Living On A narrowboat

14/03/2023

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱'𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸?

Given that eight different navigation authorities are responsible for our nation’s canal and river network, arriving at meaningful global statistics is challenging. However, you’ll find this information on the Canal and River Trust website.

‘There are more than 2,000 miles of navigable canals and rivers throughout England and Wales, making up an intricate network which enables boats to travel the length and breadth of the country. These inland waterways boast 1,569 locks, 53 tunnels, 3112 bridges, 370 aqueducts and 74 reservoirs.

The Canal & River Trust (CRT) is responsible for most of the network’s maintenance, but you will need licenses from the following authorities if you plan to cruise all of the networks.

Environments Agency
Anglian Waterways
Middle-Level Commissioners
Peel Holdings
Avon Navigation Trust
National Trust
Cam Conservators
Broads Authority - You’ll need to brave The Wash to cruise from the main network onto the Norfolk Broads. You need balls like a Hereford bull to tackle that!
Most narrowboat owners only need a license for CRT waters. However, they can upgrade to a CRT gold license if they plan to cruise extensively on CRT and EA waterways.

Many antagonistic narrowboat owners tell anyone who will listen to them that the charity does a terrible job of looking after our inland waterways. CRT has a 200-year-old infrastructure to look after, using income from a property portfolio, boat license fees, and charitable donations. The charity’s financial needs are substantial. Our vintage canal network needs a great deal of maintenance.

I worked at Calcutt Boats on the Grand Union Canal near Napton Junction a decade ago when contractors repaired Calcutt Top lock’s entrance coping stones. The stones were too heavy to move by hand, but the contractors had to remove them before repairing the crumbling foundation. Unfortunately, the canal stopped the contractors from reaching the area with their heavy machinery, so they closed the lock flight, drained the section between the top and middle lock, and dropped half a dozen container-sized pontoons onto the canal bed so they could drive a tracked machine over to the lock.

That ‘little’ repair took six weeks and cost £100,000. A canal breach, a hole in the canal wall, can cost £1,000,000 to fix and lock gates - over 3,000 pairs - cost £20,000 a pair to manufacture. There’s routine maintenance to shoehorn into CRT’s schedule. Teams of employed staff grease paddle gear, plug minor leaks, refit gates lifted off their hinges by careless boaters and remove floating rubbish by the tonne. They can’t manage everything without help. An unpaid volunteer army paints and tidies, cut back lockside vegetation and marshalls boats through busy lock flights.

Did you know that most of the keepers on the network’s busy lock flights don’t earn a penny? Many work three or more days a week, making lock passages easier, safer and more pleasant for thousands of boaters, especially those flying solo. All they want in return is a friendly word and an ice cream on a hot summer’s day.

I have rarely met an unfriendly or unhelpful CRT employee or volunteer, even when they have had to work hard to satisfy their boating customers.

I needed help from these unsung heroes on a cruise from Oundle on the River Nene to Napton Junction on the Grand Union Canal. Unfortunately, the only route is via the notoriously shallow Grand Union Northampton Arm’s seventeen-lock flight. It’s a challenge for deep-draughted boats like Orient.

I grounded immoveably after the second lock. As a solo boater, the only option open to me was to call CRT to ask for help. I hoped I would have a better experience than the previous day when I grounded on a shallow pound between two Nene locks on Northampton’s outskirts. That farce involved ringing a lockside helpline number no longer operational, negotiating menu options designed to make strong men weep and speaking to telephone operators who didn’t know the first thing about boating. The EA could learn a thing or two from CRT.

I had a much more positive experience with CRT’s helpline. A knowledgeable lady quickly transferred me to the correct department, and another CRT professional noted my details and promised that a field operator would call me promptly. He did and informed me that he would send someone to refloat my boat within the next half hour.

Two volunteers walked a mile from the nearest road to assess the situation and then led me two miles up the flight, running water through locks until there was enough to allow Orient to cut her way through the canal’s w**dy bottom until she reached deeper water. Throughout their towpath slog, both volunteers remained cheerful and extremely helpful. But, unfortunately, these are the people that so many boat owners malign.

In addition to its sterling work on the waterways, CRT has developed a handy website for narrowboat owners, especially the stoppages section.

The stoppages section details planned work on canals and locks or closures due to emergencies. You shouldn’t begin a cruise without referring to CRT’s stoppages map, especially during the winter when contractors do most of the scheduled work.

The part of my pre-cruise preparation I enjoy the most is plotting winter routes around stoppages. Without CRT’s excellent website, winter cruise planning would be frustrating and time-consuming.

Next time you meet one of CRT’s volunteer army, be nice. These guys and girls help make boating such an enjoyable experience. I discovered that CRT volunteer lockkeepers are particularly partial to ice creams on hot summer days. Buying a treat or two for these angels of the inland waterways is a small price to pay for what they do for you.

12/03/2023

𝐈𝐧𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

I’m sure you’ll be relieved to discover that inland waterways boaters aren’t quite so precious about using nautical terminology as saltwater sailors. You’ll hear boaters referring to their craft’s bow and stern, but that’s about it. Port and starboard rarely describe the boat’s left and right sides, you’ll park your boat just as often as you moor it and drive, steer and helm are all interchangeable words to describe your navigational efforts through England’s muddy ditches. However, boating terminology rears its ugly head on occasion, so here’s a comprehensive list of the terms you may encounter.

I’ve added links in the list to forum articles you may find useful too. Please note that although my website forum hasn’t been active for several years, most of the linked information is still valid.

Abreast Alongside; side by side (not to be confused with breasted-up).

Adrift Anything broken away from moorings or fastenings.

Aerials – Television Aerials – If you can’t live without your Corrie, you’ll need a decent aerial for your boat.

Aft (1) Behind (2) (on board): – towards or near the stern.

Air draught The overall height of a vessel measured from the water line to the highest fixed part of the superstructure.

Aluminium narrowboats – They don’t rust so why don’t you see more of them on the inland waterways?

Anchor Heavy iron or steel implement for chaining a boat to the sea or river bed, with barbs or partly swivelling flukes that bite into most types of bottom to give a firm purchase. Narrowboats are extremely weighty and need large heavy anchors when on river navigations. When dropped, the angle at which anchor presents itself to the bottom is critical for obtaining a swift hold and is governed by the way the cable (q.v.) is constructed.

Anchor-hold The hold of an anchor upon the ground.

Anchors – What’s the best size and weight anchor for narrowboats on tidal rivers

Anchor-stock The cross-bar of an anchor which causes one or other of the flukes to turn to the bottom.

Anode (or sacrificial anode) In steel boat terms : – replaceable, large piece of metal e.g. magnesium, fitted to hull under the waterline, designed to corrode due to electrolysis instead of the hull. Annual inspection for wastage/possible replacement is usual at which time it is normal to clean the hull and apply blacking.

Anti-cavitation plate A plate, usually attached to the w**d hatch cover, that is flush, or almost flush, to the uxter plate so that it closes off the underside of the w**d-hatch aperture.

Antifouling Paint applied underwater to inhibit w**d growth on the hull. Usually applied to river and canal cruisers rather than narrowboats (the steel hulls of which are invariably coated with bitumen paint, which has some antifouling characteristics).

