I was thinking the same thing. I live in Wisconsin USA. We have snow and frozen lakes from October/November to April/May, and during the coldest months it gets to -40. Other than the Mississippi river and a few major rivers that connect to it i dont know where i would put a narrowboat in the states. Yet here i am watching probaly 10 narrowboat videos a day.
As an american i had no clue these things even existed. Its freaking awesome that the UK has all the canals and lochs. ...im in love. I want to sell off my family and buy one today...
Your canal system in Britain is a real treasure. A slow-down to real life adventure. The U.S. doesn’t have that slow, narrow canal system that people can realistically navigate without great boating skills at the onset. I have been captivated by the canal boating life since I found it on Amazon Prime, TH-cam, and now Vimeo. I love your channel! Your journalist background is evident, and brings clear thinking to the realities of living the canal life, or the possibility of it. I also really like Country House Gent. I’m happy for you both!
While living in the USA, I have an abiding 'armchair' interest in UK narrowboats and have actually walked some canals near Bath and seen a good few boats. I own classic books by British narrow boat chroniclers. So...this is a fascinating topic for me to find on TH-cam and your professional, journalistic approach offers a great deal to viewers. So, I subscribed.
I live in the US and sat through this and several other videos on this channel and I don’t even know why because I’ll never get a chance to live there or own a narrowboat. But this is all… just so cool.
As a lifelong sailor who has owned a number of boats for both business and pleasure, buying a boat is hardly ever the expensive part of owning and keeping a boat. _B.O.A.T.= Break Out Another Thousand!_ Another truism, _a boat is a hole in the water you shovel money into._
Brilliant vid CTC. We made a standard checklist when buying my friends boat which massively aided the buying process. We also found taking pictures and video made reviewing and costing each boat much easier when home and emotions had died down. We travelled within a 100 mile radius and looked at 36 boats until we found the right one 10 miles from home :) Live by that drawbridge in Shirley by the way :)
I always meant to video them or make notes and then, apart from a few photos, largely forgot to as I was so interested in the boats! I liked Shirley, I got an excellent haircut there :-)
How do you do it?! Not only are your presentations incredibly thorough, but they are thoroughly enjoyable/compelling as well. It is rare for me to invest more than 15mins in watching any one video... Except when it comes to Cruising the Cut. You must spend many hours over several days on each video. Also, your intelligence and likability quotients rival each other, which makes you a true outlier (though I'd guess that you don't suffer fools lightly). FYI - I would never consider living, or even vacationing, on a narrow boat, yet your presentation of the subject has me returning for every chapter of your journey. It's an adventure every time.
Another half hour of my life enthralled in listening to details on things I am never going to do. I note that another on my list of benign addictions. the Vlog sail life gave a shout out to you in his latest release. Recommending you as one to watch. Watching his weekly updates is another source of gentle time wasting.
I can literally see the amount of research and hardwork behind this vlog. The delivery of information was also fabulous, not for a second I felt overdosed with info or bored.
Oh dear...I had so much planned for today, and yet suddenly it's after lunch and I've watched dozens of your videos (and only mended one pair of shoes!). There is so much helpful information to be had here, that I haven't been able to find anywhere else as yet. Particular thanks for the toilet videos too....they've put my partner's mind at rest and made it more likely that he'll give in to my mad urge to live aboard and on the water. You are a total gem!
A wonderfully informative and I believe totally honest look at the narrow boat world. Too bad there aren't more like this. If taken to heart this presentation will save a lot of heartbreak and make a lot of new owners very glad they viewed this.
Buying the boat is the easy bit, it's the long term commitment of keeping it afloat that you have to consider i.e. river licence, moorings, diesel, insurance, hull cleaning and constant repairs.
I found your channel thanks to TH-camr Sail Life and I've spent the last week binge watching your videos. I started out just wondering what a narrowboat was, as I've never heard of them in the US. Once I found out, I stuck around because you are living an interesting way of life I had no idea existed and I wanted to see and learn more about it. Thanks for making an awesome and informative vlog that's easy to follow, well edited, and entertaining. I'm looking forward to further adventures with you traveling Middle Earth. (By that, I mean your country is beautiful.) Cheers!
To be honest I've only been on the UK canals with a narrow boat but after buying the Westerly Cirrus in Brightlingsee, I sailed over to Calais, dropped the mast and potted down through France over two years (I had to go back to work and left the boat in marinas). The boat was pushed along by an outboard 6 hp engine without any trouble. The boat was also perfectly comfortable for two but for no more. Bicycles on deck ensured that there was enough grub and booze on board to keep scurvy at bay. The French canals have seemingly very little traffic and I must say I found the entire journey great fun. I'm over 60 by the way and do like some comforts. The moral of this is - don't go too big and keep the boat simple and fuctional.
