Wow that was impressive. You've worked hard working all that out. I can't believe how you managed to put it over so clearly and concisely. I think this is exactly what people needed who are thinking of trying the same lifestyle. Costs appeared to be quite reasonable apart from the blackening of the bottom of the boat. Very impressed. Take care both of you.
You guys are the only channel to break down everything, and I really appreciate that. Did I hear you correctly that a typical marina is only around 1,200? I've been pricing boats, and have a broker sending me boats for sale. Thank you.
Thanks very much Christian, appreciate that! £1200 is definitely on the cheap side, and that's also because our boat is only 36ft (small for a narrowboat). Best of luck on the boat hunt!
Regarding your wood burner fire. I am "old" and over the years have come across various ways of keeping the fire hot. Years ago we used to have jumble sales and I can remember my mum buying old leather shoes to put on the fires in the home. They burn for ever! I have an open fire in my kitchen and occasionally (when in use) I put empty cans on it. Maybe a few large stones too. They keep the heat and cost nothing. BTW, brilliant video and so full of information that I never thought of before. Thank you.
As usual i found your vlog by accident and watched several episodes out of sequence - mainly cos i cant work out u tube lol. You two are natural presenter s, happy .witty and informative. I found episode 1 and im sure i be watching from now on - Cheers Rob
Even here in the Midlands the average house rental is over £700 a month and you can own a small boat for the cost of the average house deposit. You just have to make sure you keep a healthy rainy day fund set aside, but that's the same if you are buying a house anyway.
Didn't I just say the other day that you two should be on TV. Great seeing Cantorisalto1 agreeing that you both have the ability to do so. I bet your loving the comments about your latest vlog and well deserved they are. I very much appreciate the time and effort you take in making the vlogs. I have to say how well put together all of them have been, they flow so well. Here's hoping for a lovely sunset for both of you. Take care
Haha must be a sign Graham! Glad you think so, and thanks again for the support and comments each time. Absolutely, can't believe the small community we've built on here already. Here's to many more videos!
As a land cruiser (Small motorhome) your whole cost per year is half of what I am paying for the privilege of having my small motorhome parked on my drive and I am not allowed to use it :( Thank you so much for the time you guys take to show us landlubbers what living on the cut is all about. Take care and be safe.
That's so shitty to hear, what a shame they make it so expensive! Thanks for watching to video and supporting us. Hopefully you can get out and get some use of the motorhome soon!
Hi, this is the first time I have seen your videos and I am very impressed, you are clear in your costs. We had our narrow boat blacked this year at a cost of £700. This was slipway charges, blacking and what you didn't include, new annodes. Annodes are fitted on each side of the bows and towards the swim again on both sides. Ho[e this addition is of help to you.
A very informative vlog. Not as interesting without Lauren in most of the shots, but in all fairness talking numbers is never as much fun as discussing what episode of FRIENDS your on. LOL! Speaking of exciting new TV programs, there is one that just came out called UPLOAD. Pretty exciting and funny with lots of twists and turns. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay groovy.
Great Vlog, really lets me know the annual cost, I will be retiring next year and just might head over the pond and look for a nice little boat, with those types of cost , it would be a great way to retire and explore England...Dan From Ottawa
It's definitely much cheaper than renting in London. As for your worries: nearly every narrowboat that we've ever seen has a toilet. Either a Porta Potti that you empty manually into a cesspit, or a built in ceramic toilet that we call a 'pump out' that you'll have to pay to have sucked out and emptied maybe once a month. You certainly don't have to keep moving, we never have. You can stay at any marina for any amount of time as long as you're paying. And it does get cold in the winter seeing as it's basically a giant tin can sitting in water, although with a wood burner fire and a couple of electric radiators we've always been ok. Some even have diesel heaters/central heating!
@@CharliePauly I was even looking at an RV but there didn't seem to be that many RV type parks in London (naturally). In the end I have decided to travel. I can rent a 2+ bedroom flat in Sri Lanka or Nigeria for Waaaaay less. Why be stuck in London/UK. LOL
lovely break down on costs. great video. you area isn't the the only place not to need a CRT licence, there is also a place in Manchester that is similar.
Hi Charlie and Lauren. Just came across the channel by chance. Fantastic! That is such an amazing deal to live. I got to leave from Boston Massachusetts and move to the UK get one of these boats. The monthly cost in US dollars at the current exchange rate looks like it's $280. Shit ...my housing expenses alone are almost $2,000. And I'm stuck in the same place all the time.lol I wish we had a canal Network like that here in Massachusetts. We did it one time couple hundred years ago not nearly of course as extensive. Although there are sections of the Middlesex canal and other places and of course the industrial canals in my hometown of Lowell Massachusetts. Nothing that's navigable.
Heyy! So glad you found us and thanks for watching. We feel very lucky to have this lifestyle here in the UK for sure. That's the decision made then, you're gonna have to move to the UK heheh!! xx
You should get a job in Television Charlie - you've got good screen presence mixed in with unconceited charm, excellent qualities all round actually. Think about it. 'Lollipops' is also a sweet girl - so an excellent double act really!
Ah thanks so much this is such a compliment. It's taken me a while to be comfortable in front of the camera haha. Lauren's still a little shy but I agree.