APCO The Association of Pleasure Craft Operators – an organization that represents the narrow boat hire industry. A subsidiary body of BMIF.

Aqueduct (Often pronounced “akkyduck” by old boatmen) A bridge which carries a waterway over a valley, road, river etc., constructed to avoid the expense of providing inconvenient locks.

Arm A ‘dead-end’ branch off a main canal, built to service a town, quarry, mine etc.

Astern (1) Area (or something) behind (or aft) of the vessel (2) Of boat:- going backwards; Of engine:- in reverse gear (note, boat may still be going forwards).

There's much, much more to this post, but I can't link to the relevant articles in this Facebook post. Follow the link below to the page on my site and sit down with a hot drink to read it. You'll be there a while. But don't forget to come back here to like the post or add a comment.

Here's the link...

I’m sure you’ll be relieved to discover that inland waterways boaters aren’t quite so precious about using nautical terminology as saltwater sailors. You’ll hear boaters referring to their craft’s bow and stern, but that’s about it. Port and starboard rarely describe the boat’s left an...

10/03/2023

I registered livingonanarrowboat.co.uk on 19th February 2010, six weeks before I moved onto my first narrowboat. I cruised 7,152 miles through 3,507 locks before I started writing this guide. I inhaled diesel fumes for 3,997 hours, owned four boats - two narrowboats on the English inland waterways network and two Dutch motor cruisers in the Netherlands - and enjoyed or suffered countless adventures. If you stick with this email series, I’ll tell you tales of swarming wasps, boat-boarding bullocks, feral fishermen, canal groundings and catastrophes galore. That's in addition to sharing with you everything I know about living afloat.

I’ve written about my adventures over the last thirteen years in hundreds of website posts, public journal entries if you like, created to inform novice boaters and entertain all and sundry. Much as I enjoy writing these blog posts, each one takes a day to write, edit, hone and proofread and then a little longer to add photos and upload everything to my website.

I continued adding site content until a year ago when a perfect storm stopped me in my tracks. My 60th birthday coincided with the pandemic’s global meltdown. Infected and aged, I lost the stamina and the will to hold down a physically demanding job at one of the network’s most prominent marinas, host narrowboat experience cruises on my day off AND write regular blog posts. Something had to give.

My blog post writing stopped first, followed by my working life at Calcutt Boats soon after. Now I’m a full-time continuous cruiser. I cruise our outstanding canals at a leisurely pace for a couple of months and then dash back to my Discovery Day base at Napton Junction to host a batch of experience and training days.

This rambling introduction is a long-winded way of saying that I won’t be writing more cruising journal-style blog posts. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to share my experience with you, so here’s my plan.

There’s an enormous amount of information on my sprawling site; 398 pages, 628 ‘journal’ posts and another 9,000+ forum posts. I’ve trawled through the content, rewritten it and created a comprehensive message series.

If you’re thinking about buying a narrowboat, either as a recreational vehicle or a full-time home, I implore you to read my coming posts. They - and the content they link to - are a distillation of everything I’ve learned about narrowboats and life on the inland waterways since April 2010 when I stepped aboard my first floating home.

Although I think the post series content is comprehensive, I may have missed something. So please feel free to message me with any narrowboat-related questions. If I haven’t covered the subject, I’ll add it to the list.

Right, that’s the introductory stuff out of the way. Now we’ll get down to the nitty-gritty. In the following message, I’ll explain the reasons for NOT living afloat. (Don’t worry. None of it has put ME off. Wild horses couldn’t drag me away from my floating home!)

Oh, just one final suggestion. Please bookmark or label each message so you can find them later. You'll have a comprehensive resource detailing all you need to know about life on England's inland waterways. And if that sounds too much like hard work, you can download - for a small fee - the complete guide from my website, indexed and always at hand.

