213. Canal narrowboat running costs (after four years)
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- čas přidán 8. 05. 2020
- A year after I moved aboard, I did a video (vlog 68) about what the annual costs were of life afloat. Now, after four years on board, I present an updated version of the same using averaged figures over the full four years.
This is not a "pretty picture" vlog, it's just me talking for 20+ minutes, so best to have a nice cup of tea handy.
Yes, I did forget to mention the BSS (Boat Safety Certificate) every four years; it's about £120 so averages out to £30 unless you need remedial work doing in which case the cost depends on what needs to be done.
A separate budget should always be set aside for unexpected and long-term maintenance issues such a engine repairs, boat repainting etc. These are not covered in this video, which is more about the everyday stuff.
See also this video I did about the rules on continuous cruising: • A quick chat on the is...
Link to the CRT licence costs page:
canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-...
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Love your channel! I'm an over the road truck driver in the USA, driving 600 to 700 miles a day. I find it relaxing to watch your vids at the end of my day. Thanks for your time and effort in sharing a little tranquility 😊
Hi from England. Keep on trucking!
Thats a lot of miles!
Hey Buddy ! I drove Mack Granite series Dump Trucks outta Chantilly , VA back in 01/03. I am now back in the UK looking for a boat myself...get yo ass over and buy a boat...It will change your life..
When you cant relax yourself watch someone else relax lol.
Hey I was too. I'm retired and hanging out on one those boats would beat hell out of a truck. For years I did peru ill, hutchingson ks, denver back to illinois twice a week!! I'm lucky to be alive!
Keep safe out there Mr Miles.
Nothing to do with costs, but as a beekeeper I approve of your t-shirt!
I watch an british boat owner lecture about his annual costs for cleaning articles and laundry and am sad when it is over. What a great thing this CZcams is. It's the people like you that make it so special. Thanks.
“Mooring the cut” made my day. You keep living you’re best life mate.
Hooray, thank you for a sensible breakdown of costs that show a realistic approach to boating and does not include such things as eating out several times a month or going to the gym five times a week. This was a joy to watch and very informative.
Gym?! Hell no!
Got my tea.. my father in law is british and he turned me on to the pleasures of drinking tea...sitting in Seattle in 80 degree weather, just finished gardening and cutting the grass...something you don’t have to do now😇...and watched the whole video and enjoyed the whole thing...thanks cruising the cut. Cant wait for lockdown to end as i will plan to visit your country and rent a narrow boat for a week or two. I promise to be very aware of safety and gracious in ceding much respect to live aboards. You have an enviable lifestyle..living your dream I suspect..good on you..
This was a good video. A lot of folks don't realise how much living on a boat can cost. Thank you for sharing the information with us.
Hi David, I'm an old man from America, married with 2 grown boys. I love your channel. I discovered it about a month ago and have powered through all your videos since then. I am really impressed with several aspects of your videos. First your style, or manner of delivery is very warm and genuine and i am sure difficult for most feeling thinking humans not to like. Your camera work is exceptional and i don't know anything about the technical aspects but it looks very state of the art. Another thing that i find fascinating is how you read every comment and reply to so many of them - even when they are obvious repeats of previous questions. (I'm glad you keep getting new viewers) Finally, i like how when you host other vloggers or have friends/family over you make your viewers feel at home. There are fairly obvious connections that you have with some of the young ladies. I guess the one thing i don't understand is how or why you are alone. If it is by choice then well that's that. But from my perspective i don't know why.
Well, that's all from the states. Take care of yourself and don't let any of the negative comments (if there are any) get you down. And please keep up the great work. Thank you.
Thank you so much for these lovely words! I'd be very happy not to be alone but it seems fate has just worked out that way. I have many female friends but few wish to be anything more. Ah well.
My newest form of escapism: narrow boat documentaries. 😍 And budget talk, be still my heart. I love it. Cheers!
Same here.. :)
This had no practical application to my life in any way. Yet, it was most enjoyable, perhaps because I love spreadsheets. BTW, I applaud your sartorial frugality. A good meal is just as enjoyable in an old shirt as in the latest fashion.