Another great vlog . I'm living in my 30k - 40k boat, bought last winter , loving it, yes and for that price... Good boat, 55ft trad, perkins engine, I've had to do very little to it. Yes the paint work could do with a touch up or 2 , but it's got every thing I need on board for comfortable living. My advice is look at as many boats as possible, and one of them will be the one for you! then try and do the best deal you can ...I stretched my budget whilst looking but it's been worth every penny :)
Sounds like I can afford a 10 footer with oars. Ah well, just have to do it vicariously through watching the vlog. At least I can let you handle all the locks!
when i was sailing down the upper mississippi i stayed at a marina for a few days. along came three girls in kayaks! they had started way upriver and were going all the way to nola. its rather dangerous actually as there are huge whirlpools in the mississippi! however my dad did the same thing in the 20s as a kid in a canoes. the girls were marines with the warrior project which helps ptsd victims? i think? anyway these were savvy and powerful women! and very courageous. i was impressed. the advantage of kayaks on the upper mississippi is getting around the locks and dams. there are 29 such along the way and a b..... in a larger boat what with the huge coal barges that then to hog them. a kayak you can just portage. with sailboats and i assume other units, small is often better than large. people have rowed across the atlantic and pacific! some have drifted! its just a matter of planning and foresight and conditioning. also interest. your interest factor is key more than almost anything else. you may be joking about a rowboat? but i think you might have a good idea. check out the rowboats that have gone across the atlantic. some are quite sophisticated and covered contraptions with private areas.
Very informative video, I want to buy a Dutch barge but my wife wants a narrow boat because you can go more places and see more of the sites. Pretty sure i will end up with a narrow boat.
Top drawer vlog again. I also spent around 6 months scouring ads and viewing boats before I bought mine. The boat that I now own was way above my price range but nevertheless I saved it in my favourites and kept coming back to it to see if the price had dropped. The 'desperate to sell' factor finally kicked in and the price eventually dropped by 8 grand - yes, eight big ones! I made a cheeky offer of another grand below that and was amazed that it was accepted. Granted, like you, I have since spent about 8,000 sovs on improvements, survey, transport etc. but I'm super happy with it. I think I prefer to buy at a lower-than-the-max price and improve make improvements that are of my choice rather than to buy at the max with nowt in't coffers to stamp your own personality on it. Anyway, I would say your price bandings were pretty much spot on - certainly what I experienced. Although there were still plenty of rusting, damp, paint-flaking money pits for sale at properly decent wedge!
I fancy that 23 foot GRP. Being Canadian I'm more used to seeing that sort rather than a full length narrow boat. Bit handier in tight traffic, boating festivals or awkwardly full moorings I would imagine. I once had an older 21 foot RV, factory built on a Ford truck chassis with all the mod cons and it wasn't the least bit awkward. Not a massive jump to a 23 foot boat one thinks, certainly in living terms at least. I'd love to pootle about the canals in the UK in something like that. You could even put it on a trailer and have a bash at the canals in Scotland. That'd be a treat!
Like someone else said in a previous video for some reason its so interesting even if you don't own or even get one.. I don't know why its just fascinating
Thank you, this has confirmed what I've been thinking. I'm in the process of getting my house ready to sell with the intention of buying a narrowboat. My total budget is probably going to be in the region of £60,000, so I'll be looking at boats that are around £45 - 50,000, and adding the things that are missing from my wish list once we've moved aboard. I've already done a lot of reading, youtubing and visiting boatyards, but from this video I think I must start finding out about specifics such as engines, gearboxes, cookers, central heating etc. I've already decided to buy something that needs solar panels added since modern ones are probably going to be a lot more efficient than ones that are 5 or more years old. Many thanks, I'm working my way through your videos, so I expect you'll be hearing from me again.
Good luck John. I hope u start a vlog. It is my intention to escape from Africa soon within 5yrs or so and live on a canal boat. I will also sell my house to buy a boat and with the exchange rate it won't be a floating palace. B nice to see how it goes with u........
I've been seeing a lot of videos of narrowboat sales by Rugby boats. If you can perhaps you could watch a couple. I swear by the four winds that the man who does the video over voice sounds exactly like John Cleese! Between his voice and yours I get a super dose of soothing! Plus a lot of narrowboat info. Thanks
30 years ago we use to call the grp boats as Tupperware but I like yogurt pots made me smileThanks for your fantastic show it brings back happy memory's
Many thanks, sir, for this Incredibly helpful, concise, & informative video/links on narrowboats; as were the others of yours that I've seen... Warm greetings from Texas !!
let me say it now,,,loud and clear,,,i hate your site!! Since finding it, i CANT get away!! Sooo many great videos, lots to learn,,,lots of questions answered that id always wondered,,,great presentation,,,wonderful photography,, good attitude,,,and coolest of teachers!!! HA thanks a bunch,,hazel green alabama usa retired mathematician
Really enjoying your vids, as is the other half. We often dream about different ways of living; yurts, vans and other crazy things, for when the kids are a bit older and we can go off the rails. Narrowboats are starting to look the most compelling option though. The ideal mix of stability and home comforts with some flexibility for travelling and lighter impact on the earth. I will continue watching and learning as we plan for the future, thank you.
in the usa we have interesting seasons of horrendous storms. i was searching for abandoned hulls after one of our hurricanes and got to talking with locals about rigging. the feeling was if you wanted rigging just stroll down the beach after a storm and take your choice. locals had a bad view of cruisers who abandoned their boats for whatever reasons due to storm or just time. at times the intracoastal waterways are cluttered with derelict boats and glut recovery areas. these derelicts are sold to boat houses or even individuals. what is interesting is refitting. having made my own boat i know the costs and truly a new boat can cost a lot less. unfortunately new boats are usually popout factory mades with questionable tech. a hand made boat may have errors but in the long run is much more solid than factory made. your vlog of longboats variables is quite interesting as i see similarities. one other thing i didn't see was a fiberglass boat made to the specs of a longboat. the ones you showed looked more like glorified motorboats. our canal and intrastate waterways circle the eastern half of the usa. we call it the great american waterway. the closest thing we get to your canal system is the Tom Bigbee waterway and the Erie canal system. the rest are riverways or the canal type passages along the eastern seaboard between islands and mainland. i grew up around such a waterway and while a lot more varied than the english canals there are a lot of similarities. instead of locks there are bridges with overhead listings to watch out for and which are closed for repairs a lot. then there is dredging all over the place. i think your canal systems seem a bit more crowded than what i am used to, but a lot less dangerous too!
