Jump to content

Minimum length?

Ricco1

By Ricco1
in Living Afloat

 Share

Featured Posts

Ricco1 Rising Star

Ricco1

Posted
Posted

I've googled this and seen a few opinions but thought I'd ask the question to the experienced people here:

 

I'm planning to buy a narrowboat to live aboard. I'll be solo, no pets. I'm happy to live fairly basically and space isn't is important to me as a feeling of freedom. What would you suggest as a minimum length of boat I should look for?

 

Also, navigating locks alone: easy, tricky, very difficult?

 

Thanks for any replies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
junior Veteran

junior

Posted
Posted

When I very first started looking into buying a Narrowboat to live on about 6 years ago I asked the same question. Somebody gave me the answer of 40ft. Since then I've always used that as a minimum.

Now a few years on I am starting to look at boats. I've decided I would like a 50ft boat and have centered my search around that. I 'could' live on smaller, but long term I would not be able to fit in everything I want spec wise.

 

Starry will be along shortly to tell you she lives happily on a 30ft boat.

 

My suggestion would be to go to a brokerage and look at boats. From 25ft right up to 60/70ft and think "could I live the rest of my life in here?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
David Mack Veteran II

David MackDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I've googled this and seen a few opinions but thought I'd ask the question to the experienced people here:

 

I'm planning to buy a narrowboat to live aboard. I'll be solo, no pets. I'm happy to live fairly basically and space isn't is important to me as a feeling of freedom. What would you suggest as a minimum length of boat I should look for?

 

Also, navigating locks alone: easy, tricky, very difficult?

 

Thanks for any replies.

Working boaters lived in a back cabin about 8 ft 6 ins long, albeit with less mod cons than most people would want today. And a reasonably fit single hander can easily manage a 70 footer. So its up to you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Starcoaster Veteran

Starcoaster

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

Starry will be along shortly to tell you she lives happily on a 30ft boat.

 

 

I live happily on a 30ft boat.

With a cruiser stern, oh and three cats.

It's all down to the internal layout...

I am also happy single handing much bigger boats (68ft) it's not a dramatic difference.

In terms of navigating locks alone, it depends on the lock! I wouldn't single hand a wide lock (I'd wait for another boat to share with), but plenty of people do.

Edited by Starcoaster
Link to comment
Share on other sites
RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

Posted
Posted (edited)

I live happily on a 30ft boat.

 

As I remember it, you live on 30' of boat, and 40' of canal bank including gazebo

 

Richard

 

Having said that, like many small boats, yours has a nicely thought out and practical interior. It's dead easy to waste a lot of space on a big boat

Edited by RLWP
Link to comment
Share on other sites
magpie patrick Veteran II

magpie patrickDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Ricco, if you make one more post you can use the PM system, then PM me, I'm resident about 3/4 of the time in Stockport, and could meet for coffee etc to answer any questions. I don't live on a boat (at the moment) but I do use a 23 foot cruiser as my base when back in Somerset.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DeanS Veteran II

DeanS

Posted
Posted (edited)

I think you have to look at boats and think about what you need to store. I find most modern boats are all accommodation and not much space for the grubby stuff,wood coal bicycles etc

 

You need 30ft of inside space, and 60ft of roof.

Edited by DeanS
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Greedyheron Collaborator

Greedyheron

Posted
Posted

I live on a 25' boat, and I've not been in the front cabin for months as that's where the tv is and there is no reception here- I look outside instead. But then I am moving onto a 57' this weekend- I will be able to have a comfy chair- so looking forward to that!

Visit many boats and see what takes your fancy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Starcoaster Veteran

Starcoaster

Posted
Posted (edited)

As I remember it, you live on 30' of boat, and 40' of canal bank including gazebo

 

Richard

 

Having said that, like many small boats, yours has a nicely thought out and practical interior. It's dead easy to waste a lot of space on a big boat

 

 

When you came to my boat we had to place the stuff from the stern onto the bank for the half hour you were there, in order to access the engine.

I do not leave crap all over the bank or set up structures such as gazebo's. Even when I was on Braunston, when you visited, the rules surrounding things placed on the bank were strict, although in the winter, an ash bucket and a limited amount of coal is ok. The gazebo did not belong to me, it belonged to one of the marina staff who allowed me to sit under it.

When we were working on the boat there we were actually told to move stuff we put on the pontoon off it, even though it was only there for a couple of days while we ripped out the interior, so I would hardly have got away with colonizing '40 feet of land space' that didn't belong to me on a permanent basis, or have ever managed to have left if I had.

Edited by Starcoaster
Link to comment
Share on other sites
tree Rising Star

tree

Posted
Posted

:) welcome to the forum :) as other posters have said , best thing is to go and look at as many boats as you can, that way you will get a feel of what life could be like.

my boat is only 38ft and i did look and go on bigger boats, but for me she had everything that i need, and the internal 'layout' is very important.

 

I decided to go for a cruiser stern as I have pets and wanted that extra space outside, as my previous boats were a 45ft semi-trad and a 70ft traditional.

 

best of luck :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AidanLincs Collaborator

AidanLincs

Posted
Posted

We have 5 humans and a cat on a 57ft boat, so thats about 10ft each. You only need 10ft. smile.png

 

 

Less, if you discount the shoes.

 

I live on DeanS et famille's old boat; a 57' trad narrowboat. I am single, but have two dogs, and I also work from home. There is still a LOT of unneeded clutter in the boat that I haven't quite got around to giving/throwing away. I'm gradually turning the back cabin into my office. I find 57' quite comfortable, but no doubt I could manage just as well on something smaller. As Star says, a lot of it has to do with how you organise the space you have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ricco1 Rising Star

Ricco1

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks for all the replies, so helpful! I'm heading off to Indonesia next week for a couple of months of surfing but when I get back, it's boat viewing time.

 

Before I joined this forum my experience of narrowboaters was that they were a friendly lot, non-judgmental. So very different from some types on housing estates where one person gets iron railings that don't fit with a 70's development, many follow...

 

I'll view a few but I have a feeling that a shortish boat will be for me. As long as I can get something fabricated to hold my motorbike (or maybe get a tug), have a wood/ coal burning stove and comfortable bed; the rest of it doesn't need to be spectacular, just functional.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ange Veteran

Ange

Posted
Posted

SNIP

Before I joined this forum my experience of narrowboaters was that they were a friendly lot, non-judgmental. So very different from some types on housing estates where one person gets iron railings that don't fit with a 70's development, many follow...

That would be lovely, and was my view when we moved aboard our boat 4 years ago. Unfortunately it's not the case. I've found the narrowboating community just as judgemental as the land based one we left - just in different ways. It's a shame but not to worry - I've also found some wonderful new friends amongst that community who will be friends for life - boating just gives you the opportunity to meet more people and find those gems.

 

As for the ones that choose to judge me and find me lacking, I've reached a point in my life where I really don't care - their loss.

  • Greenie 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.