Andrew and I are back from a trip to Gloucester and Hereford - Andrew had shows in Hereford yesterday- and no closer to our quest for a boat! We didn't have lots of time to look, and aside from checking out the docks at Gloucester, we really didn't spend much time looking at all.
Instead, we are planning a few days trip in October to properly hunt for boats - but on advice from a narrowboat online chat group, we are also going to start hunting pretty hard for a mooring. I'd love advice from any narrowboaters who might follow this blog in the future - but from what we gather, finding a boat is the easy bit (!) but finding a mooring is much more difficult.
We are still planning to be live-aboards, so require a residential mooring. So far, we've identified 2 near Wolverhampton that we are interested in checking out.
We are realistic, though, and know we will need to be flexible. We don't really need to moor in any particular place - just somewhere in the midlands - any ideas welcome!
As one journey ends, another begins. Birmingham - Antigonish - and all points in between
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Rainy Day in London Town
The rain is falling, the skies are grey - I'm thinking lots about boats today!
We're off to a puppet show this weekend and scanning narrow boat sites online to see if we can, as in previous weekends, combine a puppet show with a bit of boat hunting. We're going up to Hertfordshire - with some potential stops along the way.
Not much news to report on the narrow boat front, though - still looking, still hoping. We've decided to increase our budget to hopefully find something a bit better suited to our needs - but still, we are hunting for a bargain as neither me nor my partner have lots of money tucked away, and the purchase will require a loan.
That said, I'm watching a few other Narrow Boat Bloggers jealously as I see their pictures and updates. I wonder whether cabin fever will set in, though, as winter and bad weather approaches...
We're off to a puppet show this weekend and scanning narrow boat sites online to see if we can, as in previous weekends, combine a puppet show with a bit of boat hunting. We're going up to Hertfordshire - with some potential stops along the way.
Not much news to report on the narrow boat front, though - still looking, still hoping. We've decided to increase our budget to hopefully find something a bit better suited to our needs - but still, we are hunting for a bargain as neither me nor my partner have lots of money tucked away, and the purchase will require a loan.
That said, I'm watching a few other Narrow Boat Bloggers jealously as I see their pictures and updates. I wonder whether cabin fever will set in, though, as winter and bad weather approaches...
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
An educational first attempt at narrowboat buying!
Option 1 - not a winner, but a good learning experience!Well, we learned that, as with most things, you get what you pay for and for £7,500 you don't get a hell of a lot.
The whole process of finding, buying, and living on a narrowboat will be a huge learning curve for us both - and neither of us have any pretense that we know much about what makes a good boat and what makes the nautical equivalent of a Ford Edsel! I do, though, know a tiny little bit about engines, and before our visit to Norbury Junction, we spent some time looking into what one should ask and look for when buying a narrowboat.
The boat had been advertised as having been adapted by an "undiscovered inventor". I read that as "lots of weird gadgets and perhaps dodgy wiring!". When we got there, we found that there weren't that many weird gadgets (aside from an electric rising bed) but the circuit board looked like a piece of modern art with wires of all colours springing out - taped, glued, and even blu-tacked together. The engine, though clean looking, sat in filthy bilge water and featured the odd wire hanging directly into the water. All very bad signs that even amateurs like us could spot!
We quickly decided that this was not the boat for us, and checked out a few others that were on offer, but out of our price range. This was useful as it gave us an idea of what a good boat should look like, and also gave me a chance to see properly how an engine should be fitted.
We left the boatyard a bit wiser and with a better idea of how much money we might need to spend, a clearer idea of what we want from our boat in terms of layout, equiptment, and design, and still excited about the prospect of becoming liveaboards in the near future.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Really? A Narrowboat?
Well, perhaps, really! We've thought about it and have decided that there is no harm in going to inspect one while we are in Shropshire - so we've made an appointment and will be visiting Norbury Junction to check out a little 36' Narrowboat. I've spent the afternoon online looking up questions I should ask and the answers I should get when inspecting the boat. Hopefully I won't make a stupid mistake and ask a question which very clearly shows that I have no idea what I am talking about.
