Keeping a boat in central london to stay on overnight?
Discussion
So i was wandering around St Katherine's dock last night and watching a few people sitting out on deck enjoying a glass of wine and started thinking about whether it would be possible to buy a boat to keep at a marina somewhere central and use it to stay on when I'm down overnight for work. I could even `rent` the boat from myself potentially to help with running costs depending on tax implications.
My thinking is that the mooring fees and electricity charges don't look too horrendous, I could stay on the boat on average one night a week, and have the boat there for weekends and short trips up / down the Thames if my family wanted to come down. Not to mention having a central london base for friends and family to use when visiting London.
Clearly the initial purchase price of the boat is a significant investment but I wonder how much you really need to spend to get something that would be perfectly fine for one person to stay overnight on and pootle up and down the Thames with every now and then. As it happens I'm often working in Westminster so reckon I could even commute down the river every now and then!
It feels a bit more appealing than having a boat in the North East where you need something serious if you want to head out into the North Sea to get anywhere interesting!
My thinking is that the mooring fees and electricity charges don't look too horrendous, I could stay on the boat on average one night a week, and have the boat there for weekends and short trips up / down the Thames if my family wanted to come down. Not to mention having a central london base for friends and family to use when visiting London.
Clearly the initial purchase price of the boat is a significant investment but I wonder how much you really need to spend to get something that would be perfectly fine for one person to stay overnight on and pootle up and down the Thames with every now and then. As it happens I'm often working in Westminster so reckon I could even commute down the river every now and then!
It feels a bit more appealing than having a boat in the North East where you need something serious if you want to head out into the North Sea to get anywhere interesting!
There was a thread on here a while back about mooring places in along the Thames tideway, but I can't find it sorry! 
As I remember it, St Katherine's is always oversubscribed, especially in summer and consequently expensive. The problem is there are few protected marinas along the Thames here and although you can moor up in the main channel, you will be tugged about by a big rise and fall in tide and shaken about by the wake of the big boats ploughing back and forth.
A friend lived on a 24 foot sailing boat further out in docklands while back while he was at Uni in London for pennies (no council tax either), maybe worht checking, but possibly could be part of an exclusive redevelopment now.
There's Chelsea harbour too - but probably not that cheap either.
As I remember it, St Katherine's is always oversubscribed, especially in summer and consequently expensive. The problem is there are few protected marinas along the Thames here and although you can moor up in the main channel, you will be tugged about by a big rise and fall in tide and shaken about by the wake of the big boats ploughing back and forth.A friend lived on a 24 foot sailing boat further out in docklands while back while he was at Uni in London for pennies (no council tax either), maybe worht checking, but possibly could be part of an exclusive redevelopment now.
There's Chelsea harbour too - but probably not that cheap either.
Edited by prand on Tuesday 9th July 15:37
All feasible with the exception of commuting down to Westminster. All of the moorings off the river are tidally locked so popping out needs a little more planning than you may expect.
St Kat's is the obvious choice and the most appealling just because of where it is but accordingly you will pay through the nose for the priviledge. They put their prices up last year considerably and expect to see the same again next year.
Take a look round all the old docks and you will find varying levels of berths. Limehouse, Poplar, Albert and Victoria, South dock all have residential berths.
As for what boat you put there that is down to your vanity really. For £20k you could have something quite comfortable to live aboard.
St Kat's is the obvious choice and the most appealling just because of where it is but accordingly you will pay through the nose for the priviledge. They put their prices up last year considerably and expect to see the same again next year.
Take a look round all the old docks and you will find varying levels of berths. Limehouse, Poplar, Albert and Victoria, South dock all have residential berths.
As for what boat you put there that is down to your vanity really. For £20k you could have something quite comfortable to live aboard.
That tidal locking malarkey makes sense. I saw a lock at st kats and wondered what it was for.
I must be missing something about St Kats costs though. Looking on their website is looks like it's only £550 a year marina fee for something <10m. Is it just that it's impossible to get into?
If I am missing something It doesn't really matter as long as there is somewhere reasonably commutable from that I could get into. A fold up bike would work a charm to get around I'm sure!
As for price of boat I'm not vain about it at all so I'm sure £20k would get something more than good enough for me to overnight on. To be honest looking on Apollo Duck £10-£15k seems like it would secure me something good enough. Interior space would clearly be important but what type of boat should I be looking at if I did want to do a bit of cruising around the area every now and then with the family? I have a wife, a sproglet and another on the way. I acccept my dreams of a Sunseeker Predator remain a little way away...
I must be missing something about St Kats costs though. Looking on their website is looks like it's only £550 a year marina fee for something <10m. Is it just that it's impossible to get into?
If I am missing something It doesn't really matter as long as there is somewhere reasonably commutable from that I could get into. A fold up bike would work a charm to get around I'm sure!
As for price of boat I'm not vain about it at all so I'm sure £20k would get something more than good enough for me to overnight on. To be honest looking on Apollo Duck £10-£15k seems like it would secure me something good enough. Interior space would clearly be important but what type of boat should I be looking at if I did want to do a bit of cruising around the area every now and then with the family? I have a wife, a sproglet and another on the way. I acccept my dreams of a Sunseeker Predator remain a little way away...
BIST0 said:
That tidal locking malarkey makes sense. I saw a lock at st kats and wondered what it was for.
I must be missing something about St Kats costs though. Looking on their website is looks like it's only £550 a year marina fee for something <10m. Is it just that it's impossible to get into?
