Retirement and boating...on the Thames.

No Regrets

No Regrets

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I retired in April, at the grand age of 53, and decided to keep the boat for a couple of years despite the running costs, as it's such fun.

I have had a grand Summer, let me tell you! We have been up to Oxford, down to St Kats and to all the nice places in between, consuming far too much in the process.

Looking at options, I have considered a Motorhome, but concluded the overall costs are not that different, despite the fact you can roam Europe rather than the River, and fully understanding the implications of trying to drive a Motorhome the morning after (EU limits far lower than ours!) and the comparison between annual berthing fees (£4k) and the motorhomes almost zero berthing, but higher nightly charges (£20 a night, plus far more fuel)

Next year I suspect we will still be terrorising the Thames, as it's pretty good value if the weather holds out, but would like to know if anybody has some money saving ideas for a poor pensioner! :encouragement:
 
If you can live without a marina and can find a private mooring(non residential moorings are surprisingly available), you'll save at least 2k a year.
 
I will give it 12 months before wearing beige slacks and worrying shades of pastel in the jumper dept plus listening to other old farts saying " I am not racist but ".... gets on your tits and you go back to work.:)
 
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No Regrets said:
I retired in April, at the grand age of 53, and decided to keep the boat for a couple of years despite the running costs, as it's such fun.

I have had a grand Summer, let me tell you! We have been up to Oxford, down to St Kats and to all the nice places in between, consuming far too much in the process.

Looking at options, I have considered a Motorhome, but concluded the overall costs are not that different, despite the fact you can roam Europe rather than the River, and fully understanding the implications of trying to drive a Motorhome the morning after (EU limits far lower than ours!) and the comparison between annual berthing fees (£4k) and the motorhomes almost zero berthing, but higher nightly charges (£20 a night, plus far more fuel)

Next year I suspect we will still be terrorising the Thames, as it's pretty good value if the weather holds out, but would like to know if anybody has some money saving ideas for a poor pensioner! :encouragement:
Click to expand...

What stopped you going to New Zealand
 
I'm planning to retire end of this year too. Big decision, but decided to spend more time with the boat. I'm looking forward to some longer cruises. Mooring is relatively cheap around Oxford and as Actionmat says, if you find a private mooring, that's much cheaper than a marina. Only issue is river levels; I've previously experienced big rises overnight (0.6m!), so you would need to keep an eye on your warps, unless you have a pontoon. Saw several sunk boats this winter, a sad sight!
 
It is indeed a big decision. I'm now the plus side of 60 so looking forward to retirement and being able to use the boat far more than is currently possible because of work. The down side is that your income reduces significantly and the trick will be trying to find the point when you can afford to retire and be still be able to run it. Ok, I've got a largish boat, and it's based on the Solent, all of which cranks up the costs. Trouble is we only moved from the Thames a couple of years ago and are absolutely loving it down there so down sizing and moving the boat back isn't on the radar for a few years yet.

The financial crash scuppered my plans. I know there is more freedom with pension pots now but my ex-MD who retired in 2006 and bought an annuity is getting more than twice what I can currently get with a pension pot essentially the same size. I can see me retiring from my current job and getting a part-time job somewhere to supplement my income and enable my extremely costly but extremely enjoyable hobby to continue for the foreseeable future :)
 
Luckily my boat is fairly small and my pensions are pretty good (if I have got my calculations correct!). I will do some part time work probably, but as suits me.
I tend to do a lot of work on the boat myself, so that avoids most boatyard bills.
Hopefully, those aren't famous last words!

I had the option to move to the South coast years back, but regretfully turned it down. It's great out on the Solent, have been over to IOW on my brother's Fletcher 19- that really moves!

Thames is good though, I enjoy having a fully-equipped boat with most of the home comforts!

Good luck with your retirement plans!
 
Buy a smaller boat and a used caravan �� . My parents did that when my father retired. They downsized the boat, which was fine as it still had hot water and a shower, and they used it upriver for long days and the odd overnight. They still had fun and enjoyed not having the pressure the upkeep and maintenance of a larger boat. Just turn up and off you go.
They enjoyed the caravan more than they thought and travelled a fair distance. And my mother enjoyed not being tied to the river for every holiday. They kept in a caravan storage facility which compared to marinas was as cheap as chips and the boat was moored on a private mooring.
Sometimes boating is just about pottering around on a sunny day and feeling and hearing the sound of the water around you. It's not always about two showers, two engines and a cocktail cabinet...
 
I will probably get shot down for this.

Buy a narrowboat, no more than 55ft long, and you have 2000 miles of inland waterway to explore.

that is our retirement plan, to do just that, and live aboard for a couple of years exploring the whole network slowly, including of course the Thames.
 
Winning numbers on the Lotto last :)

Mind you, £25 means I won't be bringing my retirement plans forward just yet :)

Narrow beam a possibility for later once we tire/can't reasonably afford current boat on the coast. Will just need to persuade SWMBO manual lock working is fun:)
 
Wavey said:
Winning numbers on the Lotto last :)

Mind you, £25 means I won't be bringing my retirement plans forward just yet :)

)
Click to expand...

You're lucky. . . I hold the maximum allowed and haven't had a win in 2 months. Maybe I'm paying for being so successful previously.
 
Thank you Gentlemen, I appreciate all the input!

Just to answer a few queries, I fancied going to Cyprus (Renting UK properties, living in one of the many ultra cheap Villas for rent@ £250pm and living the life of Riley, on a small island with £3k a month to blow. Wife didn't like, and in hindsight possibly correct...)

Narrow boats: I hate them, but do like some of the more imaginative Barges. Trouble is, I quite like my medium speed ScandBoat's versatility and effortless performance when you need it, and neither NB's or Barges offer that option, whereas a cheap Sedan such as an £18k Princess on Devil's Egg-whisks does...

Oxford is pretty enough but a bit quiet, as I'm 53 not 73. With respect to our elders... :encouragement:

I like the private mooring thing, thats good as long as the River doesn't flood before I can get the boat out!! :encouragement:
 
We currently enjoy adequate moorings at Shepperton, Staines, Windsor, Cookham, Hurley and Windsor, not to mention Sonning. Never had a problem, assuming a little flexibility is applied! I normally cruise with one or two friends, so we raft when needed, and sometimes if not needed to free up space for others!

These are great places with loads of dining options on or off board.

Parts of Oxford are a bit same and desolate by comparison, but well worth a visit, I concede! :encouragement:
 
Fond memories of Thames with the exception of the flooding (try selling a riverside property in the floods!) Lived beside it all my working life and brought the family up there. Now happily down on the Plymouth briney. A whole lot of new exploration and experiences await you - navigation and pilotage, anchoring, waves and fish you can actually eat, no locks no speed limits and best of all no rowers!
It has rejuvenated my boating experience and enjoyment far more than I had ever expected, I love it and recommend anybody who fancies a change from the inland waterways give it a try.
 
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