Thinking about living on a boat...

MrsNurseyC

Hi all,

First of all, let me begin by saying sorry- I wasn't sure of the best place to post this topic, but I hope someone'll be able to point me in the right direction!

Basically, hubby's just been offered a job in a new town, which he'll start in September. Until then, he'll be working for the company in the town we're currently livng in, and our house has just gone on the market, because of this.
However, the new town is considerably 'posher' and more 'exclusive' then where we live at the moment- so realistically we're going to have to try and rent as cheaply as possible, or- as we were thinking this morning- buy a boat, and live on it! The town has a quay area on the river, so i'm not specifically thinking of a canal boat/don't know if a canal boat would be possible.

We're not really sure how to go about this. Ummm- anyone know of anyone that's done a similar thing? And could offer us any tips- we're just not sure where to start, and generating any extra ideas would be great.

Claire x

Fran

Sorry can't help you with why and how, there must be some kind of local group to do with canal boats/boats, perhaps a google search would bring one up in that area?

I would think living on a boat is really bad health wise, damp, bad for your chest etc. ......... Just a thought.

Spendless

Hi
DH had a friend who used to live on one and he has an aunt who rents out her house and lives on a narrow boat.

The friends boat was a lot bigger (longer) than the aunts is. Personally I find the aunts claustrophobic, nowhere to eat your meal at- fine if its a sunny summer day but what if it isn't. The seating area turns into the only bed, whereas friends had a seperate sleeping place. And she has to mess around changing the bathroom over from being a portable toilet to a shower.

I know they have 'boat shows' on at times, so I'd suggest a google search to see what is on. On friends former boat I think I could probably manage but the smaller boat is not for me and definately not in winter!

emg

My brother lives on a canal boat. Most people buy a boat and then rent their moorings. Long-term moorings can be quite expensive and in towns and cities there is often a waiting list for popular spots. Some of the posh marinas dont allow full-time residents. My brother actually pays more in his boat loan and mooring fees combined than i do in rent on a fairly large flat.

Marinas sometimes have electricity hook-ups and water points but mooring points on the side of the canals/rivers often don't so you have to run the engine to generate electricity. At the moment boat diesel is cheaper than normal diesel but this is likely to change in the near future.

A good website is https://www.canaljunction.com. Boats and/or moorings for sale are often advertised on marina noticeboards.

new_leaf_6

I've had a few holidays on a canal boat - must remember to say narrow boat or people get offended. I wouldn't fancy living on a boat for longer than a week unless you want to get up close and personal with the other people you share it with. No space for clothes and stuff. The plus side is the quieter pace of life and the feeling of breaking away from the mad everyday rush that's normal.

emg

residential narrowboats are fitted out a bit differently to holiday boats as they don't need so many berths. Obviously you dont get as much space as in a house but my brother's boat (which is about 70' long - about as long as canal boats can get) has a living room, kitchen, dining area (that converts to a spare full-size double bed), bathroom with 3/4 size bath plus shower, bedroom with full-size double bed, utility room (space for a washing machine and airers) and engine room (treated like a shed!). All of the rooms have a lot of built in storage and the bedroom has built in wardrobes. He shares the boat with his girlfriend and they havent come to blows yet!

Dutch barges are quite a popular choice of houseboat too, they have about twice as much room as a narrowboat and as they are much wider the space is a bit more versatile.

He has all mod cons! Digital tv and radio, wi-fi internet, full size fridge/freezer, cooker, microwave, washing machine, tumble dryer, etc. The only things he has had problems with is not having a permanent address(because he uses short term moorings and moves about a bit), he gets post sent to him at work which is ok but has difficulty registering with GPs, etc.

pavlovs_dog

this might be of interest. an extreme example, but it highlights some of the potential difficulties

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Speaking from grim experience of OH who did this for quite a while. Damp, cold, very expensive.
Most large cities and towns have residential caravan sites on their outskirts - might be worth having a think about that as an alternative. But to be honest, a cheap housing rental will work out cheaper than either a boat or caravan.

Savvy_Sue

have to be quick to Listen Again, but Woman's Hour had a bit about living on a canal boat last Monday. Here. Actually I think if you navigate to Listen Again for the Saturday edition, you'd have nearly another week to catch it! Didn't hear it properly myself so can't say if it was interesting or not!