Great breakdown cost of Liveing on a narrow boat. it's cheap. and Good info thanks. I really injoy watching your vids looking forward to the next one. cheers guys.
Loving the videos could you do a video on the right way to go through locks please I've not got a clue before I go buy a narrow boat I'm going to hire one for a few days and have a go 👍
Super comprehensive coverage, I'm hoping at some time soon to be cruising from Upware near Cambridge, and thence to March, would love to meet you both, would love to pick your brains on the internet bit ! not too IT savey, but understand the principles of which you spoke. Your vlogs from the start have been refreshingly amusing, looking forward to hearing what next great project you are to embark upon.
Mental just been watching you videos as looking into getting a boat to live on. And realised your based in March, me and my partner currently live in Upwell just outside Wisbech. Imagine your marina is one we’ve looking into keeping the boat if we get one. Great videos by the way 😊
If I didn't have kids I'd be on a narrowboat, no hesitation. When they turn 18 I'll get on the water for sure and rent my house out. I have to communte 2-3hrs each way for work, so even a pricey mooring near London would be fine.
Love the interior layout of your boat. How much did the refit of your 10,000 30+foot NB cost? How much were you and your parents able to do yourselves?
Thanks very much! We bought it for £6,000 and spent £4,000 on the refit. To be honest we got lucky as my parents have a lot of knowledge on narrowboats so managed to do most of it ourselves. Ours is an extremely cheap example of a narrowboat price.
Love this so much! I’ve been wanting to do boat life for so long but don’t know where to start in looking for a boat! You say you bought yours for £10000 and I can’t find anything like that, any help would be madly appreciated xx
Ah you should totally do it! We got extremely lucky with ours (right place right time in our marina). However Apollo Duck seems to be the best place to find narrowboats online, before obviously Facebook marketplace and ebay!
@@CharliePauly oh amazing that is lucky!m thank you so much! I’ll keep my eye out on there and fingers crossed I find something, really appreciate the help guys! Big love to you both
Really cool vid and very informative and interesting. Thanks for that. Helpful as I am saving hard for my own boat currently. I am a bit of a lump so may need something a little longer than yours.
Congratulations, you living the perfect and peacefull life at the canals. i was a ride by the londons canals, and was the most exciting experience..... i saw your anual budget, but i think you miss the most important item. lol.... How much is the price of one boat, for example your boat, or how much you can pay for the rent of a month. best regards. Luis Pardo, from Colombia.
Ah thanks a lot Luis! Certainly a rewarding way of life that's for sure. Oh no, haha we paid £6000 for our boat but it was in very bad condition and spent a further £4000 on the renovation! We covered it a little more in this vlog: czcams.com/video/8taDishiNvU/video.html
same size mooring and cost as mine, it is a CRT one, got shower ect and also keyed gate and electric hook up, non residential very handy. I pay about same insurance and like you, my boat being 50 years old, fully comp is a nightmare. Dont use that crap coal from B&M or home bargains, get exlier, about 11 quid for 25 kgs bags and is so so much better.
Literally found you guys this weekend and I’ve smashed through all your videos! Awesome content! Myself and the missus are now on the search for our own Narrowboat 👍🏻 one question... do you take yours out for a cruise or mainly keep it moored? Thanks guys 😎
Ah this is the biggest compliment, thanks very much! We would love to take it out but currently have an oil leak in the engine. As soon as we get it fixed though we'll hopefully be out on it this summer!
Hi guys, Good breakdown of all your expenses. I take it you got your water pump fixed, did you need a new one ? You probably should have included miscellaneous repairs like the water pump or that oil leak you mentioned, it’s good to build in an allowance for things like that. BTW - I had a similar issue with water pressure when we visited the houseboat last weekend after lockdown had been eased and it was just dirt in the tap filter.
Thanks Julian! Yes we didn't know where to start with prices for repairs as we haven't had anything done yet. But took a good look at the pump yesterday and it sounds like the bearings have gone so could well be a whole new one once lockdown is over.
Thanks very much! Yes, we did mention the license. For us on Middle Level there's currently no licensing fee, although they're bringing it in for September 2020 which is looking like £300/£400 for our 36ft narrowboat. The majority of the UK canals have licensing in place though which varies quite a bit.
Very informative just one question how do you get to see a doc if needed, We are not all as young as yourselfs it's the only thing that stops my wife and I from going for it. Thanks Tone.
Thanks a lot Tony! We're moored in a small town so can just walk to the doctors. Although I guess if you're constantly cruising it would be a challenge!
Hi you both love the video i have a log cabin in spain and may have to stay in uk part of the year as i dont think i can get resedent permit in spain at the noment because we dont earn suficent money i am just siting a caravan on the land as well to let i can also let the log cabin that will give us a incom when in uk we are all solar my cost is just water 55 euro month and suma counsel tax 87 year gas botles are 15 euro we mountain's infront of our house but only five minits from large town so i may be asking for more details later on take care happy boating
Evening Charlie & Lauren😀 l was very surprised how cheap ur mooring costs were l lived in St Neots a few years ago before l lost my job and march isnt that far away, if l knew mooring was that cheap l would of bought a narrow boat instead of buying a house back in shropshire lol. Good break down of expenses. Today l took my dog to Norbury junction marina were l got talking to a young couple of 79 & 75, who had only started boating 4 years earlier who wished they had done it years before but were having a wonderful life on the water. 1 question charlie!! Council tax do u have to pay it? Take care both u 😀✌
Haha sounds like a plan, get yourself down here Simon! Yes it certainly is a rewarding way to live. We don't pay council tax as it's a non residential mooring that we use when we visit home. However this year lockdown had other plans!
