The Narrowboat Guide

Buying a narrowboat is an exciting process. Even a cursory online search will turn up hundreds of boats at very agreeable prices. The temptation to rush out and buy one immediately is overwhelming, so congratulations for resisting the urge. The fact that you are reading this book means you realise that there is some important research to be done first. But for now, there is no harm in looking!

Purchasing a boat requires patience, diligence, determination and, sometimes, nerves of steel. It is surprising how much variation there is to be had in such a small space and the choices you make now are vitally important. There are so many factors to be considered and many decisions to be made. Let’s start at the very beginning.

The inherent traits of the inland waterways determine the types of boat that can navigate there. Narrow locks, low bridges and shallow channels dictate a very specific design and so only a few types of craft are commonly seen.

The canals were built for narrowboats and these are still the most common vessels you will see there. No wider than 6’ 10” (2m 8cm), narrowboats are iconic and unique. Given the very specific criteria of their design you could be forgiven for thinking that if you have seen one narrowboat you have seen them all and that any variation will be insignificant. However, there are some enormous differences to appreciate if you have a discerning eye and you will need to understand these before you make a purchase.

Narrowboats with a stern of this traditional design are modelled on the cargo carrying canal boats of old. The stern deck is just large enough for one person to stand to use the tiller, although there is usually just enough space for someone else to stand inside the cabin with the roof hatch pushed back. Trads are popular for a couple of reasons – firstly because the design and lines are reminiscent of the old style working boats, but also because there is more internal secure space.

Aaron and Reefer on board Nb Bachus II.

Lou and Aaron

Nb Bacchus II

BOAT: TRADITIONAL STYLE NARROWBOAT

LENGTH: 55FT

BUILT: 1988

‘We didn’t restrict our search strictly to trads, but it eventually became clear as we looked at more boats that trads have some distinct benefits as a live-aboard vessel. We store all kinds of bulky stuff in my engine room. In there you can find tool boxes, a vacuum cleaner, rock climbing gear and a sack of food for our dog – none of which we would like to leave out on a cruiser stern and we certainly don’t have space for them inside the main part of the boat.’

The cruiser stern was developed with the leisure boater in mind, and given that few of today’s boats can carry 20 tons of coal, it could be argued that these are the boats most suited to the modern canal system. With a large back deck there is enough space for several people to enjoy the boating experience together. The engine is usually situated below the back deck and so the bilges there are often subjected to rain-water ingress, but this is easily dealt with using a bilge pump. Liveaboard boaters might also rue the lost internal space on a cruiser stern, but this is by no means a hard and fast rule and many cruiser stern narrowboats are home to liveaboards.

Sam

Nb Knot HRD Work

‘My boat is primarily a floating office for me to work in away from the distractions of home, but it also doubles as a party boat. This is the main reason I made sure I bought a cruiser stern, as I knew there would be regular parties hosted there. We cruise up and down the section of the Bridgewater canal near where I am moored, stopping off at gastro-pubs along the way. A trad or semi-trad stern just would not have been suitable.’

External features to look for

Although most narrowboats might look the same to the untrained eye, there are some attractive design features to look out for. Buying a pretty boat might cost a little more so it is important to balance your design budget against your boating necessities and aspirations. As with all things, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; but these traits are commonly considered the work of a boat-building craftsman.

Traditional styling is very desirable.

Look for nicely sweeping cabin shapes.

Box square cabins are less desirable.

Semi-trads can be described as the best and the worst of both worlds. The semi-trad design has cabin side walls extending all the way back to the stern deck while leaving a section that is not covered by a roof panel. This serves to retain the appearance of a traditional stern, whilst having enough space for socialising, like a cruiser stern. On the downside, semi-trads lack the secure internal space of a trad and it is impractical for fellow boaters to be seated on the rear deck due to the false cabin walls that surround it. You’ll need to decide for yourself if a semi-trad is for you.

‘It seemed the sensible choice when we considered our circumstances. One of the main reasons was because we have a dog who comes boating with us, and we wanted a little protection around the back deck to keep her from falling in. A trad or cruiser stern would not provide this, so it had to be a semi-trad. There are other benefits for us too – there’s more space to socialise and having lockers either side of the deck gives your crew somewhere to sit and places to rest mugs of tea and plates of sandwiches. Keeping mooring pins and mallets here is very convenient too, instead of having them on the roof or leaving them on the floor to trip over. Little things like that are surprisingly nice benefits after having had a cruiser stern boat before this one.’

Wide-beam boats utilise much of the same styling, features and fittings as a narrowboat, but as the name implies, these boats have much more space aboard. Wide beams are very much like floating apartments and wide-beam owners need to make fewer compromises given that they have so much room to play with. Wide beams will often feature baths, widescreen TVs and large self-contained rooms, much to the distaste of purist canal enthusiasts. Despite the purists’ protestations these boats are becoming increasingly common as boating becomes ever more popular with the general public and particularly those who wish to live aboard.

If you aspire to own a pretty boat with both looks and sophistication, you might consider a Dutch barge. Originally imported from Holland as ex-cargo boats or fishing trawlers, many are now renovated for leisure or live-aboard use. These vessels are undeniably pleasing to the eye and even the newer reproduction boats follow a pattern that is largely agreeable. Older original boats with a good fit out will cost you as much as a new build replica and almost always more than a wide beam of comparative age and condition, but for some boaters, it just has to be a barge.

