Guide To Living On A Narrowboat (Pros, Cons & Cost)

15 February 2022

It’s easy to see why living on a narrowboat is appealing to those who want to swap their hectic lifestyle for a slice of tranquillity.

There’s a lot you should know before making such a drastic change, however, which is why we’ve put together a full guide.

We’ve even spoken to successful narrowboat YouTubers James Posner, Minimal List and Chugging Along to find out what living aboard is really like. Read on for their overview of a day in the life on a narrowboat!

1. Advantages of living on a narrowboat
2. Disadvantages of living on a narrowboat
3. Cost of living on a narrowboat
4. A typical day living on a narrowboat

Advantages of living on a narrowboat

1. Freedom

Getting to choose where you live is a privilege that those looking to live on a narrowboat seek.

It’s a novelty for those who have lived in the same location for a while and certainly doesn’t wear off when you also have the option of permanent moorings.

You could wake one day in the countryside and decide to travel to a city centre the next, taking your home with you.

Plus, if you’ve had bad neighbours on land, then the freedom to choose who you share moorings with is irresistible.

2. Working anywhere

Remote working become popular in the wake of Covid-19, and what better way to do so than aboard a narrowboat?

If you’ve felt caged up inside your city-centre flat, or your neighbourhood has started to feel a little repetitive during your daily walks, this is a unique way to switch things up.

Some examples of jobs you could do from your narrowboat include:

Vlogging
Blogging
Content writing
Proofreading
Transcribing
Email marketing
Programming/coding
Website design
Online teaching/tutoring
Online recruiting

For those who own their own business or work on a freelance basis, this can also mean finding new opportunities as you travel.

3. Living a minimalistic lifestyle

A 2020 study found that minimalism reduces our daily choices and need to please others, giving us a greater sense of inner peace.

Since narrowboats aren’t equipped to hold an abundance of possessions, living aboard is a great way to adopt the minimalist lifestyle if it’s something you’ve previously considered.

Decluttering your surroundings and your mind can work wonders for your wellbeing, as it switches your focus back to the things that make you happiest in life. It will also save you a great deal of money, and if you return to land one day, you’ll have an easier transition!

4. Living life at a slower pace

When you’re no longer burdened with a heavy schedule and the pressure to pay high living costs, it becomes easier to focus on the moment you’re in.

In today’s world, most of us are used to the bustling sound on the streets outside in the morning, but narrowboat life offers a completely tranquil environment – where else can you wake up to the sound of birds and rush of the canal?

That’s not to say that boat life is without hard work. But for many, the planning and physical work involved when you have continuous cruising status is a small price to pay for a slower life.

Even if you choose to work full-time, the fact you can spend 14 days in each location makes for an easier life on a narrowboat.

This gives you plenty of time to plan your next cruise, service your boat and stock up on supplies, all whilst living without the commotion of an office or lengthy commute.

5. Being more environmentally friendly

Are you conscious of the impact your household has on the environment? If so, boat life could be a great alternative.

On their YouTube channel, Foxes Afloat shares that since leaving their house and buying a narrowboat to live on, they use:

60% less electricity
90% less water
96% less gas

However, they burn 1,000L of diesel per year, so they don’t claim to be completely environmentally friendly, which is the case for many narrowboat owners.

Although, if you want to reduce emissions further and have the funds to do so, you could buy a solar electric narrowboat or a hybrid model.

6. Keeping fit

With endless towpaths and parks, the urge to exercise is infectious amongst the narrowboat community.

Many cruisers own a bike and are prone to morning rides along the towpaths or around the locations they visit. It’s a much more manageable form of transport than owning a car in this situation.

Plus, living on a narrowboat will naturally keep you fit. There are endless tasks involved in moving your boat regularly, including:

Manual locks to operate
Bags of coal/gas bottles to carry
Toilet cassettes to empty
Firewood to saw
Weed hatches to clear

It’s almost impossible to stay sedentary whilst cruising if you want to keep your boat in top shape.

If you’re a fitness enthusiast, you could also purchase a chain gym membership that allows you to visit multiple gyms across the country. Or you could take some dumbbells and kettlebells aboard.

7. Quirky community

Finding your tribe amongst others is a feeling that many boaters experience.

While the community includes people of all backgrounds, many who live aboard are quick to tell you that they all look out for each other. Likely, anyone who has left their home to live on a narrowboat can find common ground.

If you want to grow your social circle with people from all different walks of life, there’s no better place to do so than out on the canal network. There are even pirate-themed trading boats to buy goods from!

