What are your thoughts on liveaboard narrowboats ?

Question

I am very attracted to the idea of permanently living aboard a narrowboat. I used to row regularly when I was at school and used to love the canal especially on a winter morning when it was incredibly quiet and yet in the city. I am a nurse so I could relocate more or less anywhere within commuting distance of a hospital so would be happy to go wherever I could find a residential mooring. I am single so no partner or kids to worry about squeezing in. My main worries are that I would spend all my savings/borrow money and then find that in a few years the boat was no longer habitable and had depreciated so I'd have nothing and also that I'd miss having neighbours and find it an isolating experience with just passing tourists for company. What is your advice ?

Answer 1

I lived aboard a narrowboat for nearly 3 years,,,,it is not cheap,,firstly you have to decide if you want to be continually cruising or try to get a residential berth,,,,we paid nearly a £1,000 /year for our mooring + council tax,,if you prefer continual cruising you will have to do a certain amount of lock miles each fortnight....start reading the magazines like Canal World and Waterways World to get prices and lots of info,,of look up the Residential Boat Owners Association (RBOA)and send of for their booklet "Living afloat" for advice and contact numbers.....But do not go into it thinking it is all picnics by the river and some idyllic life style,,,it is hard in winter and you will find a job to do everyday on your boat

Answer 2

I agree that the idea of living aboard a narrowboat seems attractive, but have you actually ever been on one? If the answer is "no" then there may be many factors you need to consider which you probably have not thought about.

For example, residential moorings commonly have a mains power supply available and sometimes a phone line but rarely running water and never sewerage. So you have to move the boat regularly from your mooring to top up with water and empty the loo.Your cooking will probably be by gas so you will have to renew gas bottles too.

Moorings are generally of two types - marina and linear. Marina moorings tend to have more facilities and you will usually have neighbours as the boats are moored up in parallel. On linear moorings it isn't quite the same but often there is still the community feeling so you should not feel isolated when there are other residents.

Unless you are lucky and can afford a large boat, there will not be a lot of storage space aboard and so when you move onto the boat you will have to par down your worldly goods to a minimum. If you can live that lifestyle, go ahead. But plan/budget to maintain your boat as needed then it will not become inhabitable!

Finally you may recognise that you need to do lots more research. I suggest you join one of the canal forums such as http://www.canalworld.net/forums/ and/or join the Canals mail list at Yahoo (see http://www.canals.com/maillist.htm for explanation). These forums have lots of liveaboards as members and they will happily answer any question you may have, plus you can search the archives.

Lastly try reading some of the blogs of residential boaters such as http://narrowboater.blogspot.com/ or http://khayamanzi.blogspot.com/. A good list is at http://del.icio.us/nine9feet/narrowboat.

Answer 3

I lived on narrow boats for 8yrs.My first one was a cheap wreck and I was constantly ploughing money into it so I bought a brand new shell and fitted it out myself and ploughed even more money into it.I just sold up because its changed so much since I first got on the cut.All my friends have had enough of it too but they are stuck now and cannot get on the housing ladder.
The good points....
Early winter mornings (winter is the only time you get peace and quiet.
Freedom to go differant places with your home (if you don't have to work and keep a car)
Great wildlife watching.
Meet interesting characters.
Good pubs on your doorstep

The bad points..
Most of the year you will get zero peace and quiet There is always someone to disturb you be it a family speeding by on a hire boat all shouting about coffee etc at 6am on a Sunday or anglers shouting to each other at either end of your boat at some stupid time of day then they will leave a load of rubbish on the bank for you to clear up.
You will struggle to get a mooring anywhere now.
Parking is always limited and the scallys know you have just walked down the path for half a mile and wont be back so if like me you have a van full of tools its a constant worry.

There is lots to consider and I have only touched on it.
Take a walk along the cut and talk to people on the boats.
Good luck

Answer 4

This hard to answer. It depend on what a person enjoy. I live in America and I not see many narrow boats here. But, they are nice looking boats. Myself, I am looking for a sailboat to live on and will probably move around often. Here in America on the East coast we have what called; "America's Great Loop" it up the East coast, then through the Great Lakes, down the Illinois River @ Chicago to the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. So, anyway, I thought of doing this and exploring the many rivers. That keep me moving around for a few years. Then I want to circumnavigate the world, I not sure a narrow boat do this? So, with all that, I figure I die somewhere along the way from old age, but, be able to keep moving around and not always be paying for a boat slip.
Now, with my little story told, I feel I would enjoy this and there many people to meet here and there, so, I not think I be lonely. Though there will be times I may be alone.

Answer 5

You need to consider the cost. Boats depreciate. Moorings are not currently available and definitely not where you will want one. Cost of moorings is set to go through the roof with them being auctioned by BW.

If you have the money and are not worried about a "sinking" fund to live on board then do it but only if you are enthusiastic and have thoroughly researched what it is you want and what you are letting yourself in for.

This lot of answers here I feel will put you off and if so then do not do it. If it sets you firmly into doing it good luck - you will need it.

Answer 6

They can seem attractive but you have lots to consider.

costs: make sure you account for licience, insurance, moorings, regular maintenance + out of water blacking, mooring fee.

Mooring: There are very few permanent live-about moorings available, normally with a waiting list. I'm tempted to say "virtually none"

BW are clamping down on illegal live-aboards and fake continuous crusiers.

Boat depreciate, houses increase in value.

Generally the cost will be similar to renting a small place.

Answer 7

where i live many people live aboard boats of all types..
it is not cheap at all. dock fees utilities sewage and garbage disposal all add up.
that being said, most marinas have a good bond between the residents..
spring summer and fall are nice..
winter is wet and cold...
there is some fog almost every day on the water.
unless it's raining
everything you own will be damp..
i would say 8 out of 10 sell after the first winter

Answer 8

If you are able, look at a shell made from marine-grade aluminium alloy. Although they are expensive to buy new, they don't depreciate like steel and don't need to come out of the water regularly to have the rust scraped off and be re-blacked. They don't lose value like steel, either.
"Sea Otter" are the principal builders in the UK - have a look at their web site.
The marinas along the Trent & Mersey area are pretty reasonably priced (the closer you are to London, the more expensive it seems to become) but I don't know how many of them have residential moorings.

Answer 9

I think that you need to consider it a bit more first. These boats are not cheap and although the idea sounds great (I would love to do the same!) the practicalities are immense.

PS. My son is called Ben G too! (there are two Bens in his class, so he is Ben G!)

Answer 10

What a Beautiful Thought.