I'll add the first post in a day or two. I hope you find it useful

20/02/2022

New post added at Living On A Narrowboat - 2014 10 12 Newsletter - The Pros And Cons Of Buying An Ex Hire BoatWhat a wet and windy start to the week. I started work at 8am, then went back to the boat to change my soaking clothes at 9am. But before that I had the pleasure of moving two boats; one off the boat cradle on the slipway back into the water and another off its mooring and on to the half submerged cradle at the bottom of the slipway so that it could be pulled out of the water by our ancient JCB.The wind made both jobs very interesting indeed.The first boat belongs to proud new owner and regular site user Simon Birt. It's a 2003 60' traditional stern boat built by S M Hudson which appears to be something of a bargain.Simon's boat, Genevieve, has a traditional layout with a boatman's cabin at the rear and the engine room in front of that. Most narrowboats have a Morse control gear selector and throttle control. You just push the lever forwards or backwards to select forward or reverse gear. The further you push the lever in either direction, the faster the boat moves.The old traditional boats, and the ones like Simon's designed along those lines, have separate gear selector and throttle controls. The gear selector is a brass handle which you pull towards you to put the boat into reverse and push away from you to select forward gear. Somewhere in the middle is neutral. Neutral is rarely marked so you have to guess where it is if you don't know the boat. The engine speed is governed by a wheel. It's called a speed wheel. You rotate it one way to increase the engine speed and the other to decrease it.These controls aren't the best in the world if you want to do something quickly because if you want to go from forward to reverse you have to use the speed wheel to reduce the engine speed to idle, pull or push the gear selector rod in the opposite direction, then quickly turn the speed wheel again to increase the engine speed. With a Morse control you simply move the lever from one end to the other, briefly pausing at neutral. A speed wheel takes a bit of getting used to, ideally on windless day and somewhere other than on a cradle seven or eight feet off the ground.The boat was lowered into the water, then I spent a few seconds fumbling with the controls in the driving rain as the stiff breeze pushed me sideways across the marina. With a little rope pulling assistance from JCB driver Jim we managed to tie the boat securely to the side of the slipway before I drove to a mooring at the far end of Meadows marina to collect the second boat.Our two marinas are always a challenge in the wind. Monday was no exception. It's usually a case of having to be a little heavy handed with the throttle to maintain any effective steering, something which is always a little risky when you're crabbing across an open stretch of water towards a waiting cradle and a very nervous looking JCB driver.Unusually for me, there were no mishaps so once the boat was safely on the slipway I was free to return to my boat for a much needed change of clothing and to put on my bomb proof waterproofs ready for a very wet morning waddling around the site doing something other than grass cutting.We've reached the time of year when we can focus on proactive rather than reactive tasks. I've probably cut the grass for the last time this year and the willow's rapid growth has ceased for another season. It's time to think about removing this season's squirrel damaged oak and, sadly, half a dozen irreplaceable hornbeam which are damaged beyond recovery.Our larger wood needs thinning out. There are far too many oak and ash growing too close to each other so I'll probably need to take 150 - 200 of the weaker trees out this winter.I look forward to the winter woodland projects but I'll be quite sad while I work. When I began working at the marina five years ago, the woodland area close to our mooring was very much neglected. There were a few little used and overgrown paths along the wood's edge closest to Meadows marina and very little else.I've had the freedom to manage the woods as I see fit. I've created paths, removed restrictive fencing, built bridges over ditches, removed stakes and protectors from thousands of trees, removed weaker trees to give the stronger ones more space to grow and planted over 1,000 shrubs to provide ground cover for birds and small mammals.This coming winter will be my last.Next spring Sally and I will set sail to explore the waterways network. Maintaining and developing the woodland isn't considered a priority. I do it because I love woodland areas and think that our two woods offer an interesting addition to the many acres of easily accessible meadow walks available on site.I hope that my replacement will hold a similar view.Ex Hire Boats - Do They Make Suitable Live Aboard Homes?Have you ever considered buying a hire boat after it's finished transporting happy holiday cruisers on short breaks? Hire boats are often snapped up by new live aboard boat owners, but are they really a good buy?I'm not sure that they are.A hire boat is designed to accommodate the maximum number of people for relatively short periods. Those people spend much of the day cruising and very little time sitting inside leading a "normal" life. Long cruising days are often followed by long evenings in the pub before a few hours in bed before beginning the cycle again.Because of the crews holiday needs, the boat is all about bedrooms and bathrooms. A sixty feet long boat is a common length for a live aboard boat. A sixty feet long hire boat will sleep six or more. The one below will sleep nine.The plan is of Burdock, the longest in the Calcutt hire fleet. The space labelled 2 & 3 is the seating in the saloon area which can be converted into a double bed. The two spaces labelled number 12 (one on the port and one on the starboard side) are bunk beds. Number twenty three is a double bed with a single bed above it.Up to nine people can sleep on this boat, and they do on a regular basis. I'm always amazed by the number of people that can shoehorn themselves into the boat, and the amount of stuff they bring with them. We had two families take the boat out earlier in the year, four adults and five children. After and seemingly endless stack of bags, boxes and suitcases disappeared onto the boat, two of the adults drove to Tesco in Southam to stock up with food and drink for the trip. They returned after spending £400, not all of it on drink. The wharf staff then helped them load twenty food filled plastic bags into the little remaining space.In addition to the nine berths are a toilet and shower room and another toilet. Each toilet deposits waste into a coffin sized holding tank underneath.The heating on many hire boats and on half of our own fleet is gas. I don't know if any hire boats have solid fuel stoves. Most don't because of the safety risks and because of the space they take up.Outside the boat, the bow is open to the elements and will seat six people comfortably. The rear, as with the majority of hire boats, is a cruiser stern which means that there is a large rear deck where the steerer and three or four other holiday hirers can stand in comfort while they cruise.The electrics on board are pretty basic. There are two 110ah batteries in the domestic bank and an additional 110ah for starting the engine. There is a 1,000w inverter on board for running low power mains appliances.Compare the above specification to my own boat which is designed and equipped to accommodate just two people in comfort for long term off grid cruising.At sixty two feet, my boat is marginally longer than the hire boat above but because it has a traditional rather than a cruiser stern I probably have an additional six feet internal cabin space.The downside is that I don't have as much space at the rear of the boat for people to stand and talk to the helmsman during a cruise. Having said that, on discovery days I have two guests at the back of the boat with me. One or the other of them is steering while the other guest and I try to stay out of the way. When I'm cruising on my own, I have a four feet long tiller for steering. When I have guests I switch to a two feet long tiller to free up vital space.On the hire boat, the front well deck is open to allow hirers to sit in comfort while they watch the world go by. On my boat a triangular cratch board and cover has been fitted to convert this space into a very useful lobby which we use to store stuff we don't want in the boat like the hose reel, bags of coal, the ash bucket, outdoor shoes, a mop and bucket, a pair of garden shears for taming otherwise ideal moorings and a towel for the dogs. The covered space allows us to dry them off in wet weather before they come into the boat. The covered area also helps retain the heat in the cabin when we open the front doors.Because we don't have the logistical challenge of sleeping six or more people every night, vital space is available to make our lives more comfortable. For a start we have room for a solid fuel stove.I'm an evangelist for stoves on live aboard boats. If you don't have one, you're asking for trouble. They may well take up vital space, require much more effort than a mechanical heating system in terms of keeping them topped up with fuel and cleaning them, but they are reliable. My Torgem stove was installed when the boat was built in 1977. It's still going strong. The flue pipe has been replaced but apart