Living Afloat
By Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21492)
London, England
March 9, 2016 7:12am CST
With the high cost of housing in London, canal narrow boats have proved to be a popular choice; so much so that the long term mooring sites, with access to water and power, have waiting lists and charges are zooming up.
The canal passes next to my local railway station, so if you work in London, this is a handy place to live. The rules say that you can only moor in one spot for a week, so you see these narrow boats moving from mooring spot to mooring spot on a regular schedule.
This winter, for the first time I've seen, the restrictions have been lifted and the boats have been static for a couple of months. Most of them seem to be empty, but you do see a few with smoke rising from their little chimneys, so some people are living aboard.
Once Summer is here, I wonder how many of these boats will still be here when the restrictions return.
10 people like this
11 responses
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
9 Mar 16
sounds a good way to live but the rising costs will deter many from doing it
3 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
9 Mar 16
@Ronrybs to me that defeats the object of moving to a houseboat - they used to be a better economic option and it could ease the housing crisis - suddenly the waterways are prime real estate
2 people like this
@Ronrybs (21492)
• London, England
9 Mar 16
@arthurchappell True, but moving house is lot easier, if slower!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Mar 16
Many retired people in the US purchase big motor homes and go from State Park to State Park. They are allowed to stay 2 weeks out of the month. Most state parks in Illinois are 20 dollars a night for electric and water sites. I guess that's cheaper than owning a house.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Mar 16
@Ronrybs That would be 600 dollars a month but that included electric and water, so I suppose it is still cheaper than owning a house. Of course that doesn't include the gasoline to get that motor home from state park to state park.
@Ronrybs (21492)
• London, England
9 Mar 16
@fishtiger58 When I was renting, about ten years, it was about $900 a month not including water, power or gas and that was Outer London
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
10 Mar 16
I'm a country girl and would feel ver confined. Give me forests and fields and the great wide outdoors.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
9 Mar 16
I have always wondered what it would be like Ron.
I do know the houseboats are so lovely along the rivers in England.
I wonder why they cant moor in one place for long.
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
9 Mar 16
@Ronrybs Yes I have been reading about that along the Thames there in Oxford..many more boats than usual.
1 person likes this
@BACONSTRIPSXXX (18114)
• Torrington, Connecticut
9 Mar 16
I like the sound of living afloat but after 2 days I doubt id want to be on the boat, the smell of sea or dirty water makes me nauseous as well
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382408)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Mar 16
We had a few days on a canal boat in Ireland some years ago and really enjoyed the life. It would suit me. Some we saw in England last year had pot plants, push bikes and all sorts of things on them and were obviously lived in permanently.
@teamfreak16 (43650)
• Denver, Colorado
9 Mar 16
Now that would be a cool way to live.
1 person likes this