When you are travelling along the canals,can you just stop overnight, anywhere where there is a space at the side,or do you have to stop at pre- determined moorings. Enjoying your vids
Thanks very much. Yes, if you keep to the mooring rules, boats are allowed to moor almost anywhere alongside canal towpaths. But nearly all these mooring places are short term 24/48 hours.
What is a casual towpath mooring? This means mooring up along the towpath during the course of a journey. It may be at a visitor mooring (subject to time limits displayed at the site) or anywhere else along the towpath where, if unsigned, the maximum stay time is 14 days. It’s usually best to moor against the towpath or on signed visitor moorings. Many riverbanks and the non-towpath side of canals are private property. If you want to find out who owns land adjacent to a canal or river you can search on the Land Registry’s website. How long can I can stay on a casual towpath mooring? Unless signed the maximum stay time is 14 days for all boats, those with a home mooring and those without a home mooring. If you've got a good reason for overstaying such as a mechanical issue please contact our Boat Licence Customer Support Team, complete our form to request an extended stay, or call 0303 040 4040. canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/moorings/mooring-faqs
I found this expensive for me so I've decided to go and buy a sailboat or even a cabin cruiser which for me is a better price as you don't need a license for those, why is that lol, for a narrow you need this lisence but with other you don't. Great video guys and girl and stay safe all x
Great video! its nice to get a clear breakdown of the possible costs. after selling me house im considering a houseboat. can i ask is there any fees etc when it comes to sewage? and what the process is? also is yours a residential mooring? thanks
Thanks very much! Best of luck with that. For us the cesspit is included in our mooring and we empty our Porta Potti manually once a week. If you have a fixed toilet you'll need to use a 'pump out' system which is roughly £15 a time and will likely be needed once or twice a month depending on your waste tank size. Ours isn't a residential mooring which is why it's cheaper than most.
Hello guys, great video! Sorry if I’ve missed it but just wondered which area(ish) you’re moored in for that price? I’m in NW London so just wondering if it’s be the same. Also, does it feel quite safe to you and would you recommend someone lives alone in a canal boat? Thank youuu!
Hey! We’re in Cambridgeshire so it will be a lot cheaper here than London. Also super safe. Never had any problems and most narrowboaters are of a pretty similar mindset so it’s a good community.
Wow less than £3,000 a year that really is lucky Charlie and Lauren thanks for the information if, I had a choice to come and live in the area's near london with house moratage or Canel Boats differently the Canel boats for me well cheaper and give's me more better time to find good pay work for the year as well thanks for the information guys you rock
Ah thanks a lot Drew! Glad you found the vlog helpful and agreed, we'd love to move the boat to London but not sure the mooring would be as cheap there haha.
Living on the canal is cheaper than living in some horrible little flat, a thousand times more fun and you can change your neighbours whenever you want. Why would you not live on a boat and be mortgage free?
Thank you for the detailed overview! I think my worry would be around the engine and the mechanical parts, how hard would you say this is to keep going?
Glad you found the video handy. To be honest we can't speak much on this as we bought our boat with a non-running engine (only planned on using the narrowboat as a base) and have never got round to fixing it. My parents have a fully working narrowboat though and have never had any troubles with the mechanical side of things. If anything goes wrong there's always someone in the boatyard that will help.
Hi. We love to watch your narrowboat journeys, we have just bought our first motorhome and off on our on land adventures. We have started our own you tube channel aswell. Happy travels
Dear Charlie and Lauren. Thankyou for all the very useful information. One question I wonder if you can help with. I am an adventurous 71year old pensioner seriously considering this great alternative way of life. Do you know if it's possible to claim Housing Benefit for a rented narrow boat on a permanent mooring, probably in Hertfordshire? Best wishes, Hugh Laverton.
Thanks Hugh, glad the video has come in useful! To be honest we'd have no idea about the housing benefit side of things. Sorry we can't be of help with that! Best of luck with your narrowboat journey though.
Amazing video. My first question is about humidity. Is it ok or its as bad as im thinking? And my second is. If you never dont want to move your boat at all can you take it out of the water and place ot in a marina or whatever?
Thanks so much! Humidity can be a big deal on narrowboats yes. It gets pretty warm in the summer, so we open all windows to get the air flowing through. Then in winter, with the two of us sleeping on the boat, we wake up with condensation on the windows most mornings that needs to be wiped down. As for taking the boat out of the water we've not heard of that, but when we go abroad for long periods we tend to just leave ours moored in the same spot and leave it there.
Hi guys, excellent videos. Have subscribed. Hubs and I are looking at doing the longboat life Was exploring moorings through Canal River Trust. Not much in the Northwest. Looking for something similar to your setup. Could you please share how you found yours? Really want something with all the conveniences...including post. X
Hey Carol, thanks so much for the support. Glad the video came in useful. We got lucky as our parents were already in our marina so they could vouch for it. Otherwise we wouldn't even know where to start sorry.