from that it's always been there to provide a reliable heat source when it's needed. In a perfect world I would replace my stove with a more efficient Morso Squirrel, but the Squirrel is slightly larger than the Torgem so I would have to extend the hearth another three inches into the centre of the boat and sit three inches closer to a stove which is sometimes to hot as it is now. I'll make do with the Torgem for now.Mechanical central heating systems will break down at some stage, usually when you need them most. With a solid fuel stove in place you've always got another string to your bow.So we have room for a solid fuel stove and room for some comfortable fitted seating where we can relax on a cold winter's evening and watch the fire's flickering flames. Under the seating is some very useful storage space, something which there is very little of on a hire boat.The hire boat above has very little storage space because most of the space inside the boat is taken up by beds, an extra bathroom an open plan front deck and a large open back deck. On my boat there's more storage space than I can shake a stick at as you can see in this video. The plentiful storage space means that we can keep our small living space very tidy indeed.My boat was deigned to sleep five. It still could, but one of them would need to be a child. The original owner and his wife had three small children. The length of one of the bunks, a space I now use as my office desk, reflects that. I have disposed of the mattress which covered the small bed base so I now have a dedicated and very comfortable desk.Behind where I sit at my laptop are two full size bunks. If we ever make any friends, and they are daft enough to want to stay the night, they can sleep on the bunks in comfort.The main sleeping area is the fixed double bed in the bedroom which is just in front of the engine room.I mentioned that the heating on many hire boats is gas. Gas central heating is very expensive to run and produces a wet heat which aids condensation. I stayed on one of Calcutt Boats' hire boats for ten days in November 2011 when my own boat was taken away to have the new steel cabin fitted.The majority of our boats with gas heating have Alde boilers but the smaller boats have Riviera heaters. Over the ten days on board I used two full 19kg propane cylinders at a cost of £40 each. The £8 a day average is nearly twice the cost to run my solid fuel stove.I believe that the new Alde compact boiler is more economical to run but I can't find any average gas consumption figures. However the quoted 405g/h seems quite high.Hire boat electrics are pretty basic. The boat I've used for this comparison has two fairly low capacity batteries in the domestic bank. The boat has a total of 220ah to provide power to the on board electrics and a charger so that the boat can be plugged into the national grid via the shore line to charge the batteries when the boat returns to base and there's a small inverter to run the television and some low power mains appliances. And that's it.I have four batteries in my domestic bank which total 540ah. I too have a charger built in to enable me to charge the batteries from the mains and I have an inverter. Mine isn't that much bigger than the hire boat but it will run a washing machine at a push. I also have a 300w solar panel array with an MPPT controller and I have something which no live aboard boater should be without. I have a battery monitor which enables me to see the capacity remaining in the battery bank at the press of a button.Of course, all of these things can be added to the hire boat after you've bought it but they're an additional expense which you may not have considered and things which may be included if you buy a second hand boat which has been designed for extended cruising.A perceived benefit with ex hire boats is regular servicing.It's true that hire boat engines are maintained on a regular basis, but they need to be because of the frequent use. At seven months, Calcutt Boats' season is shorter than some hire companies. Our first boats of the year go out at Easter. The last of the year's hirers return at the end of October. Some hire boat companies operate all year round.People who hire narrowboats generally don't hire them so that they can moor in one place for days on end. Most plan quite ambitious routes for their week or fortnight away. Two popular routes from Calcutt Boats are the circular Warwickshire ring and the out and back cruise to Oxford. Both necessitate cruising for seven or eight hours a day to complete roughly 100 miles and 100 locks for the former and 80 locks for the latter.These routes are chosen regularly throughout the season so it's not unusual for a hire boat to be moving for fifty or sixty or more hours a week for months on end and to suffer the inevitable knocks caused by continuous cruising in all weathers by often novice crews.Most hire boats are worked quite hard.I know two people who have bought ex hire boats to live on. Both were purchased as DIY projects. One was bought four years ago and still isn't finished.Gary started by considering what he needed to do to make the boat work as a comfortable live aboard. He came to the conclusion that he needed to rip out all the internal fitting and start again. He realised that as a single boat owner he didn't need two toilets on board. He had to completely dismantle the bathroom before he could remove the back-breakingly heavy waste tank with its decade long accumulation of crusty unmentionables.By the time he had finished removing what he didn't want in the boat he was left with something very similar to a sailaway. Just in case you haven't come across them before, a sailaway is a part finished boat, widely available for purchase by DIY enthusiasts who want to fit out their own boat. Here's an example of a company offering sailaway boats with various options.So Gary purchased a complete boat and then removed all of the internal furniture and bulkheads to take it back to a sailaway state. And then he spent the following four years considering how to fit it out, and then trying to find the time, energy and money needed to finish the project. Three years later, he still hasn't quite managed it.There you are. A hire boat may at first appear to be a reasonable choice for your new floating home. Now you know the pros and cons. Do you still want to buy one?I Need Some Help!Each time I write a newsletter, I tick another subject off the list of things which those new to boating have told me that they want to read about. The hardest part of the process isn’t the writing itself, it’s constantly thinking of new content for each issue. The trouble is, I don’t know what you want to read. I think I keep the newsletters reasonably interesting but I don’t know for sure. That’s where I need your help.Can you let me know what you would like to read in the future? Are there any areas of narrowboat life you don’t think I’ve covered enough or areas which I’ve missed completely? Please let me know what you want to read about. Thanks for your help.Newsletter IndexI created the site just over four years ago to provide a source of information for anyone interested in narrowboats and the possibility of living on one full time. The site has grown to encompass a comprehensive listing of inland marinas in England and Wales, dozens of articles, a forum and regular newsletters. I’ve already created (below) indexes of the site articles and the more popular forum posts. I thought it was about time I created an easy to use index of the newsletter content. Here’s the index so far.5th October 2014I ran short of time during this week and couldn't think of much to write about anyway, so I just detailed an idyllic week we spent away from the marina, pottering about for a few days in Braunston and then finishing off the week on the south Oxford canal down as far as Fenny Compton. Six months before the start of our continuous cruising lifestyle, it was just what we needed to whet our appetites.28th September 2014Emergency food on board - Some of the most pleasant places to moor are a long way from the nearest supermarket. Here are some suggestions to ensure that you're never short of a tasty meal on your idyllic canal-side retreat.21st September 2014Cruising in adverse weather conditions part two - A continuation of the previous week's newsletter.14th September 2014Cruising in adverse weather conditions - Steering a narrowboat over the glassy surface of a placid canal on windless day in the middle of summer is child's play. Here's what you need to do on a "normal" day's cruise.7th September 2014Following your dream - Is your goal to some day spend a life of leisure out on the canal network? This article might encourage you to make a move sooner rather than later.31st August 2014Route finding for narrowboat owners - Here are the popular paper and digital route finders to help make navigating the network child's play24th August 2014Long term narrowboat hire - Is hiring a boat long term a realistic alternative to buying one?17th August 2014living on board in the winter, the cost of living afloat generally and where you can moor your floating home are all subjects which are misunderstood by many aspiring narrowboat owners. Here's what you need to know.10th August 2014Narrowboat heating, electrics and engine specifications - How is the perfect live aboard narrowboat configured? Here are a few suggestions3rd August 2014Essential boating equipment - Here's the stuff every boater should carry on board27th July 