crystal2
New Member
Hi, We are thinking of selling our smallholding and buying a narrowboat to live in...is this a good idea or crazy? We are total novices! What do you think?
Living on a narrowboat
- Thread starter crystal2
- Start date
sailorman
Well-Known Member
i went on one a friend is fitting-out, after a sail boat it was like living in a tunnel with windows /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Searush
Well-Known Member
Lots do it, but why not see if you can hire during the winter to check if you can cope with the mud, cold & rain. Think about where you can moor and where the shops etc are.
PIGLETSDREAM
Well-Known Member
I spent 3 years living on a 70ft Narrow boat as a result of a divorce. You will need to get used to the idea of the narrowness. At 70 ft long but only 6ft 10inches wide it can and does feel very claustrophobic. Layout and use of the space is very important. I must say that I enjoyed the experience, but then I was on a Private and Secure mooring, had mains electricity and access to water. My gym was over the road so I was able to shower every day, (got fit as well) Depending on where you live, access to moorings may well be a huge problem and the cost for a licence and mooring can make it quite expensive. There are lots of brokers offering many different sorts of baot from 24ft to 70 ft as well as 1.5 and double width boats. `My advice,
1. Work out what you can afford
2. look at as many different types as possible
3. Find a mooring before you purchase or you may well end up permanantly on the move
My boat was destroyed by fire with me in it, apart from one bag of clothes that were in the launderette, I lost everything. I escaped through a hatch wearing a t shirt and boxer shorts and dived into the canal. If you want the full story of why you shouldn't fight a fire when you find one, PM me and I will happily tell.
All the best, what ever you do
1. Work out what you can afford
2. look at as many different types as possible
3. Find a mooring before you purchase or you may well end up permanantly on the move
My boat was destroyed by fire with me in it, apart from one bag of clothes that were in the launderette, I lost everything. I escaped through a hatch wearing a t shirt and boxer shorts and dived into the canal. If you want the full story of why you shouldn't fight a fire when you find one, PM me and I will happily tell.
All the best, what ever you do
crystal2
New Member
thank you for your advice 'Pigletsdream' your fire sounds awful, what happened?
crystal2
New Member
Sounds wonderful haha!
TrueBlue
Well-Known Member
Dump the narrowboat and look at a broadbeam instead. A lot more comfortable, large enough for you to be self contained; proper fridge, washing machine, combined heat and power unit to avoid the dreaded DieselTax...
Moorings are paid by length. A 45' wide beam will cost less to moor tan a 70' Nb and have lots more usable space to boot.
Moorings are paid by length. A 45' wide beam will cost less to moor tan a 70' Nb and have lots more usable space to boot.
crystal2
New Member
Thank you, sounds sensible
Richard10002
Well-Known Member
Wont you be a bit restricted as to where you can go if you buy a widebeam... stuck between 2 bridges, or 2 locks would seem to defeat the object??
TonyMS
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 16 May 2001
- Messages
- 713
- Location
- Winter St Ives, Cambs; summer Ionian
In the winter, we live on a broad beam riverboat (57´x 11' 6"), and have done for about 5 years. Before that, we lived on a narrowboat (43' x 7') on the same mooring.
We enjoyed living on the narrowboat more than living in a house, but now enjoy our wide boat much more.
The first downside of a narrowboat is, obviously, that it is narrow. This is tolerable for a holiday, and maybe for a long time for a single person. But for a couple, having to budge up every time the other wanted to pass becomes a bore after a year or so.
The other snag, to our way of thinking, is that you can't see out when you're sitting down. To cure that, we had to build a broadbeam boat to our own design.
Tony MS
We enjoyed living on the narrowboat more than living in a house, but now enjoy our wide boat much more.
The first downside of a narrowboat is, obviously, that it is narrow. This is tolerable for a holiday, and maybe for a long time for a single person. But for a couple, having to budge up every time the other wanted to pass becomes a bore after a year or so.
The other snag, to our way of thinking, is that you can't see out when you're sitting down. To cure that, we had to build a broadbeam boat to our own design.
Tony MS
PIGLETSDREAM
Well-Known Member
Had spent two years re-building boat and was on the last room, the engine room. At about 1600hrs I started to strip some paint with the hot air gun nd carried on for a couple of hours. At about 1800hrs I started the engine to put some heat in the engine room and went up to the galley to prepare some tea. Un beknown to me, some paint that I had stripped was smouldering in the bilge,(nice and dry) and the heat from the engine kept it smouldering for a couple of hours. I was in the galley cooking when I heard a bang and the lights went out. Groping my way to the engine room to reset the fuse board I opened first bulk head door and smelt smoke and could hear the smoke detector beeping, moved through the second bulhead door and all hell had been let loose. Fire smoke and explosions. Not putting brain in gear, re-traced steps to galley where I knew I had a large CO2 cylender and with wet hanky over face made my way on hands and knees back to fire. The smoke was horrendous and the heat desperate. I got to within 12 ft of the fire and completly disharged the CO2. Nothing, didn't even flicker. I was now in trouble as I could not see and breathing was very difficult. When the petrol generator exploded and the flywheel came past me like an Exocet, I suddenly became more focused but couldnt see or work out which way was out. After grubbing around for ages I found a louvered door which I had remembered was on my desk and from there I found the bulkhead door which had closed behind me. From there I found my bed and I had fitted an escape hatch on both sides and above the bed, for that in case of moment. That was now. Threw the hatch open and dived into the canal. The fire started as a result of paint shavings in the bilge gently smouldering and being faned by the engine. This then allowed the floor boards to catch and then my DIY store with paints thinners etc. The generator which was in a cupboard exploded depositing 2 gallons of petrol already on fire and the rest is history. My boat was totalled and I was lucky. I spent 24hours in hospital on Oxygen to clean my lungs. The smoke melted my CD collection which was 65ft from the fire and the glass on my front door blew out from the heat I visited all the neighbours to give advice on fire evac and we all played at being blindfolded whilst on hands and knees trying to get to an exit. Not easy. I now study fire evac cards at hotels etc and in my home I have practiced with the wife, evacuation whilst blindfolded. Try it, get on yourhands and knees and work out where the front door is with a blindfold on. It may just save you or a loved ones life