Another narrowboat design that you will sometimes see is a tug deck. These long fore decks are considered by many as a very attractive feature, despite the space having few practical uses.

Dutch barge.

Brett and Jane are two new liveaboarders who, after much research, decided that only a Dutch barge would do. ‘From the very beginning I knew I needed more space than was available on a narrowboat,’ said Jane. ‘Brett would probably have been fine, but lack of space was always going to be a deal breaker for me. ‘We looked at the prices of Dutch barges and wide beams and initially that swayed us towards the latter. In the early days we just didn’t appreciate the style differences, looking only at the interior areas. However, once we’d been on a few wide beams we began to be more discerning, going back to look again at a Dutch barge we had seen in the very early days of our research. Although it wasn’t quite as wide as our wish list asked for, we eventually decided that the small compromise there would give us a great boat. Now, we don’t even miss the extra two feet that we’d hoped to have.

‘In addition to the extra space, there are plenty of other things that we love about this boat. The wheelhouse is such a bonus, acting like a conservatory; somewhere to stash wellies, raincoats and coal sacks. The back cabin is a lovely space that is remote to the rest of the living area on the boat and it is a nice hidey-hole. We use it as a workshop and guest room. Add to that the beautiful lines of the hull and the fabulous wooden fit out inside and I’m glad we went for a barge.’

Narrowboats, wide beams and Dutch barges make up the great proportion of steel boats you will see on the inland waterways, but other vessels are certainly available and suitable. Plastic and fibreglass cruisers are a common sight and these come in an array of shapes and sizes. For some reason there is very little crossover between the steel and plastic boating camps. Narrowboaters often teasingly refer to plastic cruisers as ‘Tupperware’ and, in response, narrowboats are mocked as ‘sewer pipes’.

You will occasionally see small sail boats, strange looking lifeboats and incongruous fishing vessels, but these are all very few and far between on the canal system. Along with these there is an ever-shrinking contingent of heritage vessels that were usually cargo carrying boats in their heyday. Few of these boats (such as Leeds and Liverpool short boats) ever reach the market, but they are a very tempting proposition if they have been cared for properly. Keep an open mind, but be sure that you know what you want to do with your boat before you decide to go for a more unusual vessel.

Maximum sizes

The limitations for inland waterways boats are based on a bridge and a lock on the Kennet and Avon canal. The lock will only take boats that are no more than 70ft long by 12ft and 6in wide, although this can be 13ft wide at a push. The bridge has a width of 12’ 6” and an air draft of 7’ 6”. There is also the underwater draft to consider; if the boat is inland only then this will be restricted to around 28–30in to avoid scraping the canal bed. The maximum boat size that allows full access to the entire waterways network is a 57-foot narrowboat with a typical 6’ 10” beam. Wide beams are limited by narrow locks that are found in various parts of the network. If you are considering a wide-beamed vessel of any type it is important to remember that your cruising range will be limited by its girth. Be sure to check the beam restrictions in your chosen mooring and cruising locations.

Small boats can be fun.

Most of the boats you will find on the canals and rivers system are made from steel. A well-maintained narrowboat will last for decades so long as repairs and maintenance are addressed. You will often see the thickness of steel listed on boat advertisements and brochures as a three-figure ratio with the most common being 10:6:4. These figures tell us the thickness of the steel in different parts of the boat. Here, the bottom plate of the hull is made from steel that is 10mm thick, the hull sides 6mm thick and the cabin 4mm, although many boat builders will use 5mm steel on the cabin sides to avoid the integral frame showing through the external paintwork. Historic boats and some boats by builders at the cheaper end of the market may be made of thinner steel, but that’s not to say they should be written off. These boats will still be sturdy enough but they may degrade to the point of requiring repair somewhat sooner.

The quality of steel used to construct modern boats is a frequent topic of conversation since the demise of the British steel industry. Many consider new, imported steel to be inferior but this is not the experience of those who regularly work on boats. ‘Steel quality varies widely and the age of it has no relevance,’ says Adam Holgate, boat hood fitter at Canvas Man in Yorkshire. ‘I work on hundreds of boats each year and drill thousands of holes in boats and you’ll find ball bearings and other scrap bits in the steel of boats from all ages. Other boats are built from high quality materials. It all depends on the specific quality of the steel that the builder decided to use.’

Ian Hillsdon from Lambon Boat Builders explains more. ‘Occasionally we do get customers who specifically insist that we must use British steel, believing this to be superior. However, that’s not true, and insisting on British steel can pose a problem. Most UK steel suppliers import coils from abroad because the British supply chain is difficult to follow. Buying direct from Corus is not an easy option either because we are such a small customer, compared with others that they supply. The quality of steel is not something that should be judged on the country of origin and it is easy to check that your builder is using good quality materials. There are many grades of steel but the standard that most inland boat builders work to is called S275JR, and this will be of uniform quality whether sourced from the UK or abroad.’

You’ll also find boats that use wood, glass reinforced plastic (GRP) and even concrete somewhere in their construction. Using these materials can be cheaper than using steel, but many boaters consider them to be either problematic or inferior too. Relatively few boatyards are equipped to cater and care for boats that are not made from steel and it is no coincidence that many boats using these other materials are in poor repair. This is likely because the original owner bought the boat cheaply and sold it on as a bargain when it fell into disrepair. The bargain buyer, being very cash conscious, might not invest in repairs either and so the boats continue to fall into disrepair and depreciate. There are exceptions to this broad brushstroke rule and there are some very nicely maintained non-steel craft, but narrowboats were always meant to be made from steel and any deviation from this is likely to create headaches at some point.

