took the plunge, sold the house and brought a 55ft narrowboat with a 1932 Gardener 2L2 engine.......I'm free and I love it. It frees up my time between boat, work and travelling in my land rover. Edit -"bought" not brought for the keyboard warriors
Think it's actually disgusting that those continually cruising are now going to paying more than those mooring tbh. This is the problem in this Country, the Government just want to rip you off no matter what you do.
Amen... when you think youve found a loophole, the governement have already figured out how to make it just as expensive as anything else. The increases in the licenses are going up disproportionately to any changes in wages/cost of living too.. and buying the boats in the first place is already becoming ridiculous.
@@1991ryanl That's the point. They want to make everything completely unaffordable so you are forced to work multiple jobs just to survive and have 0 time to sit back, relax and think. Because if you start thinking you will start realizing how it's all set against you and you will rage and they don't want that. If enough people figure it out it will be very bad for them because people will eventually rebel and take care of them.
@@1991ryanl Is this the Government or the Canal Trust ? I did check that you only pay council tax if in a permenent mooring but no council tax if you roam. It may be just another way of getting money out of people who don't at present pay.
Unfortunately i can say that the same goes for the Netherlands. Government knows exactly how much you make/spend and wil make sure you have just enough to get by, and maybe have a holiday.
Excellent insight into everyday costs involved. Seeing as the average rental cost of a semi detached in a relatively decent area in the north of England is around £800 - £1000 per month and landlords are even charging over £500 just to rent rooms in shared houses. Plus the cost of gas and electric is around £150 - £200 per month, then theres the council tax and water rates, narrowboat living seems considerably cheaper. It's an alternative thats definitely worth looking into. Thanks for the info guys.
Bro look on spare room. Landlords are charging £1000 for a “double” room. In London, Any room that isn’t a 2.5m x 2.5m box room is automatically a “double” and therefore worth £1000.
Think I've mentioned this before. Get 6 or 8 USB 4 inch desk fans. Put 4 on the ceiling and 4 on the floor to circuit the warm air away from the wood burner and the colder air back towards the wood burner. Makes a big difference. I use small power banks to run them.
Hit the nail on the head with time being precious. Living on a boat if you work full time is almost another job in itself. Not for everyone but id find it hard to live in a house again
Hello❤ I watch narrow boat life content from abroad. It's so incredibly UNIQUE to your island of the United Kingdom. It's a disgrace that your government isn't willing to support it. Yes, there are a couple of canals here and there in other countries, but I don't think there is such a huge infrastructure for permanently living on the canals anywhere else. Your canals are also uniquely beautiful. ❤
My family have log burners and the reason we got them is because we have a small family joinery company. We burn our scrap wood as its kiln dried. People have called into our place and asked if they can have any of the scrap wood, we always say yes as it costs us money to dispose of the excess. It might pay to find out if there are any joinery companies anywhere near you and ask if you could have some of their scraps.
I watch a few narrowboat channels and love the lifestyle. One thing that has really struck me as someone living in the US, is how much "freer" you can be as far as live/work options when you don't have to worry about paying health insurance. I know there is no such thing as the perfect system but, you would have to either literally, and I do mean literally, double your monthly expenses or take your chances and go without it if you had the same system as we have here. Thanks for a very interesting video. Oh, I didn't see anything for the most important expense, beer!! lol..... Edit.. of course, you could always get a job that provides health insurance coverage but, it may confine you to a certain area of the canals to stay close enough to commute daily and, yes, they will deduct the cost from your paycheck.
Room in awful flat in Tottenham cost my niece £850 a month. No matter what the canal license costs, it’s a bargain overall and you own your own space which you can move when you get bored. Interesting to see all the costs…
Yeah London’s a crazy place to try and rent. We’ve got multiple friends in different boroughs and it’s obscene some of the prices or just a basic flat.
I like that you are giving the costs for _living_ rather than just existing, including baths etc - everyone can adjust according to their budget but this is a realistic expenditure for comparing to life in a flat, rather than in say, a tent :) Most people can relate to living in bricks and mortar so this is really handy!
