I'm sure many read Narrowboatworld on the Internet. There is a very good piece on written by Tom Crossley. Link here.....
It makes sober reading and for those who enjoy and love the canals their heritage and their beauty it represents a timely reminder that the reality of the situation is there are many things in the funding queue ahead of the waterways.
It will no doubt be left to the real enthusiast to work on generating the income to pay for the works to keep the waterways open, I cannot see how just the boaters alone can be expected to foot the bill when incomes are falling and costs rising.
Very depressing....
Posts
(RFQ) P.O (#E769224939)
2 days ago
2 comments:
Nev, I haven't read the article but I can guess what he predicts. I'm getting seriously concerned that some of the good things of this world are always going to be just out of reach. Will I ever be able to retire, if the retirement age keeps increasing? When I do eventually retire will there be any navigable waterways left? Do I stick with shared boat ownership and never quite have the freedom of outright ownership, or buy a boat I can't use enough because we still have to work? Or, perhaps, I go for early retirement and live frugally on a reduced pension (spending most of it on boat maintenance, no doubt!)
These are rhetorical questions - I'm not expecting you to tell me what to do!
Halfie,
Sometimes the best things are what we already have but don't appreciate - I am the world’s worst at this game. Love, health family happiness (plus a canal boat of course) all are very valuable.
I have just blogged (will appear tomorrow) about the cost of living aboard. Anything is possible but it sometimes needs a brave move. I am a coward in this respect and will always drop back to the safest position. Maybe in the next few years with age my view will changes and I'll go for it.... I hope so.
One thing I know is I will not work to 66 or later. I will consider that a failure. I have worked since I was 16 I will take the jump at some point, just will depend on more than my own issues (family)
One thing I can tell you is that buying our boat was one of the best things we have done. Even just overnigthting on its moorings (go for linier mooring if you can cheaper and better views IMHO) is a release and a joy. Despite what I'll blog about tomorrow it also gives us an option to stick two fingers up to work and have a meagre but independent life away from the rat race. Whern its bad this is a great comfort.
Ralph Freeman on Waterwaysworld blogs about boat ownership and at the end points the reader to a 'value boat' might be worth a read/look,
Regards
Nev
Post a Comment