2014The pros and cons of a wide beam boat - More and more wannabe boaters are considering more spacious wide beams rather than narrowboat. There is clearly more living space on board but how practical are wide beam boats on the inland waterways?20th July 2014The dreaded w**d hatch - Sooner or later your engine will start to overheat, you'll lose propulsion and you'll know that you need to dive down your w**d hatch to free an obstacle or two from the propeller. Here's how to do it properly and a list of the tools you'll need.13th July 2014Digital aids for narrowboat owners - Digital applications and maps for inland waterways boaters6th July 2014Practical experience for lone boaters. Here's an account of a day's cruise with a nervous single boater. He wanted enough confidence to deal with locks on his own. I spent the day with him, designed a route to include twenty six locks and spent ten hours helping him hone his locking skills.29th June 2014Extending your boat's storage space - The pros and cons of fitting covers to your front and rear decks22nd June 2014Naming your boat - The legal requirements when naming, renaming and displaying your boat plus the inland waterways' two hundred most popular boat names15th June 2014Speeding boats - Are rocking stationary boats the fault of speeding passing boats or the fault of boat owners who can't moor securely?8th June 2014Boat Handling - lock and paddle gear types.1st June 2014Boat handling - Swing and lift bridges25th May 2014Single handed boating - Negotiating locks.18th May 2014Single handed boating - Choosing the right type of boat for single handed cruising and equipment to make your solo journeys safer and more enjoyable. 11th May 2014How to avoid common narrowboat accidents. They happen far more often than you might think. Here's what you need to keep yourself out of harm's way.4th May 2014If you want to live on your boat and don't want to, or can't, cruise full time, you must have a residential mooring. Here's how to find one.27th April 2014What makes a perfect live aboard narrowboat. Two experienced boaters discuss layout, size and essential equipment20th April 2014A cautionary tale if you are considering buying a wide beam boat to live on.13th April 2014A further update to the site content index.6th April 2014The A -Z of everything narrowboat - With over 5,500 posts and pages on the site now, quickly finding exactly what you want can sometimes be a problem. For this newsletter I started creating and A-Z index of all the site content.30th March 2014How do you continue to earn money to support your boating lifestyle as you cruise the network?23rd March 2014Sharing your narrowboat space - The practicalities of sharing living accommodation the same size as a large shed.16th March 2014Paying for a narrowboat - What practical steps can you take to ensure you've established legal ownership and how do you deal with the transfer of monies between buyer and seller?9th March 2014Narrowboat Knots - At my first lock on my first cruise I watched my boat drift into the centre of the canal along with my twelve year old son. If you want to avoid the same embarrassment and potential damage to both your boat and your self esteem, you need to know how to tie your boat securely in a number of different situations.2nd March 2014Toilets is a subject often discussed by narrowboat owners but they usually talk about either pump out or cassette toilets. There is a third type though and it's one which is both environmentally friendly and cheap to run. Here's all you need to know about composting toilets.23rd February 2014Boat owners who live on board are considered to have a pretty simple and basic life by many living in bricks and mortar homes. Compared with the lifestyle of the farmers I've been staying with in the Philippines though, my UK life seems overly materialistic and expensive. Cou16th February 2014Here's an account of my very first winter on board and that of one of the site's subscribers, Nigel Buttery. They're very different experiences. My first winter was the coldest on record. Nigel's is one of the mildest winters we've had for a long time.I've also included to links to my Philippines blog. I spent the whole of February living in a rural farming community on the island of Negros.9th February 2014Have you ever wondered how a narowboat is built. Here are the first two parts of a very detailed account of the building of a Sea Otter aluminium narrowboat. You'll be particularly interested in Sea Otters if you don't fancy the constant battle with rust that you have with traditional steel narrowboats.2nd February 2014Condensation is something all boat owners have to deal with. Here's an explanation of why it occurs and what to do about it. I also tested a remote boat monitoring application in this issue.26th January 2014Cold floors, cold air above the floors and cold hull sides. It's a combination which can cause your bottom half quite a bit of discomfort. Here's what I do to deal with the problem.19th January 2014Weil's disease - It's an often talked about and often feared aspect of living, working or playing close to inland waterways but just how dangerous is it and what can you do to keep yourself safe?12th January 2014If you're on a budget maybe a self fit our sailaway is the way to go for you. Here's the story of a wide beam self fit out to give you inspiration (or put you off completely)5th January 2014Planning for the year ahead - Written plans and goals have always been important to me. They help me see into the future. Here's what we've planned for our lovely floating home in 2014.29th December 2013The practicality of hosting Christmas afloat - How do you achieve a floating festive event (and do you really want to)?Liveaboard case study, The Pearl - Tony and Jane Robinson believe in forward planning. They stated their narrowboat fund thirty years before buying their own boat. Now the two retired education workers moor in a marina for the winter then explore the waterways during the warmer months.22nd December 2013Narrowboat Storage Space - How much space is there to store your worldly goods on board a narrowboat? Here's a video walk-through of my own boat James.15th December 2013Roses and Castles Canal Art - What is it and why do boaters spend so much money decorating their boats with it?8th December 2013Fitting secondary double glazing - Fitting the panels is a simple operation for those with the most basic DIY skills, something which I sadly haven't developed. As you might expect then, the fitting didn't go as well as it should.Narrowboat videos - I launched the Living On A Narrowboat YouTube channel1st December 2013Secondary double glazing for your boat - The pros and cons of double glazing on a boat and why secondary double glazing is a much better bet and a fraction of the cost.Living on a narrowboat vidoes - My first hesitant steps into the world of video production for site contentCan you either live or holiday on a narrowboat if you have a disability? - Here's what you need to know.24th November 2013Winter fuel allowance - Do you qualify for one if you live on a boat?Case Study - NB Progress. Kim Wainwright recorded her journey on the forum from nervous anticipation to current liveaboard boat owner. Here's her story.17th November 2013Narrowboat central heating - I don't have any. All that is about to change. Here's the system I'm going to install and why I've chosen it.10th November 2013Narrowboat running costs - I compare my own running costs to those of a prominent YouTube video blogger and detail my exact costs for October 20133rd November 2013Popular narrowboat terminology - Hundreds or words or phrases used to describe parts of boats and the waterways they cruise through.27th October 2013The wind chill factor – How strong the wind is blowing and which direction it’s coming from can determine how difficult it is to heat your boat. Here’s what you need to know.Case study – Another couple from down under living the dream on the inland waterways.20th October 2013Condensation. It’s a common problem on boats. Here are a few suggestions how to keep your boat’s interior dry.A new organisation for liveaboard boaters13th October 2013On demand water heater problems – Discover a common fault with these water heaters and what you can do to resolve the problem.Know your firewood – Not all timber burns well. Find out which is best and which to avoid.6th October 2013Managing your boat’s water supply. You can use your water supply as and when you need it when you live in a house with all mod cons. You can pretty much do the same when you’re on a marina mooring with a water supply just a hose length away. It’s a different kettle of fish when you’re on an online mooring.Liveaboard case study – A prime example of mooring without a water supply on tap.29th September 2013The folly of using unseasoned wood as a fuel – Here’s essential information if you plan to use logs you find to heat your boat for freeCreating lasting memories of your cruises – Slightly off topic, but please bear with me. You’ll have some wonderful adventures as you travel throughout the network. They’ll be adventures worth remembering but will you remember them? I have a very poor memory but instant and total recall of all my cruises is just a click away.22nd September 2013A tragedy at Calcutt. Sudden Oak Dieback hits our 1,500 twenty year old oak treesForum private messaging – Now you can email other forum users from within the site15th September 2013Managing your water supplyAn American blogs about his travels1st