David, you may not be the Beau Brummel of Boating but you're still the best narrow-boating channel.
Exactly the sort of costs breakdown I've been looking for.
It takes a certain type of person to log all these expenses, certainly not something I would do.
Thank you for taking the time to keep records and post them for people like me who would also like to live the dream..
Nice. Great achievement to make a video about an Excel sheet that is entertaining even for a non-narrowboater. 👍🏻 😃
I had an entire pot of tea prepared prior to the video - although by sheer coincidence. However, the video only lasted for half a mug.
On that note i propose abolishing hours and minutes and instead replacing that with mugs of tea. Much less stressful that way. ;-)
"I'll be there in half a mug." *sips tea*
I started watching your channel on day 3 of lockdown when for reasons known only to a boffin with very thick glasses and a pen protector, writing algorithms in the CZcams HQ, I was recommended the video of you refurbishing a plastic narrowboat lavatory cassette. Here we are 6 weeks later and I've now watched many of your highly enjoyable videos including this one.
Well done that man with the glasses, pen protector and enormous brain. You've earned your money.
Check out his campervan vlogs too.
"look what they've invented! Pineapple jaffa cakes!... I imagine they're quite horrible" great one mate
nice one mate, your the only blogger I know that can make a mundane subject in to a very amusing 25 minutes lol
We just watched this great video. Was it a video? Or was it a masterclass in clarity and hilarity? as the presenter explains :" well, decide yourself". We cannot but now say for the rest of our lives "we know what it costs to live for a year "on average" on a narrowboat in the UK (all of 57'). We have watched Tomb Raider. We have watched Dirty Harry, we have delved into documentaries lulled to sleep by the ever wonderful Attenborough. And then we were transfixed by this remarkable piece of presentation.
if you only realised the joy you bring to me and all other watchers .... you are better then all the other narrowboat utubers and I like your dry humour.....you are the best the very best. I wish you all the best for 2020 stay and be safe
I saw someone in ASDA ranting about Pineapple jaffa cakes. I told him i didn't understand how Pineapple Jaffa cakes could exist, as a Jaffa is a type of orange! its like saying "it's a diesel petrol car". I love your enthusiasms for pushing the boundaries past the one and only Cheese sandwich!
i started watching your channel as a lark cause i had no idea why youtube was recommending me canal boating videos, but i've grown to like it for reasons i can't even really explain
You’re so bloody charming I watch all your videos despite knowing I will never take the plunge and live the boat life.
Once again a very good video. It’s helping me think about retirement and spending time in a narrow boat.
That was really interesting - thank you. Loving the haircut. You did good!
"Mooring the Cut"... 🤣 Classic! I must say that, if it were me, I'd be doing what you do. Constant cruising sounds a bit too much like hard work and this would be my retirement after all.
Viewed through my lens as a rural state resident (Kentucky, population density 42.5/km2) narrowboat life seems an inexpensive way to enjoy the benefits of rural living in densely populated England (424/km2). Your vlogs have enriched me for three years.
Greetings from the Mississippi Gulf Coast.(USA) I came across your videos somehow and found them interesting. Currently laid off because of coronavirus. I enjoy our saltwater experience here in MS on my small 19' center console boat and enjoy seeing your travels along those canals. I recently looked up a travel location you did on episode 142 The Ghost of Blisworth Tunnel. (almost 1.8 miles?) I used 'google maps' to find your location. Amazing to see all what's around you as you travel. Thank you for the experience of being able to travel around the UK through your videos.
Hi there, we are a young couple that moved onto a canal boat at the start of 2020 and after watching this video, I have sat down and worked out our costs! By just going over it all, I have saved £350 so thank you!!!
Just wanted to say a very brief "hello and thanks". My wife and I have never been anywhere near a narrowboat and are very unlikely to in the future. However, over the last few weeks in lockdown we have sat together and watched your videoblogs on life on the water. We have really enjoyed the informal style of presentation and find watching your blogs entertaining, fun and relaxing. Thank you!!
Thank you!