Hi mate hope you're doing well. Really good video but I was wondering about council tax. How much do people usually pay? Surely it is calculated differently to houses.
Hey cheers for the message. With council tax it all depends if you're in a 'residential' mooring or not. If you are then you'll have to pay council tax and unfortunately it comes under band A (which I believe is the cheapest) but still the same price as a small house.
Thanks Andy! We work online in a few different ways. Mainly as content creators through our Instagram channel, so creating images and videos for brands and tourism boards. We also have our travel blog where write travel articles and market destinations. Then we have other little trickles like CZcams, our print store etc.
Thanks for watching! We have bins at the entrance to the marina that are emptied weekly and included in our mooring fees. Yes, we have a small fridge/freezer that runs on mains electric.
Man said 2k a year rah, I’m buying a boat fam
Haha do it!
Screaming with the “rah”
😂😛😂
Frrr
Wow that was impressive. You've worked hard working all that out. I can't believe how you managed to put it over so clearly and concisely. I think this is exactly what people needed who are thinking of trying the same lifestyle. Costs appeared to be quite reasonable apart from the blackening of the bottom of the boat. Very impressed. Take care both of you.
Thank you so much Graham, glad it came across informatively. Yes cheap enough for a place for us to live and sleep haha. Thanks again!
You literally just convinced me to boat life haha thanks for all the detailed information!
Aww love to hear it! Glad we could help haha!
Clear and concise. Definitely cheaper than living in a house.
Thanks very much! Yep, certainly suits our lifestyle!
Hmmmmm! Just beginning to get really intersted in this style of living. And this was very informative. Many thanks
Ah love to hear this! Glad it was helpful!
You guys are the only channel to break down everything, and I really appreciate that. Did I hear you correctly that a typical marina is only around 1,200? I've been pricing boats, and have a broker sending me boats for sale. Thank you.
Thanks very much Christian, appreciate that! £1200 is definitely on the cheap side, and that's also because our boat is only 36ft (small for a narrowboat). Best of luck on the boat hunt!
Regarding your wood burner fire. I am "old" and over the years have come across various ways of keeping the fire hot. Years ago we used to have jumble sales and I can remember my mum buying old leather shoes to put on the fires in the home. They burn for ever! I have an open fire in my kitchen and occasionally (when in use) I put empty cans on it. Maybe a few large stones too. They keep the heat and cost nothing. BTW, brilliant video and so full of information that I never thought of before. Thank you.
Hey Rosemary, these are some great tips, thank you very much and thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed xxx
As usual i found your vlog by accident and watched several episodes out of sequence - mainly cos i cant work out u tube lol.
You two are natural presenter s, happy .witty and informative. I found episode 1 and im sure i be watching from now on - Cheers Rob
Ah love to hear this! Thanks a lot Rob, really appreciate the support!
Even here in the Midlands the average house rental is over £700 a month and you can own a small boat for the cost of the average house deposit. You just have to make sure you keep a healthy rainy day fund set aside, but that's the same if you are buying a house anyway.
Absolutely agree!
Didn't I just say the other day that you two should be on TV. Great seeing Cantorisalto1 agreeing that you both have the ability to do so. I bet your loving the comments about your latest vlog and well deserved they are. I very much appreciate the time and effort you take in making the vlogs. I have to say how well put together all of them have been, they flow so well. Here's hoping for a lovely sunset for both of you. Take care
Haha must be a sign Graham! Glad you think so, and thanks again for the support and comments each time. Absolutely, can't believe the small community we've built on here already. Here's to many more videos!
Whats tv?
Great breakdown of costs. Cheers. Didn’t realise it was that cheap. Keep sending out the great videos. 👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed it Mick! Thanks very much!
Great vlog its good to see the real costs and it's half the price of living in a flat.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed it!
As a land cruiser (Small motorhome) your whole cost per year is half of what I am paying for the privilege of having my small motorhome parked on my drive and I am not allowed to use it :( Thank you so much for the time you guys take to show us landlubbers what living on the cut is all about. Take care and be safe.
That's so shitty to hear, what a shame they make it so expensive! Thanks for watching to video and supporting us. Hopefully you can get out and get some use of the motorhome soon!
Nice to see a breakdown of the costs and appreciated your time in doing so, stay safe.
Ah glad it came in handy! Thanks a lot.
Hi, this is the first time I have seen your videos and I am very impressed, you are clear in your costs. We had our narrow boat blacked this year at a cost of £700. This was slipway charges, blacking and what you didn't include, new annodes. Annodes are fitted on each side of the bows and towards the swim again on both sides. Ho[e this addition is of help to you.
Nice, glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for the info Russ!
He did mention annodes ✔
@@donaldcampbell2828 but he didn'y include the cost.
I really enjoyed watching your video. Very informative. Retirement beckons and this is certainly a lifestyle worth considering. Thank you.
Ah that's great to hear, thanks a lot Peter! Hopefully it all works out for you and you can enjoy your retirement!
Thanks Charlie you made that simple to understand and some good tips👍
Ah that's great to hear, you're very welcome Roger!
