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Long term living aboard. Pros and Cons

Robert & Liz

By Robert & Liz
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Robert & Liz Gongoozler

Robert & Liz

Posted
Posted

Hi all,

This is a most useful forum, as we are looking at buying a narrow boat and wandering the canals. Living on board while health permits and so on.

If I can ask a question or two, about size and fit outs?

 

I seem to see that a 60ft boat, 6'10 wide seems to be the ideal for being able to cover most canals. I don't think I'll live long enough to cover all of them - I'd have to reach about 150 I think! But the main canals, and more well known paths would be nice. Diesel engine. Solar panels.

There is only the two of us, so we don't need lots of "stuff" onboard. Just bedroom, loo/shower, lounge/kitchen area, and probably some 'storage' way forward.

 

Someone on a website somewhere ... indicated that about 4,000 pounds a year would be average for annual costs. Obviouisly thee would be unplanned extras from time, but does that sound about right?

 

So I'm wondering if any long term narrow boat living people would care to share any experiences with us? The good, the bad, the ugly?

In short - from your own experiences, would you recommend it as a life style..

 

thanks

Robert & Liz

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GSer Experienced

GSer

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I do most of my own work on the boat, and i take a winter mooring and travel all the summer, costs are easily less than £4k, more like £3k max. For a 70' narrowboat. Inc fuels (coal,gas diesel) winter mooring, gold licence and insurance

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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Nearly sx years aboard now. My conclusions (well, my main irritations) -

 

Its a bit like living in a horizontal filing cabinet with all your stuff. If you've ever worked behind a bar, you'll know that feeling of having to shuffle around one another in limited space, well on a narrowboat it's like that permanently!

 

Everything takes longer and is more of a faff than in a house, one of my friends who is ex liveboard calls it 'boat toil' . This can be especially annoying in winter when its dark at 4pm and youre messing about with a hose pipe outside, wearing a head torch.

 

Lack of inside space means trying to fix your pushbike, outside, in the dark, whereas a housedweller wouldnt have that problem.

 

But the summer can be amazing, past two years we've spent it on the Thames where we moor on islands and canoe and swim. I'm really enjoying this winter, too, now we are used to keeping the fire in all night it's really snug onboard.

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Guest wanted

Guest wanted

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Were coming up to 4 years living aboard but are in our 3rd week of living on a boat that we actually own. I't's amazing and I wouldnt have it another way. It can be harder but most of all it's just different. Go for it, and make sure you pop into Brentford for a cuppa....

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Mac of Cygnet Veteran II

Mac of CygnetDonate to Canal World

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.........being able to cover most canals. I don't think I'll live long enough to cover all of them - I'd have to reach about 150 I think!

 

It doesn't take that long! Even at a leisurely pace, you should be able to explore the whole system in 3 - 4 years. Tony Haynes ('Canaldrifter') did it in two, even while disabled.

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Ally Influencer

Ally

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9 years living aboard, and building them around myself. I will eventually leave living aboard via Social Services carrying me kicking, screaming, incontinent and dementing at a ripe old age, into a care home (that's the theory anyway!!) at which point I will make a right nuisance of myself and mutter on about emptying toilets and checking batteries..........

Yep, kinda like the life and the community within it!! :D

  • Greenie 4
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Higgs Influencer

Higgs

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I live on a 60' - seems fine for space. Not cruising at the moment, but in a marina. Not ideal, but necessary for the time being. When cruising, there's nothing like being pushed around by your engine and picking your view for the end of the day, stopping at villages and site seeing. Going through dripping tunnels, lock conversations, the odd fright and sometimes underdoing a turn at the wrong speed and ending up bows buried in the bushes.

 

Mention that you live on a narrowboat and some are quite envious, but I'm sure it's mostly some romantic idea they have. Other's think you're slumming it and freezing to death in the winter on some dirty putrid water.

 

I'm no masochists, but I enjoy being free of utility companies and streets and convenience. No hawkers, cold callers and pesky neighbours - peace and quiet, if you want it. But, you have your motorised floating home and cafe/restaurant and hotel, the heritage and rough edges.

 

It's mostly fun.

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Starcoaster Veteran

Starcoaster

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Posted (edited)

I thought I heard my name mentioned! :lol: My 37 point guide has now become expanded to a total of 50 points and the extended version is going to be gracing the pages of the April edition of 'Waterways World.' (woo hoo! Beer money! :D)

 

My boat is only 30', and I moved aboard on the 31st October, mainly because that was when I got the boat but also because it seemed wise to do the winter first to be sure I could hack it, and then enjoy the summer.

I was more or less told my winter would be horrible, but stick it out because spring and summer would be amazing.

I know we're not quite out of winter yet (and also that we've had a very mild winter... Last year might have been a very different story!) but it's not been 'horrible' very much at all.

 

I am amazed that things like emptying my own toilet, having a ten minute walk to the shower, and washing up via bottled water and kettles (water tank drained for winter when I got the boat, and there seemed little point in cleaning it out and refilling it when the pontoon taps are off until the end of March and I don't really 'need' running water, due to having no shower yet) have not felt like more of a chore/ inconvenience.

I am sure that when I have the odd shitey day they will then get to me exponentially, but so far so good.

 

Also when I first moved onto the boat, it seemed tiny (well, tinier than it actually is!) and I could not walk through it without bashing things, knocking things and scraping past things.

As time has gone on, the boat interior seems to have gotten bigger, or more to the point, I have gotten familiar with it, and can now move around it automatically knowing what is where relatively gracefully and without bashing into everything, instead of feeling like a wind up toy that keeps careening into walls with no rhyme nor reason.

Edited by Starcoaster
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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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Posted

i will eventually leave living aboard via Social Services carrying me kicking, screaming, incontinent and dementing at a ripe old age, into a care home (that's the theory anyway!!) at which point I will make a right nuisance of myself and mutter on about emptying toilets and checking batteries..........

Yep, kinda like the life and the community within it!! :D

This is me. i have to spend quite a lot of time away from the boat, I just want be onboard all of the time!

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mrsmelly Veteran II

mrsmellyDonate to Canal World

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I'm no masochists, but I enjoy being free of utility companies and streets and convenience.

 

This sentence sums it up for me. We owned a house outright BUT decided to live on a boat. Personaly I would rather live on a paid for boat than have any form of mortgage. My sisters have large properties all rather nice BUT they dont have the freedom of life that we have. With any fom of mortgage or bank loan your life is not your own it belongs to the loan company and you have to tow the line and work wether you want to or not. You listen to peole saying things like " Hes doing well got a big house you know " irespective of wether he is mortgaged up to the hilt. To me someone with a PAID for one bed flat is doing far better than someone with a large house and a mortgage.

Freedom thats what its all about :cheers:

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Chris Pink Veteran II

Chris Pink

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!

 

Everything takes longer and is more of a faff than in a house, one of my friends who is ex u calls it 'boat toil' . This can be especially annoying in winter when its dark at 4pm and youre messing about with a hose pipe outside, wearing a head torch.

 

 

But the summer can be amazing, past two years we've spent it on the Thames where we moor on islands and canoe and swim. I'm really enjoying this winter, too, now we are used to keeping the fire in all night it's really snug onboard.

 

In the winter we live like peasants

In the summer we live like kings

  • Greenie 3
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