Living on a narrowboat

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Living on a narrowboat
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woodyandluna

Joined: 05 Jul 2005
Posts: 71
Location: Milton Keynes

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 05 11:56 am Post subject: Living on a narrowboat

Does anyone here have any experience of living on a narrowboat?

I've holidayed on one a couple of times and I really enjoyed it. I'd love to live on one. I understand that the hardest part is finding a residential mooring. Has anyone got any advice?

If I found someone with land backing onto a canal/waterway, could I moor there (with their permission of course!) legally?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance,

Brica

Blue Peter

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 2400
Location: Milton Keynes

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 05 2:26 pm Post subject:
Judging by the first reply on page 2 of this thread: https://forum.downsizer.net/about6179.html PastPresentFuture might be able to help, Peter.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 05 2:32 pm Post subject:
The British Waterways and associated website may have some info. They have sections on moorings etc or maybe call them for quick advice: https://www.waterscape.com/boating/ https://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/about_us/index.html

thos

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 1139
Location: Jauche, Duchy of Brabant (Bourgogne-ci) and Charolles, Duchy of Burgundy (Bourgogne-�a)

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 05 2:37 pm Post subject:
Before you get carried away, go for a week's holiday in January to make sure you really like it.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 05 5:59 pm Post subject:
PastPresentFuture lived on a narrowboat for a while...you could try pM'ing him.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 05 8:39 pm Post subject:

My nan and grandad used to live on a narrowboat, and yes finding a permanent mooring would be the hardest bit. Their not cheap (except compared to houses) and I wouldn't like to have a family living on one, but for just two, they were so cosy (they had a small woodburner for heating and hot water) even in winter Solar hot water would be a good idea too (otherwise you need to install a boiler, or run the engine for hot water!). I don't see that it would be any worse in January than July, if you're not going anywhere.

Check british waterways about the moorings - I'd imagine so, though. If you could get a shed or something it makes an enormous difference - to keep the wood, and the freezer and stuff in. I couldn't live on one, because my books wouldn't fit, but I guess its true downsizing! If you don't like it, you can always sell it again, or keep it for holidays!

tescos in leighton buzzard backs on to the canal, and has short stay moorings so you can do your shopping there!

barefoot_boo

Joined: 06 Aug 2005
Posts: 399
Location: Wiltshire

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 05 9:20 am Post subject:
Have a look on Apollo Duck: https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/ They have lots of interesting narrowboat stuff (including moorings) for sale.

nora

Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Posts: 1539
Location: West Yorkshire

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 05 9:42 am Post subject:
You could have a look on here too: https://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/pages/house_boats.php?page=1

troyannick

Joined: 24 Dec 2011
Posts: 605

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 12 4:15 pm Post subject:
Think it depends where you are, southern counties and London is difficult NW England you can get a decent mooring

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 12 4:16 pm Post subject:
Except you're in NW England.

troyannick

Joined: 24 Dec 2011
Posts: 605

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 12 4:23 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

Except you're in NW England.

Some good Marinas Preston Brook, Moonsbridge, Galgate lancaster,
Chorley White Bear is nice NW England canals are beautiful. NW England isnt but the canals are

12Bore

Joined: 15 Jun 2008
Posts: 9089
Location: Paddling in the Mersey

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 12 4:42 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

Except you're in NW England.

Thhrrrrruuuupppppp!

Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 12 6:03 pm Post subject: Re: Living on a narrowboat

woodyandluna wrote:

If I found someone with land backing onto a canal/waterway, could I moor there (with their permission of course!) legally?
Brica

No, you'd still need a mooring permit from BW - and that would also need permission to have a mooring at that spot in the first place - they are trying to reduce on line moorings, so would be unlikely to look favourably on a new 'end of garden' mooring.

Living on a boat is hard work - really hard work, you have to bring in everything you need & take out all your waste as well. That might mean taking an elsan cassette to the elsan point in the car every couple of days, or taking the boat to the boatyard every week (whether or not the canal is frozen) then there's fuel - again you can bring it in in the car, although boatyards aren't supposed to sell it in cans. Plus gas - heavy and awkward. And there's no guarantee that your mooring will be adjacent to the track / road for getting things in & out of the boat/ car.

I haven't even touched on shopping/washing/ laundry etc. Take the advice above - hire a boat for a week in wintwe & see what you think after that. Or take yourself down to a boaters pub and pick the brains of some liveaboards (you'll be amazed how quickly the conversation with boaters inevitably turns to toilets and engine problems)

Boats are lovely in summer, but can be 'orrible in the winter. It's not an easy life by any means.

I have a number of liveaboard friends - and have spent a lot of time on the cut - even working for waterways once or twice on short term contracts.

madcat

Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 1265
Location: worcester

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 12 7:27 pm Post subject:

argree with Midland Spinner,my mates mostly all live on their boats and it is a hard life at times. Iced in and unable to move till it thaws for 3 winters in a row.
Wander over to Canalworld forum and have a good read and then start asking questions,ignore the selection of miserable sods who look up from their daily mail only to be grumpy there are some good helpfull people on there as well.
My husband refused to live on a boat,I've done it when single on a very basic boat but I was happy.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 12 7:36 pm Post subject:
This thread is from 2005

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