor/dentist etc. You have to weigh up whether it is more hassle keeping a car near the boat or not having a car. I don't know if you are planning on keeping your house as a fall back position, but it is probably a wise course of action. Bear in mind that as you get older, mobility will become more of an issue. I'm not sure that I would like to still be boating when I am old and decrepit (stop sniggering at the back - I mean even older and more decrepit). I don't know if you are married or not, but if you are, remember that at some time one of you will die and leave the other with the boat to manage on their own. Not a nice thing to think about, but it does need considering. Anyway, if all of that hasn't put you off the idea completely, then go for it and enjoy yourself. > Trevor S. > [aka 'Middledogwatch'] Errm, how many dog watches are you planning on keeping? I prefer to stick to the traditional two myself - usually known as first dog watch and last dog watch. Terry Streeter NB Arun - Stockton
