How different is Canal Life

[GreyLady]

Another forum member asked a question how different are Canals, this got me thinking how different is life on the Canal's online or offline from living in bricks and mortar to living full time on a Boat?

 

It would be interesting to hear everyone's views and story's of the good and bad and whether they have any regrets from that transition.

 

Pro's and Con's would be interesting though I bet their are many.

Edited August 19, 2015 by grumpy146

[magnetman]

Well I have done 18 months living in bricks and mortar since the age of 20 (i am 41 now) and it is significantly different to living on a boat which is what I have done for the other 19.5 years.

 

When people ask me about living on a boat I say "it suits me" but the thing is it really is very different as you do need to manage your own services even if you are on a residential mooring it is still fundamentally different to living on land.

 

Definitely not suitable for all despite the fact that almost everyone says "how great - I'd love to live on a boat" but in reality a lot of people would not handle it.

 

Its a big lifestyle and/or money saving choice to be made

My transition to boats was from a family home as a very young adult so not the normal transition I suppose.

[Wanted]

It's a really interesting time for us right now, having lived on the road for years, in trailers and trucks We found the move onto a boat (7 odd years ago) pretty easy. Now that we have the little un with us (5 Months) we have to work a lot harder to make it work, space has become a lot more of an issue obviously and natural parental concerns about water creep in. But, we have been able to solve all of these concerns one by one and are committed to staying on the boat for a lot longer yet.

 

A house would have to tick so many boxes for me to move into now that I don't think I could afford it!

[Hawkmoth]

We've been back in a house for about 7 months now. After 9 years of floating and summer cruising (we did one through the winter cruise) I miss the boat and life style.

It isn't for everyone, The sensible way to try it is to hire a couple of times, meet people, gather knowledge. It isn't cheap, but by the same token it needn't cost a packet as long as you are handy and don't want a luxury life style. Having said that a boat can come with almost all the mod cons you want (except space) you just have to pay for them. If you must work in one place a mooring is virtually essential, if you've retired the CC life can beckon.

Bob

[John V]

To thrive (as opposed to survive) living on a boat the right kind of self reliant attitude seems to be needed. You need to be able to tackle many of the jobs that would have the average house dweller diving for the yellow pages.

I suppose that for me it has been about a 50/50 split during my adult life. Bricks and mortar were a place I slept at. It was never a place I wanted to be, it was never a place I considered home. I only want to go from the boat in a box (but not for a few more years please) by hook or by crook, however decrepit I become I intend to remain aboard

[churchward]

I have not lived aboard save for extended periods on the boat so hard to comment as to what it is like. I imagine you need to be clutter free and have interests that are compatible with living on a boat and that the pleasures of it out way the things that are less optimal.

 

Personally although I have loved messing about in boats for many years and been interested in canals for longer than I have been boating I have never really entertained the notion of living on a boat. I do like living in a house and for me the most important thing is the community of people you live with. I have nearly always lived in small communities/villages since moving away from home. In fact the places I have lived and got more out of the way as we have gone on. I know live in a vey small place 1000ft up a hillside in North Wales and have never been happier the people we live amongst are great.

 

I like to look after the place myself and so normally anything that needs doing I do it and I can turn my hand to most trades and like to be as self sufficient as possible.

 

I love going boating but I also like coming home to my hillside and Mountain beyond.

[magnetman]

It's a really interesting time for us right now, having lived on the road for years, in trailers and trucks We found the move onto a boat (7 odd years ago) pretty easy. Now that we have the little un with us (5 Months) we have to work a lot harder to make it work, space has become a lot more of an issue obviously and natural parental concerns about water creep in. But, we have been able to solve all of these concerns one by one and are committed to staying on the boat for a lot longer yet.

 

A house would have to tick so many boxes for me to move into now that I don't think I could afford it!

Yes

Space is definitely something to be considered if and when offspring start to spring off. What was once a comfortable sized boat can seem very tiny quite quickly

 

(Dad with a misses and a 3 year old girl and a 5 year old girl in a 58ftx12ft barge)

 

At least I have the wheelhouse to escape to

 

And the last paragraph too. House prices in the southeast have gone up about 4x since I first got a boat

 

But I never did want a house anyway...

[GreyLady]

Thanks for your replys, I found it really interesting to read.

 

I will be moving onto a Narrowboat early next year and I am very much looking forward to it, I am pretty sure the move will be the right choice and it is a huge investment into a new beginning.

 

One part that appeals to me is living independandtly and doing daily activities just for the basic day to day needs.

 

I expect on a cold morning I may be swearing but I swear a lot anyway.

 

I hope the thread continues.