Ver, very interesting video. I am happy to know that I can buy new boat for that kind of price. I will be travelling in my van across Europe, but since I stumble upon your channel I decided to buy a narrow boat too.
Would you please do a repeat of this subject for 2022? I’m very interested in the price increases since you (and others) have popularized the canal life.
These were the exact questions I was asking myself. Retiring in couple of years and have considered moving to Europe. This could be a great retirement option.
As always a very helpful and informative video! Thank you so much for the mention! Our sailaway is from Tyler Wilson in Sheffield. It was pretty expensive for a sailaway but we're hoping it will retain its value for longer due to the good reputation of the boat builder. :)
Loved this, can’t believe how much the prices have moved since I was looking in 2010 having gone through a Divorce. Spoilt by you showing plastic bathtubs at the end 🥶🥶🥶😱🥶🥶🥶
Nice Vlog mate..Iam definitely thinking about buying a narrowboat and moving aboard it permanently...So your Vlog series is and has been a great help with all sorts of good information :-) Loving the Vlog website you have too...Keep up the good work :-)
I crave a vacation on a narrow canal boat around some European waterways, but at 80 it's not likely to happen. I'd have to make the jump across the pond and back and it's getting problematic with my energy level. I should have started earlier.
Great video, really enjoyed it. This series on costs definitely puts things in perspective, and they look a little more relaxing to make than the toilet refurb ;) Have a good one sir, looking forward to the next one.
You mentioned several times something to the effect of, "If you can't afford a large boat, there are smaller options". I could afford a larger boat, but if I bought one, I'd likely get the smallest model that two people could live on comfortably, just because I like small!
David, congrats on producing an informative video. About 3 years ago I paid a visit to Nick Thorpe Boatbuilding in Staffordshire and was so I impressed with his approach I ordered a 45" sailaway with a 45hp Barrus Shire engine. With sprayfoam, flooring a 200 gallon stainless steel water tank and the electrics including 3 kw combination inverter charger installede by a MIEE. I installed - wait for it a full size bath - and flushing toilet. Put a 240v Fridge and 4 ring induction hob on board and got the diesel CH (to just one radiator at the time) commissioned and set off. It took me two years working on and off to complete the fit out. Why did I chose an oversized engine for this length of boat? Two reasons. Where I'm moored on the River Wey I have to transit the Thames to join the main canal network and I wanted a bit more powerr for travelling against the flow. Secondly it comes with a 250 amp domestic alternator which happily drives the washer drier via the inverter. Here is a very short clip of the boat transiting the Bristol Channel From Portishead Marina to Sharpness: th-cam.com/video/XqE4CwiAAO8/w-d-xo.html Here's some photos of the boat fresh out of the packet! facebook.com/NTBoats/photos/pcb.710339762343072/710338879009827/?type=3&theater Regards, Stephen
Hi David, I have only recently started watching your videos and really enjoy them I like your honest and (as much as possible) unbiased perspectives. I am 24 years old and have now lived aboard for just short of 20 of those years and spent my entire working life in the industry, if you ever want any advice or information i'd be more than happy to help out as much as I can! oh and as you politely put if your budget for a boat is less than 10k find another hobby!
Medium term goal of mine is to get a relatively cheap but fully functional one in the 20 to 30k range and live aboard it. Way cooler than an apartment.
Thank you so much for a wealth of useful information. I know very little about boats and absolutely nothing about narrowboats, I have never owned a boat but I regularly used to hire a boat yo go out on with some friends to go sea fishing. When it comes to engines and gearbox's and other things mechanical I can cope with most things and have stripped and rebuilt engines. Over the last two months or so I have probably driven many of the narrowboaters on TH-cam mad with the questions I keep asking but if all goes to plan next year I hope to get a narrowboat of my own and I want to be a continuous cruiser, the downside to that is that I am not the fittest of people and I do have some issues with my back ha ha (just in case you are not already laughing) I will be cruising single handed so the things that immediately come to mind are the locks, getting shopping, carrying things and anything else a single not 100% fit cruiser could find challenging. As I said the info you gave about buying a boat was very useful and will be extremely helpful when it comes to looking at boats, but could you please give me a rough breakdown of the costs involved once you have seen a boat and expect to buy it, such as a survey, insurance, canal and river trust fees, safety certificate ( if it does not have one) and all the other things I may need to pay for, that I am unaware of. T.I.A. and apologies for saying so much !
I am amazed by the canal system in place here that makes boats like this an option. A bit jealous, I guess......We don't have a system like that on this side of the pond. Thanks for posting this!
Didn't even know anything about this ..came as a recommendation from watching Tiny Houses ..LOL!!!! I am so amazed by these boats and the water system ...
I live in Canada and this is the 6th episode I ve watched. Next time I m in the uk i think i ll rent a narrow boat out abd go for a cruise. Great videos thank you.