‘Mooring the Cut’ did make me chuckle 🤭 and I was hoping there was going to be a cheese column in your spreadsheet. Take care and hope that cough 😷 clears up 👍🏼
Greg Virgoe that would be a “cheese-spread” sheet and that’s just not the same at all
Love the Latin, can't abide 63 dislikes, how could one listen to your dulcet tones and then give a dislike? Keep up the good work always informative and enjoyable.
I don't even have a boat but I'm getting hooked on watching your vlogs ! Love the detail you introduce, your sense of humour and you put things so well it makes everything you say so interesting ! Please don't stop doing them...they're the best thing on CZcams ( apart from any videos about dogs 😉)
Hopefully a TV company will see them and get you to make a programme about life on a narrow boat 😁
Nice haircut! Specially for the current times where everyplace seems to be closed.
'Im a barber of 38 years and I can tell you he did that himself :)
I don't know what he used to cut his hair 🤔🤔🤔
@LHSlash it's because it is non essential
That was very interesting.
I live full time in an RV here in the states. I haven't itemized my costs to the granular level of detail that you have, but based on my relatively fixed income, I can estimate that my costs of this lifestyle are only a bit higher than yours.
We don't have a canal trust equivalent fee here. However, vehicle registration would be the closest analog since it goes to supporting the road infrastructure. These are charged at the state level, by your official state of residence. I pay around $180 per year.
The close analog to your mooring fees at marinas would be our RV parks and they vary widely. They can be as low as $17 per night, $300 per month, plus electricity use. Some "resorts" can be very much higher.
Fuel costs are quite higher, based on efficiency. Your boat really sips fuel. Have you calculated fuel use by the mile? I'm in a 31 foot RV with a petrol engine and I get as low as 5 miles per gallon and with a good tail wind, maybe 12 miles per gallon. But I don't travel much. I have made friends with large properties and spend most of the summer parked for free, maybe contributing to the electric bill if I can plug in.
We have large areas in the south west desert called LTVA, Long Term Visitor Area. These only provide sewer dump, water, and trash services. But you only pay $180 for 7 months there. Of course you need to drive into town for groceries, textiles, and RV bits. :-)
It is a very economical way of life.
"Mooring the Cut". Now THAT's funny right there!
Never ask of money spent--Where the spender thinks it went--Nobody was ever meant--To remember or invent-what he did with every cent---Robert Frost
I , as a non-boater yankee watched this entire episode with great interest proves you are producing Top Flight Vlog postings ! Bravo !
Please keep up the great videos David !
SBF
You’ll be surprised how many Americans own and live in canal boats in the U.K. more than you think. My cousin lives on a canal boat is currently moored up and his neighbours are a American couple who’ve been living on their canal boat full time for the past 2 years.
For those who think it's too expensive to live aboard, you have to compare it with how much you are really spending now. Property taxes, insurances, bills that charge ludicrous delivery charges for power, my last electric bill $149 but only used $30 actual electricity. Some of us heat/cool parts of the homes that are not even used! Repairs and maintenance, gardening and tools etc.etc.etc. It costs so much. we have to spend long periods away from it to pay for it! I think, if I were to return to Britain, I'd buy one to live aboard. Salud.
I enjoyed seeing your surprise at some columns results.
Good thing you saved money with self inflicted hairstyling 😄
Hi mate I hope you are well. I've been watching your video for ages but only just subscribed, apologies. I've been dreaming of owning a similar boat for a long time but the Mrs isn't sold. Then I showed her a couple of your videos and now we are saving. Cheers mate and keep safe. Great content. Matt
Great fun David, Substituted pot of tea for large glass if wine....time slipped by....
Very interesting, good information for newbies living on the cut. Also love the t-shirt! 🐝
Oddly entertaining... classic CC. Practical, sensible info and discussion, but your sense of humor and presentation thoroughly crack me up. As always, thank you David for taking the time to offer up a first rate production.
In the USA, definition of a boat: A hole in the water you pour money into.
"A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money." ;-) That's an expression here in the U.S., not sure if it exists in the U.K. or not. I don't have a boat, but do have an in-ground pool, and the saying is similar, "A hole in the ground into which you pour money" which is definitely the case. Enjoy and stay safe David!