If I am missing something It doesn't really matter as long as there is somewhere reasonably commutable from that I could get into. A fold up bike would work a charm to get around I'm sure!
As for price of boat I'm not vain about it at all so I'm sure £20k would get something more than good enough for me to overnight on. To be honest looking on Apollo Duck £10-£15k seems like it would secure me something good enough. Interior space would clearly be important but what type of boat should I be looking at if I did want to do a bit of cruising around the area every now and then with the family? I have a wife, a sproglet and another on the way. I acccept my dreams of a Sunseeker Predator remain a little way away...
St Kats is tidally locked bar three hours either side of high water when the lock can be opened for you.I must be missing something about St Kats costs though. Looking on their website is looks like it's only £550 a year marina fee for something <10m. Is it just that it's impossible to get into?
If I am missing something It doesn't really matter as long as there is somewhere reasonably commutable from that I could get into. A fold up bike would work a charm to get around I'm sure!
As for price of boat I'm not vain about it at all so I'm sure £20k would get something more than good enough for me to overnight on. To be honest looking on Apollo Duck £10-£15k seems like it would secure me something good enough. Interior space would clearly be important but what type of boat should I be looking at if I did want to do a bit of cruising around the area every now and then with the family? I have a wife, a sproglet and another on the way. I acccept my dreams of a Sunseeker Predator remain a little way away...
Prices? Yes you seem to missed something big stylee.
That £550 per year is per metre of boat so get yourself a 30 foot tub and it will cost around £5k per annum and then they will whack you another grand for being able to plug into electric regardless of whether you use it or not.Availability is easy now as people like myself won't leave the boat up there for a month at a time as the costs are just becoming ridiculous.
Type of boat? Well if you want to go out onto the tidal Thames then you really need to be looking at twin engined and well maintained as a breakdown will see you sailing off at a rate of knots with the tide collecting barges, bridges and all manner of hard stuff as you go!
MOTORVATOR said:
St Kats is tidally locked bar three hours either side of high water when the lock can be opened for you.
Prices? Yes you seem to missed something big stylee. That £550 per year is per metre of boat so get yourself a 30 foot tub and it will cost around £5k per annum and then they will whack you another grand for being able to plug into electric regardless of whether you use it or not.
Availability is easy now as people like myself won't leave the boat up there for a month at a time as the costs are just becoming ridiculous.
Type of boat? Well if you want to go out onto the tidal Thames then you really need to be looking at twin engined and well maintained as a breakdown will see you sailing off at a rate of knots with the tide collecting barges, bridges and all manner of hard stuff as you go!
Aha - that makes a lot more sense! Lol! Not quite so cheap then!!!Prices? Yes you seem to missed something big stylee.
That £550 per year is per metre of boat so get yourself a 30 foot tub and it will cost around £5k per annum and then they will whack you another grand for being able to plug into electric regardless of whether you use it or not.Availability is easy now as people like myself won't leave the boat up there for a month at a time as the costs are just becoming ridiculous.
Type of boat? Well if you want to go out onto the tidal Thames then you really need to be looking at twin engined and well maintained as a breakdown will see you sailing off at a rate of knots with the tide collecting barges, bridges and all manner of hard stuff as you go!
Any links to / names of the less expensive marinas anybody?
MOTORVATOR said:
Type of boat? Well if you want to go out onto the tidal Thames then you really need to be looking at twin engined and well maintained as a breakdown will see you sailing off at a rate of knots with the tide collecting barges, bridges and all manner of hard stuff as you go!
Not to mention being cut in half by a gin-laden maniac testing his Detroits 
BIST0 said:
Any links to / names of the less expensive marinas anybody?
I don't know London very well but recall a place called Little Venice lined with narrowboats - is that still there?Then again as marina fees are charged by length maybe you need a short fat one! Or tell them your boat is 6'10" with a beam of 70'...?
As for buying a boat through your business and renting it back to yourself, I think that would go in the accounting column called 'Flankers' - but you could ask Eric Mc to be sure.
NB I pay £28/ft but it's not in London.
Simpo Two said:
MOTORVATOR said:
Type of boat? Well if you want to go out onto the tidal Thames then you really need to be looking at twin engined and well maintained as a breakdown will see you sailing off at a rate of knots with the tide collecting barges, bridges and all manner of hard stuff as you go!
Not to mention being cut in half by a gin-laden maniac testing his Detroits Simpo Two said:
BIST0 said:
Any links to / names of the less expensive marinas anybody?
I don't know London very well but recall a place called Little Venice lined with narrowboats - is that still there?Simpo Two said:
Then again as marina fees are charged by length maybe you need a short fat one! Or tell them your boat is 6'10" with a beam of 70'...?
As for buying a boat through your business and renting it back to yourself, I think that would go in the accounting column called 'Flankers' - but you could ask Eric Mc to be sure.
NB I pay £28/ft but it's not in London.
Very helpful. As for buying a boat through your business and renting it back to yourself, I think that would go in the accounting column called 'Flankers' - but you could ask Eric Mc to be sure.
NB I pay £28/ft but it's not in London.
I pay closer to £100/ft but it's not in a ditch. Benjaminpalma said:
Yes. Little Venice.
Richard Branson and myself both have two legs, arms and a head. The similarities end there. Where he had a boat is very unlikely to be where i would be looking.
£6k annual charge for central london berthing. Too steep for me fair enough but i'm surprised the 'city boys' don't get involved.
Thanks for the alternative berthing tips. I am going to investigate them further!
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