September 2013Solving engine room leaks – A simple solution to a dripping stern tubeAll about the w**d hatch – Removing debris from your propeller8th SeptemberA disaster – I inadvertently deleted this week’s newsletter and there wasn’t a backup on the server. What a shame. It was all about the damage you can do to your boat if you don’t watch what you’re doing in a lock. You would have loved it!25th August 2013Effective fly killers for boatsThe downside to living on a narrowboatLiveaboard Case Study – American Richard Varnes has taken a year out from work to cruise the canal network and write about his adventure. Here’s his case study and a few stories from his journey so far.18th August 2013CART Guide Approval – The waterways’ governing body is now promoting the information packages available from this site. Yippee!Narrowboat Insurance – A summary of insurance quotes from the major narrowboat insurersLiveaboard Case Study - Keith and Nicky downsized their property in Jersey, used the released capital to buy their 57? “go anywhere” narrowboat and now live on their boat full time while they continuously cruise the canal network. They’re ridiculously young to retire, and I’m very, very jealousDownsizing from a 3 bed semi to a narrowboat – What do you do with a lifetime’s accumulated possessions?11th August 2013A free download – Living On A Narrowboat: 101 Essential Narrowboat ArticlesNarrowboat tips – Handy hints from experienced narrowboat ownersThe cost of a continuous cruising lifestyle – How one liveaboard boater manages on a shoestring4th August 2013The perfect narrowboat washing machine? – It’s low cost and doesn’t need plumbing in, but does it actually clean clothes?The cost of a continuous cruising lifestyle – How much does living the life of a water gypsy really cost?28th July 2013The cost of living on a narrowboat – An article in the Daily Mail… and why most boaters disagree with what they said.21st July 2013Hire boat expectations - Fully understanding what facilities will be available to you is essential if you’re going to enjoy a narrowboat holiday. Here’s what not to do.14th July 2013Fenland river cruising – Another boater’s maiden voyage to whet your appetite.7th July 2013Anticipating winter weather – You may well be enjoying unusually warm winter weather but the winter will be with us all too soon. Now is the time that you need to plan for the cold weather ahead.30th June 2013Keeping your stove glass clean – Maybe you think it’s an odd subject for the summer but you can’t trust the English weather. Late June and the stove was still on now and again. At least now I have a crystal clear view of the fire I shouldn’t need to light.Traffic chaos caused by Braunston’s historic boat rally – On a day with high winds and a canal full of working boats returning home after the rally, I had the pleasure of taking some very nervous hirers out on the cut.23rd June 2013 - The cost of a two week cruise. If you live on your own boat, what’s the real cost of taking it away for a two week break?Case Study – Mary Anne swapped dry land home rental for floating home ownership. Now she loves life afloat and works from home.Life as a continuous cruiser – The Holy Grail of narrowboat ownership. The ability to travel where and when you like. Peter Early tells all.16th June 2013The Ashby canal cruise part two – We spent a bit more time on the Ashby before heading south again, joining the Coventry canal, this time following it into Coventry’s rather depressing and disappointing city centre, then retracing our steps back to CalcuttMost popular narrowboat names – Here’s the definitive list of the top 200 most popular narrowboat names and a resource you can use to find out if any other boat has the same name as yoursConsiderate boating – An article prompted after a near head on collision with another boat trying to avoid a fallen oak.9th June 2013I was on holiday for the first two weeks of June. Sally and I cruised from Calcutt to Braunston, north along the north Oxford where we joined the Coventry canal briefly before taking a very sharp right turn onto the Ashby canal. Here’s a daily report of the first week of our holiday.2nd June 2013An encounter with two poorly prepared holiday boaters and my own impending two week cruise encouraged me to put together a pre cruise check list26th May 2013Laptop hacking – An update on the problems I encountered after buying a brand new laptop which I suspect was tampered with before I bought it.Diary of a new narrowboat owner – Frequent forum poster “Our Nige” finally moved on to his new floating home. Here’s his story19th May 2013My comments about an encounter on the Oxford/GU section between Napton and Braunston sparked a debate about the pros and cons of wide beams on the cut.Keeping dry – You don’t really need to limit your cruising to sunny summer days. There’s something very special about standing on the back deck in the pouring ran protected by a set of bomb proof waterproofs.Do you really need a car? Living on a narrowboat is all about enjoying a simple and stress free life. Sally and I had a car each. Mine cost £2,000 to run in the previous 12 months so I decided to get rid of mine to see if I could manage without one.12th May 2013An encounter with a wide beam boat and why they aren’t suitable for much of the canal networkAn interview with the Trust’s head of boating. Sally Ash talks about the Trust’s approach to the thorny issue of residential moorings5th May 2013Narrowboat fuel tanks – How much do they holdMeet one of your legless canal side companionsThe canal network’s largest floating hotel28th April 2013Narrowboat blogs – My own first cruise, Our Nige takes his new home on its maiden voyage and a chance for you to have your very own blog section on this site.21st April 2013The Trust target illegal moorers but just what does the Trust consider to an illegal mooring?Identity theft – The ongoing saga of my hacked laptopRCR engine servicing – River Canal Rescue (RCR) are well known as the waterways equivalent of the AA but did you know that they will also come to your mooring to service your boat?14th April 2013The perils of exceeding your monthly broadband data allowance. Learn from my mistakes.7th April 2013Narrowboat security – A spate of burglaries from boats and a break in at my former family home encouraged me to write this articleCase study – You need to committed to sell your home to fund the purchase of your narrowboat. That’s what Mick and Marlene have done.31st March 2013Case study – Sarah lives on wide beam Antioch on the Leeds Liverpool canal. She can do man things with her hands. Here’s her story.Be inspired – There are always reasons why you don’t make the move from bricks and mortar to steel and water. Here’s an anecdote which demonstrates once and for all that there really aren’t any worthwhile excuses.24th March 2013Here’s an example of what happens when you really don’t understand how your narrowboat works.Essential boating equipment – Here’s a low cost item which has paid for itself over and over again.Whilton marina boat sales – Sometimes things aren’t what they appear to be. This alleged fact about the boat sales at Whilton has come to me from several different sources.17th March 2013Where can you find residential moorings? Here’s a great place to startGetting rid of unwelcome visitors – Geese used to regularly disturb a peaceful night’s sleep where I moor. Not any more. Here’s my solutionKnow your narrowboat costs – Detailed costs for my own boat for February 2013Half a dozen boaters now have access to their own blog section on the site. You can too. Here’s how.11th March 2013James’ upgrade – Adding solar panels and replacing carpets with oak effect laminate flooring3rd March 2013Stove fuel test – What works best; coal, wood, briquettes or something else entirely – Here’s my own take on a Waterways World testEssential stove maintenance – Here’s what you need to do to make sure that your stove always performs well.Internet connectivity – I use the internet four or more hours every day. This is the setup I have on my boat to make sure that I’m always connected.Detailed running costs for my own boat for January 201320th February 2013The real cost of going cheap. An in depth look at the cost of my 36 year old boat, and how much I spent (and still need to spend) before it will be a comfortable full time cruising boat.8th January 2013Case Studies – I put together 21 of the best case studies and analysed and summarised the data in this low cost guide. If you want ton save yourself hundreds of hours of research and costly mistakes, you need to read this guide.Case Study – Mike’s circumstances are similar to my own. He moved onto his boat after a failed marriage. He’s upgraded from a 27? GRP cruiser to a 50? narrowboat24th DecemberNarrowboat electrics part 2 – The concluding article from Tim DavisI asked newsletter subscribers to send me detailed breakdowns of their bricks and mortar expenses so I could compare them with the cost of running a narrowboat. Quite a few subscribers obliged. I added the breakdowns to my narrowboat costs guide and the budgeting application.18th December 2012Understanding narrowboat electrics – Another excellent article from Tim DavisSatellite television for narrowboats – Information from a system installer2nd December 2012Low cost narrowboat ownership – A low cost solution to the problem of funding your first narrowboatSolar power – All you need to know about installing solar panels on your boat. Written by the inland waterways most popular solar