Ian Hillsdon

OWNER OF LAMBON BOATS

DROITWICH SPA, WORCESTERSHIRE

‘One of the most important considerations when choosing a boat builder is that you get along. From design to completion, boats are built over a long period of time that can sometimes run well beyond twelve months. Having a good relationship will speed and assist the process enormously. It is a good idea to visit plenty of boatyards and gauge the reception you get when calling cold. Don’t be put off by the workshop; boat building is a dirty game and many builders won’t have a spotlessly clean office. If you are welcomed and treated congenially then that is a very good sign. Once you have a short list of potential builders you should call again unannounced, or make appointments if you need extra time.

‘You don’t necessarily need to know the exact type of boat you want, but do make sure that you have a good idea of how you are going to use the boat. The builder will have enough experience to deduce your needs from this description of use and recommend the style and features. To really understand your needs you will need plenty of boating experience. Be sure to at least go on a boating holiday or ten and, if possible, go boating with boat-owner friends. It’s no good just sitting on the riverbank and watching the boats go by. It is difficult to design and build a boat for people who are not boaters! Above all, don’t be blinkered. Be open to ideas. We’ve spent years building boats for a living and we can offer a wealth of advice for free, so you’d be daft not to make the most of us.

‘We often get weird and wonderful requests and we like to accommodate where these are sensible, but we always advise against commissioning a boat that is too radical. One day you may need to sell the boat and your unusual design preferences won’t necessarily suit someone else.

‘The most common problem that builders and customers will experience is, predictably, a financial one. Setting a budget is obviously important but you must also allow for extras and the unforeseen. Boat builders are in business and as much as they appreciate your custom they can only build the boat that was quoted for. Additional items outside the agreement, such as delivery, craning, diesel or sign writing must be paid for by the customer, not the builder.

‘Sticking to your plan is vitally important too, if you want to stay within your budget. Adding to the specification and redesigning the build once it is underway can be enormously expensive in both labour and materials. Adaptations will always be necessary as even the best made plans and drawings cannot predict the way the build will run in real life. Often the builder will confirm a solution with the customer as these issues arise and often they will absorb the extra cost. After all, they want you to be happy with the boat. However, in certain circumstances these costs may need to be funded by the customer.

‘Be sure to nail down every detail of the build and do not be afraid to ask or make checks. Sometimes builders will fail to make things crystal clear because they do this every day. Often the customer’s expectations will exceed that which is recognised as an unspoken standard practice. You shouldn’t be worried about asking questions or checking details. In fact, we strongly recommend that you do so.’

Buying a brand new boat means you can order the exact specification and layout you require. This means you don’t have to make any compromises at all and, if you plan and manage the build well, you can end up with the boat of your dreams. Unlike a second-hand vessel, a new boat will come installed with the most up to date technologies and the exterior paint job of your choice. Of course, this all comes at a price, but for those who have enough time and money, the dream is often too desirable to resist.

Depreciation is the biggest downside for new boat purchasers as the value of the boat will drop steeply in the first few years. With each piece of new kit and equipment the final price will rise and so the build will always be a balance between the cost of the features you install and the value they bring.

The first step in buying a new boat is always to decide exactly what you are looking for. This will always mean looking at a large array of boats to determine the features and fittings you need, including not only the equipment and fittings but also the layout and hull shape too. You will be surprised at the amount of variation you can get in such a small space and there are so many configurations to be had. You will need to be exactly sure of what you want before you start to commission the build. Changing your mind will usually be expensive and will always extend the build time; and some changes will not be viable after some stages of the work are completed.

Finding a boat builder is a big job in itself. Once you have an idea of the type of shell you want you will need to find the right builder to make it for you. Not all boat builders build the boat from scratch. Some use shells that are made elsewhere and just fit out the interior. Likewise, other companies just do the steelwork. Others do the whole job from start to finish, reducing the potential for problems and incompatibility.

Proximity is also a big consideration as it is wise to choose a boat builder based somewhere local enough for you to visit the project regularly. Consider too that most boat builders have a backlog of work and so your build slot could be a considerable way into the future.

Once you have chosen a builder and agreed a specification, a small deposit will secure a build slot. From there the payments are sensibly staggered to correspond with specific stages in the build, starting with a relatively large payment for the steel and commencement of the major construction work. The final payment will be made when the boat is completed, signed off and handed over. All new boats will come with a warranty that can be relied upon for repairs and snagging issues in the first few years of ownership. This warranty brings peace of mind to new owners as repair costs are largely negated in these early years of ownership, whereas the new owners of secondhand boats will invariably inherit repairs and maintenance costs which can be significant.

Crazy boat ideas

_‘We were recently asked to build a pontoon for a floating Indian restaurant. The customer wanted the boat to be three storeys high but with a very limited beam. We advised that the boat would be unstable and would likely capsize should too many passengers move to one side. His response was that we should not worry about this as he would manage and restrict the movement of the people on board! We imagined spotters in military uniforms telling people to stand still and organising synchronised toilet visits! We did eventually build the boat but convinced the owner that it should not be three stories high._’

LAMBON BOAT BUILDERS

The British Marine Foundation has a useful standard template contract that most builders and clients will be happy to use. The contract is geared towards the customer (and so it should be) but it also covers the builder too. This contract will include a specification, a drawing of some sort and an agreed payment plan that has been discussed and agreed by both parties. The only risky payment in this contract is the very first payment which is for the steel purchase. After that point, everything produced is the property of the customer.

