So what's so great about Living On A Narrow Boat?

 

New Friendships

Belonging to a new community enables you to make new friendships and the boating community is made up of a strong network of friendly people who all share the same passion in life – boating. Whether you decide to moor in one place or have a more nomadic way of life cruising the network, you will definitely make new friends along the way.

You will never feel lonely on the canal system, but at the same time if you need your own space there’s always part of the canal system you can enjoy on your own.

Biking

If you live aboard full time chances are you won’t have a car, so owning a bike is a great way to get around when you are on land. The towpaths are perfect for exploring the canal system and keeping you fit at the same time.

There is a Greenway Code for Towpaths created by The River and Trust Organisation for cyclists using London’s towpaths.  Find the towpath code here it’s a useful for anyone using a bike on any of the towpaths in the UK

Roof Gardens

If you have green fingers you don’t have to worry that you can’t have your own little garden.  Many boaters enjoy growing edible plants as well as growing displays of flowers to brighten up their boats.

Being Environmentally Friendly

Many boaters will tell you that living on the canal makes you more environmentally friendly. Recycling becomes very much more part of your day to life, as does conserving water, most boaters have showers rather than water wasting baths.

Using LED lighting is more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and these are often used on narrow boats.

Cruising

The most obvious of things you will enjoy if you live on a narrow boa is cruisingt!  With over 2000 miles there are plenty of routes for you to discover.

Locks

With the average lock taking around 20 minutes to get through, going through locks for most makes cruising really interesting and breaks up the journey.

In the UK boaters have to operate the locks themselves, but in France for example the locks are managed for you.  I guess this is a rather nice touch if you don’t want to do it yourself, however most boaters like to do this themselves.

Minimulism

Being a minimalist is a lifestyle that changes a lot of our habits on a day to day basis.  If you are the type of person that can rise above the need to have lots of possessions in your life, then you too can enjoy a minimalist life style on your narrow boat.

If you adopt this style of living, by nature it will save money by not buying items that aren’t necessary in your life and you will be able to enjoy a better quality of life spending your money in other ways.

Countryside and Town Life

The beauty of boating is that you can enjoy the countryside one week and town life the next.  Being able to change your location whenever you fancy is simply something you can’t do with the traditional brick home.

Nature And Wildlife

The average brick house has a garden, but if you live on a boat 'your garden' sort of out shines the traditional patch at the front and back of a house.  Wherever you on the canal, you will encounter some amazing sights that you just wouldn’t be able to experience in the average UK garden.

With the opportunity to lots of wildlife including  Swans, ducks, Otters, Herons, Cows, Horse’s, Sheep, and so much more.  Not many home owners can say they get to enjoy such a varied amount of wildlife from their gardens!

Freedom!

Maybe one of the main reasons why people decide to buy a narrow boat, the freedom to stay or go!  Even if you don’t live on your boat full time, it’s your bolt hole, somewhere you can go to escape day to day life.

Did we miss anything off the list? Let us know what you enjoy about living on a narrow boat

Happy boating from all the team at Venetian Marina.