I use one 13kg gas bottle every 3 months but it’s only for cooking. My boat insurance is £68 a month on a 60ft narrowboat (bought new in 2022). I’m permanently moored in a Marina and so far have only used the central heating, so my diesel through the winter has been roughly £150 a month. I have shoreline electricity and really do make the most of it. Microwave, hoover, tv, washing machine, and dehumidifier that dries my washing, costing around £30 a month.
@@ladygardener100 it’s because the boat was new and also includes the bronze River Canal Rescue cover. (Thinking about it, that isn’t really needed as I’m permanently in the Marina, I’ll have to look into that). Also, my last 2 gas bottles lasted 6 months, not 3 as I originally stated. All through our so called Summer, I haven’t used any diesel, only one cruise for about 4 hours a few weeks ago when the Family were here. Even my electric use hasn’t been as bad as it was. I’ve had a bit more time now to see how much things are costing.
Great vid thanks. Lived afloat since the 80’s, as each successive housing crisis bites boat life expands the crt are actively prejudice against liveaboards this from 1st hand experience as I have been involved in many river and canal orientated organisations the ceo nails 200k pa not bad for a charity boss nuf said. For those that cruise the canals to travel on well done they save a fortune in maintenance on the locks and the involuntary dredging, you also police the tow path which at night is a very different place than during the day, you bring to the attention of the authorities problems and anomalies and you keep those that live on or near the water security. You maintain the linear village community thriving. All this is very hard to quantify although the crt has had a stab at it and found it a negative. You also keep the flora and fauna of the waterways thriving, organisms that have adapted to canal environment. You report on species degradation voluntarily, you care and respect a specific environment that only a few have the privilege to experience . And the cost to you for all this is peanuts with a little inconvenience.
Love this. We live in a house in California. Mortgage free finally. Our electricity bills is around $700 a month. Our water bill in about $1200. We pay $2400 a month for health insurance. With a 8k deductible each. Food is about $100 every 2-3 days. Gas is $6 a gallon. Then there is car insurance. Home insurance. Etc etc. we spend about 20k a month to live near San Francisco. We do not go out to eat. We do not vacation. We are pretty frugal. It’s insanity. We will never be able to retire 😮😮😮😮😮
Oh this is brilliant. I've not gone back over your channel since subscribing a year or so ago... I love van build videos but I reckon your boat conversion will be BRILLIANT... I'm going to binge it all lol
I’ve had my boat since 2021 and initially used coal for heating but now use one of the Chinese diesel heaters. It’s about the same cost as coal but much less cleaning and stoking. Turns on/off with push of button.
It's always good when Danni & Joe are on Sunday afternoon but Joe no beer of the week!!! Mine is Atlantic Pale Ale & goes down very well whilst watching the you two!!!
When I lived on my boat someone I met who also lived on a boat told me that boat stands for bring out another thousand because there is always something that needs doing. It's a nice way of life but expensive and a full-time time job
Thanks for the video guys, it nicely explains the expense you need to shell out on running a narrow boat. It's still a relatively cheap way to have a home when you think of the amount of money you'd spend on a mortgage and community charges each year. Typical government short sightedness regards reduced funding to the CRT, the canal network is a 250 year old national treasure that must not be allowed to fall into disrepair, it would be a crime if that was allowed to happen. Cheers Guys - Pete
@@ladygardener100 I suggest you get a life...and don't forget your 🧠 this time round. I actually live off-grid in my vehicle full-time year round, exploring wild regions.
Great breakdown, we are still weekend boaters at the moment, looking to purchase a bigger boat next year , buying a boat and being able to be on the water has got to be the best thing ever , so good to leave the rat race whenever we can 👍👍👍
Great vlog. We are( I know I've mentioned before) moving from an off grid in the wilderness in Ontario, Canada. Yes, we do have Starlink( it's brilliant). We wanted to buy a widebeam( so our kids can visit and stay over, etc.) But GUTTED about how the government have cut funding and how it is going up over the next 4 yrs...we are rethinking but our hearts are so in to living this life but now just in limbo as next step...