8. Saving money

The initial costs of buying a narrowboat may set you back £15,000-£100,000 based on multiple factors, but once you’re out on the canals, you’d be surprised at how much money you could save.

As we mentioned earlier, those who live aboard use less gas, electricity, and water than they would on land. They also have no rent or mortgage to pay, which significantly reduces their monthly living costs!

Many people are drawn to the narrowboat lifestyle for this reason, as it’s usually a much cheaper alternative to paying rent in popular city-centre locations.

9. Mod cons

Once upon a time, narrowboaters would have had to sacrifice most of their luxuries when moving onto their boat.

However, the transition is often much smoother nowadays, with the option to add various mod cons to your vessel. These include:

Fridges
Washing machines
Microwaves
Showers
Toilets
Wi-Fi

Modern narrowboats aren’t too far removed from the traditional home compared to their predecessors.

This is truly one of the biggest advantages to living on a narrowboat, as it means you can explore far and wide, safe in the knowledge that you’re returning to your home comforts at the end of the day.

10. It’s educational!

Learning new skills is part of the experience when you’re a continuous cruiser.

You can book onto an RYA Helmsman course if you want to feel extra confident when steering your vessel – this is especially useful if you’re purchasing a narrowboat longer than 57-foot.

Maintenance skills can be picked up along the way, especially when things go wrong. Learning how to fix things yourself will save you a lot of money, and there is often someone in the community willing to show you the ropes if you find yourself stuck.

There’s also a lot to learn about yourself if this is something you’re looking to experience. Many narrowboaters report that cruising provides a lot of emotional growth and helps you see life from a different perspective.

Disadvantages of living on a narrowboat

1. Having to plan ahead

This isn’t always a disadvantage, as many find it keeps them on their toes – but planning is necessary if you want to cruise smoothly.

You’ll need a cruising license if you don’t have permanent moorings, and this requires you to change your location every 14 days.

Mod cons also come at a price. You should be conscious of how often you use them, or you could find yourself with dwindling supplies before you reach your next destination.

We suggest having a route mapped out ahead of time and keeping an eye on your supplies. Having backup plans in place is also a great idea!

2. Limited space onboard

While this is expected whilst living aboard, becoming claustrophobic is still possible. You may also struggle to part with your belongings in favour of creating extra space.

The lack of privacy is also something to consider if you’ll be travelling as a family, as some of you may have to sleep in the living quarters if you purchase a boat with one bedroom.

Thinking ahead when you’re buying your narrowboat can help you avoid this. Some people may be comfortable with a 53-foot vessel, but others will benefit from the extra space of a larger model.

3. Lack of security

You could argue this level of threat is equal to your current home, but burglars and vandals may see narrowboats as an easier target.

The best prevention method is to invest in quality security equipment, such as good locks and an alarm system to deter opportunists and keep your belongings safe. It’s also a good idea to moor with other boats rather than in a remote area.

4. Maintenance

Learning how to perform engine maintenance and repair the bilge pump and water pump could be challenging for those who don’t class themselves as practical.

Properly insulating and ventilating your narrowboat is another thing to consider, as you could find yourself in a never-ending battle with dampness and condensation if this isn’t kept up.

Getting rid of sewage is gruesome enough to put many people off living on a narrowboat. Cassettes are best avoided in this scenario in favour of pump-out toilets.

5. Not as environmentally friendly as it seems

Diesel emissions are a concern for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

However, you can avoid this by purchasing an electric or hybrid model if you can afford one. Solar power is one of the biggest advantages of living aboard modern narrowboats.

Cost of living on a narrowboat

The cost of these individual things differs from vessel to vessel, which comes down to several factors. However, here’s a full checklist of the costs you can expect when living on a narrowboat:

Canal & River Trust Licence
Narrowboat insurance
BSS
Engine maintenance
Pump maintenance
Blacking the hull
Diesel
Gas & electric
Toilet pump-outs/cassette emptying
Internet
TV licence
Unexpected costs – an important category!

Check out this article for a full breakdown of one couple’s yearly costs whilst living aboard.

The cost of buying a narrowboat can differ hugely depending on your needs, but the average price range is around £30,000-£50,000.

A typical day living on a narrowboat

The Narrowboat That James Built

James Posner bought and completely renovated his narrowboat ‘Sloe Patrol’ back in 2020 and has been living aboard ever since. He shares his renovation journey on his YouTube channel and his adventures while cruising.

“A day living onboard my narrowboat can differ vastly depending on what time of year it is.

