Living Afloat

Living afloat is certainly not for everyone. Although initial costs are much lower than buying land based property, security is not as great and on-going costs are comparable. On the plus side a boat can provide a floating cottage that can be untied and enjoyed on the move. On the minus side......
Mooring The principle problem with living afloat is finding a mooring. Generally finding the right boat at the right price is fairly straightforward, but finding somewhere to berth it can be extremely difficult, if not impossible. It is therefore an absolute necessity to find a proper residential mooring before buying a boat. A few marinas may offer a "caretaker" berth, but these are obviously rare. A migratory, travelling lifestyle is an insecure existence and, after a short while, will result in the boat being moved on, again and again. If you are in the fortunate position of leasing some riverbank, you will still have to consider planning, rights to access, whether you can park a car nearby, security, is there a convenient fresh water supply etc. Finally the majority of residential berths are based on short term mooring agreements which can be terminated at short notice.

Finance Finance for "houseboats" is only provided by a few specialised companies who will need to satisfy themselves that the boat is not going to disappear without trace. Generally they will require guarantors and may lend up to 80% of the boat's value, subject to status. They will require extensive paperwork proving title and, depending upon the boats age, will require a surveyor's condition report or survey.

Insurance The boat must be insured, and contents can be included. This will cost around 1% of the insured value. Companies dealing in this specialised field will need to know how secure the mooring is e.g. riverbank or in a marina, and may need a surveyor's report on the condition before agreeing to insure the risk.

Licence The boat will require a Residential licence on all UK navigations (a 60ft houseboat licence will cost approx £630 per annum). In order to obtain a licence the boat will need to have a valid Boat Safety Certificate which is similar to an M.O.T. and be berthed on an approved residential mooring. If an examiner has to inspect the boat and fails to issue a certificate, it may be that considerable cost is involved in bringing it up to standard.

Maintenance Boats require as much maintenance, if not more, than a home. From time to time the boat will have to be craned out of the water or dry docked for maintenance of the underwater hull and , if engined, servicing is essential.

Domestics Heating and cooking can be run from gas bottles which have to be changed periodically, some boats have solid fuel stoves for heating, all require lugging heavy weights. Be prepared for your fresh water supply to freeze up in winter. Toilets, unless you are fortunate enough to have a convenient pump out facility, will have to be emptied at a proper disposal point. In other words you will not have access to unlimited supplies of gas, electricity, mains water and mains drainage. Storage space will be at a premium: be prepared for small cupboards and wardrobes and the effects of damp air on their contents.

Types of Boat There are various types of craft used as residential boats, as described below: Static Houseboats These are not powered and are not expected to be moved, although they can of course be towed. They are generally a structure such as mobile home or similar accommodation placed on top of a rectangular floating steel pontoon. Narrowboats
These are 6'10 wide and up to 70ft long. Whilst generally made of steel, there is a choice of glass fibre craft up to about 32'. With a not too powerful engine installed, these boats can cruise most of the inland waterways in the UK.

Widebeam Style Narrowboats
These look like narrowboats but are built up to 13' wide and obviously feel much more spacious. The wider beam will restrict the cruising area since they can not negotiate the narrow locks on some canals.

Converted Barges
From 40' to 100' plus, these come in all shapes and sizes, most with very wide beams. Some skill is needed to manoeuvre these and because of their size are only suitable for major rivers. Dutch style barges are mostly powered but you can find "dumb" barges with no motive power. You can buy these in northern European waters but the cost of the conversion can be huge.

Motor Cruisers
Built for general cruising, these are perhaps not entirely suitable for living abroad, mostly built of GRP, insulation is not good and those that were once part of a hire fleet can have had a hard and chequered career.

For further information contact the
Residential Boat Owners Association 0116 2643 0279

Inland Waterway Association - Living Afloat