A very informative vlog. Not as interesting without Lauren in most of the shots, but in all fairness talking numbers is never as much fun as discussing what episode of FRIENDS your on. LOL! Speaking of exciting new TV programs, there is one that just came out called UPLOAD. Pretty exciting and funny with lots of twists and turns. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay groovy.
Haha this is so true! Thanks for the recommendation Mark will have to check it out.
The vast majority of boaters have to pay the CRT fee, which for a 57 foot boat is currently GBP 1,010 p.a.
Thanks for the info Joe!
Great video im seriously looking into this and this breakdown is very helpful 🙂
Ah glad to hear this Mark!
Loving the video :), your lucky with your mooring fees, i live between bath and bristol and mooring fees in bath are pretty expensive lol
Thanks! Haha I can imagine, although I'm sure bath is a much nicer place to be moored!
Great Vlog, really lets me know the annual cost, I will be retiring next year and just might head over the pond and look for a nice little boat, with those types of cost , it would be a great way to retire and explore England...Dan From Ottawa
Thanks again Dan! Absolutely, you should! Anything you need to know just leave us a message.
I was thinking about this as London rental prices ARE INSANE. My issues is Toilets and you apparently have to keep on moving. And it is cold.
It's definitely much cheaper than renting in London. As for your worries: nearly every narrowboat that we've ever seen has a toilet. Either a Porta Potti that you empty manually into a cesspit, or a built in ceramic toilet that we call a 'pump out' that you'll have to pay to have sucked out and emptied maybe once a month. You certainly don't have to keep moving, we never have. You can stay at any marina for any amount of time as long as you're paying. And it does get cold in the winter seeing as it's basically a giant tin can sitting in water, although with a wood burner fire and a couple of electric radiators we've always been ok. Some even have diesel heaters/central heating!
@@CharliePauly I was even looking at an RV but there didn't seem to be that many RV type parks in London (naturally). In the end I have decided to travel. I can rent a 2+ bedroom flat in Sri Lanka or Nigeria for Waaaaay less. Why be stuck in London/UK. LOL
Great video. You go right to the point, there’s no needles music and editing. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you!
Needles music?
One of my fave channels, love you two and your videos, keep it up!
Thank you! Will do!
lovely break down on costs. great video. you area isn't the the only place not to need a CRT licence, there is also a place in Manchester that is similar.
Thanks, glad you found it useful! Ah nice thanks for the tip!
Thankyou for your very informative post. Am thinking of buying and living on a narrow boat early next year
Best of luck with it Keith! Glad we could be of help.
Great vid, guys very honest and informative 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Do it yourself skills are a must to keep costs of maintaining a narrowboat low.
Agreed!
Thank you for great explanation.You just make me want to become narrow boat person.
Thank you! Go for it!
Hi Charlie and Lauren. Just came across the channel by chance. Fantastic! That is such an amazing deal to live. I got to leave from Boston Massachusetts and move to the UK get one of these boats. The monthly cost in US dollars at the current exchange rate looks like it's $280. Shit ...my housing expenses alone are almost $2,000. And I'm stuck in the same place all the time.lol I wish we had a canal Network like that here in Massachusetts. We did it one time couple hundred years ago not nearly of course as extensive. Although there are sections of the Middlesex canal and other places and of course the industrial canals in my hometown of Lowell Massachusetts. Nothing that's navigable.
Heyy! So glad you found us and thanks for watching. We feel very lucky to have this lifestyle here in the UK for sure. That's the decision made then, you're gonna have to move to the UK heheh!! xx
You should get a job in Television Charlie - you've got good screen presence mixed in with unconceited charm, excellent qualities all round actually. Think about it. 'Lollipops' is also a sweet girl - so an excellent double act really!
Ah thanks so much this is such a compliment. It's taken me a while to be comfortable in front of the camera haha. Lauren's still a little shy but I agree.
@@CharliePauly You compliment each other really well on the vlogs.
Great breakdown cost of Liveing on a narrow boat. it's cheap. and Good info thanks. I really injoy watching your vids looking forward to the next one. cheers guys.
Thanks for watching. Glad it was useful. Cheers Steve!
Been cycling across the Grand Union Canal with my new bike recently and have been super curious about boat living. Very informative video guys
Ah what an epic route! Glad to hear the video came in handy, bet you've seen plenty of boats haha!
Loving the videos could you do a video on the right way to go through locks please I've not got a clue before I go buy a narrow boat I'm going to hire one for a few days and have a go 👍
Cheers James! Haha would love to but unfortunately we’ve not even been out through locks yet! Definitely a video for the future!
Super comprehensive coverage, I'm hoping at some time soon to be cruising from Upware near Cambridge, and thence to March, would love to meet you both, would love to pick your brains on the internet bit ! not too IT savey, but understand the principles of which you spoke. Your vlogs from the start have been refreshingly amusing, looking forward to hearing what next great project you are to embark upon.
Sounds great! Anything you need just message! Thanks very much for the support so far Guy, maybe see you soon!
Where is the best place to look at long-term moorings, any website comparisons?
Good question. Not sure there are any websites, I think it's more of an old fashioned ring round and see.
