Live Aboard in The Netherlands Help & Advice sought

[Boatymacboat]

Hi to All
i will try to make this short and not blab on . aged 65 years retired now and always wanted to travel the canal systems in The Netherlands/ France & Belgium
Now finding myself in a position that i may be able to put the dream into reality
so i am looking for some help please
First the Boat
As i am alone looking for a suitable boat { which i can live on full time winter included }
the dutch are famous for their boats so there are is shortage , but which one ?
i looked at some yachts with the thought of de-masting etc etc
but i really think a motor boat will suite me better some thing around 30 feet
as i would like headroom plus heating for winter time { possibly fitting one of the cheapdiesel heaters or a webasto etc etc }
i see some boats have piping running underneath ? is this to stop freezing ? as i know some of the winters are hard
so any advice on purchasing a boat would be great { thanks in advance }

my second question is regarding marinas
cheap ones { to keep the boat in for say 3 months or so }
so any info on this would also be fantastic

i am not tied to any paticular part of the netherlands , but was looking in around the Sneek Area

thanks
Charles

 

[syvictoria]

Hi, and welcome! Having just moved our boat from Essex to the Netherlands this year, we're very much looking forward to exploring the same waterways too! What are your country of residency and citizenship? If Britain/British, you will unfortunately very likely be affected by changes relating to freedom of movement next year due to Brexit. Are you aware of this?

 

[V1701]

Hi & welcome,

Something like this one would, in my opinion, be eminently suitable. It has a recent engine of a sensible size on a shaft which would be more suitable for canal/river use than, e.g. a motor boat with two much more powerful engines on outdrives. How practical are you, for things like engine servicing/maintenance, electrics, etc? If you can turn your hand to most things it will be significantly less expensive. As syvictoria says though, if you are a Brit, after the end of this year we are going to be subject to Schengen visa rules (90 days in 180). However, you can live on a boat in the UK and a boat like that would be suitable to go across to Holland, or France, e.g., cruise around for a few months and then come back if you wanted. So if you are a Brit I would say absolutely do not be put off, boat operation and maintenence is not rocket science so if you're prepared to learn and adapt you will get loads of enjoyment out of it and meet some great people in the many liveaboard communities that exist all over the place. The worst that can happen is that you try it and it doesn't suit you, you'll maybe have a few naysayers tell you not to and if you do their attitude says more about them than you so ignore them. Good luck, keep asking questions and I say go for it whether you end up in Holland or not...

 

[Alicatt]

A lot of the canals around Holland are quite shallow and readily freeze in the winter, but it has been a while since they held the Elfstedentocht (1997), I think 2008 was the last time it froze really hard here getting to -28c in our town close to the Dutch border.

My wife and I are planning a cruise around the canals in Friesland next summer with another couple and hiring a 43ft cruiser for it. While we have made contact with the boat hire we have not made any concrete plans yet, the covid lockdown here has put paid to our attempts to get together to plan it out.

I took my wife and friends out in a small 6.5m boat to test the waters so to speak, on the foulest day of our holiday in Koundam :






Just to give you a taste:
In the middle of a lake the swimmer stood up and the water did not come to his waist


It can also get crowded, this was in September and the boat hirers were complaining there was not many tourists, and no Chinese this year.

 

[Grehan]

Bonjour BMacB
You're a newbie so can't PM you as I would normally do.
Can't help with the Netherlands, but if France is on your list then there is a whole heap (400+ pages) of information and resources on french-waterways.com . . . including

• Practical Guidance - Hands-on | Guides, maps, advice, technique + information
• Every navigable waterway in detail - Canal + River Regions | Detailed Navigation Guides and Maps
• Books and Guides - Canal Maps, Books, PDF Downloads and Navigation Guides

In addition, in the last couple of weeks we've launched an online resource for folks wanting to buy or sell inland boats (only inland), early days yet but we have a hundred or so, a few in Holland, plus some guidance information about the buying/selling process.

• New and Used Boats and Barges - Boats and Barges for rivers and canals for sale in France and Europe

 

[Grehan]

Something like this one would, in my opinion, be eminently suitable.

Yes, I agree - she looks, on screen, to be a smart tidy boat of the right kind of scale for a single liveaboard. Obviously, as ever with steel boats, hull condition is vital but corrosion by electrolysis (is it?) (stray mains current) is significantly less in fresh than salt water.

