We shall probably shatter some dreams by looking first at the downside of living afloat. It is not all sunshine and roses, here are some of the major drawbacks.
Cost. If you seriously believe that London's' streets are paved with gold stop reading now. They are not, and neither are the towpaths! Living afloat attracts similar costs to bricks and mortar.
Location. Proper residential berths, particularly in and around London, are in high demand and short supply. Because of this it is frequently not possible to locate in the exact area required.
Maintenance. Boats generally require more maintenance than houses, and it can be expensive if DIY capability is lacking. Periodically the boat will have to be removed from the water for maintenance or for a survey (for insurance purposes) - a major upheaval and a significant expense that is not encountered when living in a flat!
Space. All but the largest of boats are limited in space, particularly narrowboats which are less than 7 feet wide. Tidy people will lack storage space, untidy people will never find anything and children will appear to be much larger than normal!
Security of Tenure. There is little. Even if land is owned freehold, it is unlikely that there will exist an indisputable right to tie a boat to it. Leasehold moorings offer reasonable security, but are not common. The vast majority of residential berths are based on short term mooring agreements which can be terminated at little notice.
Car parking. Many residential berths do not include any off street parking or garden facilities.
Status. Residential boat owners may not command huge respect within the community at large, or with the Establishment in particular.
Freezing. Residential boats are normally well insulated, and will have solid fuel stoves or central heating systems to keep warm. But will the water supply, which is frequently via a hose pipe remain unfrozen?
Gas. Gas to run cooking and heating appliances is normally supplied in bottles which have to be transported and changed over when empty, even at night when its raining!
Loos. The majority of residential boats are not connected to mains drainage. Effluent has to be carried to a disposal point.
Sinking. It is very rare for boats to sink - this is the least of your worries!
Still interested in living on a boat? If so read on, if not curl up in front of the TV, and enjoy limitless supplies of gas, electricity, water and mains drainage - and have a thought for those people who despite the points mentioned above enjoy the intangible attraction of just 'being on water'.
There are various types of craft used as residential boats, as described below:
Static Houseboats. These are not powered and are not expected to be moved, although they can of course be towed. They normally comprise a rectangular steel floating pontoon with a caravan or mobile home type structure built on top.
Narrowboats. These are 7' wide and up to 70' long. Normally with engines they can cruise most of the Inland Waterway system. Very popular as an 'all round' craft, but the narrow beam does limit space.
Widebeam Narrowboat Style. These craft look like narrowboats but are built up to 13' wide and offer much internal space. Practically a beam of 10' to12' is a good maximum to consider. Because they cannot go through narrow locks their cruising area is limited.
Converted Barges. There are all sorts of barges, both English and Dutch. Lengths can vary from 40' to 120' plus, with beams from 10' to over 16'. All but the smallest require a reasonable degree of competence to handle them. The larger barges are only suitable for use on major rivers because of their size.
Also common are converted lighters or dumb barges, with no motive power. Dutch barges are mostly powered, and some are rigged for sail. It is possible to buy unconverted barges either in Holland or in the UK, but the job of conversion is huge, easily under estimated, and is most certainly not for the faint hearted.Cruisers. Into this category fall all those vessels that were intended for general cruising and include ex lifeboats, broads cruisers, old hire boats etc. They do not make good residential boats as in general they were not built for that purpose, having little or no insulation. Please forgive me all those who live in such boats.
Here we meet the fundamental problem with living afloat. It is generally not a problem to locate something close to the right boat at around the right price, but finding somewhere to tie it up varies between extremely difficult to impossible. It is therefore essential, and this cannot be stressed too strongly, that the search for a proper residential berth must be addressed before the search for a boat.
Offering less security are berths where a 'blind eye' is turned, but it must be accepted that there is no continuing security. It is sometimes possible to occupy what is known as a 'caretaker' berth at a marina, but these are obviously very limited in number. Many locations are quite happy with 'ad hoc pied-a-terre' usage, which can be loosely defined as about 3 nights per week.
Finally there are those who simply adopt a nomadic life style and tie up anywhere, until the inevitable 'knock on the window', and the next move begins. This is not to be recommended, and is being increasingly policed by BW inspectors.
The cost of moorings is obviously related to the facilities provided, but a typical figure would be around £100 per metre.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the first step is to secure a berth, which will probably already have a boat on it. If lucky this will be suitable. If not the boat can be replaced later with another.
There is also no central point (unless British Ship registered, but this is unusual) to check for outstanding debts or finance, thus 'caveat emptor' applies. A good broker will assist greatly in this area. It is foolhardy to buy a boat without having a survey undertaken by a qualified surveyor. Unfortunately it is expensive, as the boat may have to come out of the water, but although costing £500 to £1000, it can save a small fortune!
As to cost, prices range from £10,000 to £100,000 or more. There are no published guides to boat prices as there is with cars - the price of a boat is what a willing buyer will offer and a willing seller will accept, subject to usual market forces. Also the price may include an element of premium if changing hands with a popular residential berth.
The boat will require a Residential Licence if on a British Waterways navigation. A 60ft houseboat licence will cost £550 per annum. To get the licence the boat must have a Boat Safety Certificate, which is akin to the MoT test for a car. Beware that if a boat does not have this certificate, expensive works may be required in order to get the boat up to standard.
The boat must be insured, and it would be prudent to include contents, which will cost around 1% of insured value. Not that many companies offer these insurances, but a Broker will be able to advise. With older boats the Insurance Company will require sight of a valid survey report before providing cover, and at subsequent regular intervals.
Finance to purchase is only available from a few companies, as many consider the possibility of the boat disappearing into the sunset never to be seen again. Finance can be obtained for 80% of the valuation of the vessel NOT including any premium paid for the berth.
Living afloat is certainly not for everyone. Although initial capital costs are much lower than buying land based property, security is not as great and on going costs are comparable.
On the plus side a boat can provide a floating cottage that be can be untied and enjoyed on the move - try that in a semi-detached?
Being water borne also enables the enjoyment of a 'feel good factor' derived simply from being on water, and sharing it with other like minded people.
Tel: + 44 (0) 1784 432111. Fax: + 44 (0) 1784 432777. Mobile: 07860 480079
E-mail: enquiry@vcmarine.co.uk
Write to: Virginia Currer Marine Ltd, PO Box 240, Egham, Surrey, TW20 8WU
© Virginia Currer Marine Ltd 2008. Reg in England no 4601718. Reg office: 2 Church Street, Burnham, Bucks, SL1 7HZ