It’s challenging in the winter, dealing with coal and wood for heat. Muddier towpaths mean more cleaning.

Lower levels of solar mean I disconnect my fridge to preserve energy and chill perishable items in my “bilge fridges”, which are kept cool by the cold-water temperature beneath the steel.

The nights draw in earlier, so cruising is cut short if you want to see what you’re doing when you moor up!

Other winter chores include the occasional check to ensure I have enough gas, a few trips to the bins, timing the next move as a continuous cruiser, and constantly brushing leaves off the boat. But when the doors are closed, and the fire is on, winters on board are blissful.

By contrast, the summertime on board is far more sociable with busier towpaths, which means more boat traffic, so cruising can be slower.

Endless sun allows as much energy usage as I like, and the bilge fridges keep my beer cold in July!

The towpaths are dry, the boat is cleaner, and the longer days means a day’s cruise can take you somewhere! No need to worry about heating for a few months, so there is no constant dealing with coal and ash.

The summer is also a good time to do some work on the boat, particularly painting, which I think I’ll spend most summers doing.

Other than that, it’s BBQs on the grassy banks, beers on the deck, gongoozlers at every lock and more time to enjoy the beauty of living on the water.”

Minimal List

Michael and Jo have lived aboard their narrowboat, ‘Perseverance’, since 2017. They regularly share updates on their travels on their YouTube channel, Minimal List, including their recent renovation work.

“We are currently in the middle of renovating our boat, so our ’typical’ day for the last few months has been rather different.

After four years of continuously cruising the waterways of England and Wales, we have now been everywhere on the connected network and our narrowboat, Perseverance, needs some very overdue TLC.

This means that a typical day now starts with us waking up on a friend’s boat, as living aboard whilst renovating such a small space would have been impossible.

Over the last few months, our days have been spent slowly demolishing the built-in furniture, deconstructing the pipework, dismantling the kitchen and bathroom, and removing the flooring.

We have discovered that the job list gets bigger and bigger once this process starts.We are currently re-wiring the DC electrics, and last week we finished re-plumbing the entire boat.

One thing we have learned is that when you are estimating the amount of time it takes to renovate a boat, you should double it, and double it again, and that goes for the budget too.”

Chugging Along

Tim and Sam are a couple living and working aboard their 53-foot narrowboat Mary L. They share fun and enlightening content straight from the canals, including live Q&As on their YouTube channel.

"8:00 am - We both wake up. First things first, we turn on our engine to charge up our batteries, so they're ready to keep our laptops topped up.

8:05 am - I make a cup of tea for both of us, which we enjoy in bed.

8:15 am - Sam turns on our diesel fireplace.

8:30 am - Breakfast time, which is nearly always cereal. I like Shreddies and Sam likes Honey Nut Corn Flakes.

9:00 am - We turn the engine off, and Sam teaches her first online English class of the day. She teaches adults from all over the world.

I start editing a video for our YouTube channel 'Chugging Along' or working with my brother, Henry, on our canal board game project 'Argy Bargey'. We released it in December 2021.

11:00 am - Using our solar panels, our laptops will continue to charge throughout the day (as long as it's not cloudy and overcast). We also have our second cup of tea.

1:00 pm - It's lunchtime, usually peanut butter on brown toast. Cup of tea number 3 will follow.

4:00 pm - We both finish working at this time. I go for a walk, and Sam joins me (if it's not too cold). We hope to have a greyhound to walk one day.

6:30 pm - It's time to eat. Sam is a really good cook. I like her noodles, curries and Ghanaian peanut soup. On the other hand, I am an expert at cooking frozen pizzas.

7:00 pm - We turn the engine on for an hour to keep the batteries topped up overnight.

9:00 pm - We watch YouTube videos on our phones for evening entertainment. We love watching travel vlogs, documentaries and, of course, narrowboat vlogs.

10:00 pm - We shower in the evening, conscious of how much water we use.

11:00 pm - Time for bed."

Specialist narrowboat insurance from Insure4Boats

If this guide has inspired you to invest in a boat, remember to get specialist narrowboat insurance before its maiden voyage.

At Insure4Boats, our insurance will protect your boat against theft, accidental damage, and malicious damage. It also comes with a range of optional extras, including contents, frost, and personal accident cover.

We also provide £3million Public Liability cover with every policy, so you’re protected in the event of an accident on the waterways or if you cause damage to another boat.

Get an instant online quote today to ensure your narrowboat is protected.

Please note the information provided on this page should not be taken as advice and has been written as a matter of opinion. For more on insurance cover and policy wording, see our homepage.

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