 

[Boatymacboat]

Hi Folks , First thing to say is Thank you all for the replies
great to hear from you all and i hope you all are keeping well in this troubled time we find ourselves in
Ok i am leaning towards steel , i do not want a fibreglass boat , so from what i have seen so far , i think a purchase in the netherlands is looking likely , i am an eu citizen so no worries on the brexit side of things , now onto budget , i have looked at many { only on the net }
here is an example of one . Curtevenne 930
This is something i think i would be able to manage alone size wise , plus it wont cost a fortune in marina fees . now a serious question as to buying , am i better to buy in the netherlands or buy in france ? are there any benifits where i buy ? and is there a licence needed to operate the likes of this boat in the netherlands or belgium or france , i am sorry for all the questions but just trying to get things right before i leap in many thanks for your help

 

[Grehan]

Throughout Europe you'll either need a local competence qualification or the international standard ICC plus CEVNI exam pass. It's all in the links I posted. In France you need a VNF licence to use the boat on the waterways. Again, it's all there on the site.
Personally, I don't think there's much difference between countries - a decent boats that fits what you want and your budget is what counts.
I also disagree about steel - GRP is derided as 'plastic' but for inland use is easily durable enough without the maintenance worries. Our boat is a 12m ex-hire GRP boat and she's perfect (more or less!)

 

[Boatymacboat]

Hi Grehan many thanks for the links and the info { time to read up } the reason i was thinking steel as i am going to be alone on this venture , at locks etc etc if i hit something it might do less damage to steel as to fibreglass

 

[Boatymacboat]

Steel over fiberglass which to buy
Grehan you mentioned maintenance worries
i was just wondering what is the advantage of fibreglass over steel maintenance wise ?
is one better than the other ?

 

[Grehan]

Week in, week out, GRP self-drive hire boats are used and abused by people who don't know one end of a boat from the other, let alone how to steer. GRP is tough and easy to repair. It doesn't need much in the way of maintenance. It's easier to insulate. I know that steel is 'superior' and the best boats (and barges) are made from steel, but steel needs looking after. If you're worried about hitting things hard enough on a river or canal to justify steel, you need (apologies) some tuition!

Just to clarify . . . I'm not against steel per se, but don't think it's better just because it's Better.

 

[Boatymacboat]

True Tuiton is what i am here for { no offence taken }
yes its a hard one to call , i like the steel design { dutch } because of the all around hand rail
again at my age anything i can hold onto is good , espically in the winter months etc etc
There is a lot to consider
i think it is best i go get a look and see whats on offer
there was a nice barge for sale on the site you sent me { but it is a little small } and located in france

Easier to insulate ? that will be a big plus
as i plan on making this my home

 

[Gibeltarik]

You will find a lot of useful information here - www.barges.org - and cruiser owners are welcomed as members - there is a very comprehensive Waterways Guide inside the members area.
Steelboats are the principal Dutch expertise but do check the standard of insulation if you want to cruise in winter - most Dutch boats over-winter in heated sheds afloat or ashore and Dutch Barge Dogs (aka Keeshod) have thick fluffy coats - see Avatar!

 

[V1701]

Hi Folks , First thing to say is Thank you all for the replies
great to hear from you all and i hope you all are keeping well in this troubled time we find ourselves in
Ok i am leaning towards steel , i do not want a fibreglass boat , so from what i have seen so far , i think a purchase in the netherlands is looking likely , i am an eu citizen so no worries on the brexit side of things , now onto budget , i have looked at many { only on the net }
here is an example of one . Curtevenne 930
This is something i think i would be able to manage alone size wise , plus it wont cost a fortune in marina fees . now a serious question as to buying , am i better to buy in the netherlands or buy in france ? are there any benifits where i buy ? and is there a licence needed to operate the likes of this boat in the netherlands or belgium or france , i am sorry for all the questions but just trying to get things right before i leap in many thanks for your help

There's something to be said for buying close to where you want to do your boating, more likely that you'll find the right type of boat for the area and you won't have to move it to where you want it, however that can be an adventure in it's own right so like so many things it all depends. I really wouldn't discount fibreglass on the basis of it potentially being more badly damaged in case of an accident - we all have the odd minor mishap (ahem) and fibreglass is very tough and easily repairable. That Curtevenne looks like a lovely boat that would fit the bill nicely...