It is important to be aware that boat builders go bust with surprising regularity and even the large established companies are not immune from the curse of bankruptcy. On the other hand, you should not consider smaller companies to be any more vulnerable as there are many small builders that tick along just fine for many decades with no problem at all. Finding a financially stable boat builder is a difficult challenge and can be something of a lottery. The best advice is to check up on your builder and their history as much as possible and make your choices from there.

Top tips for new boat builds

1.Conduct plenty of research to determine the exact specification of the boat you want.

2.Find a builder that specialises in the type of boat you aspire to.

3.Check out your builder thoroughly. Look for one with consistent build quality and good financial credentials.

4.Be sure to use a staged payment structure to pay for your boat.

5.Consider using the standard contract from the British Marine Foundation.

6.Stay in touch with your builder and ask about problems regularly. There will always be issues during any build, but don’t let them gather dust – deal with them immediately.

7.Try not to change your mind about any specifications during the build as these will be expensive, time-consuming and occasionally impossible to implement.

8.Be very specific in every communication with your builder. Ambiguity is the source of the vast majority of boat build problems. Make sure the builder understands your instructions – and if you don’t understand anything, ask and ask again until you do.

A sailaway is a boat that is built from new but purchased at a stage of pre-completion. You can buy a sailaway at any one of several different stages and you can normally dictate the stage of completion you would like. For example, you can buy a steel shell that can come with (or without) insulation, running gear, interior fit out, plumbing, electrics, paint job and any other features you care to mention. For those with enough time, skill, money and patience, a self fit out can be a very economical and rewarding way to get a new boat to your exacting standards. Be aware that fitting out a sailaway to a good standard requires more than a basic competency in DIY as many of the skills you might use in a house will be insufficient when fitting out a boat. Your work will also be subjected to boating specific safety and legal checks, so you should be thoroughly familiar with these and their management before considering a sailaway build. However, sailaway self-builders are amongst the most satisfied of all boat owners as the work requires that you invest a little bit of your soul. You will know your boat inside out and there will be few compromises or surprises – it will be entirely your creation.

Buying a second-hand boat is much like buying a second-hand car. Used boats are cheaper to but you will likely be buying some imperfections and headaches too, some of which might not be noticed until after the sale is completed. This route into boat ownership will invariably require a degree of compromise as you are unlikely to find exactly the boat you are looking for, be it issues with the layout, paint job or specifications. With that said, a little bit of compromise can often buy you a lot of boat that is very close to the one on your wish list at a much lower price.

If you are buying a second-hand boat you will need to do plenty of research to ensure you end up with one that is suitable. Read all you can, but there is no substitute for stepping aboard as many boats as possible to compare every feature until you are satisfied that you know what you are looking for. Don’t be suckered into buying a ‘bargain’ until you are quite sure you know what you are taking on and what it will cost to renovate and run. ‘Bargain’ boats are surprisingly common, so don’t be in any rush or worry that you’ll miss the deal of the century. There’ll be another bargain soon enough.

Those new to boating will need to learn a lot before they are knowledgeable enough to make a good choice. It is frighteningly easy to spend too much money on an unsuitable boat that ends up being an expensive headache. The importance of conducting thorough research cannot be over-emphasised. Hasty decisions are rarely conducive to happy boating. Find out exactly what you are looking for and speak to as many boat owners as you can before deciding on the type of boat you think you want. Once you’ve compiled a list of features and specifications the search really begins, but be aware that you will invariably need to compromise at some point.

Buying a second-hand boat is not a scientific process though. Just ask those who have been through it and most will tell you that they bought their boat because they fell in love with it, despite the compromises from their list of ideal specifications. Older boats, like older houses, will always display a degree of character that is inherent with their age and experiences. You’ll find that almost every boat you look at will have a feature or character trait that you will not have seen before, some of which will add to the allure of that particular vessel. This is one of the great joys of buying a used boat. Engaging your heart in your purchase process is unavoidable and often commendable, but it is unwise to let your heart rule your head lest you find that the boat you have fallen in love with turns out to be a disaster.

It is usually wise to pay for a survey to establish that the boat has no hidden major flaws. For boats over a few years of age a full, out of water survey is advisable, as this will enable the engineer to test the thickness of the hull to determine any corrosion. A full survey will look at the efficacy of the running gear, plumbing, electrics and heating systems as well as giving advice about any other noticeable flaws that can be found. A survey will invariably find things wrong with any boat so you should take independent advice about the severity of the findings and the cost of making right the issues. This can often mean that there is some room for negotiation with the owner, regarding the sale price, if the issues have not been highlighted to you before the survey is conducted.

Be prepared to walk away or to shoulder the costs of any problems the survey finds. Be prepared that some issues might be deal breakers. Be prepared to keep looking. There are plenty of boats out there and yours is amongst them, somewhere. But above all, be prepared to compromise and be realistic and sensible about the boat you are considering, despite what your heart says.