Edited August 19, 2015 by grumpy146

[Wanted]

Yes

Space is definitely something to be considered if and when offspring start to spring off. What was once a comfortable sized boat can seem very tiny quite quickly

(Dad with a misses and a 3 year old girl and a 5 year old girl in a 58ftx12ft barge)

At least I have the wheelhouse to escape to

And the last paragraph too. House prices in the southeast have gone up about 4x since I first got a boat

But I never did want a house anyway...

Yup, we now have plans to stretch the boat somewhat!

[GreyLady]

Yup, we now have plans to stretch the boat somewhat!

Do Limo Cut n Shut Welders do foreigner's at weekend - they could add another 10 feet maybe. :>

Edited August 19, 2015 by grumpy146

[Wanted]

Thanks for your replys, I found it really interesting to read.

I will be moving onto a Narrowboat early next year and I am very much looking forward to it, I am pretty sure the move will be the right choice and it is a huge investment into a new beginning.

One part that appeals to me is living independandtly and doing daily activities just for the basic day to day needs.

I expect on a cold morning I may be swearing but I swear a lot anyway.

I hope the thread continues.

Reading your posts I reckon you have a pretty good starting attitude, the rest is a series of mistakes you make once!

 

Running out of coal in winter will happen. Full bog tank when doubting family turn up will happen. The weekly battle with a duvet cover will happen. Fondly reminiscing about bath tubs will happen. Permanent dirty finger nails will happen... You get the point,

 

But then, then you start your engine, cast off and the world and its woes drop away as you bliss out into this wonderful life.

 

It's then that you realise that you forgot to unplug your shoreline and you are dragging half a power bollard up the cut...

Edited August 19, 2015 by Wanted

[GreyLady]

Reading your posts I reckon you have a pretty good starting attitude, the rest is a series of mistakes you make once!

 

Running out of coal in winter will happen. Full bog tank when doubting family turn up will happen. The weekly battle with a duvet cover will happen. Fondly reminiscing about bath tubs will happen. Permanent dirty finger nails will happen... You get the point,

 

But then, then you start your engine, cast off and the world and its woes drop away as you bliss out into this wonderful life.

 

It's then that you realise that you forgot to unplug your shoreline and you are dragging half a power bollard up the cut...

 

Thanks Wanted

 

Ive been reading this forum for sometime now, and i find it interesting reading the pitfalls and mistakes as much as i like looking at Members Photo's of their Boats.

 

I fully expect to fall in the canal and swear at my stove when it wont light, it does sound like all part of the fun, though i guess it may not while its happening.

 

What would be nice is to be in middle of no where away from the towns,

 

Thanks again i do appologize for not replying to everyone who has posted their real life story's, much appreciated and very interesting.

Edited August 19, 2015 by grumpy146

[LoneWolf]

...

Running out of coal in winter will happen. Full bog tank when doubting family turn up will happen. The weekly battle with a duvet cover will happen. Fondly reminiscing about bath tubs will happen. Permanent dirty finger nails will happen... You get the point,

 

....

 

oh dearie me Wanted

 

Plan ahead

send em away

learn the inside out roll it up method

visit a house dwelling friend

get a nailbrush

 

[Dave_P]

Reading your posts I reckon you have a pretty good starting attitude, the rest is a series of mistakes you make once!

 

Running out of coal in winter will happen. Full bog tank when doubting family turn up will happen. The weekly battle with a duvet cover will happen. Fondly reminiscing about bath tubs will happen. Permanent dirty finger nails will happen... You get the point,

..

Sorry to say I don't recognise this.

 

1. I've never run out of coal.

2. I don't have a pump out.

3. What's the duvet issue?

4. Many narrowboats have full sized baths.

5. My fingernails are much cleaner now I've given up being a full-time gardener.

 

Which means everyone's experience is different. I spend more time tinkering with mechanical things and dealing with 'toilet' but less time cleaning and mowing the lawn. I've never really understood the argument that living on a boat is intrinsically difficult. Certainly my boat has more 'home comforts' than some houses I've lived in. It's warmer too.

[Wanted]

If nothing else it's probably fair to say the subtleties of suggestion oft fail on the good ship CWDF..

oh dearie me Wanted

 

Plan ahead

send em away

learn the inside out roll it up method

visit a house dwelling friend

get a nailbrush

 

Oh I do some of that, probably not in that order though..

[Tony Brooks]

One good thing about boat living is that many of the petty? rules and regulations that now prevent a home owner doing his own maintenance and improvement work do not apply.

[magnetman]

One good thing about boat living is that many of the petty? rules and regulations that now prevent a home owner doing his own maintenance and improvement work do not apply.

