In defence of boaters who live in one area without a home mooring.
If you're young, it's likely you can't afford a home mooring in a city (where the jobs are), or afford not to work and cruise around the whole network.
I'm sure it doesn't work out any less expensive to live on a boat than renting small flat out of town and a bus ticket. And its not a point that needs labouring, but on the UK average salary of 26.5k, 91% of properties in the UK are unaffordable. (Source: http://www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2015/sep/02/unaffordable-country-where-can-you-afford-to-buy-a-house).Is it a wonder people seek out alternative lifestyles away from the shared, laminated box-rooms of the suburbs?
But in reality, not many people choose living on a boat just as a cheap option somewhere close to the best bars. It's about the love of the boating lifestyle (wood fires, ducks, locks, engines, floating..) and many would be cruising off all over the place if they could.
CCers are under a constant and ever-increasing threat of being kicked off the waterways, their home and biggest asset confiscated.
To say that those who are tied to one place but can't afford a home mooring (yet) should simply just not live on a boat, feels quite unfair, and to those who do already, life afloat feels quite precarious, if not persecuted. Perhaps this is why topics like this pop up all the time - people are grasping at straws for some semblance of stability in the life they've chosen.
One could argue: 'the canals were simply not intended for that purpose'. However, the fact is that today, quite a large community of people are using it for that purpose, and there's a humane and an inhumane route to dealing with that. The canal needs young/new enthusiasts to secure it's future for all of us. It's a dilemma for sure...
We all need to be kinder to each other, understand and help each other out more. The best solutions come via empathy and considerate debate.
Love to all boaters, we share the same dream!