 

[Boatymacboat]

Hi V1701 thanks for the input , yes i like that boat , but it is located in france , and i would like to base myself in the netherlands as i think the boating rules there are not so strong , i will dig more into it and see if i could purchase the boat and sit the exams in france then motor to the netherlands that might be possible

 

[Dizzy60]

My first post after a lot of lurking! I can't offer much advice except to say that we live in the Netherlands and just bought our first boat.

We are complete newbies except for 1 week's experience renting a boat in Friesland this summer! We are now retired and don't intend on returning to the UK. We used a broker to find our boat and he negotiated the price and has been excellent. We had the survey a few weeks ago and hope to get the keys at the end of November. We've hired a skipper to drive it from Huizen in the North to Plasmolen in the South as we weren't confident enough to tackle the locks and the transit canals alone.

Although we loved Friesland, we decided to keep her nearby (half an hour's cycle from our flat) so we could visit often and practice 'parking'! The mooring is €360 for 6 months in a very nice marina. Since at least half the boats are taken out of the water during the winter, there's always space in marinas for mooring your boat in the water. We had considered Zwartesluis in the middle of the country and might still consider that for next summer.

You don't need a license for anything under 15m and below 20kph (ours is 11.85m x 16kph max) but we will consider sitting the Klein vaarbewijs 1 next year. Our Dutch is OK but this will motivate us to improve!

Good luck with whatever kind of boat you choose.

 

[Grehan]

Hi Dizzy - there are a lot of really sensible points in your post. IMHO. Particularly getting some assistance for something you're not (yet) sure about and - seriously - practicing parking. Well done.

 

[Boatymacboat]

My first post after a lot of lurking! I can't offer much advice except to say that we live in the Netherlands and just bought our first boat.

We are complete newbies except for 1 week's experience renting a boat in Friesland this summer! We are now retired and don't intend on returning to the UK. We used a broker to find our boat and he negotiated the price and has been excellent. We had the survey a few weeks ago and hope to get the keys at the end of November. We've hired a skipper to drive it from Huizen in the North to Plasmolen in the South as we weren't confident enough to tackle the locks and the transit canals alone.

Although we loved Friesland, we decided to keep her nearby (half an hour's cycle from our flat) so we could visit often and practice 'parking'! The mooring is €360 for 6 months in a very nice marina. Since at least half the boats are taken out of the water during the winter, there's always space in marinas for mooring your boat in the water. We had considered Zwartesluis in the middle of the country and might still consider that for next summer.

You don't need a license for anything under 15m and below 20kph (ours is 11.85m x 16kph max) but we will consider sitting the Klein vaarbewijs 1 next year. Our Dutch is OK but this will motivate us to improve!

Good luck with whatever kind of boat you choose.

Hi Dizzy , Congrats to you both . i am delighted to gear that i am not the only one taking a leap
Dizzy may i ask the marina you are going to keep it in ? as 360 for 6 months is cheap
look forward to hearing from you
Thanks

 

[Boatymacboat]

i need a new keyboard should be hear not gear sorry

 

[Dizzy60]

Hi Boatymacboat

Yes, it is a bit scary to be spending money on something you know little about! I'd been mulling it over for a year but after our experience in Friesland was so fabulous, I managed to persuade my husband it was a good idea to get a boat for retirement!

The marina is El Dorado, in Plasmolen near Nijmegen we we live. It's a full service marina and they have a lot of foreign boat owners who store their boats in sheds during the winter so that's why they have space in the water. However, they did say that we couldn't sleep on the boat and this may be a requirement of all marinas. If that is your intention, maybe one of the older, out of the way marinas will allow you to live on board during the winter.

Otherwise, spending the summer in Friesland without spending too much money on mooring is definitely possible. We used a mixture of marinas and free moorings during our week there. The Marrekrite organisation is responsible for maintaining the free moorings. You're expected to buy their flag which helps pay for their work. Some moorings had rubbish bins, black water pumps and toilets but most were just moorings. Many had a grassy area where it was possible to set up a tent too. The maximum you can stay in one mooring is 3 days but there are lots of them and we had no problem finding one in the busy period of August.

Now I'm busy researching dehumidifiers etc. as well as winterisation... roll on spring!


Denise