Real costs of living on a narrow boat

Linton

JennyP wrote: »

So about £3100 a year for everything else?
So if I reckoned on another £300 per month on top of mooring fees, that'd be about right?
That IS more expensive than I had thought so it's really useful to know.

Just looking through my accounts for last year....

Insurance - £300
Licence - £750
Diesel - £550 depends on how much you cruise.
Repairs - £300 if you dont move the boat there will be fewer repairs needed
Servicing - £200 ditto

And the rest is smokeless fuel, gas, pumpout and general "stuff". Boat owners buy lots of "stuff", someone needs to keep the chandlers in business.

Suggest you spend a lot of time on CWDF, there is a large and active "living afloat" forum there and a lot of other useful info.

JennyP

ampersand wrote: »

Would you have a 4-foot friend aboard? Woof or miaow? Also, are you looking at a complete life/income change? Would you keep a small car/ bicycle?

No four legged friend - I love them but I have asthma!

Yes, I'd keep my car and I have a bike that I never use but I could!

And yes, COMPLETE life change. Everything is changing. I'm going from Yorkshire to the south-east. I am unemployed so need to find work and I think I might want to do something different but not sure what or how! And I will go from sharing a house with my best friend to living alone. Plus I'm single so if I could find Mr Right (preferably with his own narrowboat!!!) that'd be perfect!

It's really scary. For the first time in my life, there are no constant things. I mean, when I got divorced, I bought my ex out and stayed in the house so was living in the same place and I had my job so went to work as normal. This is literally everything changing! Exciting but scary!

sabretoothtigger

Continuous cruising sounds a tough and transient way to live

sounds exciting to me but more work then a house yea. I read its possible to get a mortgage for a boat.

Could the amount needed for heating be because its not especially insulated well, being a boat and all. Not sure theres much way to improve that problem

Gonzo1987

sabretoothtigger wrote: »

sounds exciting to me but more work then a house yea. I read its possible to get a mortgage for a boat.

It is indeed - and what I hope to do once i've raised a 25% deposit

http://www.royscotlarch.co.uk/Inland-Waterways/Narrowboat-Widebeam-Finance.html

Errata

JennyP wrote: »

Thank you.
Yes, I realise it would depreciate. I was told about £1K per year on the £40K boat I've been looking at. So I did think I could try it for a year and see how much it worked out at and whether or not I liked it.
Those heating costs are much, much more than I thought they'd be!

Heating costs are high because you're living in something that's sitting up to its waist in freezing cold water. and the air surrounding it contains moisture.

nine9feet

Linton wrote: »

Its a great life moving in good weather, but if I was stuck in a 57 foot corridor in a bleak marina for 3 cold and wet winter months I would start twitching.

This is where I have the advantage in that I travel all the time - it's why I bought the boat and why I live aboard. Travelling in winter is great! Just have to be careful if icy. Don't get me wrong, I love the green English summer as well. But in winter there are very few boats on the move and the view is completely different as the trees and hedgerows are bare.

John
NB Samsara

padington

Gonzo1987 wrote: »

It is indeed - and what I hope to do once i've raised a 25% deposit

http://www.royscotlarch.co.uk/Inland-Waterways/Narrowboat-Widebeam-Finance.html

What interest rates do they currently offer ?

JennyP

If anyone who was kind enough to post on this thread is still interested, I am about to make a purchase this week! Fingers crossed. Got to get a survey and everything. So in a couple of months, I should have an answer to my own question!
Of course, only I could choose to do this when they're forecasting an arctic winter in Britain. But I have friends I can stay with if it's too horrid!

AdrianC

Good for you, Jenny.

Another blog for you, some friends of ours who moved to live aboard a narrow boat a few years back - they're still there, and still love it...
http://becominglistless.blogspot.co.uk/

...and some other friends of ours who not only live aboard, but use the boat as their business, too...
http://furnessvale.blogspot.co.uk/

JennyP

AdrianC wrote: »

...and some other friends of ours who not only live aboard, but use the boat as their business, too...
http://furnessvale.blogspot.co.uk/

Thank you!
Going to try things down south for a little while but most of my friends are either in West Yorkshire or in Buxton / Whaley Bridge and I was wondering about Furness Vale!!!! Small world!