Great information! Narrowboat travel looks fascinating! Too bad the U.S. never developed the lovely canals England did back in the day! But thanks for much for the lovely videos. We over here can at least enjoy a bit of the canals through your videos!
We didn't need it, we had trains by then. UK canals were prior to trains for cargo. Keep in mind that the original narrowboats were pulled by horses! UK has nothing like our waterways. There are some canals like in Canada but they are integrated into the rivers themselves. We have huge rivers which you can use any kind of boat on. For the prices he's quoting in GBP in USD you can buy a beautiful 30+ft sail boat for a fraction of the cost. They look great but that's serious money.
US does have canals like this, the Erie canal is one such example, but no spanning network as big as the UK one. However, the Erie canal have seen a growth in commercial shipping on it in the 21st century unlike the UK one which is currently 100% recreational use.
@Jim Battersbee Ralph Meyer: In Britain the canals allowed for bulk transportation of coal (the first canals were built for that purpose) The distribution of coal allowed for larger scale iron works and foundries which started the Industrial Revolution. The new demand for coal required deeper mines - which became waterlogged, Trevithick invented the steam engine to pump water out of the mines, Watt refined the steam engine. Stephenson put it on rails, the new steam locomotives and expanding rail network began to make the canals obsolete...
As an intriguing "curiosity," read "River Horse" by William Least Heat Moon. He takes a small cabin cruiser from Atlantic to the Pacific, with very few trailering segments. Quite a good look at the US waterways, as well.
Probably the first time I have heard the term "barge pole" correctly used. I used this term so many times myself, even before and after I owned an old steel hull barge in Amsterdam.
A 'non-sinking' boat seems like a reasonable quality to look for in a pre-owned boat.
I have no idea why I'm watching this, I live in Auckland, New Zealand. Fascinating though, beautiful scenery around the canals.
Well lucky you all that quite undisturbed greenery nothing better
Does new zealand have canals?
I was thinking the same thing. I live in Wisconsin USA. We have snow and frozen lakes from October/November to April/May, and during the coldest months it gets to -40. Other than the Mississippi river and a few major rivers that connect to it i dont know where i would put a narrowboat in the states. Yet here i am watching probaly 10 narrowboat videos a day.
It’s worse for me I live in the middle of Minnesota 🤣
Any reason you all can't learn about the world beyond your nose?
As an american i had no clue these things even existed. Its freaking awesome that the UK has all the canals and lochs. ...im in love. I want to sell off my family and buy one today...
Your canal system in Britain is a real treasure. A slow-down to real life adventure. The U.S. doesn’t have that slow, narrow canal system that people can realistically navigate without great boating skills at the onset. I have been captivated by the canal boating life since I found it on Amazon Prime, TH-cam, and now Vimeo. I love your channel! Your journalist background is evident, and brings clear thinking to the realities of living the canal life, or the possibility of it. I also really like Country House Gent. I’m happy for you both!
Give yourself a break,enjoy life again, de-stress and buy yourself a boat.
While living in the USA, I have an abiding 'armchair' interest in UK narrowboats and have actually walked some canals near Bath and seen a good few boats. I own classic books by British narrow boat chroniclers. So...this is a fascinating topic for me to find on TH-cam and your professional, journalistic approach offers a great deal to viewers. So, I subscribed.
Thank you!
I live in the US and sat through this and several other videos on this channel and I don’t even know why because I’ll never get a chance to live there or own a narrowboat. But this is all… just so cool.
As a lifelong sailor who has owned a number of boats for both business and pleasure, buying a boat is hardly ever the expensive part of owning and keeping a boat. _B.O.A.T.= Break Out Another Thousand!_ Another truism, _a boat is a hole in the water you shovel money into._
Brilliant vid CTC. We made a standard checklist when buying my friends boat which massively aided the buying process. We also found taking pictures and video made reviewing and costing each boat much easier when home and emotions had died down. We travelled within a 100 mile radius and looked at 36 boats until we found the right one 10 miles from home :) Live by that drawbridge in Shirley by the way :)
I always meant to video them or make notes and then, apart from a few photos, largely forgot to as I was so interested in the boats! I liked Shirley, I got an excellent haircut there :-)
As Rat said to Mole, "There is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
I know nothing about canal boats besides the fact that Rosy and Jim had one. But I really enjoy your videos for some reason!
Thank you :-)
How do you do it?! Not only are your presentations incredibly thorough, but they are thoroughly enjoyable/compelling as well. It is rare for me to invest more than 15mins in watching any one video... Except when it comes to Cruising the Cut. You must spend many hours over several days on each video. Also, your intelligence and likability quotients rival each other, which makes you a true outlier (though I'd guess that you don't suffer fools lightly). FYI - I would never consider living, or even vacationing, on a narrow boat, yet your presentation of the subject has me returning for every chapter of your journey. It's an adventure every time.
You are exceptionally kind to say so, thank you :-) I'm genuinely pleased you enjoy them.
I second that! Kudos to you sir.
Cheers
Congratulations on hitting the algorithm. I imagine you're going to be seeing quite a substantial channel growth if you haven't already 👍
A fully comprehensive, down-to-earth guide. Love it! Thanks for making it!
Another half hour of my life enthralled in listening to details on things I am never going to do. I note that another on my list of benign addictions. the Vlog sail life gave a shout out to you in his latest release. Recommending you as one to watch. Watching his weekly updates is another source of gentle time wasting.