system installerCase Study – Mr. Solar Panel Tim Davis writes about life on board his own narrowboat21st November 2012First tests and reviews of the budgeting applicationThe best aerial for a narrowboat television6th November 2012The first release of the new spreadsheet based narrowboat budgeting application28th October 2012An unscheduled dip in the marina prompted me to write about safety on the waterwaysLiving on a narrowboat – Through the eyes of a young lady who would clearly prefer to be somewhere else17th October 2012I started to develop the narrowboat budgeting software. This newsletter detailed the concept and the progress to date14th October 2012Practical flooring for narrowboat dogsCase study – Mike and Mags use a double redundancy payment to pay for their new floating home30th September 2012The best tip for a wannabe narrowboat owner – Advice from existing boat owners18th September 2012I published my guide Living on a Narrowboat: The REAL Cost of a Life Afloat. When this newsletter was published it was only available as a Kindle edition. Now it’s available in both Kindle and PDF format and is bundled with Narrowbudget, the site’s bespoke narrowboat budgeting application.VAT on narrowboat sales20th July 2012Dealing with pests on a narrowboat – spiders and swansPosh boats – My personal favourite: S.M. Hudson7th July 2012Repeat prescriptions, diesel heating systems and solar panels10th June 2012Survey – Do you want a forum on the site? (You already know the answer to that!)27th May 2012How to clean your stove glass – One of the real pleasures of a living fire is watching the flames on a cold winter’s eve. Here’s what you need to do to ensure you can actually see the fire.Smoking on board – An alternative to smelly smoke13th May 2012DIY narrowboat painting – I’ve broken down the complete cost of painting your own boat andDealing with wind on the river – A guest article from liveaboard narrowboat owner Alan Cazaly29th April 2012DIY narrowboat painting – I spent three weeks in April painting my boat. Here’s the first of my progress reports15th April 2012Life on the river Cam – A guest article on the pleasures of river life by wide beam liveaboard Luther PhillipsCase Study – Freelance writer Anne and her South African farmer partner John reveal allCase Study – Toni cruises constantly with ex husband Allan. They cruise together but they live apart… on separate boats 1st April 2012As a result of the article about the downside of living on a narrowboat published in the 18th March newsletter, I asked liveaboard narrowboat owners to complete a survey to give a balanced view of the issues raised by Pauline. Here are the survey results and a much more positive article by liveaboard narrowboat owner and frequent forum contributer Peter Early.18th March 2012The downside of living on a narrowboat – This was a very controversial post. Liveaboard Pauline Roberts wrote about the less pleasant aspects of life afloat… and attracted a storm of commentsCase study: The Woodsman – Pauline Roberts again giving an insight into the life that you may think she doesn’t like.4th March 2012Reviewed: The Liveaboard Guide by Tony Jones. A great guide to living afloateBay Narrowboat scam (and a little bit of flack for me from another forum)Case Study: Author Toby Jones on his own liveaboard narrowboatA review of Debdale Wharf marina22nd January 2012Two more case studies. One of them waxed lyrical about life on the waterways and enjoyed every minute of her life afloat. Now (April 2013) she’s selling up to follow another dream in Spain.8th January 2012The first four narrowboat case studies publishedI’ll start with myself; Paul Smith, living on my own, moored in a marina and working full time. Narrowboat James case studyMeet Peggy. She has a husband and two small children, works full time and cruises the network during the summer months. Narrowboat Violet Mae case studyFancy spending your retirement cruising the waterways of England and Wales? Meet Barry and Sue Horne. They’re living the dream! Narrowboat Adagio Case StudyHere are another working couple. Lina and Warren cruise the cut with their two cats.Narrowboat Olive Rose case study.2nd February 2011Article – Living on a narrowboat in winter1th January 2011 – 1st NewsletterDealing with the coldest winter on recordDigital reading – A detailed review of the Kindle, the perfect solution for book loving boat ownersComprehensive Site Article ListingThere are dozens of helpful and interesting articles on the site, but have you found them all? I thought you might appreciate a list of the more popular articles that you can glance through and click on the ones that take your fancy. Here it is.Popular Forum PostsThere’s a wealth of information on the site in general, but if you’re struggling to find the answer to a particular issue, the forum is the place to find it. I’ve listed some of the more popular posts below but if you can’t find what you’re looking for, ask your question on the forum. If you don’t know how to create a post, or if you can’t log in, please let me know. I’ll be more than happy to get you up and running.Aluminium Boats - They don't rust so why don't you see more of them on the inland waterways?Ironing Board On Board - How do boaters manage a crease free life?Freezing Water - How to stop your pipes and pumps from freezing in the winterCRT & Continuous Cruising - The Trust and their enforcement of the rulesHeat - Advice for the owner of a cold boatGPS Devices and Canal Mapping – Are there any decent ones available for your narrowboat and do you need them anyway?Battery Monitors - Replacing your leisure batteries is one of your more expensive maintenance costs. Here’s some detailed information about a device for looking after your batteriesSurvey Costs – How much should you pay to have your boat removed from the water for a survey?Battery monitors – Gimmick or essential boating equipment?Engine size and performance - Most engines are suitable for pottering about on the canal but what size engine do you need if you plan to cruise on rivers?A Big Inverter Or A Suitcase Generator - What are the pros and cons of either option?Who Owns Your Boat? – How do you find out if there’s still finance attached to your boat when you buy it.Boat Shares – A low cost alternative to outright narrowboat ownership. Advice from a current share ownerPlumbing In A Back Boiler - Advice OfferedInverter Installation – What do you need and can you fit one yourself?Getting Rid Of Space Wasting CD’s & DVD’s – The solution is to digitise your collection. Here’s how to do it.Depreciation – How much does a new narrowboat lose in value as the years go by?The Cost Of Continuous Cruising - How much does the nomadic lifestyle really cost?12v Narrowboat Washing Machines - Is there any such animal?“Chiggers” - It’s a mite you can pick up from the ever growing population of Canada Geese. Beware!Post & Postal Addresses For Continuous Cruisers - You need an address in order to receive post and open bank accounts, register for doctors and hospitals etc. How do continuous cruisers with no fixed abode manage it.Keeping Cool On A Narrowboat - How to keep people and pets cool in the summerIt’s Official: There’s No Need To Pay Mooring Fees - Or so this Daily Mail article claims. You may disagree. I do.Overcrowded Waterways - More and more people are choosing a life afloat. Are the waterways becoming congested?VAT On New Narrowboats - Can you knock 20% off the cost of your new narrowboat?Lock Techniques - How do you handle a narrowboat in a lock on your own?Narrowboat Burglary - Two boats burgled at the same location. Where is it and what can you do to minimise the risk of theft from your own boat wherever you are?Insuring Your Car When You Live On A Boat - A boat owner had his car insurance cancelled when he told them he lives on a narrowboat. How does he approach other insurance companies?Remedies For Sooty Stove Glass - For me, one of the great pleasures of living on a narrowboat is a winter evening in front of a flickering fire. Here’s how you can keep your stove glass clear so you can see the fire in all its gloryVisitor Moorings With Shore Power - Sometimes you need to hook up to the mains when you moor for the night. Where can you find these moorings?Steam Power - Are there any steam powered narrowboats on the network?Lightning - Is there a risk of your narrowboat being struck by lightning?Overplating/Replating - What’s the difference between the two and what’s involved in having the work done?The Logistics Of Buying A Boat - A fascinating account from a potential narrowboat owner as he tried to get a boat out of the water so that it can be suryeyed.Winter Stoppages 2013/2014 - The Trust carry out essential scheduled repairs during the quieter, cooler months. Here’s their planned stoppages for the coming winter.A New Narrowboat Dog - Alan recently moved on board his own floating home. He loved his new boat but something was missing. Now he has a new best friend and he’s in love, although his new best friend has proven a bit of a challenge.Electric Boats - What do they cost to run? Why would you want one? There’s a huge amount of information for you here if you’ve ever considered an alternative to a diesel narrowboat engine.Pram Covers - “Pram cover” is the term for a cover over the rear deck, usually on a cruiser stern narrowboat. Here are the pros and cons.The difference between cruising on canalas and rivers - This is a very popular thread for very good reason. It’s packed with advice if you’re new to river cruising.Checklists - What do you need to check before you set off on a cruise? There’s some very detailed information including a very useful post by fellow Calcutt moorer Graham who has issues with his mobility after an RTA many years ago.Television Aerials - If you can’t live without your Corrie, you’ll need a decent aerial for your boat.My New Life - I urge you to read this forum thread. If you dream of living on your own narrowboat one day, reading this post, written by a new liveaboard boater, may well prove the catalyst you need. It’s essential reading for any aspiring narrowboat owner.Narrowboat Ownership - How do you prove that the person offering a narrowboat for sale is the real owner?Tips For Continuous Cruisers - He’s making a bit of a habit of it; Pearley’s back with some great cruising tipsThe Llangollen Canal - One of the country’s most beautiful canals discussedDeliveries to your boat - Excellent information from regular forum contributor PearleyMobile Broadband - All you need to know about internet connectivity on boardInternet Data Theft - Did you know that fellow boaters can steal your internet data allowance?Boat Planning & Design - Is there any free software available to hel you plan your dream boat?A Narrowboat Checklist - What checks do you need to carry out before you set out on a cruise?Tunnels - How do you navigate them? Who has priority?Windows Or Portholes - Round or square, which is best? Is it just a matter of personal preference?Day To Day Questions About Narrowboat Life - How can “newbies” find out the answers to questions about day to day life on a narrowboat? The answer is simple. Find out by reading this post.Beds - The pros and cons of fixed doubles and cross beds. You need to read this if you are taller or slightly wider than average.Flushing Out a Toilet Waste Tank - Emptying your pumpout toilet holding tank isn’t just a case of sucking out your unmentionables. You also need to flush water through the tank to remove the built up solids. Here’s how to do it.Narrowboat Knots - Do you know your bowline from your buntline hitch, your cleat hitch from your clove hitch or your poacher’s knot from your square knot? No? It’s about time you did!Free Narrowboat Heating - Is there any such thing? Read this post to find outNarrowboat Furniture - Not everyone wants fitted furniture on their boat. Here are a few ideas if you want to add your own.Weight on a narrowboat - How many people can you carry on a narrowboat, and how much luggage can they bring with them?Narrowboat Finance - A Canadian hoping to move to the UK, buy a boat and cruise the network.Internet Data Theft - Did you know that you can have your boat’s broadband allowance stolen? Here’s what you can do to prevent the theft.Problems Powering An Inverter With A Generator - Why didn’t it work and what’s the solution?Diesel Costs - You need it to run your boat and maybe your heating system. How much can you expect to pay for it?Stove Top Fans - Are they worth the money?Mooring Pins and Piling Hooks - What are they and when do you use them?Water Pump Problems - What to do if your water pump appear to have a life of its ownFuel Contamination - How do you know if you’ve water in your diesel… and what do you do about it when you have?Anchors - What’s the best size and weight anchor for narrowboats on tidal riversSingle Handed Boating for Ladies - Can a lady on her own pass safely through locks?Different Types of Mooring - What’s the difference between residential and leisure moorings? How long can you stay on your boat with each type?Which Ropes To Use? - There are so many different types available. Are the more expensive ones worth using or is it just a case of money for old rope?Windows - Why do narrowboat owners tolerate condensation? Why don’t they have modern uPVC windows fitted?Best Ex Hire Boats - Are you considering buying an ex hire boat to live on? Should you? Here’s some important information for you.Liveaboard Conclusions - Mel Davies has been doing plenty of research into her hoped for lifestyle afloat. Here are the conclusions she’s reached and comments from a few existing liveaboard narrowboat owners.Handling Floodwaters - How safe is a river mooring during and after heavy rain? Can you stay on a river when the level rises? What can you do to minimise danger?Narrowboat steel thickness - How thick is your boat’s steel? How long does it last?Retro fitting a solid fuel stove - Where’s the best place to put your stove and what’s involved in fitting it?Converting from a cassette toilet to a pump out - A pump out toilet is far more convenient to use than a toilet with a portable cassette but how easy are they to retro fit in a narrowboat?Gas free boating - If you don’t fancy heaving unwieldy gas bottles into a difficult to reach bow locker, a gas free boat might be the solutionWinter on the cut - Are you able to cruise all year on your boat or should you find a mooring for the winter?Transporting your boat - Sometimes you may want or need to take your narrowboat by road rather than cruise along the canal. Here’s an idea of the costBike types and preferences - If you don’t have a car parked near your boat, you’ll probably want a bike, but which type of bike is best?Towing a butty - I’ve upset someone. I didn’t mean to. Wainbody wanted to know the best way of towing an unpowered second narrowboat (butty). I came across as patronising when I replied. It was unintentional but to make amends I thought I would ask anyone with boat handling experience to reply to his thread with some constructive advice. If you can help him, please reply to the post.The best flooring for a narrowboat pets - What’s the best way to protect your floor from a dirty doggy?The best time of the year to buy a boat - Is there a deal to be done by buying a boat in the winter?The best length for a liveaboard narrowboat - What’s the best length to buy? What are the pros and cons of different length boatsONE tip to offer a potential narrowboat owner - If you are already a narrowboat owner, you can share your experience. If you haven’t bought one yet, you need to read this thread.Powering your computer on a narrowboat - Can you power your computer/laptop from the boat’s 12v supply or do you need mains power?Must-have gadgets and necessities - The most useful/useless gadgets for life on a narrowboatChoosing a stove for your boat - Are domestic solid fuel stoves as good as the ones designed specifically for boats? Which is the best one to buy?Diesel heating for boats - How important is a solid fuel stove on a liveaboard narrowboat? Is a diesel heating system OK as a primary heat source?Computers on boats - Can a computer be powered from your boat’s 12v system or does it need to be plugged into the mainsReceiving post on your boat - How does the postman find you when you’re cruising? How do you apply for a driving license, a TV license or a bank statement when you have no official address?Bikes on board - Many boat owners do not have cars so they rely on bikes to get them to the shops (or the pub). Some use bikes to collect their cars after a day’s cruising. There’s a huge selection of bikes to choose from. Which are the best for your boat? To tell you the truth, I don’t know the answer. Can you point forum member Ainslo in the right direction?VAT on narrowboat sales - Does the price of your narrowboat contain a VAT element? Can the VAT be reclaimed?Internet access - How do you connect to the internet when you live on a boat?Living off property rental income - Do you have a property that you indend to let while you cruise the waterways? Read this before you work out your budget.How to find a narrowboat to live on - Here’s an article about choosing a liveaboard narrowboat, and a question about finding a narrowboat with a steering wheel.Vertigo - How to deal with walking over lock gates if you’re frightened of heights.Long term narrowboat hire - If you aren’t ready to buy a narrowboat yet, what are your chances of hiring a narrowboat for more than a few weeks?Residential moorings and single handed boating - How do you handle a narrowboat on your own? What do you do about a mooring if you live on board and only want a mooring for part of the yearToo tall for a narrowboat? - Is a narrowboat suitable for you if you are above average height?Dealing with condensation - Do all narrowboats suffer from damp? What can you do about it?Solar panels – More information about portable and fixed solar panelsHeating systems - Hurricane and Mikuni heating systems discussedUseful LinksLiving on a Narrowboat: The REAL Cost of a Life Afloat - Narrowboat costs explained in detail. My own maintenance and living cost on narrowboat James for a full year. Use this information to work out your own costs.CRT (Canal & River Trust) maintain the waterways. Here’s their site.Find out what parts of the canal are closed and for how long. Essential cruising information for you.Do you need to find a home for your boat? Here’s a comprehensive list of the narrowboat friendly marinas in the UKDo you want to see where these marinas are on a map? Here it is.Here’s a map of all the canals on the system to help you plan your route.Newsletter Archive - Browse through a wealth of useful content in the newsletters over the last year.Find out more about narrowboat central heating costs here.

What a wet and windy start to the week. I started work at 8am, then went back to the boat to change my soaking clothes at 9am. But before that I had the pleasure of moving two boats; one off the boat cradle on the slipway back into the water