WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF BOATING!

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BUYING A NARROW BOAT? 

If the answer is YES then you will want to grab a coffee, find a quiet place to sit and continue reading this article! There are over 35,000 boat owners in the UK with the numbers growing year on year. There are so many people attracted to this life style and many more wanting to be part of it, are you about ready to jump onboard?

A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO NARROW BOATS.

 

 

Things you should know before you part with your cash

Buying and maintaining a narrowboat is not something that should be rushed into. You may be full of enthusiasm and raring to get onboard, but first lets look at whats involved and plan ahead. Planning is a key part to getting the right boat and keeping the buying process as stress free as possible.

Set a budget

The good news is there a variety of differently priced narrow boats on the market, anything from a few thousand pounds up to over a hundred thousand pounds. So work out what your budget is and stick to it. Remember you will have other costs to pay once you become the proud owner of your new vessel, so it’s better in the long run to have some funds set aside to pay for maintenance, insurance, mooring fees, ongoing running cots and unforeseen problems.  

Know how you will use it

How often and how many people will be on board are considerations you should make before buying a boat. If you intend to live aboard, then a larger vessel will more than likely better suit your needs. Space is rather limited within a narrow boat, so the more storage space and living space on board you have, will make living aboard for more than just a few weeks much easier.  

Know your sterns and lengths

Having a good understanding about narrow boats in general will help immensely when it comes to buying your own boat. As a rule all narrow boats are the same width but are available in different lengths and styles. More advise on this can be found here about narrow boat size.  

Research the running costs

Some expenses you will need to consider when owning a narrowboat are; moorings, licenses, insurance, maintenance, fuel costs, blacking and other day-to-day stuff.

Its rather difficult to give an example of expenses that are incurred when owning a narrow boat, as there are many different variants that make it impossible to give you a definitive cost. However it's a good idea to ask other boaters what costs they incur for their boat, based on the time they spend aboard and the boat type.  

Moorings

Residential moorings can be hard to find, so it is always advisable to look into this before buying a narrow boat. Non-residential moorings are easier to come across and some marina will offer you a mooring when buying a boat from them.

Sort out the admin

Just like owning a car or house you need the relevant paper work in place, which for a narrow boat will include; insurance documents, boat safety certificate and ownership papers. Make sure you have all these in place when you buy. Always ask for any relevant paper work to help you better understand the boat. Ideally you should at least have a boat manual.  

Don’t buy until you have a survey

Would you buy a house without a survey? I’m guessing unless you are a builder or in the industry the answer is going to be No!  So buying a second hand narrowboat without a survey isn’t the smartest move either, unless you really know what you are doing. The survey is there to protect the buyer, so that you will know of any potential problems before buying the boat.  

Use a Brokerage Company

Using a good brokerage company has so many benefits. So let’s just look at a few ways a brokerage company can help you – lots of experience and knowledge, free advice, a variety of boats all in one location, will negotiate on your behalf, and so much more.  

For more help and advice give us a call on 01327 842577 or contact us by email

KEEP FIT INSPIRATION

Skipping into May!

We may have plenty of ropes lying around our boats which help us keep our boats in place, but how about using a rope to get yourself fit?

Skipping is a simple and effective method to improve your fitness. But be warned - you need to be patient, it's not as easy as it looks and it will take a little time and practice to become a skipping pro.

According to the British Rope Skipping Association, 10 minutes of skipping can have the same health benefits as a 45-minute run.

Skipping is a full body workout which uses your abdominals to stabilise the body, legs for jumping, shoulders and arms for turning the rope.

You can burn more than 200 calories in two, 10-minute sessions each day (that's 1,000 calories a week)!

*Always seek your doctors advice before starting any new life style change.

MAYS HEALTH TIPS

• Turn off your devices and connect with mother nature. Take long walks, go for a long cruise or fall asleep in the shade of a tree. Not only will you relax and recharge, you’ll give your immune system a boost.
• Now it's getting warmer you can swap your hot porridge breakfast for soaked overnight oats, add some seasonal fruit for some extra scrummy taste.
• Get outside earlier in the day. It's been cold and dark in the winter months, so it’s important to take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days now the summer is on it's way. 