I love Sail Life, he's such a top bloke. I'm going to be doing a "channels I watch" roundup vlog soon and of course he'll feature.
I can literally see the amount of research and hardwork behind this vlog. The delivery of information was also fabulous, not for a second I felt overdosed with info or bored.
Literally?
Oh dear...I had so much planned for today, and yet suddenly it's after lunch and I've watched dozens of your videos (and only mended one pair of shoes!). There is so much helpful information to be had here, that I haven't been able to find anywhere else as yet. Particular thanks for the toilet videos too....they've put my partner's mind at rest and made it more likely that he'll give in to my mad urge to live aboard and on the water. You are a total gem!
Haha, I'm very pleased to be a total gem :-) Glad I can help.
first time i've heard barge pole used in relevant context. well done! haha
Aaaand, this is the end of my day long dream. I feel like crying.
Don't worry, they're a money pit anyway. I lived on one for 2 years, it's tough & expensive, wouldn't do it again.
A wonderfully informative and I believe totally honest look at the narrow boat world. Too bad there aren't more like this. If taken to heart this presentation will save a lot of heartbreak and make a lot of new owners very glad they viewed this.
Thank you :-)
Very good and informative as always. The little bits of comments you put into your Vlogs assist tremendously. Thanks again.
Cheers
Buying the boat is the easy bit, it's the long term commitment of keeping it afloat that you have to consider i.e. river licence, moorings, diesel, insurance, hull cleaning and constant repairs.
Hence vlog 68, the next in the series
Owning a boat is affordable if you choose the right boat. For example, I'm the proud owner of a 17 foot canoe...
😉
I'm thinking of something a little smaller, myself. 🤣
I'd never heard of a narrowboat until you did the segment with the RV Geeks. Thoroughly enjoying your videos 😊
I found your channel thanks to TH-camr Sail Life and I've spent the last week binge watching your videos. I started out just wondering what a narrowboat was, as I've never heard of them in the US. Once I found out, I stuck around because you are living an interesting way of life I had no idea existed and I wanted to see and learn more about it. Thanks for making an awesome and informative vlog that's easy to follow, well edited, and entertaining. I'm looking forward to further adventures with you traveling Middle Earth. (By that, I mean your country is beautiful.) Cheers!
Thank you, and thanks for coming to my channel. Glad you like the videos! Cheers
To be honest I've only been on the UK canals with a narrow boat but after buying the Westerly Cirrus in Brightlingsee, I sailed over to Calais, dropped the mast and potted down through France over two years (I had to go back to work and left the boat in marinas). The boat was pushed along by an outboard 6 hp engine without any trouble. The boat was also perfectly comfortable for two but for no more. Bicycles on deck ensured that there was enough grub and booze on board to keep scurvy at bay. The French canals have seemingly very little traffic and I must say I found the entire journey great fun. I'm over 60 by the way and do like some comforts. The moral of this is - don't go too big and keep the boat simple and fuctional.
Sounds totally fab.
You got me looking at the Cirrus. Such an affordable way to take a holiday!
Probably the best video I have seen for people looking to buying a boat, Well done.
Good, thank you.
Your Vlogs are a real treat. Thank you.
Thank you!
you are very informative as well.
Another great vlog . I'm living in my 30k - 40k boat, bought last winter , loving it, yes and for that price... Good boat, 55ft trad, perkins engine, I've had to do very little to it. Yes the paint work could do with a touch up or 2 , but it's got every thing I need on board for comfortable living. My advice is look at as many boats as possible, and one of them will be the one for you! then try and do the best deal you can ...I stretched my budget whilst looking but it's been worth every penny :)
Perfect!
Sounds like I can afford a 10 footer with oars. Ah well, just have to do it vicariously through watching the vlog. At least I can let you handle all the locks!
when i was sailing down the upper mississippi i stayed at a marina for a few days. along came three girls in kayaks! they had started way upriver and were going all the way to nola. its rather dangerous actually as there are huge whirlpools in the mississippi! however my dad did the same thing in the 20s as a kid in a canoes. the girls were marines with the warrior project which helps ptsd victims? i think? anyway these were savvy and powerful women! and very courageous. i was impressed. the advantage of kayaks on the upper mississippi is getting around the locks and dams. there are 29 such along the way and a b..... in a larger boat what with the huge coal barges that then to hog them. a kayak you can just portage. with sailboats and i assume other units, small is often better than large. people have rowed across the atlantic and pacific! some have drifted! its just a matter of planning and foresight and conditioning. also interest. your interest factor is key more than almost anything else. you may be joking about a rowboat? but i think you might have a good idea. check out the rowboats that have gone across the atlantic. some are quite sophisticated and covered contraptions with private areas.
Very informative video, I want to buy a Dutch barge but my wife wants a narrow boat because you can go more places and see more of the sites. Pretty sure i will end up with a narrow boat.
I love yourvideos, it's nice to see someone so articulate and informed and pleasant.
Top drawer vlog again. I also spent around 6 months scouring ads and viewing boats before I bought mine. The boat that I now own was way above my price range but nevertheless I saved it in my favourites and kept coming back to it to see if the price had dropped. The 'desperate to sell' factor finally kicked in and the price eventually dropped by 8 grand - yes, eight big ones! I made a cheeky offer of another grand below that and was amazed that it was accepted. Granted, like you, I have since spent about 8,000 sovs on improvements, survey, transport etc. but I'm super happy with it. I think I prefer to buy at a lower-than-the-max price and improve make improvements that are of my choice rather than to buy at the max with nowt in't coffers to stamp your own personality on it. Anyway, I would say your price bandings were pretty much spot on - certainly what I experienced. Although there were still plenty of rusting, damp, paint-flaking money pits for sale at properly decent wedge!