Thanks Charlie certainly a very comprehensive. I like your way of life and it definitely is affordable
I appreciate that! Thanks Helly!
Brilliant video. Just the sort of information I was looking for. Hoping to do this in the very near future. Just subscribed. Cheers, Jon.
Ah thanks a lot Jon, glad to hear the video was useful! Welcome aboard and thanks for subscribing!
At last! A CZcams video about the cost of living on a narrowboat without a load of annoying music in it!
Excellent breakdown.
Thank you!
No worries. Thanks anyway and maybe see you out there.
Hope so!
Mental just been watching you videos as looking into getting a boat to live on. And realised your based in March, me and my partner currently live in Upwell just outside Wisbech. Imagine your marina is one we’ve looking into keeping the boat if we get one. Great videos by the way 😊
Ah love to hear it! Small world haha. Best of luck with everything guys!
I’m currently looking to get a house boat in Bristol and I think this information is going to help me a lot :)
Ah glad to hear it! Best of luck with the boat buy!
If I didn't have kids I'd be on a narrowboat, no hesitation. When they turn 18 I'll get on the water for sure and rent my house out. I have to communte 2-3hrs each way for work, so even a pricey mooring near London would be fine.
Sounds like a great plan! Enjoy!
£20 a tin for bitumen is really cheap. Solar is really the way forward for topping up the batteries to keep lights/pumps/ 12v fridges going 👍
Thanks for the info! We'll definitely be looking to upgrade everything in years to come!
That was brilliant I've shared this with my 2 older children. Xx
Ah love to hear it! Glad it came in handy! x
Great video. Just found your channel recently and I really like your videos
Awesome, thank you!
This is really useful, thank you very much indeed!
Glad it was helpful!
Love the interior layout of your boat. How much did the refit of your 10,000 30+foot NB cost? How much were you and your parents able to do yourselves?
Thanks very much! We bought it for £6,000 and spent £4,000 on the refit. To be honest we got lucky as my parents have a lot of knowledge on narrowboats so managed to do most of it ourselves. Ours is an extremely cheap example of a narrowboat price.
Love this so much! I’ve been wanting to do boat life for so long but don’t know where to start in looking for a boat! You say you bought yours for £10000 and I can’t find anything like that, any help would be madly appreciated xx
Ah you should totally do it! We got extremely lucky with ours (right place right time in our marina). However Apollo Duck seems to be the best place to find narrowboats online, before obviously Facebook marketplace and ebay!
@@CharliePauly oh amazing that is lucky!m thank you so much! I’ll keep my eye out on there and fingers crossed I find something, really appreciate the help guys! Big love to you both
Really cool vid and very informative and interesting. Thanks for that. Helpful as I am saving hard for my own boat currently. I am a bit of a lump so may need something a little longer than yours.
Glad it was helpful John! Haha fingers crossed you find your dream narrowboat!
If I can do solar on the cheap for around £2500, which powers most of our house then this would be perfect for your boat. Have a look.👍
Sounds good to us!
very informative and clear. many thks
You are welcome! Thanks for watching!
Congratulations, you living the perfect and peacefull life at the canals. i was a ride by the londons canals, and was the most exciting experience..... i saw your anual budget, but i think you miss the most important item. lol.... How much is the price of one boat, for example your boat, or how much you can pay for the rent of a month. best regards. Luis Pardo, from Colombia.
Ah thanks a lot Luis! Certainly a rewarding way of life that's for sure. Oh no, haha we paid £6000 for our boat but it was in very bad condition and spent a further £4000 on the renovation! We covered it a little more in this vlog: czcams.com/video/8taDishiNvU/video.html
Lauren is so lucky to have such a wonderful man and wonderful life aww 💖
That’s lovely to hear. Thank you!
Great video again keep putting them up 👍👍
Thanks Chris, will do!
I'll be getting my marine mortgage soon can't wait to be living on my narrow boat and cruising soon 😊❤
Love to hear it! Best of luck with the narrowboat move!
same size mooring and cost as mine, it is a CRT one, got shower ect and also keyed gate and electric hook up, non residential very handy.
I pay about same insurance and like you, my boat being 50 years old, fully comp is a nightmare.
Dont use that crap coal from B&M or home bargains, get exlier, about 11 quid for 25 kgs bags and is so so much better.
Sounds like a great set up you've got there! We may have to find a spot at your marina! Thanks for the tips on the coal.
Literally found you guys this weekend and I’ve smashed through all your videos! Awesome content! Myself and the missus are now on the search for our own Narrowboat 👍🏻 one question... do you take yours out for a cruise or mainly keep it moored? Thanks guys 😎
Ah this is the biggest compliment, thanks very much! We would love to take it out but currently have an oil leak in the engine. As soon as we get it fixed though we'll hopefully be out on it this summer!
Thanks for making this video.
Glad it was helpful!
Hi guys, Good breakdown of all your expenses. I take it you got your water pump fixed, did you need a new one ? You probably should have included miscellaneous repairs like the water pump or that oil leak you mentioned, it’s good to build in an allowance for things like that.
BTW - I had a similar issue with water pressure when we visited the houseboat last weekend after lockdown had been eased and it was just dirt in the tap filter.
