Where there's a river there's a way! (Boating)

Member Name: idodoyou

Product:	Boating
Date:	17/04/02 (446 review reads)
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Picture the scene, if you will .....

A bright and hot summers day and not a blemish on the horizon. A faint breeze keeps the reeds and rushes swaying gently as you float by. Not a care in the world clouds your mind as you aimlessly meander down waterways and rivers.
Dusk slowly creeps down upon you bringing with it a balmy summer evening. As you close the cabin door the last of retiring moorhen cries out and pierces the peaceful night.
All too soon the sun greets you as the world begins another day. Sights, sounds and smells puncture the dawn mist as all around you the river comes to life ....

Ok, so maybe the poetic description is a tad misleading, I mean, we don't get bright summer days do we, but the rest is pretty much how it is when it comes to boating ways.
Well, it is when it comes to idodoyou family boating ways.

And how can you not want to sample some of that peace, tranquillity, and total *escapedness* that comes with taking to the water hey?

If the urge to jump aboard a floating home takes your fancy it can be achieved in a number of ways. Of course, if I'm to waffle on about boating holidays I'm going to be waffling on in the wrong category [and I'm sure that there are those of you out there that can't wait to tell me, and probably the powers that be too]. And so, I'm to waffle on about the fortune of 'owning your own boat' way of boating. Of which the *boating* that I'm referring to is boats with an engine. Cruisers. If I were to op about Yachts, which are boats, or Speedboats, which are also boats, I would have had a category made for Yachting, or Speedboating wouldn't I?
And so, I'm to waffle on about the fortune of 'owning your own boat? .....

And fortune being the operative word, cos well, it does cost a small fortune.

As with so many, and unlike so few hobbies, boating is one that will continue to cost you money. Its not a case of
buying a boat and then leaving your wallet or purse's contents intact. Every day you have that boat, whether you use it or not, will cost you money.

Depending on where you moor your boat will determine just how much you pay.
Depending on how long your boat is, will determine just how much you pay.
And depending whether you have an engine or have to rely on Mother Nature and her wind [purely written and used in a non bodily function joke kinda way] will determine how much you pay.

The only way that you will be able to forgo mooring fees is to be extremely lucky. Either by having your own property with water frontage and space to moor your boat. Or, to know somebody with their own property with water frontage and space to moor your boat. If not, break open the cheque book.

Usually charged by the foot [as in size and not the amount of people on it!!] the cost of mooring is calculated by location and facilities available to you.
For example, if you moor your boat in a yard with no onsite amenities [showers, toilets, water, pump out, electricity and club house] or on the side of the river, expect to pay the bare minimum. Although, of course, where the river is will also depend on what you pay.

When we first began our trip into the world of messing about on the water, we moored on the side of a river, with no amenities at all at a price of £12.00 per foot for a year [about 5 years ago]. If you were to take the same conditions but on a river down south, say London, you are looking at no less than £40.00 per foot. But more like £50 and then some .....
I know of people that live and work in London and yet keep their boats moored here on the Broads because of the cost. It is cheaper to travel up here every weekend than to keep a boat moored in London. I even know of a couple that live in Chorley [Lancashire] and yet they travel down to the Norfolk Broads at least twice a month!

As I said, where you moor will d
epend on what you pay.

If you have your boat moored in a yard with all of the amenities aforementioned, and a nice setting [gardens and such] dig into your pockets and pull out a wodge for the tune of £30.00 per foot upwards. And believe me, that's cheap!

Now, times the cost of the mooring per foot by the length of your boat, ours is 35 foot, you'll be looking at a bill for around £1005 every year.

And then, well, a boat is like a car. You need a River Licence. And, just like the mooring pricing, it is calculated by size. This time it is 'boat size in square meters'. And whether or not you have an engine or sail. The minimum starts from £50 for a powered boat 5 square metres and under.
We [or rather Dad does!] pays approx. £150 for the year.
But of course, it again depends on the area that you sail in.

Insurance tends to be more complicated to work out. Aren't they all though ..... And it will be calculated by size, age, risk factor, and the area used [sea or inland] to sail. I think we currently pay somewhere along the line of £154.00 for a year. And you have to have fully comp.

I guess I should have started with the biggest expense of all really? The boat.
Now then, this and what you spend on it is totally up to you and your needs.
If you have a family that intends to gate crash on those peaceful Sunday afternoons, a little boat, say a Kingfisher, 2 berth [around 20ft] will be a bit cramped. But if the crew are to be only you and your partner, and you don't plan on staying on the boat for a week at a time, more of a weekend jaunt really, something that small will be fine. Unless of course you are a couple of ?golightlys? and then you'll have to pay for the door to be removed or widened!

If, on the other hand you plan on using the boat as a floating hotel with all the mod cons the list to choose from is wide and varied. And the prices are as varied and wide as the l
ist of types you can choose from.

Boats keep their prices much better than cars. Where as a brand new car drops about a grand [and them some] as soon as it leaves the garage forecourt, you can expect a boat, as long as well looked after, to keep their asking price for much more than just the one year!

Just like a car there are certain things you have to check for when buying a boat. They are pretty basic really if you know what you are looking for. However, if you are a 'boat buying virgin, take somebody who knows. Pay somebody who knows. But even if you have had a couple of years of boat sailing and knowledge, before you slap your cash across the counter, have a survey done. These cost around £150 and will tell you all you need to know as to whether the boat is water worthy. At the time of the survey. Of course, if you buy the boat and it sinks three weeks later .. c'est la vie I'm afraid.
In the future, 2005 to be exact, there are to be tighter rules and regulations regarding boat safety. There are changes to be made on most all boats that haven't been built in the last 2 or 3 years. A copy of what to look for, and what will need to be done will be included with the survey.