So far, aside from the obvious, I've investigated the engine type online - it's a Lister SR2 from - I think - 1975 - and tried to see what people say. Folks are generally positive about it, with a few people complaining that it overheats and others that oil gets in the sump....
Putting aside money for a good survey will obviously be important - should we decide we can actually downsize from a small (but not 36'!!) London flat into a Narrowboat. Aside from that, I think we'll just have to look, ask, and wonder when we visit the boatyard this Saturday.
So far, aside from the obvious, I've investigated the engine type online - it's a Lister SR2 from - I think - 1975 - and tried to see what people say. Folks are generally positive about it, with a few people complaining that it overheats and others that oil gets in the sump....
Putting aside money for a good survey will obviously be important - should we decide we can actually downsize from a small (but not 36'!!) London flat into a Narrowboat. Aside from that, I think we'll just have to look, ask, and wonder when we visit the boatyard this Saturday.
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Peter - who he? what do? and why?
Who he?
32 y/o Canadian transplanted to the UK 10 years ago. In those 10 years, he's been a Care Worker, Manager, and Personal Banker. Now he works part time as a Care Worker and Administrator for his husband's puppet company. He's the eldest of 7 children. His favourite dwarf is bashful.
What do?
He works with his husband. In his spare time, he likes to follow current affairs, keep in touch with family and friends both in the UK and overseas, and generally crash out in front of a TV.
Why?
He's not quite sure why. It's just what he does and who he is.
32 y/o Canadian transplanted to the UK 10 years ago. In those 10 years, he's been a Care Worker, Manager, and Personal Banker. Now he works part time as a Care Worker and Administrator for his husband's puppet company. He's the eldest of 7 children. His favourite dwarf is bashful.
What do?
He works with his husband. In his spare time, he likes to follow current affairs, keep in touch with family and friends both in the UK and overseas, and generally crash out in front of a TV.
Why?
He's not quite sure why. It's just what he does and who he is.
Welcome to my blog!
Why start a blog now? Well, my husband and I are on the verge of making some pretty life changing decisions - and weighing up the pros and cons of leaving our life in London to try out living in rural shropshire - or even on a canal boat!
It's a big move for both of us! It means re-establishing my husband's puppet company in a new part of the UK - and leaving behind some good friends here in London.
We know it's time to go, though. London is a great city - but it's got its problems! It takes forever to get anywhere, it costs a fortune to live, and, as someone who has been the victim of crime 3 times in the past 4 years, it can be scary too!
So, I hope to use this blog to keep a record of this coming year - which will be a memorable one!
Aside from the move, I also hope to blog about things in the media that interest me, and my own feelings about what's going on around me. More about my particular interests, beliefs, and that sort of thing soon.
In the meantime, enjoy reading this - whoever might find this blog tucked away in my little corner of cyberspace - and enjoy the last few days of British summer!
Why start a blog now? Well, my husband and I are on the verge of making some pretty life changing decisions - and weighing up the pros and cons of leaving our life in London to try out living in rural shropshire - or even on a canal boat!
It's a big move for both of us! It means re-establishing my husband's puppet company in a new part of the UK - and leaving behind some good friends here in London.
We know it's time to go, though. London is a great city - but it's got its problems! It takes forever to get anywhere, it costs a fortune to live, and, as someone who has been the victim of crime 3 times in the past 4 years, it can be scary too!
So, I hope to use this blog to keep a record of this coming year - which will be a memorable one!
Aside from the move, I also hope to blog about things in the media that interest me, and my own feelings about what's going on around me. More about my particular interests, beliefs, and that sort of thing soon.
In the meantime, enjoy reading this - whoever might find this blog tucked away in my little corner of cyberspace - and enjoy the last few days of British summer!
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