Once you have found the boat of your dreams you’ll need to go through the formalities. Your used boat might come with a limited warranty if you buy it from a brokerage, but private transactions will usually be sold as seen. Brokerages will also ensure that the legalities of ownership transfer are taken care of too. If you buy privately be sure to get enough documentation and legal reassurance as this is entirely your own responsibility in this circumstance.

Top tips for buying a pre-loved boat

•Compare lots of boats before compiling a wish list of features and specifications.

•Make sure your finance is in place before negotiating a purchase.

•Brokerage fees are usually paid by the seller so confirm this before you shake hands on the deal.

•Your new boat is unlikely to be in A1 condition and is unlikely to feature the latest technology and kit. Be ready to spend money on repairs and upgrading old equipment once the boat is yours. A list of approximate prices for the most common work can be found in Chapter 8.

•Remember that most novice fit outs and paint jobs will be of poorer quality than those done by professionals.

•Make sure you know what is included in the price and what will be removed from the boat post sale.

•The listed price is very rarely the final purchase price. Haggling is usually to be expected, but be sure to haggle sensibly. The best deals are always the ones where both parties are satisfied by the negotiations.

•Maintaining a good relationship with the previous owner is a good idea as they can be very helpful during the first few months of ownership.

Before you jump in the car and head for the nearest canal it is worth swotting up a little. The quickest and easiest way to do this is on the Internet where there are thousands of boats for sale. Online brokers and boat sales sites feature countless boats for you to compare in all configurations of shape and size and fit out. The sheer number of boats for sale online means that you’ll probably find the boat you eventually buy on the Internet.

By browsing boats online you can familiarise yourself with the options available and the terminology inherent in the process. Some sites even feature an information service to help you to decide what suits you best and there is plenty of information in the next part of this book to guide you in these important decisions. For now your aim should be to look at as many different boats as possible so that you get a real understanding of the options that are available.

You can also find narrowboats for sale on auction websites such as eBay where, as with all auctions, you can sometimes land on a bargain. A level of caution is recommended if you’re looking at buying a boat by this method however. The competitive nature of auction bidding, coupled with the pressure of bidding against the clock, can cause some buyers to rush in and bid too much. Speed and narrowboats are rarely good bedfellows and the art of purchasing is not usually best rushed. Never buy a boat that you have not inspected in person.

More conventional purchasing methods may be better suited to those new to the world of boating as there is much to consider and negotiate before any money changes hands. It is usually better to leave the high-pressure auction purchases to those with the experience to make quick and accurate buying decisions.

Pros and cons of buying online

Pros

•Plenty of boats to peruse

•You can become familiar with boating features and terminology

•Economic use of search time and money

Cons

•Pictures are not as useful as stepping aboard

•Ads may be out of date or expired

•You may find your ideal boat is many miles away

Looking at pictures of boats online is all well and good, but eventually you will need a close look at the real thing. Arranging to view a selection of boats individually will usually incur a serious amount of travel, and so a more efficient way is to visit one of the large boat brokerage companies. With several large brokers located around the country, a visit to one of these enables you to board and inspect several boats at the same time in the same place.

The benefits of stepping aboard to view a boat cannot be over emphasised. You will find that there is a vast amount of variance in the type and quality of boats available within your budget and only viewing them in person will enable you to discern their suitability and value.

Pros and cons of using a brokerage

Pros

•Many boats are available to view in one location

•Opportunity to step aboard and investigate first hand

•All features and facilities will be comprehensively listed by the agent

•Broker ensures smooth sale transition and legality of the transaction

•Finance provision or recommendations available through the broker

Cons

•Fewer boats to view than are available online

•Brokerage has a vested interest in the sale

•Brokerages charge a commission from the seller and so this can increase the asking price

Visit your local mooring spot or large marina and speak to the boaters there. They’ll often have the most up to date information about the boats that are available locally and they are usually a good source of boating knowledge and experience. Many marinas also have an on-site brokerage facility and you can often find boats for sale there too. Be sure to visit the local marina where you would ideally like to moor your boat. It is possible to kill two birds with one stone by buying a boat from there with the option to take over the mooring too.

Despite the growing popularity of the Internet, many narrowboaters still prefer old school media methods for buying and selling boats. All of the glossy boating mags feature classifieds where you will find a fair collection of boats for sale, as does the popular canal newspaper Towpath Talk. Besides, as someone with an interest in boats, you’ll likely be buying these magazines anyway. Boat clubs and societies that publish journals and newsletters are another source for boating small ads. These are certainly worth a look if you are in the market as there might just be a bargain on your doorstep.

If you’re serious about buying a boat then it makes lots of sense to find a trusted mentor with plenty of experience to guide and advise you through the process, and it would be very sensible to consider their recommendations thoroughly. They’ll likely know of a handful of boats for sale in their local area and will probably have plenty of information that can help you to discern their suitability and negotiate a fair price. Recommendations from within your expert’s network will be similarly useful, and many boaters have a decent-sized boating network to tap into. The waterways community have highly efficient methods of communication and it is very possible that you’ll get to hear about boats that are about to go on the market before they are advertised.

In addition to the first degree recommendations you can also ask boaters and boating business owners that you meet on your travels. Again, they’ll be aware of local boats for sale and will probably offer information about the boats’ heritage and history. Be mindful of any recommenders that have a vested interest in the sale of the boat, but general boat buying caution and thorough research will guard you against most unpleasant surprises.

