Fancy the barge life? Don't go off the deep end - The Observer property section
Interesting article in the Observer today by Huma Qureshi that's essential reading for those people who think that living afloat is simply a cheap option for people who can't afford a proper house.
It properly stresses what I've long been saying (to an audience a thousand times smaller than the Observer's):
Property prices may well be falling, but that hasn't stopped several throwaway suggestions that living on a barge may be cheaper than paying city rents.
However, buying a narrrowboat [sic] isn't necessarily the brightest of ideas if you've never lived on water before.
"So many people talk glibly about getting on the property ladder by buying a boat, but a boat is not a property," says Rex Walden, chairman of the Residential Boat Owners Association.
"If you are considering it because you love waterways and wildlife, then fine - but it worries me that recently a lot of people have shown an interest for all the wrong reasons."
Hmm, the word 'narrowboat' in this piece has the letter 'R' three times in a row. How embarrassing that the Observer's proofreaders don't know the three Rs! In their defence, this is one of those occasions when a spell-checker picks it up more easily than a human.
The article also gives a plug to Great Escape Narrowboats, which is said to specialise in long-term rentals. However, this company has one of those all-flash websites, which I wasn't able to read - either on my iPhone or my main web browser. You might have better luck. Reports please. (Have I written about it before?)
Slightly off-topic for the article, but the author dings NB rentals as being relatively expensive. I beg to disagree!
We've done several narrowboat holidays from our base here in the United States and have found them generally a very affordable way to spend some time in England, offering a great deal of ability to control costs. Our parties have varied in size from 2 to 6. For 2 persons a "cheap" rental is about on par with nightly hotel fees; as numbers expand the boat becomes an increasingly good deal in terms of $/bed/night. Tack on the savings on food if one is scrupulous about using the galley and the economics really become compelling (though it advisable to moor far from pubs so as to stay away from temptation).
All subject to exchange rates, of course!
For the gregarious narrowboating is an even better holiday deal. Mooring at the side of a canal with its towpath and water traffic is not at all the same as holing up in a hotel room, for the better if one is the outgoing type. And what hotel provides free cats and ducks, delivered to your door, er, hatch?
Posted by: Doug Bostrom | Thursday, 30 July 2009 at 02:17 AM
Yeah, infuriatingly slow site, all fur coat and no underwear.
Contact numbers:
01858 540328 or 07545 904245
if you want to ask them more about it.
No mention on site about little matters like mooring charges!
Cheers
Bruce
Posted by: Bruce Napier | Monday, 27 July 2009 at 07:51 AM
Appears to be a scheme for long-term renting (6 months) of narrowboats prior to purchase ("try before you buy"). They charge £600/month plus £1000 bond for the rental. You can then order a new boat from them, and live rent-free until the boat is finished.
The Flash is extremely annoying. Not sure why I looked at it for so long, except that you were curious!
Posted by: Carol | Sunday, 26 July 2009 at 05:42 PM
Hi Andrew
Great Escapes works OK for me on an Orange dongle and Firefox.
They give a location map.
They are located at Debdale Wharf, Leicestershire.
Posted by: Keith | Sunday, 26 July 2009 at 05:07 PM
Works OK via Safari connected to the 'real' world via a Vodafone dongle. But it doesn't tell anyone anything very much, All show and no go.
Posted by: Baz Juniper | Sunday, 26 July 2009 at 04:25 PM