Real costs of living on a narrow boat

suelees1

Jenny, have you joined any of the forums on Facebook such as Narrowboat Users Group? Very informative. I've got most of my knowledge from there and we've just bought our first nb

JennyP

If anyone is interested, since I started this thread I have paid the deposit on a boat and should be moving on board in January. In some ways the worst time of year to move on board. In other ways, the best. If it's ok in January, I'll manage the rest of the year no problem!
So soon I'll have first hand experience of what the costs of life afloat are!
I've not exactly bought a moneysaving, budget boat! But I am planning to live fairly frugally and have a new part-time job starting in January (I was unemployed when I started the thread!) It's a total life change as I will be moving from Yorkshire to London! Can't wait!

Snakey

You're brave! Until a couple of weeks ago I walked through Paddington Basin twice a day on my way to work and back and it looked perishing on those boats. I remember seeing this thread when you first posted it and I kept thinking of the quote above about your boat "sitting up to its waist in freezing cold water". It must be do-able though as many of them looked occupied and I heard no wails of misery.

It's a shame that holiday rental companies don't operate at this time of year otherwise you could have tested it out for literally a week and seen how it felt.

Well done for having the courage of your convictions and I hope it works out!

JennyP

It was too expensive to test it out. I've stayed on a friend's boat midwinter when it was freezing outside. The night before I'd been in a hotel and the heating there hadn't been that great and I'd been cold. Then on the boat it was as warm as toast thanks to her woodburner. My new boat has a woodburner with a backboiler and radiators in every room. When I saw her, it was so warm on board I took all my layers off! So fingers crossed, I'll be able to keep her nice and warm. I hate being cold more than anything.

Linton

JennyP wrote: »

If anyone is interested, since I started this thread I have paid the deposit on a boat and should be moving on board in January. In some ways the worst time of year to move on board. In other ways, the best. If it's ok in January, I'll manage the rest of the year no problem!
So soon I'll have first hand experience of what the costs of life afloat are!
I've not exactly bought a moneysaving, budget boat! But I am planning to live fairly frugally and have a new part-time job starting in January (I was unemployed when I started the thread!) It's a total life change as I will be moving from Yorkshire to London! Can't wait!

Do you have somewhere to moor in London? Quite a few boats without any permanent mooring stay around the London canals trying to move as little as possible, using the canal as cheap housing. This will become an increasingly difficult way of life as C&RT are putting more time and effort in ensuring that people do keep moving both frequently and by meaningful distances in line with the letter and spirit of the rules.

JennyP

I have moorings. I got lucky!
I feel safer being moored up properly with locked gates and everything even though it will cost more money.

Linton

JennyP wrote: »

I have moorings. I got lucky!
I feel safer being moored up properly with locked gates and everything even though it will cost more money.

Well done! You have a boat. You have moorings in London. It should be a great life. Hope you have the chance to journey around the system. It's a wonderful relaxing experience and very different to the noisy crowded world ashore - almost a parallel universe.

NobodysChild

JennyP wrote: »

If anyone is interested, since I started this thread I have paid the deposit on a boat and should be moving on board in January. In some ways the worst time of year to move on board. In other ways, the best. If it's ok in January, I'll manage the rest of the year no problem!
So soon I'll have first hand experience of what the costs of life afloat are!
I've not exactly bought a moneysaving, budget boat! But I am planning to live fairly frugally and have a new part-time job starting in January (I was unemployed when I started the thread!) It's a total life change as I will be moving from Yorkshire to London! Can't wait!

Good luck Jenny. It wouldn't be the life for me, but if it suits you, then that's great. I know plenty of people live happily on narrowboats, so I am sure you'll enjoy it.

ManuelG

JennyP wrote: »

I hate being cold more than anything.

Fair play, it's something I like the idea of but am not brave enough to try myself. Have to admit if you hate the cold, I might have thought of a different lifestyle change!

If you can last February and March though, guess you'll know it's for you!

mickspangle

good luck with whatever you do, although it sounds like you're well on the way to doing it. We've done 13 years on a NB, and if I can distill my experiences it is this:

1. you can live very cheaply, if you want to spend all your time foraging and living frugally.
2. if you want a comparable quality of convenience to a house, it will cost a similar amount
3. the only real reason for living on a boat is because you want to live on a boat. if you are doing it for economic reasons then you will not get the most out of it.
4. when it's good it's brilliant.
5. services and tradesmen are fewer and further between. the handier you are with DIY the cheaper it will be (true for a house I guess)
6. factor in maybe an hour a day for jobs you would never have to do if you were in a house.
7. when all the tanks that need to be full are full, and all the ones that are empty are empty, that's as good as life gets.
8. CaRT go through a cycle of introducing badly thought out unworkable guidance for boaters, failing to enforce it, going away again and then coming back with something equally silly every few years.
9. best to have more than one way of heating the boat.

hope this helps. :-)