This is part 2 of my short series about the costs of buying, owning and living on a narrowboat. In this video I discuss what it costs to buy a narrowboat, from cheap second-hand ones to expensive second-hand ones, to new builds, sailaways, share boats and even GRP cruisers!
*LINKS*
Narrowboat Zero Gravity: https://www.youtube.com/user/azathoth2000
Gongoozler TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsufOBDAWgNh9vAuNaSbOgA
Narrowboat Helen: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyRhdV8-I7i-f-yv8bKDDYg
NB Hobbit: http://www.twitter.com/NB_Hobbit
The Little Boat Company: http://www.thelittleboatco.com
Aintree Boats: http://www.aintreeboats.co.uk
Hello, I’m still catching up with older vlogs, and for this one I’d give a mention to Wilderness boats at the small and cheap end of the market, that while they are GRP they are styled with a much squarer build than the typical river-going small GRP cruiser and therefore have a surprising amount of room in them for their length. Also, being trailable you don’t need a permanent mooring but just somewhere to park them on the trailer. (But you do need a slipway to launch them and a chunky-enough vehicle to tow the trailer.)
A couple of friends of mine ran a Wilderness boat for many years and had loads of happy trips on it. They didn’t have room to park it at their 3-bed semi-detached but found a local farmer who rented out parking on a secluded farm.
You do not need to worry if your Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) is in a marina with only GRP boats when the waterwater freezes. We do not have that cold long winters that often, unless in the North and Scotland. Its when moored on the river/canal and steel craft break the ice on there travels and then ice gets pushed against GRP craft the damage is done. So best to keep a GRP in a marina on a canal and some rivers. The lower reaches of the Cam and much of the lower reaches of the Great Ouse has not frozen for many years.
Great stuff as always. It might be worth pointing out that you could be looking at more than a year’s waiting list with popular builders. I’m expecting to have a 40 ft Beetle built by Aintree Boats next year, but it’s been a long wait!
Crikey, I didn’t know the waiting list was that long. Will yours be the first 40 footer? They hadn’t built any of those when I last asked them.
I think it will be. Hopefully It will be ready for the summer. I’ll be mooring near Rugby so you can take a look.
I may not be near Rugby then!! But if I am, I’d love to see it. Cheers