Yeah it’s a shame and must be a kick in the teeth for you - the license is still relatively affordable even on a wide beam it’s comparable to council tax in the UK. Hopefully you can find a way still!
Liveaboard, gas water heater and cooker, when solo was 4 x 13kg bottles/yr, when partnered up 6/yr. Important thing with the Morco geyser is to keep the pilot light off unless you're actually using it. If and when you've got some cash, invest in solar panels and then lithium batteries.
I hope you get to Birmingham. Gas Street Basin is interesting and lively. There is a small roundabout in the canal with a signpost on it. Great videos, very informative, thank you, and best wishes for the future.
It’s a hard life living on a boat . Everything needs to be carried to the boat and out . Water is a problem. You will need to up mooring and find a place to fill up . Then there is the soil tank that will need emptying. Hope you have a strong back because your gas bottle will need to be carried too. It’s always damp , obviously. It all looks lovely until it rains and you have walked a mile back from the shops with you food etc . Find a house where you can live not exist . Unless it’s your only option. Good luck to you . I didn’t take to it because it’s so much hassle. Hard to keep clean too .
On the other hand you are much more self sufficient with alot more freedom. You can move all over the uk and have the bigest garden ever. You can go fishing from your doorstep and the dog will get the best walks everyday. If your neighbors annoy you you can move anytime 😂 all depends what kind of lifestyle you want. Remember these guys lived in a van before the boat
Chris,even I with no experience about boats,I just enjoy these videos ,but I could imagine great expense that boat is forever sitting in cold eventual icy cold water,and that's not cosy,or suited to our human health, arthritis etc these things look neat in sunny times,but even sunny times our UK is cold
A comparison with my 35' Sailing Yacht in the Mediterranean, marina 340€ per month plus roughly €25 for electricity and water (one of the cheeper marinas). Gas cylinders are less expensive here and things like anodes are less expensive (lots of on-line suppliers in the EU), but lift out costs can be up to €1000. So a bottom paint maybe €2000 plus every year or two.
Great video guys. Going forward to summer cruising you might think of a second channel where you just post normal speed cruising video even from a fixed camera point. Having a meandering river/canal trip on the TV for a few hours makes for great background while people are pottering in the kitchen. Think Tour de France.. few of us watch it for the bike racing Thanks again and good luck
Used to watch these boats when I lived in Maidstone, loved the thought about living on one. But then I have no clue about what it is like. Liked your video, makes me want it even more. :)
@@ItsOhJoe Higher costs will mean less incentive to live on the cannels plus no money from governments thus waterways will slowly be abandoned and it`ll be like the 70s-80s overgrown, polluted, bikes, mopeds, shopping trollies dumped in there adding to owners repair/upkeep of the boat and even filled in... I`ll give it 8-10 years max till they are abandoned again.
Great vlog as always. It’s definitely the best decision we ever made. Great fun and living in nature is fab. We agree regards having a generator it was a game changer for the winter. Happy cruising x❤
Well I've just pictured Joe washing his smalls and whizzing up and down the towpath on his bike naked with the said small trailing from a little flag pole affixed to the bike and just as they're almost dry ......... It starts to rain😅😅😂😂
From what you say, I gather that some dreams are slightly nightmarish - d'ya know what I mean??? Very good and interesting video, thanks for your honesty!!
Good insight into costs. A couple of others to add to the list. Every 4 years the boat safety scheme certification needs renewing. That would be in the region of £150 (depending on location etc). Your internet connection through Smarty, a subsidiary of 3, comes in at £20 a month for 4G, unlimited data. There are some estimates that all costs included, £5K per annum is a reasonable figure (£416 per month), so not far off your numbers. Good video, thanks.
Hey guys, nice vid. I noticed you saying you don't have a calorifier tank, I couldn't live without mine must admit. 80l tank passes both central heating hot water and engine coolant through a twin coil set that harvests any waste heat into hot water. I only have gas connected to the cooker, 1x bottle per year generally. Hot showers whenever I want as the tank is always hot. Consider it an option if you have the room. 6x years on my 55ft and I'm not looking forwards to these increased charges!
