Dream come true maybe...

[Seaman Shaggy]

Hello guys, I am just saying a big hello on my first post! Let me jump right in and ask a few questions if I may. I have zero experience to owning a boat. My dream is to cruise the canals in France as a liveaboard and home, and I am currently looking at a choice of three so far.

1. A Dutch sailing barge 1898 iron hull Sailing Boats - Barge NC for sale

2. A Dutch steel liveaboard 1974
https://www.apolloduck.fr/boat/house...or-sale/650971

3. And a boat I saw on the canal yesterday for sale and I have no idea what this boat is, maybe someone could give me some more information please?
I have attached two pics of her.

Any advice also would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[Pete7]

Welcome to CF

Do you have French residency? since Brexit it has all got rather more complicated. Worth having a good read a search on here about Brexit. This is for you to live in France and a great goal btw

Then there is the boat. That's a separate issue and has different rules to people. If its a UK boat, well VAT and import duty will now be due if you take it to France. Suggest then you stick to buying a boat in the EU or risk a 20% VAT bill. Don't bring it back to the UK or you may get another 20% VAT bill.
Again worth a read on CF as it has been discussed regularly of late.

Do check the length, depth and air draft (under bridges) of any vessel you are thinking of buying against the canals you want to explore. The some of the more pretty canals are quite shallow and have a low air draft.

https://www.michaelbriant.com/french_canal_routes.htm

Good luck

[Seaman Shaggy]

Thanks, yes I live in France and an EU passport. This Brexit is very complicated and your advice and links are very helpful. I have read that the Capestang bridge on the Canal du Midi has the lowest air draught I think of 2.8m I can't remember now. By the way do you know what type of boat in the 2pics I posted. Thanks

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Shaggy.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Seaman Shaggy

Thanks, yes I live in France and an EU passport. This Brexit is very complicated and your advice and links are very helpful. I have read that the Capestang bridge on the Canal du Midi has the lowest air draught I think of 2.8m I can't remember now. By the way do you know what type of boat in the 2pics I posted. Thanks

The canal Du Midi is one of the big ones, I want to do the St Malo to Nantes, that one is really shallow. I have been as far as Dinan and then there is a bridge with a 2.5m air draft in the middle of the arch

This might be helpful, but sorry can't identify the boat. Its steel which means its easy to make one off boats rather than GRP which requires a mould so needs a production run to pay back the initial cost of making the mould.


https://www.french-waterways.com/pra.../canal-depths/