Welcome to Living On A Narrowboat reader. I hope you find it useful regardless of whether you are a seasoned narrowboat owner or are just taking the first tentative steps towards a life on the cut.
My name is Paul Smith. After fifteen years of managing pubs for a national chain followed by a further decade and a half of running my own businesses I am finally doing something that I enjoy getting up for every day of the week. I have swapped a pen for a pruning saw and my car for a ride on lawn mower. I look after the beautiful grounds surrounding Calcutt Boats two narrowboat marinas on the Grand Union canal deep in the heart of rural Warwickshire. I live there too.
Calcutt Boats’ Meadows marina is stunning. One hundred and forty spacious berths surround a central island wildlife haven. Seven thousand seven hundred trees were planted in two woodland areas in the 1990′s. Footpaths have been developed through the woods for nature lovers and dog walkers who moor on the two marinas. The marina island is less than a hundred metres behind my boat and the largest of the two woodland areas just a hop, skip and a jump to the front. I wake up to the sound of mallards quietly quacking (and sometimes tapping on the window for food), canada geese honking and the sight of a pair of swans shepherding their three remaining signets around the reed beds. I love it!
When I first created the site, the main focus was compilation of all of the narrowboat friendly marinas in the UK, their facilities – or lack of them – and, I hoped, objective reviews to help you choose where to moor your narrowboat. The site has evolved more into a general resource for you if you are considering buying a narrowboat either for leisure or residential use. To that end, I recently created a series of emails explaining all narrowboat costs. The series based on detailed records of every penny I’ve spent maintaining and improving James since I moved on board. It’s essential information if you’re considering buying a narrowboat. I’m going to publish it as a Kindle guide within the next few weeks so please read the series now before it goes on sale.
In addition to the marina listings, I have added many articles about narrowboats and narrowboat life. They are not technical in nature but I hope they will help you understand the pros and cons of life on board and the aspects of narrowboast ownership you need to consider even before you buy your boat.
Calcutt Boats Meadows Marina
In July 2012, I added a forum to the site. It’s a great place for you to ask a question if you can’t find the answers you’re looking for anywhere else on the site. I welcome new posts so don’t be shy. Come and say hello
In the meantime, if there is anything that you think needs adding to the site, or if you spot any inaccuracies in any of the information on the site, please let me know
Just in the process of buying a Narrowboat and now searching for a place to liveaboard near Coventry
Try Wigrams Turn Marina in Napton. It’s about 12 miles south of Coventry. They accept liveaboards.
Thanks for your reply and we have been over to Wigrams Turns but a bit expensive.
Do you know anything about Brinklow Marina.
Thanking you.
i am living on a 20 foot boat soon to loose my care of address.so will need a residential mooring so i can have a postal address. moving into a rented house sends a shudder down my spine. owned my boat since 2003. currently on the thames and always been in a marina. hope to move back to yorkshire in near future as i can not find work here anyway. any help thanks.
I had a boat down there for a while. Lots of boats moor out of watford and get the tube in. Plenty of room and not far to the water point or railway station. If you want to sell your boat let me know considering a little boat maybe again!
Sorry to hear you can’t find any work down south. If you’re looking for another marina, have a look at the marina map or marina listing (maybe you’d like to comment on the marinas you’ve stayed at/visited in the past.)
Gathering info re. pros and cons of purchasing and living on a narrowboat. Totally impressed by the positiveness and speed of response from Paul Smith. Thank you Paul. regards from Pat.
My pleasure Pat. Welcome aboard. I hope you find all the information you need.
hi Paul a really helpful and interesting site – thank you. Its quite tricky to work out how to say so though? You could have a contact me section or perhaps Im being vague? Joy
Thanks for the comment. Good point. I’ll add a contact page shortly.
Hello, I am hoping to buy a second hand narrow-boat as a live-aboard and wondered what the annual costs (excluding moorings) can be kept down to. Any advice would be useful thanks.
Hi Andy, Please read the following post. It details the actual costs I incurred over a year between April 2010 and March 2011
Hi all,
Hoping to be living aboard within the next 3 months (lots to sort out first); me, mrs hamster and 2 x Pugs.
I know that plans are made to be alterered but I like to at last have a plan A.
Plan A: slowly head as far north as possible then go as far south as possible. What is the maximum length nb please that would give us access to all of the network?
We are both in agreement that if we can acquire a 70 footer then we will, but 70 foot just is our starting point and subject to change.
Be checking in regularly now that we’ve found you.
regards
hamster
It’s generally accepted that the longest “go anywhere” narrowboat is 57′. Some of the locks on the system are shorter than that, but it’s possible to get a 57′ boat through by placing it diagonally in the lock. You need to decide what is more important to you; the living space on board or your ability to travel anywhere on the network. A seventy footer will give you a great deal more living space than a go anywhere boat.
I dont know where you are based, but 60′ max will be better for the Northern Section. A 60′ narrowboat can do it .. at an angle. Hope this helps
Regarding your site modification newsletter, I don’t seem to have any problems logging on and the system seems to be ok. Although I am not a liveaboard boat owner I love receiving your newsletter and reading all the pro’s and con’s. My husband and I are saving hard and will hopefully get to owning our dream boat/ lifestyle in the next 5 years or so. keep up the good work it’s fab.
I would like to live on a narrow boat one day love reading this site Thanks
Apologies to Paul if this is not an appropriate posting. I have a load of OAK which I am splitting for firewood; I’d like to sell some, and I would like some idea of what quantities to pack and what size to cut it. If anyone wants to try some out, please let me know.
I hope to buy a boat in the next year and spend the summers on it and the winters abroad .Love your website and I know it will be useful ,my son has lived aboard for years and would live no other way !!
Thanks for the comments. If you can’t find an answer to your questions on the site, make sure you let us know on the forum
I haven’t been able to find the link to your Cost Data articles. I may have registered twice in mistake as I was sent to the registration page by clicking the request link button. I appreciate your site and look forward to starting my own life on the cut. Thanks for a great deal of work keeping your site up to date and interesting.
There you go…
The REAL cost of living on a narrowboat
Paul
I have an antenna of this style fitted to our caravan. It works very well.
I agree with your sentiment that t.v is to the brain as salmonella is to steak.
Regards Crosswind
hi wind turnbines r they any good .garry
Please ask this question in the forum section of the site.
Hi Paul, do you have problems with your on board water tank freezing up at this time of the year & if so how do you cope?
I’ll be delighted to answer this, but would you mind posting the question on the forum here?
have a H reg renault traffic holdsworth conversion camper van consider swapping for a narrowboat. Dont mind what size or where it is.
Hi paul I am finally on the forum, we had to reset the password and i am very pleased to be able to post now,
you mentioned the llangollen canal recently and yes it is a beautiful place to go ,we have been there 8 times , the aquaduct at Trevor is superb , built by Thomas Telford ,quite a feat of engineering , as you cruise over the aquaduct the right hand side has a drop of about 180 feet down to the river below and i must say that the first time i looked down it made my bum twitch a bit , ten of us use a 70 ft boat and and travel as far as we can in the time we have and take in the superb ever changing scenery, we have a bbq and always a camp fire in our purpose built unit , then stay up late chatting , eating and a few drinks , It has to be the most relaxing way to travel , Paul can you advise me of the canals by your marina , we prefer to be away from towns etc and simply travel the countryside , and not too many locks , thanks