Hi Danni and Joe , it cost me around $10,000-$11,000 a year and run the house without any repairs. I suppose if you look at it which is about 5665 GPP so I don’t know how I stayed is but my house is a three bedroom, one bathroom etc etc home At least if you don’t like the neighbours and you don’t like the scenery you can move. Cliff from Logan City Queensland Australia 🇦🇺👨🏻🦽😁
Really good information...you did a great job...very clear and direct. I have a 37-foot sailboat in saltwater in Seattle and the monthly moorage in 2024 is $900 dollars. Every two years you should have the boat hauled out and the bottom painted. Two years ago, it was $ 4,000.00 dollars...today I was stunned as the cost went up to $ 7000.00 dollars. The Port of Seattle has been increasing the monthly moorage by 10% per year. All central banks have been printing money they don't have hence huge inflation. God help us...! and keep up the videos. If I lived in England I would be drawn to the Sea or perhaps a narrowboat. Best...SV Aquila Shilshole marina...Seattle.
Really interesting video, get really good vibes from you both, very natural at making a video. I have absolutely no interest in boats 😂 just stumbled across this whilst flicking through and stayed for the lot!
I've been thinking about a canal boat for years know I can think about it more cause I didn't know about the money wish so thanks for the video really helps
Hi Danni and Joe Regarding the CRT surcharge increase. Two things I never hear boaters speak of are the increases that marinas do/will be applying to the cost of staying at one and do the CRT surcharges and fee equal or exceed the cost of staying at a marina. I can't help but think that the surcharge and fee is still cheaper than a marina. I really enjoy how organized you are and how well you research your information. One other question, as the boat is your permanent home does the government offer any grants if you were to convert to an electric motor or improve the weather stripping or windows/doors? In Canada we do have such grants for homes. Mark Alberta, Canada
Hi Mark, there’s no grants that I know of in place at the moment, there are for cars etc but boatings seen as more of a leisure thing still (despite being thousands of peoples homes) Yeah it’ll still be cheaper to continuously cruise even with the surcharge
Red diesel question - different taxes for propulsion and heating - is the heating fed off the same tank as propulsion and if so, how do you know how much of which tax is relevant?
So it’s the same tank & just generally accepted that you’ll use roughly 60/40 or 50/50 ratio, it’d be near impossible to prove either way. Seems crazy but it’s completely up to boat owner to declare usage & gets written down for you to sign on a receipt
We repair Rudders at work amongst other marine parts, the anodes are very important to relieve the electrolyte effect between the dissimilar metals in water. It's a worry as I'm looking at a way of putting a Sand Battery in a Narrowboat!
We foraged for wood stored it at our allotment and have only used four bags of coal for this winter saved a fortune its very possible if you put the work in
London marinas shot up in price at some point between 2010 and 2012 or so. New ownership IIRC. Right now it's about the price of renting a flat in the same area, which means it's extortionate. It's luxury these days unless you're in an old concession and these expire. People are moving outwards, it's much more cost effective to commute by train, as expensive as they also have become by the way.
I live 50k from coast in NZ , we don't have privilege of canalboats and watching you two is really good insight into canalboats and everything that comes with it. Thanks I'm jealous
I liked the video and run down of the costs but don’t think we could do it now. Come to Spain. Butane bottle 14kg 18€ property tax on my 320 square meter house €325/ year. I have 14 acres of woodland but usually buy in a trailer of olive wood for 150€ which lasts all winter (we’re in the mountains and can get snow). We’ve been off grid for 34 years. I get a uk state pension only (wife doesn’t get a penny) and I still save 600€ a month. We thought about selling and buying a house boat but we couldn’t afford to live in the UK. Not now.
I would love to live in a narrowboat, I know someone who has a brother living on one that said he will ask if its ok for me to visit and just learn first hand what its like. Im doing my homework and I understand closer to the city = more cost and waiting lists for a mooring and having a job where I need to commute with tools it still seems better for me to be on a narrowboat moored in one location for work then take my quiet times which can be 2-3 weeks in a row to travel and return when it picks up for few months and repeat. Would see more of the UK from a unique view than a road. On assumptions I have: I feel like it is cheaper to move your home to a location for a holiday, and only worry about the additional cost of traveling further and the holiday expense vs leaving your house, travel, book a room hoping for inclusive food that is decent or buy food at resturants/bars to be fed daily and the prime reason of the holiday expense. Correct me if im assuming wrong but having food already with you, a place to stay is already a huge money saver where you can either save money or spend that expense on other things for the experience.
