Sunday 11 April 2010

One Day Closer.

The deposit on our new boat has been sent to the brokerage. It has been a long hard search to find the narrow boat that meets with our aspirations.  At long last we have found the ideal boat, the previous owners had exactly the same remit for layout. She was built in 2004 by Price Fallows and fitted-out by Richards Narrowboats to a very high standard.

we have just obtained the services of a engineer to survey the boat. we were going to have a pre-purchase in the water survey - but we have been convinced by the engineer that we should get an out of water survey done instead. I suppose at £52k it does make sense - better than being ruled by our hearts which we have set on the boat.

Now, May can't arrive soon enough, so that we can both get on with leaving our current employment. Then me Mag's and Pop's are going to enjoy every moment of our retirement years - mainly spent pottering around on the rivers and canals.

We have already made some tentative plans for our first sojourn on our new boat. Travelling from her current moorings at Torksey on the Fossdyke. Along the Fossdyke and then joining the River Witham and travelling down as far as Boston. This should give us a chance to get used to the boats handling characteristics on both canals and rivers. We hope to have a look at some of the Navigable drains around Boston before returning back along the Witham and the Fossdyke to Torksey. We have already pencilled in our boating diary a six week time slot for this venture.

We are still trying to make up our minds about how much time we are likely to spend on board the boat each year. We feel it would be good to really experience a full winter on board as well as the hopefully warm idylic spring, summer and autumn months. However, relaxation will be the principal idea.

We expect to spend most of the first year touring around the northern canals. So we may in the first instance get a constant cruising licence. For the second winter we will be looking at a possible winter mooring for the Nov - Feb period whilst we go to our favourite destination, India for an extended period.

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