Sam: Nb Knot Hrd Work

‘I bought an ex-hire fleet boat that I found online. I liked the idea of getting an ex-hire boat as they are invariably well maintained; for example, I know the hull on my boat was blacked (with a protective coating) every year without fail – unlike most boats. Buying the boat was very exciting, but if I had to do it again I would do a few things differently. The first headache I encountered was when the collection date for my boat was postponed. I’d arranged for the boat to be repainted before I took it away and delays at the boatyard delayed my pick-up date by some weeks.

‘This had a knock-on effect that I had not thought of at the time, but would be sure to check now. The delay in picking the boat up meant that the waterways’ winter maintenance schedule for locks and bridges had begun. I found that I was now stuck on the wrong side of a bridge repair, meaning another delay lasting several weeks.

‘Once those issues were sorted it was relatively plain sailing, barring a few lessons on a very steep learning curve. If I were to offer advice to new buyers I would recommend agreeing not only a price, but a delivery date when negotiating a boat sale. I’d strongly recommend finding out how much fuel, water and gas is aboard and how long it has been there. I’d also recommend finding out if your boat is flat bottomed or keeled, particularly if you are moving the boat by road as we were. The transport company will need to bring the right type of stabilising blocks for a keeled hull and won’t be best pleased if you previously told them it was flat.’

Phil and Nina: Short boat Wharfe

‘We liked the idea of having extra space, but we didn’t want to buy a wide-beamed narrowboat. Wide-beam narrowboat is something of a contradiction in terms and seemed to spoil the iconic design style that is a narrowboat – a bit like making an E-Type Jaguar estate car.

‘In the end we bought a Leeds Liverpool Short Boat as these had the wider beam and interior space we were looking for, but have a specific design and style that makes them perfect for the waterways they were used on. Our mooring is on the Leeds Liverpool Canal so it all seems to have worked out well.’

Steve and Eileen: Nb Sophie

‘It is often said that your ideal boat will be the second one that you buy, having learned a lot from owning your first boat,’ says Eileen. ‘This was certainly true for us and so we had a very good idea of exactly what we were looking for when viewing boats online. Having looked at hundreds of potential boats we finally chose six that we wanted to view in person and they were located all over the country.

‘We planned a road trip to go see them all and we were really surprised at how different some of them were to what we had expected. It’s amazing what you can’t tell from a photograph, and remember, we had been very fussy when we had been making our selection. One boat in particular was truly awful. It was dirty, smelly and much shabbier looking than it had appeared in the photographs. The paint job was old and was very poorly done. It was also full of dead flies. This would all have been forgivable and easily remedied, but the asking price was way above what we thought the boat was actually worth.

‘Another required a proper look around before we could appreciate how unsuitable it was. There was a white carpet installed, which to us seemed a ridiculous choice for a boat. Sure, we could have replaced it, but there were other issues too, such as a bathroom that was dominated by a full-size bath and having nothing else in the room besides it. The layout was clunky and impractical too. While it ticked all of our boxes from what we could tell from the photos, a quick tour showed that it was nowhere near the boat we wanted.’

Brett and Jane: Dutch barge Boadicea

Brett and Jane originally intended to buy a sailaway or a second-hand boat in need of renovation, but after doing some research they scrapped the idea.

‘After looking at a good selection of boats we began to think that a sailaway or renovation was the only way to get the boat that we really wanted,’ said Brett. ‘I’m pretty handy with a tool kit and so the idea of saving some money and getting a boat we could change to suit our own specifications seemed like a good idea at the time.

‘We looked at lots of boats to check if our budget would stretch to the purchase price and the cost of renovation, and very few would be viable purchases. Given that we intended to live aboard we also had to consider the costs of accommodation while the boat was uninhabitable. These proved to be significant.

‘However, the real clincher was the amount of stress that would be involved in running a home and fitting out a boat. The amount of work involved would have eaten all of our free time and more. Plus it would delay the ribbon-cutting moment when we could step aboard the boat for good. We decided that one of the main reasons we were buying a boat was for the serenity and slow-paced lifestyle, and doing up a boat had great potential to spoil that notion before we had even begun.’

Once you have found the boat of your dreams it is time to get serious. There are plenty of hazards along the way between here and the beginning of your life as blissful boat owners and it is important that you get things right.

It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes boats are sold fraudulently by people who don’t actually own them. Unlike with a car, there is no official ownership document and so it is up to the buyer to reassure themselves that the seller is legitimate. A Bill of Sale is the first place to start. It would be foolish to dispose of such a receipt and so you should be extremely sceptical of any boat and ‘owner’ that cannot produce one. In addition you should ask to see some paperwork history – old licence invoices, mooring agreements, insurance documents, and invoices for work that has been done. Not only will this convince you of legitimate ownership but it will also give you an indication of the condition of the boat and the level of care the owner has invested in it.

Since June 1998, all new boats require a Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) Declaration of Conformity when new. This declaration confirms that it has been built to the directive and should list the standards used in the build process. If you have fitted out a new shell yourself the shell requires a declaration when sold to you, but if you use the boat yourself it does not need to comply with the Directive. However, if you sell the boat before five years of it first floating then you will need to issue an RCD Declaration of Conformity before you can sell it. A Declaration of Conformity may be used to licence the boat with the Navigation Authority instead of a BSS Certificate in some circumstances, but if you are fitting the boat out yourself you may need a BSS Certificate (in the absence of a Declaration of Conformity) to licence the boat.