Ha, yes there'll always be someone trying to flog a rust bucket at top dollar prices!
It's quite nice to hear good sense .... Thank you
I live on lake Cumberland in ky,,, and really enjoyed your break down of the cost of boating,,,thxs for your time and keep enjoying your boat,,,gb
I fancy that 23 foot GRP. Being Canadian I'm more used to seeing that sort rather than a full length narrow boat. Bit handier in tight traffic, boating festivals or awkwardly full moorings I would imagine. I once had an older 21 foot RV, factory built on a Ford truck chassis with all the mod cons and it wasn't the least bit awkward. Not a massive jump to a 23 foot boat one thinks, certainly in living terms at least. I'd love to pootle about the canals in the UK in something like that. You could even put it on a trailer and have a bash at the canals in Scotland. That'd be a treat!
Love this from an informative point of view, in that the prices are insane now, but is all still relevant
Like someone else said in a previous video for some reason its so interesting even if you don't own or even get one.. I don't know why its just fascinating
Thank you, this has confirmed what I've been thinking. I'm in the process of getting my house ready to sell with the intention of buying a narrowboat. My total budget is probably going to be in the region of £60,000, so I'll be looking at boats that are around £45 - 50,000, and adding the things that are missing from my wish list once we've moved aboard.
I've already done a lot of reading, youtubing and visiting boatyards, but from this video I think I must start finding out about specifics such as engines, gearboxes, cookers, central heating etc.
I've already decided to buy something that needs solar panels added since modern ones are probably going to be a lot more efficient than ones that are 5 or more years old.
Many thanks, I'm working my way through your videos, so I expect you'll be hearing from me again.
Good luck John. I hope u start a vlog. It is my intention to escape from Africa soon within 5yrs or so and live on a canal boat. I will also sell my house to buy a boat and with the exchange rate it won't be a floating palace. B nice to see how it goes with u........
One thing to remember when buying a boat, it’s a hole in the water that you pour money into!
I've been seeing a lot of videos of narrowboat sales by Rugby boats. If you can perhaps you could watch a couple. I swear by the four winds that the man who does the video over voice sounds exactly like John Cleese! Between his voice and yours I get a super dose of soothing! Plus a lot of narrowboat info. Thanks
I love watching their videos, nosing round other boats is always fun..
This channel is great...I can experience the narrow boat life...without buying a narrow boat.
Very enjoyable thanks. Having watched the narrowboat market for the last few months I can see that the good boats are selling very quick.
Yes, apparently so. I like to think I've made them very popular ;-)
Find these chats compelling. Information very interesting. Thanks David
30 years ago we use to call the grp boats as Tupperware but I like yogurt pots made me smileThanks for your fantastic show it brings back happy memory's
Excellent! Cheers
Many thanks, sir, for this Incredibly helpful, concise, & informative video/links on narrowboats; as were the others of yours that I've seen... Warm greetings from Texas !!
I'm looking for my first a live aboard and I've found this really useful. Thank you
let me say it now,,,loud and clear,,,i hate your site!! Since finding it, i CANT get away!! Sooo many great videos, lots to learn,,,lots of questions answered that id always wondered,,,great presentation,,,wonderful photography,, good attitude,,,and coolest of teachers!!! HA thanks a bunch,,hazel green alabama usa retired mathematician
Haha oops, sorry!
Lol I know what u mean... i live in Oklahoma and for some reason i have watch every video hes posted.... i wish i lived their.
bill45colt Likewise, but I live near the Erie Canal. Not that our boating season is very long up here.
Really enjoying your vids, as is the other half. We often dream about different ways of living; yurts, vans and other crazy things, for when the kids are a bit older and we can go off the rails. Narrowboats are starting to look the most compelling option though. The ideal mix of stability and home comforts with some flexibility for travelling and lighter impact on the earth. I will continue watching and learning as we plan for the future, thank you.
Thanks for watching, cheers
in the usa we have interesting seasons of horrendous storms. i was searching for abandoned hulls after one of our hurricanes and got to talking with locals about rigging. the feeling was if you wanted rigging just stroll down the beach after a storm and take your choice. locals had a bad view of cruisers who abandoned their boats for whatever reasons due to storm or just time. at times the intracoastal waterways are cluttered with derelict boats and glut recovery areas. these derelicts are sold to boat houses or even individuals. what is interesting is refitting. having made my own boat i know the costs and truly a new boat can cost a lot less. unfortunately new boats are usually popout factory mades with questionable tech. a hand made boat may have errors but in the long run is much more solid than factory made. your vlog of longboats variables is quite interesting as i see similarities. one other thing i didn't see was a fiberglass boat made to the specs of a longboat. the ones you showed looked more like glorified motorboats.
our canal and intrastate waterways circle the eastern half of the usa. we call it the great american waterway. the closest thing we get to your canal system is the Tom Bigbee waterway and the Erie canal system. the rest are riverways or the canal type passages along the eastern seaboard between islands and mainland. i grew up around such a waterway and while a lot more varied than the english canals there are a lot of similarities. instead of locks there are bridges with overhead listings to watch out for and which are closed for repairs a lot. then there is dredging all over the place.
i think your canal systems seem a bit more crowded than what i am used to, but a lot less dangerous too!