FOODIE IDEAS FOR MAY

Seasonal Foods for May asparagus, broccoli, carrots, jersey royal new potatoes, lettuce & salad leaves, new potatoes, peas, radishes, rocket, samphire, spinach, spring onions, watercress, wild nettles Wild Nettles Get your gloves on to forage for wild plants like nettles - once cooked they have a spinach or cabbage flavour Wild Nettle Soup 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling1 onion, chopped1 carrot, diced1 leek, washed and finely sliced1 large floury potato (Maris Piper or similar), thinly sliced 1l vegetable stock 400g stinging or dead nettles, washed, leaves picked 50g butter, diced 50ml double cream Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, leek and potato, and cook for 10 mins until the vegetables start to soften. Add the stock and cook for a further 10-15 mins until the potato is soft. Add the nettle leaves, simmer for 1 min to wilt, then blend the soup. Season to taste, then stir in the butter and cream. Serve the soup drizzled with extra oil and scattered with dead nettle flowers, if you have them. bananas, kiwi frui, rhubarb basil, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, oregano, mint, nasturtium, parsley (curly), rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragon lamb, wood pigeon cod, coley, crab, haddock, langoustine, plaice, prawns, salmon, sardines, sea trout, shrimp, whelks, whitebait

THIS MONTHS TOP BOATING TIP Visit a brokerage company to help you to buy or sell a narrow boat. Feel free to visit us Monday - Sunday no appointment necessary. We have a large selection of boats for sale with price tags to suit most budgets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN THE MONTH OF MAY WE CELEBRATE..

May, 2017 Daily Holidays, Special and Wacky Days: What’s special about May?   1 May Monday - Batman Day, 4 May Thursday - Star Wars Day, 5 May Friday - No Pants Day, 5 May Friday - Space Day, 6 May Saturday -Herb Day, 6 May Saturday -Free Comic Book Day, 6 May Saturday - Beverage Day 9 May Tuesday -Europe Day, 9 May Tuesday - Lost Sock Memorial Day, 10 May Wednesday - National School Nurse Day, 10  Up Your Room Day, 11 May Thursday -Twilight Zone Day, 11 May Thursday - Eat What You Want Day, 12 May Friday Limerick Day, 13 May Saturday -Frog Jumping Day, 14 May Sunday -Dance Like a Chicken Day, 15 May Monday Chocolate Chip Day, 17 May Wednesday Pack Rat , May Thursday -No Dirty Dishes Day, 19 May Friday -Pizza Party Day, 19 May Friday - May Ray Day, 20 May SaturdayBe a Millionaire Day, 21 May Sunday Talk Like Yoda Day, 22 May Monday, Buy a Musical Instrument Day, 24 May Wednesday Scavenger Hunt Day, 25 May Thursday Sing Out Day, 25 May Thursday Towel Day, 26 May Friday World Lindy Hop Day, 27 May Saturday Sun Screen Day, 28 May Sunday Hamburger Day, 29 May Monday Put a Pillow on Your Fridge Day, 30 May Tuesday My Bucket's Got a Hole Day, 31 May Wednesday Macaroon Day

Will you be dancing around the May Pole on May Day?

BOATING EVENTS IN MAY

Montgomery Canal Triathlon 6th May 2017, 8:30am to 5pm Severn Way, NewtonHead along to the Montgomery Canal Triathlon

Roses and Castles Weekend Painting Course 6th May 2017, 9:30am to 7th May 2017, 4:30pm Stoke BruerneAn Introduction to traditional painting techniques.

Stourbridge model railway exhibition 6th May 2017, 10am to 7th May 2017, 4:30pm Bonded WarehouseHead along to the Stourbridge model railway exhibition at the Bonded Warehouse.

Alarum Theatre presents: Idle women of the wartime waterways 6th May 2017, 2pm to 21st May 2017, 8:30pm Various locations across Milton KeynesThis May, head along to the Alarum Theatre's performance of Idle women of the wartime waterways.

Geophysics workshop 7th May 2017, 10am to 3pm Canal Head, PocklingtonJoin archaeologist Jon Kenny to learn about geophysics, and then help carry out the surveying at Canal Head ahead of the dig taking place later in the year.

Vikings at Anderton 13th May 2017 to 14th May 2017 Anderton Boat LiftHead to the Anderton Boat lift for a special 'Vikings at Anderton' event.

Freshwater wildlife of the Pocklington Canal 13th May 2017, 10am to 4pm Pocklington CanalHead along to this event on the Pocklington Canal where you can find out more about the freshwater wildlife in the canal.

Rickmansworth Festival 20th May 2017, 10:30am to 21st May 2017, 10:30pm Bewtween Batchwortha nd Stockers LockHead along to the Rickmansworth Festival

Willow weaving workshop - bowl making (PCAS Spring Fete) 21st May 2017, 10am to 3pm Melbourne Marina, MelbourneHead along to a workshop where you will learn how to weave using rushes from the canal itself.

Stoke Bruerne Floating Market 27th May 2017, 10am to 29th May 2017, 5pm Stoke BruerneHead along to the Stoke Bruerne Floating Market this May.

Crick Boat Show 2017 27th May 2017, 10am to 29th May 2017, 6pm Crick Marina. Head along to this years Crick Boat Show for a weekend of family fun. And we will be there too!

AND LASTLY "MAY "WE INVITE YOU, TO COME AND VISIT US SOON!