When a boat is four years old it will require a BSS Certificate to show that it complies with all of the safety requirements of the scheme. A Certificate lasts for four years and a boat cannot be licenced without a current BSS Certificate (or Declaration of Conformity – see above).

Once you have satisfied yourself that the boat and owner are bona-fide then the buying process can start. Predictably, this stage is also fraught with potential pitfalls and it is not simply a case of handing over your cash and floating off into the sunset. There is plenty of potential for disappointment and regret, but thankfully both you and the seller can be protected to a great degree and following a tried and tested vending process.

If you are buying from a brokerage, the broker will have pre-written templates and selling agreements to ensure the process goes smoothly and you would be strongly advised to follow their guidance. When buying through a brokerage you might not be able to speak directly to the boat owner so as to protect the interests of everyone involved in the process. A good broker will have the experience and expertise to ensure the transaction flows smoothly and they certainly earn their commission.

Sheila Smith, ABNB BOAT BROKERAGE

‘A majority of people who buy a boat will get a survey done before buying. In these circumstances the boat will be withdrawn from sale “subject to survey” allowing you some time to be reassured by the results once the survey is completed. Sometimes the survey will highlight issues that were not apparent when the boat was advertised and this may result in some price negotiation. This can be frustrating for everyone concerned so we always encourage those selling boats to be completely honest about its condition.

‘It is the responsibility of the buyer to arrange and pay for a survey. It is not appropriate for a broker to recommend a surveyor, although we can provide you with a list of local surveyors. Some sellers will have a recent survey and they may allow you to look at this instead of paying for a new one. This is a matter of trust between you and the seller, and you should be able to contact the surveyor for reassurance and the possibility of having the survey transferred to you. If a recent survey report isn’t available, for the sake of a few hundred pounds you may consider commissioning your own survey for complete reassurance. After all, it could save you many thousands of pounds, so a few hundred is a small price to pay.

‘The surveyor will usually need to liaise with the boat owner or the brokerage to gain access. Brokers and local surveyors are usually well acquainted and so communication between these parties is usually slick and efficient. If the boat requires dry dock or crane-lift for an out of water survey, this will need to be timetabled and arrangements made, but again, a good brokerage will be well used to making these arrangements and most of the larger outfits have such facilities on site or nearby.

‘From the buyer’s perspective, make sure you know how much it is going to cost to complete any repairs, including those that are highlighted in the survey. Balance these against the boat’s price tag and be pragmatic. Don’t forget that the broker will have priced the boat according to condition and so consideration will already have been made for some obvious defects, such as ageing paintwork and therefore this would not be a reasonable justification for a price reduction. It is easy to fall in love with a boat, and this is something that we encourage because boat buying is such an emotional and joyful experience. There’s no need to be hard-nosed. However, make sure that your heart isn’t ruling your head and destroying your wallet.’

Survey prices depend largely on the size of the boat and the type of survey. The choices are: Full Survey, Hull Survey or In-water/Interior Survey. The cost is likely to be between £300 and £600, depending on boat, location and surveyor.

You can find a surveyor online, in the waterways press or by speaking to local boaters. The Towpath Telegraph is often a good source of information and advice.

For a minimal fee, surveyors will often be able to transfer ownership of a recent survey to your name when you have purchased a boat.

Apart from those with a bank balance healthy enough to pay cash, most boat buyers will need to raise the funds to purchase their new boat. Prospective liveaboard owners will sometimes fund their purchase using the equity they pocket when they sell their land-based house. This was a good option to consider when property prices were appreciating sharply, such as in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, as house prices began to stagnate and fall, many homeowners realised that they had no equity in their home and so this line of finance was severed.

Others fund their purchase by selling assets such as cars or investment shares, but for many people it is necessary to find a source of finance. Some boat brokerages are also licenced credit brokers, providing finance options from a selection of specialist marine finance companies. Be aware that these finance agreements (or ‘marine mortgages’ as they are often called) are secured against the purchased asset and you could lose your boat if you default. Some are secured against other assets such as your home, so beware and check the small print before you sign. Another option is an unsecured loan from a bank or other financier. These will rarely be secured against your boat and can often have a comparable interest rate.

Other than these commonly executed methods you will need to get creative. Second jobs, the bank of mum and dad and extreme frugality are options you might wish to consider. Paying in instalments through a private agreement is not unknown, but fraught with risk for both buyer and seller, so be sure to do your homework and be supremely confident if you are to take a more unconventional route to purchase.

Once you have seen a survey there may be some negotiation to be done regarding the final price. As with cars and houses, the list price is rarely the final figure. If the owner has fully disclosed the repairs and outstanding work that needs to be done then negotiation will be purely a case of haggling. While there is no typical or standard amount to discount, there are several points that will influence your offer, such as your own financial position, the eagerness of the owner to sell and comparisons with similar boats that you are considering. Factor in the cost and inconvenience of any work to be done and you should be able to come to a mutually agreeable price. Remember that there are plenty of benefits to be had by keeping the previous owner on speed dial as there is always some reason to call them once the boat is yours. A good sales process leaves everybody satisfied with the outcome.

Every boat has its idiosyncrasies, so some brokerages arrange a handover with the old owner which can be very useful.

If you are buying the boat from a brokerage you will be asked to sign an ‘Agreement to Purchase’ and will usually have to pay a percentage (around 5–10 per cent) of the purchase price. The agreement outlines the time scales for the sale and any fine details that are relevant. If there is work to be carried out prior to sale it is wise to ensure that these are included in the agreement and provision is made in case the work overruns.

