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Frequently Asked Questions
One of our new email correspondents, Raymond Pearce of Melbourne, Australia, has sent us a list of questions about the practicalities of life on the Cut. Ray and his wife Diane, who are planning a canal holiday on their next visit to Britain in 2007-8 and then hope to become live-aboards a few years later, obviously have some concerns about the problems they may face.
They are not alone. We’ve been asked similar questions many times over the last three years and each time we’ve answered them individually. It took a little lateral thinking (from Liz, of course) to devise this new section covering some of the most frequently asked questions. If there are some we’ve missed, let us know.
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Travel during winter - do you travel further south to avoid any of the canals that may freeze up?
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We spend our winters in the Midlands where the climate isn’t as harsh as, say, the Leeds & Liverpool. But even then canals do freeze over occasionally and we don’t move through ice, unless it's vital that we do so. We’ve had three fairly mild winters since we’ve been on the boat. The most important factor is ensuring access to water, diesel and food supplies.
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Is it difficult keeping the boat heated during the colder months - what are the forms of heating that you have?
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We have a solid fuel stove which is normally lit in October and kept in until March — though this year it was still going in May! We also have diesel central heating which we hardly ever use as the stove keeps us very warm.
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Gas - is this as a problem with some of its inherent dangers - particularly fumes below the deck?
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We use gas for cooking and for our fridge. So far we have had no problems with it. But you have to treat it with care.
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Are there special problems you experience along the way - with locals - and have there been any areas in particular that you have avoided or do not intend to revisit?
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Obviously some urban areas are more “high risk” than others, but we start out very early in the morning and get through large towns before 9am - and almost never travel at weekends. And we try to moor in relatively safe places, though there are no guarantees of safety anywhere. In most areas local people are extremely friendly to boaters but you find a few who are not wherever you live, near to or far from canals.
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What are your general running costs and fixed costs - these are probably well below the inevitable costs associated with having a house and running a car, but have you found it reasonably easy to cope?
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The biggest costs are the licence, insurance, diesel, gas, repairs and maintenance. The cost of the licence depends on the size of your boat and £500-£700 per annum would be the norm. Insurance can set you back from £200 to £400 (ours includes boat contents which have pushed the total to the higher level). Diesel depends on how much you travel and where you top up but we’ve paid from 30p — 45p a litre this year! A boating friend has suggested a good yardstick if you don't have a fuel gauge is a litre of diesel for every hour the engine is running.
A gas bottle lasts us about a month (because of the fridge — offset by lower drain on the batteries if you have an electric fridge) and is about £14. Friends with electric fridges say that a bottle lasts about three months. And you need to set an amount by for emergency repairs. We pay £100 to £150 a year to River and Canal Rescue (the AA of the Cut) and it has been money well spent.
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What about regular maintenance on the boat - engine checks and so on — as well as the inevitable blacking of the hull and maintenance of anodes etc. Do you do this in winter or in some of the warmer months?
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You can do regular checks on the engine yourself — changing oil and filters, topping up the ordinary cooling water in the engine and the distilled water in the batteries. The hull needs blacking every two to three years and can cost up to £600 but if you are up for the hard work you can hire a dry dock and do the job yourself for considerably less. Mike believes life is too short for this! When the boat is in dry dock being blacked anodes and hull are routinely checked for wear. It’s best to do the blacking (or have it done) in warm weather as it helps the paint to dry more quickly.
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What items need to be part of the boat for you to live-aboard all year which are not part of the original installation in a new boat intended for holiday cruising?
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Heating is the first thing — we have diesel central heating and a Squirrel Morso solid fuel stove. The first is used little, the second is our main source of heat throughout the winter. We lit it last October and, by careful banking up, it was kept burning until early May.
A priority with many is a washing machine. Liz managed for three years using local laundrettes and a washball (which is small and hand operated) in conjunction with a small spin dryer — the most difficult thing is drying clothes and after a spin dry they are ready to wear within an hour or two in the sun or by the fire. She is now using a table top electric washing machine loaned by a friend. It is a hand fill and doesn’t spin but it will take a double sheet and a couple of pillow cases. Anything bigger has to go to the laundrette, or we take washing when we stay with friends/family! We don’t use a microwave oven but we do have computer, tv and video, so all add to the drain on the batteries.
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How do you manage if you are ill or need repeat prescriptions when you are cruising the system?
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We have our own doctor and when we’re cruising we sign on as a temporary patient with other GPs for repeat prescriptions. For emergency treatment (accidents etc) we would go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
The same applies for veterinary treatment for our dogs. Most vets will treat an animal who is ill, and we carry a year’s supply of wormer tablets and flea treatment — absolutely essential if your dog isn’t going to pick up something unspeakable on a towpath somewhere.
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How do you get your post?
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We have a correspondence address and ring every month or so, giving a poste restante address where it can be sent. In theory every post office in the country provides a poste restante service. It is essential that whoever sends your post puts your name clearly on the envelope and either “poste restante” or “to be collected/called for”. A return address on the back is also useful. Post offices will keep items for about two weeks. They don’t like sending missed post on to you.
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Which is preferable - cassette or pumpout toilet?
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Opinions vary widely and we've found that one of the favourite topics of boaters meeting other boaters is the advantages of the different lavatory systems. We opted for the Thetford cassette and have never regretted it. You have to empty the cassettes yourself - no great hardship and not unpleasant if you use plenty of blue in each cassette - and that saves paying for a pump-out which varies from around £9 to more than £15, depending where you are. With cassettes the secret is to have spares. We have four in total - in case we are iced in during the winter - but so far in three years have never started on the fourth, although a couple of times we have started using number three. The other secret of cassette longevity can be deduced from reading Some Things I Never Mentioned in the Archives section.
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