Living in a car or on a narrowboat

[Emanresu]

If you up your budget a bit.... Know one (single) guy that had a place here. He only used it for sleeping in as everything he wanted was close by. It's also the location for the Chelsea Detective.

https://www.chelseayachtandboatcompany.com/gallery

 

[KneesUp]

I've always liked the idea of a narrow boat, but not sure if the novelty would wear off, and with the price of a decent one I'd imagine you'd struggle to get back into a house if you'd sold a house in the first place to buy a boat.

I worked with a guy who was obsessed with narrow boats. He got divorced and bought a small flat for when he was too old for boats, and a narrow boat. I believe he spent one winter on the boat before concluding that floating on a canal in a steel hull when it is freezing cold is really miserable. Last I heard he was retired, renting out the flat and spending the summer months on the boat, and winter abroad. Which to be honest sounds quite appealing.

 

[Marchrider]

If you up your budget a bit.... Know one (single) guy that had a place here. He only used it for sleeping in as everything he wanted was close by. It's also the location for the Chelsea Detective.

https://www.chelseayachtandboatcompany.com/gallery

View attachment 762512

that might be wider than the canal

 

[Jotheboat]

A barge sounds lovely!

There have been a couple of boat builds on Grand Designs and from what I remember they didn't go well, largely because of hopelessly optimistic budgets (not uncommon on the show).

The Eco Barge was a particular disaster, which was abandoned, although I've read that someone then picked it up and spent a pile of money doing it properly.

Living space is good. Depending on size and specifications you can pay anything from a dodgy project for £25k to a super duper one well north of a million. Having some skills is useful because repair / renovation costs can be high. Everything you buy for the 'niche' marine market costs a packet except when it doesn't work!
If you do want to investigate, a good place to start may be the Dutch Barge Association
You can interrogate me if you want. PM or whatever.
If you're interested (desperate) I have written a number of books about narrowboating and barging.

 

[Oldhippy]

Narrowboats are like houses, if you don't look after them they can be crappy. In an age where so many people can't or won't do basic DIY or turn their heating on with an app life is seen as hard work at times. Personally I'd rather have the freedom to do as I please when I please. My boat is warm, made very comfortable in a way I want it. I don't surround myself with stuff I don't actually need and can live a great deal cheaper than a house would cost. I have a bath, full size bed and everything is arranged for me and what's needed. Also I have recycled loads of stuff and not spent fortunes.

 

[T4tomo]

Yes I know that cars and narrowboats are totally different, but I just thought I'd include boats as more will have lived in or holidayed in/on narrowboats than in cars, so this thread would then get a better response. I didn't include motor homes and camper vans as there's nothing adventurous about that as they are meant to be lived in, unlike cars.

What about comparing living in a converted skip to living in a retirement home?

 

[Juan Kog]

I actually saw this once! Absolutely bonkers.

Feels to me like a feat of engineering capability over sanity.

And why would you use a Touran? There are a lot of low bridges out there which I don't think it would fit beneath.

My photo is taken near Hemel Hempstead six years ago I haven’t seen it since . At the time I spoke to a neighbouring narrow boater who said the the owner was a ”very skilled and clever person “ .
I don’t doubt it , But Why .

 

[matticus]

If you up your budget a bit.... Know one (single) guy that had a place here. He only used it for sleeping in as everything he wanted was close by. It's also the location for the Chelsea Detective.

https://www.chelseayachtandboatcompany.com/gallery

View attachment 762512

Damn. I knew I shouldn't have posted that pic ...

 

[gbb]

Relatives on my wife's side sold their house and brought a very large touring caravan. They had an annexe tent for the washing machine etc and lived on a fishing lake site for 2 years.
You have to live remarkably simply, storage space is one big issue, the same would apply to a narrow boat I assume.
Then there's the damp, it gets in everything in the winter, perhaps the same for a car or boat.
They didn't regret it...but i got the impression its really hard in the winter

 

[Stephenite]

Has anyone ever tried living in a wheelie bin?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Has anyone ever tried living in a wheelie bin?

 

[wiggydiggy]

Has anyone ever tried living in a wheelie bin?

This Top Cat has

 

[Drago]

And if you live on a narrow boat then for authenticity youd have to become one of those peanuts that has a go at cyclists for riding legally on the towpath.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

And if you lovemon a narrow boat you then for authenticity youd have to become one of those peanuts that has a go at cyclists for riding on the towpath.

I have not yet had anyone on a boat complain about me riding on teh towpaths

Although I did want to complain about aboater at one point because they had tied their boat up to a metal rack - with the ropes going across the path at about 1 foot high!!

Most seem like nice people

Oh if anyone is interested - there is a YouTube channel done by a couple who decided to live on their narrowboat
and cruise every part of the canal network
I caught up with them before the pandemic and followed them for their last year or so before they completed it
They do it pretty well - the wife is normal about it - but the husband seems to want to do every single inch and insists on going right up to the end

It was great going back and finding when the did the spur down into Runcorn which I ride ona lot - I could see all the boats I pass on my bike and know well

If you want details on things try Crusing The Cut - but be warned the bloke is very pedantic - but that is great if you want to know about details of heating and stuff like that

These are quite old - I gave up some years ago as a lot of the channels I followed stopped after the pandemic - but it was interesting seeing how some of the coped with the pandemic when they were not allowed to move except to get essential and stuff

 

[Drago]

I've had a few, despite being conscientious and stopping to let them pass. Usually old biddies being sanctimonious - even though their opinion is at odds with the actual rules that permit cycling on most towpaths - and they're easy enough to just ignore...which they hate.

One chap on a boat got really arsey and stood on the towpath blocking me until I dismounted, flexed my lats, leaned in close and offered to give him a swimming lesson if he didnt move. I hate using my size to intimidate, but he started the game so cant complain when he loses to a bigger player.

I wasn't at all sorry for him when I learned the foul mouthed eejuts boat was burgled a few days later. If I'd met the burglar at the pub I'd have probably bought him a pint!