Craig, they say the same thing about Aircraft except then its a "Hole in the Air."
Bust Out Another Thousand
We have saying in the UK - Bust Out Another Thousand - or BOAT for short.
OMG have started watching from the very beginning your channel is funny, inspirational and addictive love the fact you are still going strong and hey who doesn’t love a cheese sandwich 🥪 much adoration from Queensland Australia 🇦🇺
One of your best ever.
There was a lot of action in the window behind you. I hope they didn't drop their bloomers.
We were drinking our Martini's when you mentioned another boater couple and spilt the gin. We always wonder how they can get from Glasgow to Thames in one day because they have to get there before the canal and river trust close a lock before Tesco closes.
Stay safe and calm during this time.
Cheers
Scotty and Clark in Adelaide, Australia.
The licence also includes rubbish disposal and water I believe. Also when I went cruising on the Mon and Brec there were also hot showers available at some locations provided by the Canal and River trust which was a bonus !
Yes - plenty of toilet facilities, water points and waste disposal. It's a shame that showers are so rare, though. Especially when you're out for a week on holiday in Summer on a boat without one!
I never thought a show about the cost of living would be interesting but you sir have proved me wrong, can't wait till you're back on the cut traveling :). As a Truck driver there is red diesel and green diesel, red is used for off road use and taxed less (we use that in our yard truck) and the green stuff is taxed higher.
I applaud anyone who keeps and sticks to a budget.
I can’t believe I have watched your videos for 4 1/2 yrs. Time flies 🕰
Good money management skills.
I always appreciate folk that share costs like this, openly and honestly 👍🏻 Whilst I'm not a boat person, it is an interesting watch to see how much it costs as I have wondered that. Yes, very useful 🙂
I've been watching a few videos by this guy for a few months since chatting to a guy about narrowboat living. This video is so informative that my wife and I will probably take up the narrowboat life in a few years when our mortgage finishes.
Keep updating with your life on the water, you've certainly convinced us that it's doable.
Best of luck for the future sir 👍
Glad it was useful, good luck!
You are literally converting me to narrow boating! Always had interests in canal walks, Birmingham to Wolverhampton etc
But going along on the water, with the glistening dance of the suns reflection on the water, with the dense greenery all around both sides waving in the wind as you pass... its genuinely dreamlike.
I love the these shows. The bee shirt today really is stunning!
About NZ: I love your reference to Hitchhikers Guide with "thanks for all the fish". You are a Renaissance Man !
Always look forward to your top notch content sir!
OMG, living on a narrowboat is more expensive than I thought, and I think David your quite a frugal gentleman, thank you for sharing with us Gongoozlers .
David bought his boat outright. Consider if someone had to take a loan and then service the loan. That might add a fair bit to your monthly outgoings.
I don't suppose you would get a mortgage per se as "mortgage companies" expect property to increase in value if repossession was required.
Mind you if a lot of folk have lost their jobs because of covid-19 issues then who knows what will happen to house prices?
Might see boat prices rise as people have to live somewhere ... and if there's no jobs then I suppose folks might take up the constant cruising life.
Well, it's one scenario 😂.
I get asked this question a lot when I say I have a narrowboat. Very helpful thanks David.
Thank you David, a delightful distraction.
Thanks for posting! My husband and I watch and have often wondered how much it would cost. Being in the states, we had a handy currency converter to get the figures in US Dollars! Living in Pittsburgh, we have been through locks on our Allegheny River.....most Pittsburgh school children have an outing at some point to go through these locks and understand how they work. Thanks for all the information you provide - it makes watching very enjoyable!!
Glad it was useful!
Tis a brave man who cuts his own hair. I was brave too, I wish I hadn't been.
4 years, gads I remember when you started, Bold rebel leaving it all behind to live in a tin can on a river. Still, it seems to have been a major success. I still think you should have learnt to cook proper stuff by now, but each to his own, If you enjoy M&S ready made crap that is up to you.
Stay safe out there, Canal areas are likely what many will choose as their one a day walk, so keep your distance.
