I'll be moving around for the next few years and will not often know
where I'll be more than three months in advance. The obvious thing to me
seems to be to live on a boat and take it with me. Unfortunately, I know
very little about boats so I have accumulated a few questions during the
past few days of googling:

What's the difference between a motor cruiser and a cabin cruiser?

Can I find a boat that's small enough to fit in a canal yet big enough
to live on and sea-worthy enough to cross the channel in?

How easy is it to move between canals, rivers and coasts?

If a canal is x metres wide does my boat have to be x/2 metres wide so I
can pass others?

Does 'Dutch' mean something special?

How much training do I need to drive a boat inland?

How about offshore?

Would a serious sailor never consider going to sea in a boat with only
one engine (and no sail)?

Can I get out-riggers or attachable keels or something to make a canal
boat seaworthy?

Are there many places not within commuting distance of rivers or coasts?

tia,

Matt Rose

Replys in body of post becaus eof number of questions.


On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 13:12:56 +0100 (BST),
(Matthew Rose) wrote:

I'll be moving around for the next few years and will not often know
where I'll be more than three months in advance. The obvious thing to me
seems to be to live on a boat and take it with me. Unfortunately, I know
very little about boats so I have accumulated a few questions during the
past few days of googling:

What's the difference between a motor cruiser and a cabin cruiser?

Not a lot - but Cryuser stern on a narrow boat does mean soemthing
differetn.


Can I find a boat that's small enough to fit in a canal yet big enough
to live on and sea-worthy enough to cross the channel in?

Yes as long as you do not want to visit the narrow canals.

If you do want to visit the narrow canals your maximum beam is about
6ft 10 in. These boats tend to go through the waves, rather than ride
them, the also tend to have large windows and large forward well decks
- both somewhat undesirable for sea work.

Narrow boats are very unlikley to turn ove because of the tons of
balast they carry on their soleplate, but they roll all over the
place, making the windows vaunerable.

Propery built or modified canal boats do cross the channel - during
windows of good weather. One specially construced crossed the Atlantic
we are told.

My advise would be not to consider this unless you have considerable
experience.


How easy is it to move between canals, rivers and coasts?

Easy - you just get onto a river (Thames, Severn, Avon, Nean, Gt Ouse,
Dee, Trent) and keep going when others turn off or turn round.

If a canal is x metres wide does my boat have to be x/2 metres wide so I
can pass others?

Maximum dimensines are published by British Waterways. With a wide
beam craft (say 13ft 6in) you would have to book your passage through
tunnels etc, and probably only get a booking at first light.


Does 'Dutch' mean something special?

Not really - nowadays it means in the style of a Dutch Barge (of
whatever sort. One understands that the genuine Dutch barges are quiet
seaworthy, being designed for very large rivers.

How much training do I need to drive a boat inland?

None - but it would be advisable to try to get a it of experience
first. Inland Boaters are - by and large - very friendly and will
normally be happy to give you what help they can.

How about offshore?

See above - the RYA do courses, but they are not mandatory. Not so
sure about the frienliness though

Would a serious sailor never consider going to sea in a boat with only
one engine (and no sail)?

If so, an awfull lot of commercial craft must have very dum crews.

Its the reliability of the engine and the servicing that matter, plus
the seamanship of the skipper and the equipment thats carried.


Can I get out-riggers or attachable keels or something to make a canal
boat seaworthy?

Sponsons might help, but the sterss on the attachemnt points would
probably make them dangerous.


Are there many places not within commuting distance of rivers or coasts?


Look at maps - it depends on what you mean by commuting distance!

tia,

Matt Rose


Joint the Residential Boat Owners Association - address inland queries
to uk.rec.waterways


Tony Brooks

In article ,
Tony Brooks wrote:
Replys in body of post becaus eof number of questions.


On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 13:12:56 +0100 (BST),
(Matthew Rose) wrote:

I'll be moving around for the next few years and will not often know
where I'll be more than three months in advance. The obvious thing to me
seems to be to live on a boat and take it with me. Unfortunately, I know
very little about boats so I have accumulated a few questions during the
past few days of googling:

What's the difference between a motor cruiser and a cabin cruiser?

Not a lot - but Cryuser stern on a narrow boat does mean soemthing
differetn.


Can I find a boat that's small enough to fit in a canal yet big enough
to live on and sea-worthy enough to cross the channel in?

Yes as long as you do not want to visit the narrow canals.

If you do want to visit the narrow canals your maximum beam is about
6ft 10 in. These boats tend to go through the waves, rather than ride
them, the also tend to have large windows and large forward well decks
- both somewhat undesirable for sea work.

Narrow boats are very unlikley to turn ove because of the tons of
balast they carry on their soleplate, but they roll all over the
place, making the windows vaunerable.

Propery built or modified canal boats do cross the channel - during
windows of good weather. One specially construced crossed the Atlantic
we are told.

My advise would be not to consider this unless you have considerable
experience.


How easy is it to move between canals, rivers and coasts?

Easy - you just get onto a river (Thames, Severn, Avon, Nean, Gt Ouse,
Dee, Trent) and keep going when others turn off or turn round.

If a canal is x metres wide does my boat have to be x/2 metres wide so I
can pass others?

Maximum dimensines are published by British Waterways. With a wide
beam craft (say 13ft 6in) you would have to book your passage through
tunnels etc, and probably only get a booking at first light.


Does 'Dutch' mean something special?

Not really - nowadays it means in the style of a Dutch Barge (of
whatever sort. One understands that the genuine Dutch barges are quiet
seaworthy, being designed for very large rivers.

How much training do I need to drive a boat inland?

None - but it would be advisable to try to get a it of experience
first. Inland Boaters are - by and large - very friendly and will
normally be happy to give you what help they can.

How about offshore?

See above - the RYA do courses, but they are not mandatory. Not so
sure about the frienliness though

Would a serious sailor never consider going to sea in a boat with only
one engine (and no sail)?

If so, an awfull lot of commercial craft must have very dum crews.

Its the reliability of the engine and the servicing that matter, plus
the seamanship of the skipper and the equipment thats carried.


Can I get out-riggers or attachable keels or something to make a canal
boat seaworthy?

Sponsons might help, but the sterss on the attachemnt points would
probably make them dangerous.


Are there many places not within commuting distance of rivers or coasts?


Look at maps - it depends on what you mean by commuting distance!


Thanks for the information. I've ordered a map of inland waterways and
I'll decide whether everywhere I might need to get to is accessible with
a 10-12' beam.

Matt

snip

Thanks for the information. I've ordered a map of inland waterways and
I'll decide whether everywhere I might need to get to is accessible with
a 10-12' beam.

Matt

Unless you want to go on the lumpy stuff or a truck, you will find
that the midlands isolate the wide beam northern waterways from the
wide beam southern waterways.

I am not sure about the northern waterways, but the soutern ones will
be bounded by Bristol & Leachlade - Southend, Tonbridge, Guildford,
South of Birmingham, Hertford & Bishops Stortford. The only ways out
are via the Thames or Avon.

The Broads & fens are also wide beam

Threr is talk about opening a wide beam route to the fens, but do not
hold your breath, there is also talk - just talk about openinig up a
wide beam route to the north via Leicester, but as this will require a
couple of boat lifts, I can not see it happening.

Tony Brooks