Thanks Julian! Yes we didn't know where to start with prices for repairs as we haven't had anything done yet. But took a good look at the pump yesterday and it sounds like the bearings have gone so could well be a whole new one once lockdown is over.
Great, informative video. Hello from sunny St Neots!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks dude. Awesome info there. Your boat looks awesome and only for 10k. Definitely the way to live I think.
Ah no doubt, we definitely got a bargain! Glad the video came in useful! Thanks for the support.
Well done! great information for those considering the lifestyle. Do you have to pay for a boat licence to be on the river?
Thanks very much! Yes, we did mention the license. For us on Middle Level there's currently no licensing fee, although they're bringing it in for September 2020 which is looking like £300/£400 for our 36ft narrowboat. The majority of the UK canals have licensing in place though which varies quite a bit.
@@CharliePauly When you include the £300/£400 it's still a very economical way to live. I look forward to following your journey. Best wishes.
Thanks for this - very useful stuff!
Glad it was helpful!
Very informative just one question how do you get to see a doc if needed, We are not all as young as yourselfs it's the only thing that stops my wife and I from going for it. Thanks Tone.
Thanks a lot Tony! We're moored in a small town so can just walk to the doctors. Although I guess if you're constantly cruising it would be a challenge!
Thankyou for replying take care.
Average boater that lives aboard and goes cruising spends about 5-6k per year on boat costs.
Thanks for the info Mike!
comprehensive: I'm impressed
Thanks
Hi you both love the video i have a log cabin in spain and may have to stay in uk part of the year as i dont think i can get resedent permit in spain at the noment because we dont earn suficent money i am just siting a caravan on the land as well to let i can also let the log cabin that will give us a incom when in uk we are all solar my cost is just water 55 euro month and suma counsel tax 87 year gas botles are 15 euro we mountain's infront of our house but only five minits from large town so i may be asking for more details later on take care happy boating
Haha sounds like our kind of thing! Thanks for watching the video!
Very informative for the curious !!
Thanks very much Keith!
Evening Charlie & Lauren😀 l was very surprised how cheap ur mooring costs were l lived in St Neots a few years ago before l lost my job and march isnt that far away, if l knew mooring was that cheap l would of bought a narrow boat instead of buying a house back in shropshire lol. Good break down of expenses. Today l took my dog to Norbury junction marina were l got talking to a young couple of 79 & 75, who had only started boating 4 years earlier who wished they had done it years before but were having a wonderful life on the water. 1 question charlie!! Council tax do u have to pay it? Take care both u 😀✌
Haha sounds like a plan, get yourself down here Simon! Yes it certainly is a rewarding way to live. We don't pay council tax as it's a non residential mooring that we use when we visit home. However this year lockdown had other plans!
Seriously thinking of getting a live aboard thanks for the info
Ah you definitely should! Thanks for taking the time to watch our vlog!
When you are travelling along the canals,can you just stop overnight, anywhere where there is a space at the side,or do you have to stop at pre- determined moorings. Enjoying your vids
Thanks very much. Yes, if you keep to the mooring rules, boats are allowed to moor almost anywhere alongside canal towpaths. But nearly all these mooring places are short term 24/48 hours.
What is a casual towpath mooring?
This means mooring up along the towpath during the course of a journey. It may be at a visitor mooring (subject to time limits displayed at the site) or anywhere else along the towpath where, if unsigned, the maximum stay time is 14 days.
It’s usually best to moor against the towpath or on signed visitor moorings. Many riverbanks and the non-towpath side of canals are private property. If you want to find out who owns land adjacent to a canal or river you can search on the Land Registry’s website.
How long can I can stay on a casual towpath mooring?
Unless signed the maximum stay time is 14 days for all boats, those with a home mooring and those without a home mooring. If you've got a good reason for overstaying such as a mechanical issue please contact our Boat Licence Customer Support Team, complete our form to request an extended stay, or call 0303 040 4040.
canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/moorings/mooring-faqs
Very good,buying a boat next year to retire on, nice to learn from youngsters😁🇬🇧
Ah thanks a lot. Hope it all goes smoothly for you guys! Have fun!
I found this expensive for me so I've decided to go and buy a sailboat or even a cabin cruiser which for me is a better price as you don't need a license for those, why is that lol, for a narrow you need this lisence but with other you don't. Great video guys and girl and stay safe all x
Thanks very much! Best of luck with everything.
Great vlog, very informative 👍👍👍👍👍Keep safe
Thanks, you too!
Great video, useful information 👍🏻👍🏻
Great video thank for sharing keep safe both 👍
Thanks Garry!
IM SO GLAD YOU HAPPY
Great video! its nice to get a clear breakdown of the possible costs. after selling me house im considering a houseboat. can i ask is there any fees etc when it comes to sewage? and what the process is? also is yours a residential mooring? thanks
Thanks very much! Best of luck with that.
For us the cesspit is included in our mooring and we empty our Porta Potti manually once a week. If you have a fixed toilet you'll need to use a 'pump out' system which is roughly £15 a time and will likely be needed once or twice a month depending on your waste tank size.
Ours isn't a residential mooring which is why it's cheaper than most.
Hello guys, great video! Sorry if I’ve missed it but just wondered which area(ish) you’re moored in for that price? I’m in NW London so just wondering if it’s be the same. Also, does it feel quite safe to you and would you recommend someone lives alone in a canal boat? Thank youuu!