Great things in life ,,no 1 buying your 1st boat 2nd when you eventually sell it ,😮having had one wouldn't have another given free ,it's none stop hassle and stress 😢
Great video- very informative 👍. Done a lot of canal walks over the years and always wondered , how much etc etc. Q. - how about for official address? For example your drivers license, broadband bills etc Great vid 👌👌
Still not living on Sardine yet but cracking on. Found evidence of a fire so ripped a load of walls down in the engine room. still loving it mind and using all your old vids for refreshes. I’m on electrics while I’ve got these walls down and been getting under and over myself a bit with choosing the right cable thicknesses for the runs etc 🤯 bit of decision paralysis going on. Got a question about the geni, have you got a galvanic isolator between that and the charger? It’s been throwing me a bit. Do you know anything about it? I think I understand it that the galvanic isolator is for stray current under a certain watts, so if your plugged into shoreline permanently the there’s a danger when everything is off that you could be drawing just under one watt and that’s when you need the isolator but if your draw is higher (ie that of an appliance) then the problem is removed?? Is this too much for RUclips comment ? Probably. I was thinking about battery charger plugged straight into the generator and avoiding the consumer unit all together I’ll be eco Flo to Charge laptop that’s my only 240 appliance so seems a lot to get all that stuff in there. Any way, I’m moored up at Mercia and I think my rent is the same as your total out going’s on a 30 footer so. You’re doing alright I’d say. Cheers Botha ya! Thanks xx
Khali Sara has been moored outside the greyhound pub in Enfield for over a year..in fact longer than I lived here & I bought a house…so much for the 2 week rule..
If you put your boat in a marina that is connected to the canal network, approximately 9% of the mooring fee goes to the CRT, so marina moorers are paying more already. So making CC’ers pay a slightly higher licence fee to use the canal continuously is not as unfair as a lot of boaters would have you believe.
I'm going to date myself, but when I got my first gas (propane) grill, a 20-pound (9.1 kg) tank of propane cost $5.00 US. So, that 13 kg Calor tank would have been $7.15 or 5.65 pounds-sterling.
We are saving up to live on a boat our aim is 10-15 years. We would have to live in the docks as my husband has a office job unless work ever is able to be remote we could cruise 😊 we are putting 50 a month aside atm or as much as we can
@@jillosler9353 yes but it already does cost more, so a 50% increase on a bill that is already takes into account the house being larger. It’s like saying you should expect to spend more per unit of electric just because you have a larger house than if you have a semi. 🤷🏼♀️
@@jillosler9353 and we aren’t talking a mansion, many widebeam residents are families who have moved on board as affordable housing, it’s actually targeting some of the most vulnerable
took the plunge, sold the house and brought a 55ft narrowboat with a 1932 Gardener 2L2 engine.......I'm free and I love it. It frees up my time between boat, work and travelling in
my land rover.
Edit -"bought" not brought for the keyboard warriors
Awesome! We’d love to fit out a landrover for some overlanding one day.
Love it! Congrats! How are you finding it? We are in the process planning to sell and breaking free
@loukaslemos1387 moved in on the 1st of February and loving it , the freedom and the canal community wish I had done it sooner. One Life Live it
How do you not know the difference between brought and bought
@TomTom-gs7wy ah yes, I'm not perfect all the time, I salute you in your ivory tower, have a good day
Think it's actually disgusting that those continually cruising are now going to paying more than those mooring tbh. This is the problem in this Country, the Government just want to rip you off no matter what you do.
Amen... when you think youve found a loophole, the governement have already figured out how to make it just as expensive as anything else. The increases in the licenses are going up disproportionately to any changes in wages/cost of living too.. and buying the boats in the first place is already becoming ridiculous.