Gotta love a detailed spreadsheet !!!! Beats watching free to air TV.
One nice thing about retiring is I never have to look at another spread sheet or PowerPoint presentation.
Thank you David for another video and, during this lock down, your broadcast is very welcome. My husband Mark approves of your clothing budget, and no doubt is going to use it as an excuse not to go shopping for clothes even when the lock down is lifted! We live in France so our lock down has been very strict. Please keep your videos coming - we have listened to all of them and love them!
Thank you David for sharing this, extremely interesting and useful as I hope to be a cruiser later this year if we get out of this lockdown. A more reflective look at typical boater expenses than a couple of mag articles I have read this year that seemed to contradict each other! Well done and the barnet looks very smart.
Very informative sir. I very much enjoyed this episode as it satisfied my curiosity of the costs involved so that it completes the whole story for me on Narrowboating. Now I can fully enjoy your Vlog as well as many others concerning Narrowboating and the lifestyle. Thank so much for clearing this up for myself and others.
Made it through with the aid of a cheese toasty and two cups of coffee. Very informative and entertaining. Excellent stuff, as usual.
Very interesting and so very informative. Thank you. I lived on a yacht for a year and a half, sailing around and finding cheap berths, when not anchored somewhere, but must say so much cheaper to live than a narrow boat, especially when alongside in the Isle of Man. My old friend lived on a narrow boat for years until finally giving up and moving back into a house, but found it wonderful during that time, but failed to mention the costs. All boat people are lovely in the main and help each other. I found sailing better and more free, sailing almost around the world. It’s a different lifestyle I know, but you really, really enlightened me and probably many more folk out there to the true and genuine costs of canal living.
deeply educational, wonderful imagery, eloquent narration! Love your videos :-)
What he said 😂
Good one DAVID. We need more random vlogs, to help keep us sane.😜😜. I am about to start your vlogs from the beginning. 🙏👍🇦🇺
I really enjoyed watching this, I don't know why I settled to watch your video but I did. I like the way you put it together :) Now I'm going to watch some more of your stuff.
Well Here in Texas (USA) We Love Ya. Personally, I believe you to be a Very Honest & Good Man. I Love Watching All your Videos. Plus, you wouldn't believe the things I have learned just by listening to you. You have a way of making Everything Incredibly Interesting. Though I'll never have the opportunity to own a Narrow boat, You've allowed me to see so much of your Beautiful Country and Her people. For that, I'm Very Grateful.
Heck, I wouldn't even mind sponsoring you and your channel. Does Purchasing Art from "Redbubble" help or is Patreon the best way?
I do have another question. This concerns your Coal Stove. By using Coal, do you have to Clean Inside the Pipes very often, due to Soot buildup?
I was curious if the soot ever caused a problem or became a Fire Hazard.
Thank you Sir for your time and have a Wonderful Week.
Please Stay Healthy.
P.S. (Yes. Your Haircut Looks Great!)
Haha I have no art but I do sell t shirts and mugs etc through it. Either way is good! Yes, I push a brush down the chimney every couple of months during winter. Cheers
Another quality video David, stay safe and stay sane!
Yay! he's alive!
Always educational to hear about the basics. Cheers David.
I really hope you get your mojo back for this again after the covid thing goes away, even if you don't make regular vids of your trips, but either way, I'd like to say thanks for keeping me entertained in dark times with your excellent channels & for inspiring me to get off my arse & do something with my life.
Thanks for sharing the details with us! It’s very interesting to see how other people live their lives.
Thank you for your candid video. It cost less than I would have thought.
Good to receive your vlog. As an alternative to excel spreadsheet, I am cashless and use an ATM for POS (point of sale) then my bank creates a listing of activity statements.
📊🔍
That is a great video! Costs are so subjective! No one is the same as you. It's what everyone wants to know and can't relate to! Thank you for your experience. Not that I ever expect to "cruise the cut" from over here in the Chesapeake Bay! I really enjoy watching your videos, keep them coming! Just finished my own personal cruise down and up the East Coast of the US that I'm sure can't help anyone else with their cruise budget. Everyone has their own amount of funds available. My trip was an attempt at cruising on the cheap that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. Everything is subjective! Like I said, thank you for the budget. It always helps.