So, the main expenses have been taken care of. You've got your boat, its been taxed, insured and has a place to moor, and your purse, or wallet is feeling decidedly 'worn out'. If you bought your boat second hand the chances are that it came with fenders [the big balloon type things on the side for the non technical amongst you] mud weights [just in case there's no room on the bank and you have to drop anchor ~ or mud weight in the middle of a Broad!],a boat hook and various other boat related paraphernalia [life ring etc] that adorns your craft.
If they didn't, and you bought a brand new boat, expect to ditch another five to six hundred decking [sorry, no pun intended] out the boat. There are no skimping on these access
ories. They are needed.

Right then, the boat is ready to go. You've got the week off and its time to hit the waterways. Take your purse.

If you are going by sail, there's no need to worry about petrol or diesel. But if you aren't, expect to have a nice surprise if you need Diesel. The average price on the Norfolk Broads is around 50p a litre. If you have a petrol engine [although, I suggest if you are looking for a boat, pay the extra and choose one with a Diesel] no surprise for you. Its the same price as in the roadside pumps. Boats petrol tanks are bigger than a cars petrol tank [depending on the size of the boat of course] so expect your eyes to water and your wallet to smart on filling up!

Unless you have brought with you bottles and bottles of water, or plan to wash and drink out of the river [really not advised!] you'll be needing to fill your water tank with the wet stuff. The majority of yards will provide it free with a 'tin' for contributions.

If you've got a 60 gallon tank of water, and it's being used, its got to go somewhere. Instead of going straight into the river [which is illegal] it will go into another tank that has to be 'pumped out'.
For this you will have to pay. And it will cost you around £10. Although, it varies from yard to yard.

All you need now is grub. A cupboard full of nibbles. A fridge full of drink and bacon .... There's nothing better than a bacon sarnie on the edge of the river on an awakening summer morning. A shelf full of good books [please don't try reading while steering the boat .... It doesn't work ..... I know!!] and the way of the water at your finger tips.

If you have a large boat, and there are bridges to be going under, you'll have to check for tides. There are no strict rules as such while on the river. However, there WILL be a speed limit [4MPH on the Norfolk Broads] There ARE River Police. And they WI
LL prosecute for speeding and messing about. Last summer a holiday maker went home with more than just a crappy tea towel and some soggy local biscuits. He had a £800.00 fine.

However, if you use your common sense, and treat the river and your expensive boat the respect that they both deserve, there is very little to go wrong.

You can travel the rivers, and lakes until your hearts content, or moor up and let the rest of the world pass you by. Break open a tin and let your fishing line and hook dangle into the murky depths for hours upon hours. Catch nothing but still .... Let it dangle. Watch the local wildlife in their natural unspoilt habitat. Don't forget the obligatory loaf of bread to feed the ducks though, will you? We find that several loaves of Tesco's Value Line does the trick nicely. And at 9p a loaf, it does very nicely. In order to pre-empt those bird lovers [the feathered kind!] leaving comments along the lines of 'shouldn't give ducks bread? [It swells up inside apparently] I know. But we tried giving them proper duck food, they looked at us, and quacked in such a way that suggested that something highly unlady, and unducklike had just been muttered, or should I say quacked. Turned on their ever so neat duck tails and then proceeded to tell every single duck on the Broads about the crap food being chucked at em from our boat. We didn't see a single duck all day. Not even the bugger that s**t on the windscreen!!

You don't even have to go out on your boat. If you have a mooring in a nice and peaceful surrounding, just to escape the rigours of everyday life is enough if time for a weekend or week long jaunt is out of the question.

Like most hobbies, there is some interacting with like minded people. More often or not you'll come across other boat owners that you have come to know as your paths, or should I say wakes, cross during the summer, and winter [for those thicker blooded members of
the boating fraternity] months. You begin to get greeted in the riverside pubs as one of the regulars. Don't know whether that's actually a good thing since there are literally hundreds of them dotted up and down the rivers and broads. And they all know you!!

The idodoyou family walk [or should that be sail] into the world of boating came via a weeks holiday and a day out for everyone. Mum had chosen a Sheringham Steam Engine ride [a nostalgia trip] and knowing that she hated the water, I chose a day out on the river with a little hire craft.

She loved it.

A further day out for Ma and Pa confirmed their new found love. I went to Turkey for two weeks and came back to a proud family with a new addition. A 20 foot 2 berth Kingfisher. A weekend jaunty type of boat. No room to swing a cat but room enough to bed down for Ma and Pa. She sailed, and did us well. But like most things in life, we all want bigger and better things so a couple of years later, and the need for a bigger boat [the wrinklies realised that escaping to the river was not an option ?.. the kids wanted to come too] came about and Dad became a proud owner of a 25 foot Birchwood. [That one up there actually]

Last November, after a further couple of years, and realising that this boating thing wasn?t just a flash in the pan, we upgraded again. This time, and probably for a long time to come, we have a 35ft Valencia entitled 'The Lady J' [after my mother apparently, but where the 'lady' bit came from I'll never know ;)] It has 6 berths, two toilets, a shower, and well, its just like home from home. Literally.

If, and when you feel the urge to be dragged into the world of boating, I suggest you take the urge seriously. It costs a lot of money to chuck out on a whim. Do the daily hire boat thing. Even have a boating holiday. Take your time picking and choosing the boat. Take into consideration all the things that can go wrong. Ta
ke into consideration all the things that you will need.

Don't just jump in without a life jacket [Ooh I love all this word playing!!]
Boating will and does cost you money.
But the enjoyment that you derive from it will more than make up for the cost.

You'll experience a whole new way of life. A world away from those boring old cars. Those boring old static houses. The boring old way of life in the city.

Buy a boat today and float your troubles away ....

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