From there it is simply a case of transferring the remaining amount into the seller’s account. Sometimes this is done via the broker in order for them to extract their fee, but ownership is never transferred to the buyer until all of the funds have cleared in the seller’s account or the broker’s client account. Once funds have cleared the seller will complete a Bill of Sale (which you should be sure to keep) and the boat is yours. Only at this point does the boat become your property and you are free to move it, alter it or paint it bright pink, should you so wish.

Congratulations. You are now the owner of a shiny (or not so shiny) new boat. From now on it is your responsibility and you are liable for all of the associated costs. You need to ensure that it is licensed, insured and has a BSS Certificate or RCD Declaration of Conformity. You need to ensure that you are listed as the registered owner with the Canal and River Trust. (This is easily done online.) You’ll also need to pay for a mooring and you should consider breakdown coverage if you don’t have the requisite engineer skills. Now the fun really starts!

If owning a boat that you will only use occasionally seems like a waste of money then shared ownership could be the answer. Many companies now run shared ownership schemes enabling you to spread the cost of boat ownership. Maintenance expenditure, administration costs and other expenses are divided amongst the syndicate, an arrangement that suits those who wish to minimise the hassle and expense of boating.

There are other benefits too. By purchasing only a part share of a boat, rather than the whole, it’s likely you’ll be able to afford a better quality boat than you would if you purchased one outright on your own. Also, by spreading the cost of ownership over a long period, your usage costs are considerably less than if you had hired for the same time slots. Of course, this is only true if you keep your share for the long term, but most schemes also allow you to sell your share in the boat to someone else, should you wish to do so.

On the downside, some might feel that the freedom and joy of boat ownership is somewhat diminished if your usage is limited because someone else is using the boat when you want it. Your usage needs to be booked in advance, much as you would for a holiday boat hire. However, if you’re the type who likes to pack a case and get boating on a whim, then perhaps shared ownership isn’t for you.

Carefree Cruising is a boat share company that has been established since 2002. Owned by boating enthusiasts with many years of experience, the company has 15 different boat syndicates based at Elton Moss Wharf in Cheshire, Welton Haven Marina in Northants and Aston Marina in Staffordshire. Christina Farrall explains the ins and outs of shared ownership.

_‘Our shared ownership scheme is exactly that – you own a share of an actual boat rather than just the entitlement to use it for a period of time as you might find with other ‘timeshare’ like schemes. You can own your share for as long as you like and sell your share whenever you want to, after your first year. We offer a comprehensive management service that means that you can enjoy your boat without the stress of being involved in the boat’s administration.

‘Our usage calendar enables flexible cruising. You decide what time of year you wish to use the boat and for how long and we will help you find a share that suits you. Each syndicate rotates the picking order annually, which means that you’re not restricted to the same time slot every year. Co-owners are also encouraged to keep in touch with each other and adjust the calendar to swap usage slots if they would like to.

‘Each syndicate has its own dedicated bank account and the size of the expenditure budget is decided at the syndicate AGM. Each part owner pays only their relative proportion of the narrowboat’s annual running costs. This would typically reduce the running cost per week’s ownership to around £375, making it cheaper than narrowboat hire. This covers all aspects of the boat’s running costs including winter maintenance and our management fee, you just have to pay for the pump-out and diesel at the end of your trip._’

CHRISTINA FARRALL, CAREFREE CRUISING

Typically there will be 12 to 14 syndicate members. This will vary slightly depending on the number of weeks individuals hold. The syndicate is limited to a maximum of 16 owners.

Prices start from as little as £1000 per share. This buys a two-week share in the off-peak season that is being sold by an existing syndicate. For a two-week share in a brand new boat you’ll pay around £4000. That’s just a small selection of the options we offer and it is a good idea to speak to us directly so that we can find the best option for your individual circumstance.

The best way to avoid disappointment is to buy the right type of share in the first place. Boating is addictive and it is easy to covet more time and better slots than you have originally purchased. We have different types of share depending if you want high season, off season or school holidays.

Once you’re part of a syndicate the picking order is rotated each year, maximising the availability of the exact dates you want. We’ve found this to be the fairest and most efficient way to ensure everyone gets the boating experience they want. (Believe it or not, some companies even allocate usage by picking dates out of a hat!) You even have the chance to swap and change your allocation. Co-owners are regularly in touch with others in the syndicate and there is generally some give and take in the calendar.

Repairs and maintenance are paid for from a maintenance fund, into which all syndicate members contribute depending on their share size. Accidental damage is paid by the responsible party and the boat is fully insured.

Each user must make sure the boat is ready for the next by cleaning the boat, refuelling, pumping out the toilet and refilling the water tanks. Gas bottles are changed when they are empty and paid for from the syndicate fund.

Some shared ownership companies do this, but we do not. The boats are named and painted to the specifications of the co-owners in the syndicate. They look like any other privately owned boat on the waterways system. Our boats are also a much higher specification than any hire boat. Hire boats need to withstand quite rough usage by novices who do not have vested interest in looking after the vessel, so hire companies are understandably mindful of this when fitting out their boats. Our boats are cared for by the people who own them and so they are fitted out and maintained to a much higher spec with washer driers, dishwashers, solid oak floors and granite worktops being standard features on all of our new boats.