@@1991ryanl That's the point. They want to make everything completely unaffordable so you are forced to work multiple jobs just to survive and have 0 time to sit back, relax and think. Because if you start thinking you will start realizing how it's all set against you and you will rage and they don't want that. If enough people figure it out it will be very bad for them because people will eventually rebel and take care of them.
@@1991ryanl Is this the Government or the Canal Trust ? I did check that you only pay council tax if in a permenent mooring but no council tax if you roam. It may be just another way of getting money out of people who don't at present pay.
Seams fair cc ers use more of the facilities people with moorings will use the canal and rivers less
It's still cheap
Unfortunately i can say that the same goes for the Netherlands.
Government knows exactly how much you make/spend and wil make sure you have just enough to get by, and maybe have a holiday.
Excellent insight into everyday costs involved. Seeing as the average rental cost of a semi detached in a relatively decent area in the north of England is around £800 - £1000 per month and landlords are even charging over £500 just to rent rooms in shared houses. Plus the cost of gas and electric is around £150 - £200 per month, then theres the council tax and water rates, narrowboat living seems considerably cheaper.
It's an alternative thats definitely worth looking into. Thanks for the info guys.
Yeah the housing market’s crazy!
Bro look on spare room.
Landlords are charging £1000 for a “double” room. In London,
Any room that isn’t a 2.5m x 2.5m box room is automatically a “double” and therefore worth £1000.
Think I've mentioned this before. Get 6 or 8 USB 4 inch desk fans. Put 4 on the ceiling and 4 on the floor to circuit the warm air away from the wood burner and the colder air back towards the wood burner. Makes a big difference.
I use small power banks to run them.
Sounds janky
you still have to charge all them powerbanks back up 😮
As someone that has always wanted to do this, what a great video. Easy watching! Subscribed.
Hit the nail on the head with time being precious. Living on a boat if you work full time is almost another job in itself. Not for everyone but id find it hard to live in a house again
Yeah 100%!
The good thing about living on a narrow boat is that if you don't like your neighbours, you can move.
Hello❤ I watch narrow boat life content from abroad. It's so incredibly UNIQUE to your island of the United Kingdom. It's a disgrace that your government isn't willing to support it. Yes, there are a couple of canals here and there in other countries, but I don't think there is such a huge infrastructure for permanently living on the canals anywhere else. Your canals are also uniquely beautiful. ❤
My family have log burners and the reason we got them is because we have a small family joinery company. We burn our scrap wood as its kiln dried. People have called into our place and asked if they can have any of the scrap wood, we always say yes as it costs us money to dispose of the excess. It might pay to find out if there are any joinery companies anywhere near you and ask if you could have some of their scraps.
Waste oil heater.. very efficient & relative to wood.. clean burn
I watch a few narrowboat channels and love the lifestyle. One thing that has really struck me as someone living in the US, is how much "freer" you can be as far as live/work options when you don't have to worry about paying health insurance. I know there is no such thing as the perfect system but, you would have to either literally, and I do mean literally, double your monthly expenses or take your chances and go without it if you had the same system as we have here. Thanks for a very interesting video. Oh, I didn't see anything for the most important expense, beer!! lol..... Edit.. of course, you could always get a job that provides health insurance coverage but, it may confine you to a certain area of the canals to stay close enough to commute daily and, yes, they will deduct the cost from your paycheck.
Room in awful flat in Tottenham cost my niece £850 a month. No matter what the canal license costs, it’s a bargain overall and you own your own space which you can move when you get bored. Interesting to see all the costs…
Yeah London’s a crazy place to try and rent. We’ve got multiple friends in different boroughs and it’s obscene some of the prices or just a basic flat.
Yes, just buy a boat for £50K
We did 7 years on boat, glad we left it behind, it’s hard work if you’re continual cruising. We preferred the winter months. Enjoy
I like that you are giving the costs for _living_ rather than just existing, including baths etc - everyone can adjust according to their budget but this is a realistic expenditure for comparing to life in a flat, rather than in say, a tent :) Most people can relate to living in bricks and mortar so this is really handy!