Indeed

Apart from the boat safety scheme you can bodge just about anything and get away with it

 

And the boat doesn't even need to float properly if all you want is 3rd party insurance.

 

A bodgers ideal lifestyle perhaps

[John V]

Snip <A bodgers ideal lifestyle perhaps>

 

 

[churchward]

One good thing about boat living is that many of the petty? rules and regulations that now prevent a home owner doing his own maintenance and improvement work do not apply.

It doesn't stop me.

 

I have just completed an oil tank installation to the OFTEC regulations for instance. I am not OFTEC registered but all it takes is to follow the rules and a local heating engineer inspected and certified it all OK and submitted the registration paperwork (online) for me.

 

There are all sorts of regs we need to comply with if we have a boat or a house try getting a BSS certificate with a poorly fitted gas system on a boat for instance.

 

I agree though we live in a highly regulated world these days.

Edited August 19, 2015 by churchward

[patty-ann]

My plan to live on my boat and rent out house turned out to be non starter due to renovation nightmare still in.

However when on my boat with clutter free existence love it and hopefully soon can spend lot longer and see if its for me...well maybe bit longer than soon. I love peace and quiet, rarely mix, like my own company, don't need tv. Love the water and countryside and driving my boat. I always have a go at fixing stuff but am learning to ask first.

[Alan Saunders]

Thanks Wanted

 

Ive been reading this forum for sometime now, and i find it interesting reading the pitfalls and mistakes as much as i like looking at Members Photo's of their Boats.

 

I fully expect to fall in the canal and swear at my stove when it wont light, it does sound like all part of the fun, though i guess it may not while its happening.

 

What would be nice is to be in middle of no where away from the towns,

 

Thanks again i do appologize for not replying to everyone who has posted their real life story's, much appreciated and very interesting.

As I have said before, CC living on a boat is similar to living in a remote cottage particularly in winter. e.g. You can glean (steal?) timber for your stove from nearby woods but a cottage, unlike a boat, will have sufficient space to store and season it. You can be frozen or snowed in and have to drag supplies (food & fuel) through deep mud on a barrow or sledge. OTOH, there are advantages to the boat - you can move-on if you don't like your neighbourhood!

 

There is no need to reply to every post but it can help if you answer specific questions.

 

Good luck, Alan

[GreyLady]

As I have said before, CC living on a boat is similar to living in a remote cottage particularly in winter. e.g. You can glean (steal?) timber for your stove from nearby woods but a cottage, unlike a boat, will have sufficient space to store and season it. You can be frozen or snowed in and have to drag supplies (food & fuel) through deep mud on a barrow or sledge. OTOH, there are advantages to the boat - you can move-on if you don't like your neighbourhood!

 

There is no need to reply to every post but it can help if you answer specific questions.

 

Good luck, Alan

 

Thank you Alan

 

I am still looking forward to it mud and snow as well, for the first year i will have the backup use of a Marina but i do plan to cruise during the winter if their are no stoppages and the cut is not frozen.

 

I like the sound of collecting wood as well thats if other boaters have not beaten me to it.

 

I am so looking forward to it, i guess it may be a little scary for a while without any form of street light glow out of my bedroom window. haha - i write that wih a big smile.

Edited August 19, 2015 by grumpy146

[Taslim]

 

Thank you Alan

 

I am still looking forward to it mud and snow as well, for the first year i will have the backup use of a Marina but i do plan to cruise during the winter if their are no stoppages and the cut is not frozen.

 

I like the sound of collecting wood as well thats if other boaters have not beaten me to it.

 

I am so looking forward to it, i guess it may be a little scary for a while without any form of street light glow out of my bedroom window. haha - i write that wih a big smile.

Get a solar garden lamp from the £shop and hang it outside said window. End of fright.

 

Good luck with your venture.

[MEPitt]

Im not 100% sure I am going to liveaboard yet, Im see my river cruiser as a proof of concept to try out. If I find the 27ft comfortable and managable for stopping on for a few days at the time I will consider it and look to upgrade to bigger narrowboat (ie start chucking money at it properly)

[robert anthony]

Im not 100% sure I am going to liveaboard yet, Im see my river cruiser as a proof of concept to try out. If I find the 27ft comfortable and managable for stopping on for a few days at the time I will consider it and look to upgrade to bigger narrowboat (ie start chucking money at it properly)

That's similar to what I'm planning to do. I've got my GRP cruiser and am going to use it as much as possible until my mortgage is paid off in five years time. If I'm still enjoying it and still want to live aboard I'll upgrade to a bigger boat but still base it in a marina and cruise throughout the summer and work in the winter to top up the savings account. All going well I can start CCing properly when I can access my pension pot. That's the plan anyway but we'll see...............