Living On A Narrowboat Articles

Detailed narrowboat running costs for February 2013

15 March 2013

Here are my bang up to date expenses for my own liveaboard narrowboat James. Not all narrowboat owners will incur the costs that I do. Many of the costs below will apply though so if you’re considering buying your own narrowboat, you need to be aware of the costs. You may wonder why I have included costs for items and services that aren’t directly related to running a narrowboat. They’re included because they are typical lifestyle costs that you may well incur. You can discount them if you want, but just bear them in mind.

This is a preview of Detailed narrowboat running costs for February 2013. Read the full post (1877 words, 1 image, estimated 7:30 mins reading time)

Narrowboat Stove Fuel Test

5 March 2013

 

Morso Squirrel Multi Fuel StoveWaterways World tested stove fuel in their March 2013 edition. It’s fascinating reading if your boat’s main heat source is going to be a solid fuel stove. They tested coal briquettes, wood briquettes, wood, straw logs, newspaper logs and (more…)

This is a preview of Narrowboat Stove Fuel Test. Read the full post (2425 words, 4 images, estimated 9:42 mins reading time)

Narrowboat Heating Part 2 – Central Heating

27 January 2013

By Tim Davis Onboard Solar

Central heating is as you would expect to have in a house. Some kind of central boiler that can be started by the press of a button or via a timer that heats the boat by radiators or possibly warm air. Warm air heating is quite rare on narrow boats so I am going to focus on (more…)

This is a preview of Narrowboat Heating Part 2 – Central Heating. Read the full post (3046 words, 5 images, estimated 12:11 mins reading time)

Narrowboat Heating Part 1 – Stoves

17 January 2013

By Tim Davis Onboard Solar

As a long term live aboard and ex boat builder I have been involved with many different heating systems over the years. The aim of this article is to look at all the options and to give some insight into the relative advantages and disadvantages of each of the different options.

This is a preview of Narrowboat Heating Part 1 – Stoves. Read the full post (2333 words, 5 images, estimated 9:20 mins reading time)

Narrowboat Electrics Part 2: Generators and Inverters

20 December 2012

By Tim Davis

This is the second of two articles exploring power generation and use on board narrowboats. The first part is a very detailed look at batteries. You can read it here.

 Generators come in different types. The petrol hand pull type, and the more expensive “suitcase” type which are now very quiet.

This is a preview of Narrowboat Electrics Part 2: Generators and Inverters. Read the full post (2407 words, 5 images, estimated 9:38 mins reading time)

Narrowboat Electrics Part 1: Batteries

17 December 2012

Understanding Onboard Power Systems

By Tim Davis

In this follow on from my recent solar power article, I want to talk about power systems in general, the considerations, issues, best practices and trouble shooting of power problems. I have been working on “off grid” power systems for over 20 years, initially remote telecommunication facilities for the oil industry and for the last 12 years on boats.

This is a preview of Narrowboat Electrics Part 1: Batteries. Read the full post (4431 words, 3 images, estimated 17:43 mins reading time)

Satellite Television for Narrowboats

13 December 2012

Narrowboat satellite system installer Martin Hicks emailed me to ask if I would be interested in letting you know about satellite television for narrowboats. In the spirit of providing you with as much information as possible about all aspects of narrowboats and what goes into them, I have copied his information below. Please note that this is not an endorsement of satellite television systems in general or Martin’s in particular. I know nothing about satellite systems and whether they work on narrowboats. There is a link at the bottom of the post to take you to the forum where you can add any comments you’d like to make.

This is a preview of Satellite Television for Narrowboats. Read the full post (1114 words, 1 image, estimated 4:27 mins reading time)

Narrowboat Solar Power

28 November 2012

By Tim Davis

Before we start exploring all the ins and outs of solar power, an introductory paragraph to “set the scene“ as it were.

Firstly a bit about me and my involvement in solar energy; I have been a live aboard boater for 12 years now and during that time have worked exclusively in the boat building and maintenance industry.

This is a preview of Narrowboat Solar Power. Read the full post (2857 words, 4 images, estimated 11:26 mins reading time)

Narrowboat Shared Ownership

26 November 2012

Narrowboat shared ownership might not be something that you’ve considered so far, in fact, it might not be something that you’ve actually heard about. But if you’re thinking about (more…)

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This is a preview of Narrowboat Shared Ownership. Read the full post (1179 words, 4 images, estimated 4:43 mins reading time)

Narrowboat TV Aerial: The Perfect Choice For Your Boat

20 November 2012

If you’ve read through the posts on this site, you’ll know by now that I don’t think much of television. In my opinion it’s a waste of reading time, it’s a waste of time that could otherwise be spent enjoying the beautiful countryside that surrounds me and it’s a waste of what little electricity it uses. It kills conversation and deadens the brain. It makes vegetables of all who submit to its malign influence.

This is a preview of Narrowboat TV Aerial: The Perfect Choice For Your Boat. Read the full post (620 words, 3 images, estimated 2:29 mins reading time)

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