winters and wooden boats

[ermintrude]

hello, firstly please forgive my complete ignorance! I am a mum with a young teenager with not many boaty connections and looking to make a start/try out living aboard with not very much money. For the time being I just want a small weekender type boat that I can stay on and use in the winter. I have access to a potential river mooring and seen a very lovely classic old wooden small boards cruiser (25') but with no heater on board. Is it practical and respectful to put a solid fuel stove on such a boat (I have seen a few on slightly larger cruisers), and leave it in the water over winter? The less attractive but possibly more practical alternative would be a v small narrow boat but what are the pros and cons between the two. Thanking anyone for any advice!

[Roy]

Hello ermintrude,
A warm welcome to the forum, good to have you on board.

With a wooden boat, make sure it's in a sound condition. It's a good idea to get the boat surveyed before you buy.
Failing that, take someone with you who knows about wooden boats for a second opinion.
Old wood has a tendency to rot, so a good close look at the condition of the hull and the topside is needed,
a good prod about to check for soft wood, ideally check the hull with the boat out of the water.
Any repairs that are needed can be very expensive with a wooden boat unless you are a competent carpenter and can do them yourself.

A solid fuel stove is ideal, you can get quite small ones these days, they bung out a lot of heat.
But make sure you fit it safely: >> CLICK HERE for help & information on this.

Good luck with your venture, keep us up to date on how it goes.

[Loraine]

Hi welcome to the forum.

We have lived on board for many years, its a great way of life. Wood burners are the best heat on a boat,
I could not have lived on board without ours.
But do be carefull with a wooden boat, we have had friends who have started with older wooden boats,
not getting them checked out and could not cope with the repairs and it put them off, which is a shame.
I know what you mean about a narrow boat there is not alot of room.

The wildlife on the river is wonderful, every day some thing new is going on, I love it.

Keep us up to date and good luck with you adventure.

[ermintrude]

Thanks Roy and Loraine, and Ziggy says woof to Molly! The boat I am looking at is in Beccles and seems to have been looked after well with a recent check out and some work done. She's not cheap as chips (on at 5k) but that still compares well with narrow boat with more space, and more beautiful. I am hoping to see her and a few others out East tomorrow. How much would you guestimate installing the stove would cost (I would try to get second hand one - i know more about stoves than boats!). Oh and also, is it ok to keep an old boat in water over winter (at a river mooring)? - i see some people seem to take them out, but i want to use her - probably just at weekends for now. Thanks and woof!

[Roy]

Should be fine to leave your boat in the water through the winter if you are living aboard.
shouldn't have any problems freezing up with the heating on.

If you are not going to use your boat over the winter period you would need to winterize it
(that is to say, drain all water from the domestic side and drain the water from the engine)
Taking the boat out of the water, less chance of damage in bad weather.

Cost of putting in a fire would depend on the materials you use and whether you intend to install it yourself.
Machine Mart can supply fires and chimneys and most of the bits. also
Aquafax stock fires and fittings at reasonable prices. CLICK HERE
there is an Aquafax store in Wroxham Norfolk. and a Machine Mart in Norwich.


Give Ziggy a pat from me.

[dave]

Hi ermintrude, welcome to the forum, more the merrier. you should be warm with a solid fuel stove.

[Loraine]

Hi ermintrude,
What sort of dog is Ziggy?
Just come back from a walk with Molly, she never gets tired
typical collie, she wears us out but we love her to bits.
I also have a parrot called Treacle life is never dull ;D

Hope you find the boat your looking for today,
its good to look at as many as you can, that way you start
to get a feel for things.

[billy]

Greetings ermintrude.

I concur with the wood/coal stove for a boat, keeps it nice and warm. Fair bit of dust too but it is worth it.

I still do a bit of work in the local boat yard and know the cost of keeping up a wooden boat. Beware of falling for the charm and beauty of a pretty wooden boat, they can be a hole in the water into which one throws vast amounts of cash. Not wishing to spoil your dream but do be careful.

We love our life on the water and would not easily go back to land. The wildlife is stunning, the sky is always different and when the tide changes and the water comes creeping back in, popping over the mud.......

[ermintrude]

Thanks everyone. Ziggy is a very bouncy and enthusiastic dog - half border collie (but mostly in his mad temperament) half flat coated retriever cross (the half chases things but the half missing doesn't bring them back! Couldn't make the arrangement in time to see boat/s last Sunday (and probably too late now for this weekend). Went to see what we call Foxy Loxy and the inclined plane lift in Leicestershire. Son actually thanked me for a very interesting and fun trip! Good fun rolling down the plane sideways being chased by dog (that's him not me!)

[Loraine]

Hello ermintrude
Glad you had a fun weekend and your son enjoyed him self.
Ziggy sounds just like Molly, every one calls her mad molly.
She is never still and always barking, we got her from a dogs
home she was only a baby 12 weeks old, she had been in there
for 5 weeks so I dont think she had been fully weaned.
Molly is 4 years old now we love her to bits and would never
part with her, but I do wish I could stop the barking.

[ermintrude]

Ziggy's more the strong silent bouncy type! I did manage to fix up to see the boat/s tomoro (Sunday) in Norfolk, so will report back shortly. Would you expect to take a wooden boat out once a year for a check over? This maybe a how long is a piece of string (or rotten plank) type question - I know of course there are always unexpected eventualities - but very roughly how much would you expect to put aside as an average amount for repairs each year to be sensible on what is presented as a well-kept 1950s 24' wood boat w 1.5 bmc engine? On a 5K boat it feels a bit much to spend a load on a survey but would u think it absolutely necessary to avoid worse expenses - the boat is being sold by a reputable and very well-known brokerage.

[Roy]

I don't think I can answer this one, not having a wooden boat myself.

In my opinion, It would depend on what the condition of the planking is like when you
start off. If all the planking is in good condition, maybe not too much of a problem to begin with.

A good idea to have regular checks so that any small problems arising over the years can be
delt with before they becomes a big one.

If you go over the boat carefully prodding about looking for soft wood. Inside the hull look for damp patches.

I know of three people in recent years, who had a survey when they bought their boats, only to
find major problems a few months later.

(reputable and very well-known brokerage). but they don't guarantee the condition of a boat, that's down to you.

Sorry I can't be of much help with this one.

A "glass fibre" hull is a much better bet, but a lot more expensive.

[Loraine]

Hi ermintrude
Good luck today looking for a boat.
keep us posted

[ermintrude]

morning all! thanks Roy for your words of caution. The broker says the boat was taken out of the water earlier this year and any necessary replanking was done, so I suppose what I was thinking was that I could rely on that being honest given they are "reputable and well-known". So many boats look really ugly to me, seems to all go pair shaped from the middle of the 70's! It seems a shame to spend the money and not have something you really love . . . Will let you know how we get on - setting off now, my first time past Chelmsford as from a Welsh family and so in the "best is West" habit!

[Roy]

The broker says the boat was taken out of the water earlier this year and any necessary replanking was done, so I suppose what I was thinking was that I could rely on that being honest given they are "reputable and well-known".

That's good and no reason to not believe him.
Hope it's what you are looking for. Good luck.