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As we look back over the first twenty years of "Canal & Riverboat" magazine's life on the inland waterways, we can, of course, see a whole variety of changes. Probably the most significant of these is the steady increase in popularity of all that is connected with our canals and rivers, from the eruption of small waterside developments - both residential and commercial - through a real resurrection of many of our forgotten inner city canal sites, to the ultimate recognition of our inland boating heritage through the televised eyes of "Rosie and Jim". Although I may be accused of preaching to the converted amongst Canal & Riverboat's readers, I firmly believe that the whole world is divided into only two groups of people: Those that love spending time afloat on Britain's inland waterways, and those that have not yet discovered them! Certainly in my own experience of boating through the past twenty years, I am aware that holidays afloat have consistently attracted increasing numbers of participants year by year, never decreasing numbers, where those that join this ever expanding club come from all walks of life and from all social classes.
If we were to look a little more closely at this trend, perhaps with a view to putting a toe in the water ourselves if we haven't done so already, we might want to know which bits of the system are the most beautiful, the least crowded, and offer the greatest variety of sites to visit, and also which are the best options for getting afloat, providing the best on-board facilities and, ultimately, the best deals.
Certainly, looking back in time, there are plenty of pictures in older magazines of romantic vessels gliding through the Norfolk Broads, or cutting a way upstream along the Royal River Thames, but it has only been relatively recently that Britain's canals have come into their own - with no small thanks to the activities of the Inland Waterways Association, and latterly the actions of the Waterway Recoveries Group. Whereas, twenty years ago, canal boaters were still seen generally as the more rugged enthusiasts amongst the nation's inland sailors, this image is now changing. Hotel boats are, once more, coming into their own, where holidaymakers are deliberately choosing the wide variety of landscape that is offered by the canal system, still largely free of any overcrowding, as it carries its passengers from the very heart of our industrial cities to truly remote rural scenery, passing interesting and sometimes historic architecture along the way. And the boats themselves have changed too. It is now possible to enjoy the kind of luxury and relaxation on a narrow boat as was once seen only on the grandest of river cruisers. Narrow though they may be, these "floating country cottages" now offer their occupants full width double beds with en suite facilities, where a leisurely bath may be followed by breakfast reclining on an expansive front deck, planning a gentle day's cruise driven by a steerer who sits within a protected rear deck area over a "silenced" engine.
So what are the options available? Where does our cautious waterway explorer start?? Well, traditionally, there have always been three options for getting afloat if you prefer to "go it alone" rather than being waited on within one of the hotel packages. These are
(2) The second option is to purchase your own boat. This option can be very attractive if you like the idea of holidaying on a vessel that has a more "cottagy" feel than the more usual hire boat which, of necessity, is designed for maximum sleeping accommodation. As a private owner, of course, you will need to take care of the boat's maintenance and upkeep yourself, and be sure of its security during the periods when it is not in use. Purchase prices vary enormously according to the size of boat you choose, the specification you require, and, in the case of a used vessel, its overall condition. Running costs will also vary for similar reasons. The description of a boat as "A hole in the water into which you throw money" may not be altogether unfounded!
(3) The third option is to purchase and share your own boat along with others of similar mind. This is an option that has always been available for groups of friends who wish to divide the use and costs involved in boat ownership. It requires good co-operation between the owners and clear divisions of responsibility in matters to do with maintenance and the handling of the finances. It can work very well, and offers the advantages of private boat ownership whilst reducing the costs to a reasonable level. It does, however, suffer from an inherent conflict of interests, not only in the use of the boat, but also in the sharing of the duties involved in its upkeep, both of which can get in the way of the whole purpose of boating - i.e. the sheer enjoyment of the waterways.