Ver, very interesting video. I am happy to know that I can buy new boat for that kind of price. I will be travelling in my van across Europe, but since I stumble upon your channel I decided to buy a narrow boat too.
Glad it was helpful.
Cruising Cuts, Love Your Work. Keep Enjoying those Boats.
Would you please do a repeat of this subject for 2022? I’m very interested in the price increases since you (and others) have popularized the canal life.
Please see vlog 249
I really like your series of videos. Thanks for making them. I wish there was a narrow boat community in the US.
Its a shame they mostly got filled in. There are old locks not far from where I live in ohio
These were the exact questions I was asking myself. Retiring in couple of years and have considered moving to Europe. This could be a great retirement option.
Very interesting! I've just discovered this channel and its already my favorite. Keep up the good work and Happy belated holidays!
As always a very helpful and informative video! Thank you so much for the mention! Our sailaway is from Tyler Wilson in Sheffield. It was pretty expensive for a sailaway but we're hoping it will retain its value for longer due to the good reputation of the boat builder. :)
Nice!
That's what you call comprehensive!👏
Loved this, can’t believe how much the prices have moved since I was looking in 2010 having gone through a Divorce. Spoilt by you showing plastic bathtubs at the end 🥶🥶🥶😱🥶🥶🥶
WOW WOW WOW. Where have you and this video been all my life !!
Another great vlog, the actual prices have changed over the years but once you take that into account your information is still quite accurate.
Keep up the good work, never forget the boat mantra: bust out another thousand
Great vlog, such a challenging, varied topic but you nailed it. I also loved the phrase "You can still buy a lemon at any price"
I might get that printed onto a T-shirt
You really should, It's a great line.
CruisingTheCut He he just imagine a broker wearing it!!!
Well done, put so well together. Very informative. Thank you.
Nice Vlog mate..Iam definitely thinking about buying a narrowboat and moving aboard it permanently...So your Vlog series is and has been a great help with all sorts of good information :-) Loving the Vlog website you have too...Keep up the good work :-)
Thanks Russ, good luck with moving aboard. Don't rush it!
A "solid non-sinking boat". Well, those are the best ones aren't they. Thanks for the good laugh. I'm enjoying the series immensely.
Glad you like them!
thank you for this video. it really clears a lot of questions about the costs..
:-)
I crave a vacation on a narrow canal boat around some European waterways, but at 80 it's not likely to happen. I'd have to make the jump across the pond and back and it's getting problematic with my energy level. I should have started earlier.
Let's do it in the UK together 😂
Great video, really enjoyed it. This series on costs definitely puts things in perspective, and they look a little more relaxing to make than the toilet refurb ;) Have a good one sir, looking forward to the next one.
Cheers!
You mentioned several times something to the effect of, "If you can't afford a large boat, there are smaller options". I could afford a larger boat, but if I bought one, I'd likely get the smallest model that two people could live on comfortably, just because I like small!
David, congrats on producing an informative video.
About 3 years ago I paid a visit to Nick Thorpe Boatbuilding in Staffordshire and was so I impressed with his approach I ordered a 45" sailaway with a 45hp Barrus Shire engine. With sprayfoam, flooring a 200 gallon stainless steel water tank and the electrics including 3 kw combination inverter charger installede by a MIEE. I installed - wait for it a full size bath - and flushing toilet. Put a 240v Fridge and 4 ring induction hob on board and got the diesel CH (to just one radiator at the time) commissioned and set off.
It took me two years working on and off to complete the fit out. Why did I chose an oversized engine for this length of boat? Two reasons. Where I'm moored on the River Wey I have to transit the Thames to join the main canal network and I wanted a bit more powerr for travelling against the flow. Secondly it comes with a 250 amp domestic alternator which happily drives the washer drier via the inverter.
Here is a very short clip of the boat transiting the Bristol Channel From Portishead Marina to Sharpness: th-cam.com/video/XqE4CwiAAO8/w-d-xo.html
Here's some photos of the boat fresh out of the packet! facebook.com/NTBoats/photos/pcb.710339762343072/710338879009827/?type=3&theater
Regards,
Stephen
Excellent. I wish I had the skills to fit out a boat, would love to do it but I'm utterly incompetent.
So informative and presented so well--clear, relevant, concise, and interesting. Thanks!
Thanks for all the information. We owned a 40 foot house boat in Charleston, South Carolina.. What a money pit but we loved it.
You are a good presenter, thank you, a pleasure to watch.
Can you please name some boat advert papers or magazines.
The main magazines are Canal Boat, and Waterways World. There is also the newspaper Towpath Talk.
Hi David, I have only recently started watching your videos and really enjoy them I like your honest and (as much as possible) unbiased perspectives. I am 24 years old and have now lived aboard for just short of 20 of those years and spent my entire working life in the industry, if you ever want any advice or information i'd be more than happy to help out as much as I can! oh and as you politely put if your budget for a boat is less than 10k find another hobby!
Thank you
Narrow boat are like the USA tiny house thing, only much better, much much better!
Thanks David ...Another very interesting package.
:-)
Wow... I am learning a lot from you.... Thanks for all of the info....
:-)
Agreed. BravoZulu!
I live in the Bronx, yes that right the Bronx, N.Y. I will never own a narrow boat. but I love your vlog. keep up the good work.