Hey! We’re in Cambridgeshire so it will be a lot cheaper here than London. Also super safe. Never had any problems and most narrowboaters are of a pretty similar mindset so it’s a good community.
Thank you for all the info!
Thanks for watching!
Wow less than £3,000 a year that really is lucky Charlie and Lauren thanks for the information if, I had a choice to come and live in the area's near london with house moratage or Canel Boats differently the Canel boats for me well cheaper and give's me more better time to find good pay work for the year as well thanks for the information guys you rock
Ah thanks a lot Drew! Glad you found the vlog helpful and agreed, we'd love to move the boat to London but not sure the mooring would be as cheap there haha.
Oh! Tell me more about this garage? What do you use it for? I'm working through the logistics of work and family on a narrow boat in the UK
We just had a little garage on site that my family used to rent for storage but we’ve given it up now and keep all our belongings onboard.
Hi. Thanks for this cost breakdown. Do you meet many new people in this way of life?
Cheers David! We have a good little community in our marina, although we haven't been out on the canals yet as need to fix our engine.
Living on the canal is cheaper than living in some horrible little flat, a thousand times more fun and you can change your neighbours whenever you want.
Why would you not live on a boat and be mortgage free?
Haha couldn't agree more! As long as you can enjoy the simple things in life!
Would it pay you to have a solar panel fitted to the roof of your boat to keep the electricity cost down.
Definitely a thought but our priority is to get the engine fixed at the moment. Maybe in the future though!
Sounds very reasonable cost
Definitely one of the cheapest!
Thank you for the detailed overview! I think my worry would be around the engine and the mechanical parts, how hard would you say this is to keep going?
Glad you found the video handy. To be honest we can't speak much on this as we bought our boat with a non-running engine (only planned on using the narrowboat as a base) and have never got round to fixing it. My parents have a fully working narrowboat though and have never had any troubles with the mechanical side of things. If anything goes wrong there's always someone in the boatyard that will help.
@@CharliePauly Absolutely :) and ah I see ok that makes sense, I do get the vibe that there is a nice community.
Hi. We love to watch your narrowboat journeys, we have just bought our first motorhome and off on our on land adventures. We have started our own you tube channel aswell. Happy travels
Thanks so much guys! Ah exciting times ahead for you!! Best of luck!
Dear Charlie and Lauren. Thankyou for all the very useful information. One question I wonder if you can help with. I am an adventurous 71year old pensioner seriously considering this great alternative way of life. Do you know if it's possible to claim Housing Benefit for a rented narrow boat on a permanent mooring, probably in Hertfordshire? Best wishes, Hugh Laverton.
Thanks Hugh, glad the video has come in useful! To be honest we'd have no idea about the housing benefit side of things. Sorry we can't be of help with that! Best of luck with your narrowboat journey though.
Amazing video. My first question is about humidity. Is it ok or its as bad as im thinking? And my second is. If you never dont want to move your boat at all can you take it out of the water and place ot in a marina or whatever?
Thanks so much! Humidity can be a big deal on narrowboats yes. It gets pretty warm in the summer, so we open all windows to get the air flowing through. Then in winter, with the two of us sleeping on the boat, we wake up with condensation on the windows most mornings that needs to be wiped down. As for taking the boat out of the water we've not heard of that, but when we go abroad for long periods we tend to just leave ours moored in the same spot and leave it there.
@@CharliePauly Thank you and keep it up 😎
new blog hi love your boat and your patter thats talk you look a nice couple god bless
Thanks for the support!
Hi guys, excellent videos. Have subscribed. Hubs and I are looking at doing the longboat life Was exploring moorings through Canal River Trust. Not much in the Northwest. Looking for something similar to your setup. Could you please share how you found yours? Really want something with all the conveniences...including post. X
Hey Carol, thanks so much for the support. Glad the video came in useful. We got lucky as our parents were already in our marina so they could vouch for it. Otherwise we wouldn't even know where to start sorry.
Hi mate hope you're doing well.
Really good video but I was wondering about council tax. How much do people usually pay? Surely it is calculated differently to houses.
Hey cheers for the message. With council tax it all depends if you're in a 'residential' mooring or not. If you are then you'll have to pay council tax and unfortunately it comes under band A (which I believe is the cheapest) but still the same price as a small house.
Hi my sweet guys.cost its so good for this life .its gift from God this awesome life in your souper boat home.love you .my love there.stay safe.
Thank you so much!
One question, What do you work as to support boat life style, love your video thank you
Thanks Andy! We work online in a few different ways. Mainly as content creators through our Instagram channel, so creating images and videos for brands and tourism boards. We also have our travel blog where write travel articles and market destinations. Then we have other little trickles like CZcams, our print store etc.
@@CharliePauly thank you for the reply so self employed & off grid...my Kind of people 👍 Subbed to the channel
Thanks for the video it’s great information How much is rubbish disposal? Also how do you store food? Is there a fridge or freezer onboard?
Thanks for watching! We have bins at the entrance to the marina that are emptied weekly and included in our mooring fees. Yes, we have a small fridge/freezer that runs on mains electric.