I find your videos very lovely! Thank you for sharing them, David!
Glad you like them!
I just did some costs and whacked on a bunch because I know myself. Still only £12,250/year or $15,500!!! I'm an expat living in Kentucky. Based on these costs I could retire (I'm 48) and be putting lots extra in to savings. I need to move back! See you on the cut in couple of years 🙂
Great job on the haircut!
It looks very professional and becomes you! I actually prefer it!
When quarantine is lifted, you might consider a sideline job!
Also, many thanks for having the... guts to share your numbers! That transparency educates the rest of us, helps everyone makes better decisions, and decreases blood pressure overall. That creates an overall better world around us.
Big props!
Very helpful breakdown. I've been saving up for a boat now for over three years and I reckon I'll be there by next year!
Hi David, William and Liz here from Barbados. We have been watching your vlogs now for about a year. We are retired and intended to visit England and rent a norrowboat when earth settles. By the way, you are not that ugly. Love your humor.
"Not *that* ugly"
@@CruisingTheCut Now that's a back-handed compliment if ever I've heard one :D
@@CruisingTheCut: Change "Not" to "Nobody's", and I'd swear William & Liz were talking about me. Yep, uglier than 90 leagues of rough sea. Subscribed.
Thanks for uploading this, it's really helpful. I just noted down all of your columns, to give myself a head start on accounting the costs involved with boat ownership.
After years watching you, this is still one of my top 3 favorite vids by you. I don't know why 😂 just is.
Needs a cheese sandwich column to separate it from the rest of the food ;)
Sean McPherson Spot on!
Not to mention, a gin and tonic column...
90 pounds on clothing! Each and every year! That's seems like a lot of baskets in Primark - my pet hate is shopping. I remember my daughter bawling because I bought her a pair of Dunlop Trainers, nothing wrong with them I said they make great tyres, she was having none of it. Your looking good. Cheers Alan.
Well put together vlog....explained how much it cost to live on a boat....stay safe......thanks for sharing
Love watching your videos. Great job. Interesting and entertaining. Thanks!
I find these videos very interesting, you come across very relaxed . It seems like a very relaxing lifestyle.
Thanks for keeping and sharing your costs. Sounds like a very affordable paradise.
Thanks, a very informative video :) have had holidays on a canal boat with family for several years and since day one have said how i would love to live aboard one myself.... one day i am determined to make the dream, a reality. Keep up the good vlogging David.
hi david, after 6 weeks I finally watched the last episode and I am all caught up having watched every episode
with many late nights, you have helped make my lockdown very pleasant and look forward to more episodes soon, stay safe steve
I must have been lucky, but, so far, I have not encountered a marina, boatyard, or other supplier, that insists on anything like 60/40. I usually declare 80% for domestic (some go on 90%). In the lockdown recently the marina I visited suggested 95%, so I went with that. I have no solar (yet) and need the engine for about 2-2.5 hours a day if stationary (if I need the engine for that long, I might as well cruise, so where is the difference?). Just for comparison - In the 12 months of 2019-20 tax year as a continuous cruiser (aside from 21 days at King's Orchard!), I spent £975 on diesel. An additional cost for me is pump out, which can be anything from £16-£22, but £18 is a reasonable average: total spend for 2019-20 £321 (17 pump outs, one resident). Stove fuel (coal, kindling, etc.) came to £920, including 1,200 kg coal, average about 50p/kg.
Sending you tons of gratitude, kind and loving positive thoughts, and sincere prayers for your continued health and safety. Your three seasons on Amazon have charmed and enchanted us. I just found your channel here = BIG SMILE! You are a champion, David. Keep up the great work! Cheers!
Thank you :-)
Great show old Bean! Glad to see you well and making vlogs of the canals!
I really like your channel - I lived on my 43" Pacemaker (all wood) boat here in Annapolis Maryland for 9 years... Your Volgs take me back to the days.... Thanks!