Thank you!
'Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole'. I think you missed the comic genius of that comment! 🤣🤣
fantastically entertaining and informative, as usual! love it. ROD.
Thanks Rod
I'm moving to the uk and buy a narrow boat...I can thank you for fueling my dream.
I am so jealous
great vlog as usual, nice to see what you get for your money, and with a explanation xx
Cheers Tracy
xx
“On to the more pressing matter of ‘Cash Flow’! We have no Cash, and thus, no Flow!”
Thankyou for such a well put together video full of a wide range of information... :)
Glad it helped, cheers
I'm convinced! This is my future!
The boat share idea sounds like the best money wise, I've owned a bunch of boats over my life and might use them 40 hrs a year.
"should get you a solid, non-sinking boat" LOL
Golly, I enjoyed that presentation so much; very informative. Thanks a lot.
Good! Thanks
never heard the phrase "wouldnt touch it with a barge pole" used literally haha
I looked it up and it is actually a real saying in the UK. It means something is unappealing and you wouldn’t want to go near it
@@avibarr2751 I wasn't aware it wasn't used outside of the UK.
Looking to retire in 4 years time and live aboard a narrow boat, great channel and great range of information - just subscribed
I'm looking at 10yrs and hopefully I wi be living on a narrowboat up here in Scotland
Medium term goal of mine is to get a relatively cheap but fully functional one in the 20 to 30k range and live aboard it. Way cooler than an apartment.
Entertaining and informative!!! I love it!!!
slotting boats into price categories has mad my search seem easier, just put the house on the market and booked some viewings thanks gor your help.
Great. I like categories, it must be a brain thing :-)
Very informative, you've earned a new subscriber
Thank you
@@CruisingTheCut Im also a new subscriber
Welcome along!
Thank you so much for a wealth of useful information. I know very little about boats and absolutely nothing about narrowboats, I have never owned a boat but I regularly used to hire a boat yo go out on with some friends to go sea fishing. When it comes to engines and gearbox's and other things mechanical I can cope with most things and have stripped and rebuilt engines. Over the last two months or so I have probably driven many of the narrowboaters on TH-cam mad with the questions I keep asking but if all goes to plan next year I hope to get a narrowboat of my own and I want to be a continuous cruiser, the downside to that is that I am not the fittest of people and I do have some issues with my back ha ha (just in case you are not already laughing) I will be cruising single handed so the things that immediately come to mind are the locks, getting shopping, carrying things and anything else a single not 100% fit cruiser could find challenging. As I said the info you gave about buying a boat was very useful and will be extremely helpful when it comes to looking at boats, but could you please give me a rough breakdown of the costs involved once you have seen a boat and expect to buy it, such as a survey, insurance, canal and river trust fees, safety certificate ( if it does not have one) and all the other things I may need to pay for, that I am unaware of. T.I.A. and apologies for saying so much !
The next video (vlog 68) outlined my costs at the time. I have also since done an up to date version, vlog 213. Cheers
@@CruisingTheCut Thanks for that, I have gone through quite a few of your vlogs but I have not watched those yet.
I am amazed by the canal system in place here that makes boats like this an option. A bit jealous, I guess......We don't have a system like that on this side of the pond. Thanks for posting this!
Ben Parker let’s make one! LOL
Didn't even know anything about this ..came as a recommendation from watching Tiny Houses ..LOL!!!! I am so amazed by these boats and the water system ...
Ben Parker We do have the Erie Canal, but not a network of intersecting canals.
I live in Canada and this is the 6th episode I ve watched. Next time I m in the uk i think i ll rent a narrow boat out abd go for a cruise. Great videos thank you.
Great information! Narrowboat travel looks fascinating! Too bad the U.S. never developed the lovely canals England did back in the day! But thanks for much for the lovely videos. We over here can at least enjoy a bit of the canals through your videos!
We didn't need it, we had trains by then. UK canals were prior to trains for cargo. Keep in mind that the original narrowboats were pulled by horses! UK has nothing like our waterways. There are some canals like in Canada but they are integrated into the rivers themselves. We have huge rivers which you can use any kind of boat on. For the prices he's quoting in GBP in USD you can buy a beautiful 30+ft sail boat for a fraction of the cost. They look great but that's serious money.
US does have canals like this, the Erie canal is one such example, but no spanning network as big as the UK one.
However, the Erie canal have seen a growth in commercial shipping on it in the 21st century unlike the UK one which is currently 100% recreational use.
@Jim Battersbee Ralph Meyer: In Britain the canals allowed for bulk transportation of coal (the first canals were built for that purpose) The distribution of coal allowed for larger scale iron works and foundries which started the Industrial Revolution. The new demand for coal required deeper mines - which became waterlogged, Trevithick invented the steam engine to pump water out of the mines, Watt refined the steam engine. Stephenson put it on rails, the new steam locomotives and expanding rail network began to make the canals obsolete...
As an intriguing "curiosity," read "River Horse" by William Least Heat Moon. He takes a small cabin cruiser from Atlantic to the Pacific, with very few trailering segments. Quite a good look at the US waterways, as well.
Extremely helpful! I had rather given up hope, now I have hope. Much thanks.
I'm just 65 . I'd love to sell up , buy a boat , and live on the canal . ☺
Probably the first time I have heard the term "barge pole" correctly used. I used this term so many times myself, even before and after I owned an old steel hull barge in Amsterdam.