Prices and Running Costs
Our big generator engine averages about 5 litres/hr, the small one about 1 litre/hr and the propulsion engine about 4/6 litres/hr when cruising canals.
The hull is insured for €200,000 including contents of €40,000 with jewellery up to €2,500 and computers up to €5,000 with public liability of €5m for a premium of just over €1,000. Cover includes €10,000 death cover or €20,000 disability cover due to accidents on board, our inflatable dinghy and outboard motor, our two bikes, cash up to €500. It includes collision, fire, explosion, theft, vandalism, water, rain, snow, leakage from oil/water tanks or pipes/central heating system/stoves working on oil fuel, smoke or soot damage. They even include hotel and furniture storage costs if we are unable to live on board for up to 12 months. We are insured with Oranje in Groningen, Holland.
Mooring charges vary between zero and €1.50 per metre per night depending on which country you are in and the facilities provided. In Flanders we pay €100 per year to use the canal system and in Winter, €100 per month for our mooring fees in the centre of Kortrijk in Belgium including electricity and water connections. Outside the winter months the current (2012) mooring fee is €8 per day. Some overnight moorings. particularly in France, are free including free electricity.
In Holland there is no charge for using the canal system but you pay for everything including water on the main rivers although there are some free water points on the canals. There are plenty of places in Holland we can moor for nothing, especially with our spudpoles, but we have learnt to avoid "recreation areas" where we were once charged €35 per night with no facilities!
France is more expensive, €433 per year for Harmonie in 2008 but you must put that against the huge canal and river network you can use in France. Like Holland you can pay a lot for mooring or nothing if you are careful.
Finally there are the maintenance costs. Difficult to put a figure on this apart from the routine maintenance like oil changes and filters for the engines every 400 hours (about €50) and dry docking and hull blacking every few years(currently about €1,200). We do our own painting and have enough paint in the locker to last a lifetime. Other maintenance costs should be similar to a small house for things like central heating and electrical appliances.