Living on narrow boat? pros and cons please?

Question

hi weve owned our own narrowboat for about 4 years now and when my husband retires we are hoping to live on it permanently. its 45ft open plan with all mod cons etc but obviously living on it will be LOADS different than just going away for a few months on it. can anyone advise me on the pros and cons please? any advice greatly appreciated.

thankyou

Answer 1

The best person to give the full experience is top contributor "Happy Murcia" - he has been a livaboard..

If he doesn't find you first, go to the Leader Board and I think he's on the first page of Level 7.

You can e-mail him on YA through the Leaderboard

Are you planning to become members of the Residential Boat Owners Association?  They usually have a stand at the Birmingham Boat & Caravan Show which is on next week and they do a useful book for people who are thinking of living on their boats full time.

I'm a part time boater like yourselves - moored on the T & M.

Answer 2

I remember a dear friend said to me " the second best thing I did was buy a narrowboat" then he said "Best thing I ever did was sell it"

Answer 3

I often thought this would be a cool thing to do when I retire its good to see there are people that not only can tolerate it but love it. still I think I might want some sort of land base.

Pro everyday is a vacation

Con you and your husband may need you space from each other from time to time.

Answer 4

I lived aboard for 3 years on a 50ft Davison Brothers  cutwater,the worst things we found were storage of coal/wood when going away from our residential mooring and space in general,but you soon find ways around it,being ripped off for red diesel and keeping the Morso ticking over during the night ,being restricted to certain areas during the really bad weather or engineering works and restricted moorings in the winter months ,,other than that it was a great life and would still recommend it to anyone,,,

Answer 5

pro      it is cheaper than a house

con      a house wont sink !!!

Answer 6

There are many marinas who allow live-aboard owners, particularly on the canals, it is very common. Some even offer a slightly reduced rate - because it is good for security to have people about at most times, though this is rare. You may, however, not desire a marina berth - preferring so-called 'continuous slow cruising'. Though, because of winter maintenance on 'the cut' by British Waterways, which creates annual 'stoppages' (well publicised in advance and, I believe, directly notified if you are a toll payer) you just need to bear in mind where you plan to be for the winter and consider a berth for those months.

All the monthly magazines about the canals and inland waterways regularly carry features on living aboard and, if you are considering living on a boat on these waterways, they are essential reading anyway.

As a boater already, the 'pros' are the ones you are already familiar with, but better.

The main 'con' I suppose, is that fact that however you look at it, it is quite a bit more expensive to maintain a narrowboat than a house. For example, you need to dry-dock every two to three years and, at the very least, pressure wash the bottom and re 'black' it; and usually the whole vessel will need a coat of paint by this time also; the water tank will need draining and inspecting - and possibly repainting with tank paint, and every three years, you need to have a new Boat Safety Scheme inspection, which may entail work being done to comply.

There is also all the engine maintenance, or servicing, and associated systems if installed. Batteries also need replacing about every three to four years.

But all more than outweighed by the 'pros' if it is for you!

Happy cruising and good luck.

Answer 7

Here is an answer I gave to a similar question a few days ago.  You probably know most of this but sometimes it helps to see it all written down.  

Living on a boat is not for everyone. It is a lifestyle that can be great fun and very relaxed, but you have to work a little harder to be comfortable. Can you try it for a little while without having to make a committment?

You have to make arrangements for water and to have your holding tank pumped out. Most people go ashore for water - sometimes to a marina dock. In a very few places there is water delivery to boats, but in my experience that is not the norm. I have never seen that happen. When we anchored for longer periods my husband and I often dinghied 5 gallon jugs of water back to our boat on a regular basis - every time we went ashore.

What about power? Do you want to have electricity? If so, you need to think about wind generators or solar panels, depending on where you live. How about refrigeration? That is the biggest consumer of energy on a boat. There are options that use less power, but they tend to be more expensive. Do you want to be able to have a hot water shower on the boat? Is it hot enough where you live to use a solar bag/sun shower to heat your shower water each day or will you need a water heater?

How about cooking? If you have a propane stove, especially a Force 10, two burner with oven, that will be great, and many people also have a BBQ in the cockpit. With propane you should have a propane detector in your cabin and bilge as propane sinks if it is leaking, and could collect in the bottom of your boat and cause an explosion.

If you anchor, you have to dinghy ashore everyday. You may need to lock your dinghy when you go ashore, depending on where you are anchored. Will you have a vehicle on shore? If so, that will make life easier, as you will not have to backpack laundry, groceries, etc. If you are depending on getting ashore by dinghy to get to a job, what about the days when it might be too rough to get the dinghy ashore?

Do you want to have TV and Internet on your boat? We used a cell phone to have Internet access when we were anchored. Sometimes we were fortunate enough to be able to receive an unsecured wireless signal. For TV, you might be able to receive the free channels from you boat if you put an antenna high enough. The reception will of course vary with the movement of the boat.

Depending on your location, you may need to protect all you clothing from humidity and mildew. We rolled all of ours and packaged everything in airtight ziploc bags to keep the moisture out.

Some people who live on boats choose to rent a slip at a marina and then they can have most of the conveniences of a land based home while living on a boat. Not all marinas allow live aboards.

I would live on a boat again in a flash if the opportunity presented itself with the right person. My husband and I enjoyed it immensely and had wonderful adventures. We were happy vagabonds. We were both retired though, so we did not have to worry about getting ashore for work, etc.

So I hope I have given you some food for thought. Most people I know who live on boats and work ashore actually live in a slip at a marina, but I also know a few who anchor and dinghy ashore everyday to a job. Best of luck with you plans. I would do it. Feel free to ask about anything else you think I could help with.

Here are a few sites for you to checkout.

Answer 8

pro: you can move around. take pride in customising it to your taste.

Con: No security of tenure at moorings, dependant on shore services, maintenance issues ( house you worry about the roof, but the bottom is critical on a boat), you HAVE to have a working bilge pump. Limited as to household gadgets (you probably won't keep a sky dish lined up) and limited on available power. If things go wrong, they go wrong in a big wet way. And lastly you say "retire" Think about how long you will have the mobility to cope with bank-side life.

Answer 9

my daughters EXs parents lived full time on theres with no probs  depends I suppose if you wanted a permenant mooring or you moved up and down the canal network. Like everything in life you just dont know until you try it

Answer 10

a house appreciates and a boat depreciates. How secure is your tenancy on the mooring going to be in 5 or 6 years? Will the postman deliver to a boat?  Do you have a good shower or good friends nearby? Is it warm in winter?

sounds to me like it could be fun

Answer 11

Many marine supply firms offer reading from women authors

on this subject.  I particularily like one about Depression Era houseboating years of a working mother off British Columbia

coastline.  Personally think 45 is minimum for a couple.

Agree with Imaka on all other issues.