I had this cheaply through Amazon or I should be unhappy at the price.
It was published in 2007,by the Residential Boat Owners Association, 96 pages, yet has photos of interiors that look like they are from the 60's; trying to get a country-cottage-look in a boat: the clutter shown was horrendous, enough to put anyone off wanting to live on a boat. However, they were images of the narrowest of narrow boats, and little wider, wide-beam boats, in multiple occupation.
What it does do is to establish that even with a houseboat purchased outright,[if it has been built to not move, no VAT, otherwise........] the inescapable weekly outgoings of moorings [by the foot], council tax, compulsory £2,000,000 insurance, BSS [certificate of seaworthiness], license to be on the water, come to more than my weekly basic state pension!
The RBOA book does touch on working and running a business from one's moated home; another license or two needed.
I am sulking as I write this from feeling thwarted so bear in mind this review is coming from a grumpy pensioner.
It is the purpose of the booklet to bring reality into the picture.It does provide, "Useful Contacts and Glossary." It goes into nothing in an enough detail so that one can begin to make informed choice. It was like having a Chinese meal when one wanted the stodge of mushy peas and chips, and desert, and cheese, and chocolate covered mints, and conversation. It is probably a more convenient start than searching the internet.
For the same publisher price, "Living Aboard," by Nick Corble and Allan Ford seemed not only better value, at 143 pages, but covered the same areas in more detail and, additionally, covered the wide range of boats that could be adapted to be lived on, so that I had a good idea what I wanted by the time I had got through it.
