Living Afloat On England’s Inland Waterways

All you need to know about buying and maintaining a narrowboat and living on board.

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Module 1 Introduction
Unit 1 Welcome to Living Life in the Slow Lane
Unit 2 Getting Started With This Course
Unit 3 The English Waterways Network
Unit 4 Popular Myths and Misconceptions
Module 2 Narrowboat Terminology
Unit 1 Learning what things are called
Module 3 The Downside to Living Afloat
Unit 1 Is Living Afloat As Idyllic As It Sounds?
Unit 2 "It's Not All Roses and Castles!" An unhappy boater complains about life afloat
Unit 3 The Rebuttal - Perhaps living on the water isn't so bad after all?
Unit 4 Anti Social Behaviour
Unit 5 Live Aboard Survey Results
Unit 6 Weil's Disease
Module 4 Choosing and Configuring Your Boat
Unit 1 Try Before You Buy
Unit 2 Choosing An Engine For Your Boat
Unit 3 Sterns and Bows
Unit 4 An Analysis of a Well Specified Narrowboat - The Front
Unit 5 An Analysis of a Well Specified Narrowboat - The Back
Unit 6 A Video Walkthrough of James No 194
Unit 7 The Engine Room
Unit 8 The Importance of Adequate on Board Storage Space
Unit 9 Deck Covers
Unit 10 The Pros And Cons Of A Wide Beam Boat
Unit 11 Wide Beam Cruising Restrictions
Unit 12 Choosing an Engine
Unit 13 Ex Hire Boats – Do They Make Suitable Live Aboard Homes?
Unit 14 The Downside of Over Plating Your Boat
Unit 15 Refurbishing An Elderly Narrowboat
Module 5 Onboard Systems
Unit 1 Introduction
Unit 2 Solar Power
Unit 3 Narrowboat Electrics: Batteries and Inverters
Unit 4 Narrowboat Electrics: Generators
Unit 5 On Board Electrics For Continuous Cruisers
Unit 6 Heating: Stoves
Unit 7 Heating Fuel Test
Unit 8 Heating: Central Heating
Unit 9 The Practicalities of Heating Your Boat
Unit 10 Choosing and Having My Own Central Heating System Fitted
Unit 11 Water on Board
Unit 12 Fuel Tank Size and Range
Unit 13 Washing Machines
Unit 14 Composting Toilets
Unit 15 Narrowboat Engine Types
Module 6 The Cost of Living Afloat
Unit 1 The Hidden Cost of Narrowboat Ownership
Unit 2 Your Boat
Unit 3 Mooring Fees
Unit 4 MOT, Tax and Insurance
Unit 5 Utilities
Unit 6 Gas
Unit 7 Electricity
Unit 8 Coal and Other Stove Fuel
Unit 9 Other Heating Costs
Unit 10 Water
Unit 11 Narrowboat Engine Fuel Consumption and Cost
Unit 12 Shared Ownership Costs
Unit 13 A breakdown of all my narrowboat expenses for 2015
Unit 14 The Cost of a Two Week Leisure Cruise
Unit 15 Boating on a Budget
Module 7 Buying Your Boat
Unit 1 An Introduction to Boat Buying
Unit 2 An Essential Check List for Boat Buyers
Unit 3 Choosing a Narrowboat to Live On
Unit 4 Paying For Your Boat
Unit 5 ? Buying A Boat Part 1
Unit 6 Buying A Narrowboat Part 2
Unit 7 Narrowboat Shared Ownership
Unit 8 Bogus Narrowboat Adverts
Unit 9 The Perfect Live Aboard Narrowboat?
Unit 10 Wide Beam Mooring Problems
Unit 11 Boat Display and Name Changing Regulations
Module 8 Safety and Security
Unit 1 Safety on Board
Unit 2 Security
Unit 3 How To Avoid Common Narrowboat Accidents
Module 9 Helmsmanship
Unit 1 An Overview
Unit 2 Considerate Cruising
Unit 3 A Perception Of Speed
Unit 4 Mooring
Unit 5 Single Handed Boating Part One
Unit 6 Single Handed Boating Part Two
Unit 7 Single Handed Boating Part Three
Unit 8 Lock And Paddle Gear Types
Unit 9 Single Handed Locking
Unit 10 Boating Basics For Beginners
Unit 11 Common Lock Accidents and How to Avoid Them
Unit 12 Cruising in High Winds
Module 10 Essential Boating Equipment
Unit 1 It's all here so far...
Unit 2 Essential Boating Equipment
Module 11 Communicating on the Cut
Unit 1 Mobile Broadband
Unit 2 Onboard Mobile Reception
Module 12 Essential Maintenance
Unit 1 Painting Your Boat
Unit 2 Engine Servicing
Unit 3 Dealing with Condensation
Unit 4 Secondary Double Glazing - Condensation and Heat Loss Management
Unit 5 Emergency Hose Repairs
Module 13 Mooring
Unit 1 Mooring Introduction
Unit 2 What's the Difference Between a Leisure and a Residential Mooring?
Unit 3 Do I Need A Residential Mooring To Stay On My Narrowboat?
Unit 4 Choosing a Marina
Unit 5 It’s Official. Living On A Narrowboat Costs Next To Nothing… And You Don’t Have To Pay Mooring Fees
Unit 6 How To Find A Home For Your Home
Unit 7 Pearly's Guide to Continuous Cruising
Module 14 Cruising - The Logistics
Unit 1 Poor Weather Boating
Unit 2 Staying Dry on the Cut
Unit 3 Do You Really Need a Car?
Unit 4 Pre Cruise Check List
Unit 5 Anticipating Winter Weather
Unit 6 Managing Your Water Supply
Unit 7 The Folly of Using Unseasoned Wood on Your Stove
Unit 8 The Practicality (And Desirability) Of Hosting Christmas Afloat
Unit 9 Keeping Your Feet Warm on Board
Unit 10 Sharing a Small Space
Unit 11 Earning Money on the Cut
Unit 12 The Weed Hatch
Unit 13 Narrowboat Knots
Unit 14 Route Planning
Unit 15 Emergency Food
Useful Information
Entertainment
Summary
Paul Smith
 

After six and a half years living on a narrowboat on England's inland waterways, Paul and his wife Cynthia wandered Europe by motorhome during the winter, and on the Dutch and French waterways in the warmer months on their 35' Dutch motor cruiser. However, the pull of England's muddy ditches proved too much for them. Now they're back where they belong, constantly stuck in mud in a beautiful traditional narrowboat.