The Snow Goose
The time has come, sadly, to sell our beloved home. For the past 7 years, we have had a fantastic time living the dream on the waterways, and have very much enjoyed being close to nature and having the flexibility to move our home whenever the urge takes us. We have now moved to the Suffolk Coast and a different type of living, still close to nature but by the sea instead of on the river. Consequently, our boat is now available for someone who wishes to try an alternative and wonderful lifestyle.
The Snow Goose is 62ft x 11ft widebeam canal boat built to live aboard with all home comforts. Fully self contained with large water tank, solar panels and powerful diesel engine making her ideal for continuous cruising. There are 4 permanent berths (2 adults, 2 children) with an extra 2 berths using sofa bed in lounge.
The Snow Goose was built in 2013/2014. The shell was constructed at North Ollerton by Paul Widdowson Boats and then in early 2014 she was delivered to Pillings Lock Marina where the fit-out took place and was completed in June 2014.
Two solar panels can be tilted and swivelled to gain the most power from the sun, generating a maximum of 500 watts in ideal conditions. This is ample to keep the batteries topped up on sunny days and will deliver a trickle charge on cloudy days. More panels can be added to the existing controller if required.
Heating is by either the 5kw stove which will burn coal or wood. This generates plenty of heat and can be supplemented by full diesel central heating on extremely cold days. The central heating is controlled by a Nest thermostat and can be operated remotely by phone to warm the boat up for when you arrive on board.
On hot days, we like to sit at the table on the front deck with a glass of wine and watch the wildlife. On rainy days, we sit on the light and airy rear deck under the canopy and do likewise. The canopy can be folded down in a few minutes for cruising or for a completely open rear deck.
Cooking is by gas hob, lighting runs from the 12v leisure batteries and there are ample 230v mains sockets throughout the boat. These are powered by the 3kw inverter when the boat is not connected to shore power. Solar panels keep the batteries topped up when moored away from base and the engine alternator does the same whilst cruising. Back at base, shore power will charge both leisure and starter batteries ensuring they are always fully charged.
Internet is provided by a MiFi router connected to an aerial on the roof. This provides decent internet on the move and in most locations.
The boat is designed for living aboard, with large water tank, lots of inside space and solar power. She is ideal for continuous cruising, especially if you add more solar panels.
Currently moored at Mountsorrel Marina. Moorings may be available by negotiation.
For sale at £85,000. This is to reflect the fact that some attention is required to the external paintwork. We value the boat at £95,000 so the price will allow for a professional paint respray or you may wish to save money and touch up the paintwork yourself.
Currently we are advertising the boat only by word of mouth and social media. If we do not sell her by this method, she will go on brokerage and the price will be raised slightly to account for brokerage fees. This is a limited time opportunity to buy a fully-equipped live-aboard canal and river boat at a great price.
Extent of Cruising
Being a widebeam, the boat cannot travel on all canals. The canals were built to accommodate a standard narrowboat width of 6’ 10”, so single-width canals cannot accommodate anything wider. However, there are a lot of double width canals which will easily take widebeams up to 14’. Of course, all rivers are plenty wide enough. From Loughborough, you can travel south through Leicester as far as Market Harborough. You cannot pass through Foxton Locks and so anywhere further south requires a crane lift out. Many people do this and spend a while on the southern waterways such as the Kennet & Avon and the Thames. Heading north, you can go as far west as Burton-Upon-Trent and eastwards through Nottingham allows you to visit Boston, Lincs and many other waterways in the north such as the Leeds and Liverpool.
Costs:
Insurance: We currently pay £150 per year
River Licence: Approx £600 per year
Mooring: Usually between £250 and £350 per month
Electricity: We use about £10 per month or less when connected to shoreline.
Gas: Around £12 per month.
Diesel: Varies hugely depending on travel and how much you use the heating. No VAT payable on diesel used for heating.
Coal / Wood: Only used in the winter months, around £300—£350 per year (or forage your own wood for free).