Narrowboat Living – Is living in a Narrowboat all that it seems?

Website design By BotEap.comLife on a cramped ship has a certain romantic appeal. The inhabitants of narrow boats lead a peaceful life. You can see yourself in his place. A life of leisure surrounded by beautiful scenery living on a spacious and beautifully furnished canal boat that can move in the blink of an eye to almost anywhere on the 2,200 miles of the UK canal network.

Website design By BotEap.comBut does the narrow boat live all gin and tonics under the sun? What is the reality of life aboard a narrow ship? Is that reality right for you?

Website design By BotEap.comOne of your initial considerations, of course, has to be cost. The cost of buying your own narrow boat, the cost of somewhere to moor it, the cost of operating it, and the cost of maintaining it. The cost is probably not as small as you think.

Website design By BotEap.comBuying your own narrow boat will likely be the biggest purchase you’ll ever make, after buying your own home. It will likely cost more than a decent sized RV…and it will probably cost more to maintain.

Website design By BotEap.comYou can expect to pay £20,000 for a small used canal boat. At that price, you can expect a boat that has seen better days and will probably be too small if you intend to live on your boat with your partner.

Website design By BotEap.comIf you double your budget to £40,000, you can buy a narrow boat long enough to have enough room to live comfortably on board, but you’ll still have to settle for something a few years old.

Website design By BotEap.comAdd another £20,000 to your budget if you want to consider new narrowboats built to standard factory specifications. Of course, many shipyards will add all the bells and whistles you want to give you a unique boat with all the creature comforts… at a price.

Website design By BotEap.comHowever, before you part with your money, you should think very carefully about where you are going to moor your boat. Do you intend to continually travel the canal network or find a canal bank or marina to make your new “garden”?

Website design By BotEap.comThere are literally hundreds of narrow boat marinas in the UK. They all offer something different. Different scenarios, different facilities and different levels of service. Some allow you to live aboard their cramped ship, but many don’t. Most charge different rates based on the length of your boat, the length of your stay, and how much you use the marina.

Website design By BotEap.comYou don’t have to tie up at a marina. You can moor permanently in the channel, but only in designated places if you intend to moor there long-term. Extended stays at moorings designed for only one or two nights’ rest will attract unwanted attention from British Waterways staff, who will usually transfer you.

Website design By BotEap.comOnce you have your narrow boat and a place to tie it up, you need to consider the day-to-day running costs. You need insurance, a license to use the canal network, regular inspections to make sure your boat is “roadworthy”, diesel for propulsion and/or heating, gas for cooking or heating, maybe coal for your stove and all their other livelihoods on the mainland. expenses such as food, drink, television license if you are going to take it on board, clothing, mobile phone and Internet connection.

Website design By BotEap.comOnce you’ve done your sums and decided you can afford to live afloat, you need to think carefully about whether you really want to do it and if it’s really practical for you to do so.

Website design By BotEap.comAlthough there are some families who live in narrow boats, it is not really feasible. There just isn’t enough space. Very little room for the older kids to live in and very little room for the younger kids to let off steam.

Website design By BotEap.comYou still work? Will you be able to tie up close enough to work to travel comfortably? If you leave work early and come back late, how are you going to feel if you return to a cold boat, have to light a fire, fill up with water or empty your toilet?

Website design By BotEap.comHave you considered your health needs? Of course, your boat won’t be connected to the city hall’s sewage system, so you’ll have to deal with your human waste in one of two ways. You will have a large storage tank on board that you need to empty when full (requires moving your boat to the nearest pump station) or a portable toilet with a removable waste container that you can take out of your narrow boat to the nearest disposal point

Website design By BotEap.comYou need to consider all of the above and more. How will you communicate with the outside world? How will you collect your “postal mail”, will you be able to receive incoming phone calls, read emails and surf the Internet; and what about the food? Will you be able to get to and from the supermarket from your boat? What will you do with dentists, doctors, hospitals and opticians (and schools if you decide to live on board with your children)?

Website design By BotEap.comFrom this article, you may think that I am against living in a narrow boat. I am not. Could not be farther from the truth. I live alone on a narrow boat moored in a beautiful marina in the heart of rural Warwickshire. I just looked up from my keyboard to rest my eyes and looked out the window to see a swan chasing a goose twenty feet away against a backdrop of trees and spring flowers. It’s a fantastic sight and it’s a fantastic way to live. You just need to make sure it’s the right life for you.