In recent years, however, a fourth option has emerged - one that certainly appears to combine all of the desirable features of these three, but without the inherent drawbacks. I refer to the newest concept in this ever expanding picture - that of professional "Shared Ownership". In saying this, I am of course, biased, having set up the organisation known as "OwnerShips" back in 1990. Nevertheless, I have yet to find "the catch" in this option - one that so many of my new enquirers rightly search for. When asked directly what this might be, I always answer that there really is only one "catch". Your boat is, indeed, shared, which means that you can't just look at the weather at the weekend and decide to go for a cruise. You are obliged to plan your trips in advance. Also, if you are only an occasional boater - or about to try it for the first time - you're almost certainly better off hiring, whilst on the other hand, if money is not in short supply, I am sure that anyone who has ever done it will recommend owning your own boat.
But if you haven't recently won the lottery and you tend to take at least one boating holiday each year, Shared Ownership is certainly worth considering. Depending on the particular operator you choose, you can achieve most of the advantages of both hiring and private ownership.
To do this you will need an operator who (a) allows you to choose your weeks - be they fixed or variable from year to year; (b) provides a facility whereby the boat can move around the network during the year and from one year to the next; and (c) provides a good back up support team (not only to look after the boat itself, but also to cope with those situations [heaven forbid!] when the ace steerer misses his footing jumping off and sprains his ankle, and the rest of the crew need some help bringing the boat back; or when the boat itself is half way to the Thames when someone on board realises that they forgot to pick up an anchor before they left.... etc.)
Because, in most Shared Ownership schemes, the operator does not hold
any stake in the actual ownership of the boat, your costs, once you have
purchased your share, are considerably reduced, compared with hiring. Indeed,
all you are having to pay for is the cost of keeping the boat in the water
(i.e. licence, insurance, and mooring fees) plus the cost of paying an
organisation to maintain it and look after it when not in use, and also
to provide some kind of management service to handle the finances, the
bookings, and any assistance you may require while afloat.
All the while, of course, you retain the asset of the boat. Again,
depending on the operator, and the level of quality of the build, this
asset may depreciate relatively slowly compared, say, with a car. If you
simply want to recoup your investment without waiting for the boat to be
sold at some time in the future, most operators will sell your individual
share for you at any time, and if you have chosen a good scheme, this will
probably sell very easily in what is currently a buoyant market.
And yes, I must be biased. But I can truly find very little that would turn the regular boater away from the Shared Ownership option - and the exceptional growth of this particular area of waterway activity would seem to bear me out. As I have already said, the disadvantage is that your boat is shared. And this means that you are obliged to "live with" several other boating enthusiasts who have also taken a stake in the same luxury vessel. But are you?? Again, if you choose the right operator, you can leave all interactions with your fellow owners to the management service, coming together with them only once a year, perhaps, to make decisions like "where shall we keep her next year?" or "does she need a repaint yet?" and so on. On the other hand, I am aware that many of our own boat owners have formed good friendships and actually wait behind to meet each other at the beginning or at the end of a holiday. Indeed, it is a concept that offers the flexibility to do with it what you will. And above all, it is about enjoying yourself, and this generally makes for an easy and co-operative attitude both between individual owners and between the owners and the managers of the scheme.
So, if any of this has whetted your appetite, you might ask "what is the next step?" Certainly, I always recommend that our new enquirers try hiring a boat before taking the plunge and buying a share of their own. But if they then find themselves "bitten by the bug" there are plenty of opportunities to step aboard all shapes and sizes of narrow boats, or river cruisers that are offered within today's Shared Ownership schemes, and then it's just a matter of raiding the piggy bank and choosing the boat that suits you best. Share prices range from around 2,000.00 pounds UK sterling for a share of an older narrow boat to any price you care to name, depending on the operator that you are speaking to. Whatever you decide to do, I hope that we may share a wave (if you'll forgive the pun) at some time in the future as we pass on one of Britain's many and varied canals or rivers - when I can find some time to get out of the office!!
Allen Matthews
OwnerShips
Tel: 020 8888 5555 in London UK (24 hours)
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