I use one 13kg gas bottle every 3 months but it’s only for cooking. My boat insurance is £68 a month on a 60ft narrowboat (bought new in 2022). I’m permanently moored in a Marina and so far have only used the central heating, so my diesel through the winter has been roughly £150 a month. I have shoreline electricity and really do make the most of it. Microwave, hoover, tv, washing machine, and dehumidifier that dries my washing, costing around £30 a month.
We loved being connected to shoreline! Spent very little money keeping us topped up in London!
Insurance seems very high
@@ladygardener100 it’s because the boat was new and also includes the bronze River Canal Rescue cover. (Thinking about it, that isn’t really needed as I’m permanently in the Marina, I’ll have to look into that). Also, my last 2 gas bottles lasted 6 months, not 3 as I originally stated. All through our so called Summer, I haven’t used any diesel, only one cruise for about 4 hours a few weeks ago when the Family were here. Even my electric use hasn’t been as bad as it was. I’ve had a bit more time now to see how much things are costing.
Great vid thanks. Lived afloat since the 80’s, as each successive housing crisis bites boat life expands the crt are actively prejudice against liveaboards this from 1st hand experience as I have been involved in many river and canal orientated organisations the ceo nails 200k pa not bad for a charity boss nuf said. For those that cruise the canals to travel on well done they save a fortune in maintenance on the locks and the involuntary dredging, you also police the tow path which at night is a very different place than during the day, you bring to the attention of the authorities problems and anomalies and you keep those that live on or near the water security. You maintain the linear village community thriving. All this is very hard to quantify although the crt has had a stab at it and found it a negative. You also keep the flora and fauna of the waterways thriving, organisms that have adapted to canal environment. You report on species degradation voluntarily, you care and respect a specific environment that only a few have the privilege to experience . And the cost to you for all this is peanuts with a little inconvenience.
Love this. We live in a house in California. Mortgage free finally. Our electricity bills is around $700 a month. Our water bill in about $1200. We pay $2400 a month for health insurance. With a 8k deductible each. Food is about $100 every 2-3 days. Gas is $6 a gallon. Then there is car insurance. Home insurance. Etc etc. we spend about 20k a month to live near San Francisco. We do not go out to eat. We do not vacation. We are pretty frugal. It’s insanity. We will never be able to retire 😮😮😮😮😮
Electricity cost is mad. Turn your heating down and get some insulation please.
@@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834 ha! Plenty of insulation. It’s just the cost of living near San Francisco 🙄🙄
Oh this is brilliant. I've not gone back over your channel since subscribing a year or so ago... I love van build videos but I reckon your boat conversion will be BRILLIANT...
I'm going to binge it all lol
Hope you enjoy it! Feels like a lifetime ago we were renovating the boat!
I’ve had my boat since 2021 and initially used coal for heating but now use one of the Chinese diesel heaters. It’s about the same cost as coal but much less cleaning and stoking. Turns on/off with push of button.
It's always good when Danni & Joe are on Sunday afternoon but Joe no beer of the week!!! Mine is Atlantic Pale Ale & goes down very well whilst watching the you two!!!
Yeah didn’t think it quite fit with this weeks video - although that’s another hefty monthly cost the old beer run 😂😂
Think it’s time that the massive water companies that take from the systems should start paying something towards the CRT
They should absolutely!
When I lived on my boat someone I met who also lived on a boat told me that boat stands for bring out another thousand because there is always something that needs doing. It's a nice way of life but expensive and a full-time time job
A great and informative video guy's. You make it very realistic with no bull. Love it.
Thank you!
Thanks for the video guys, it nicely explains the expense you need to shell out on running a narrow boat. It's still a relatively cheap way to have a home when you think of the amount of money you'd spend on a mortgage and community charges each year. Typical government short sightedness regards reduced funding to the CRT, the canal network is a 250 year old national treasure that must not be allowed to fall into disrepair, it would be a crime if that was allowed to happen. Cheers Guys - Pete
I have no wish to subsidise your living costs. Stop scrounging.
I love the fuel guy with the cigarette in his mouth💥
😂😂
Only dealing with diesel rather than petrol, so no worries there really.
Diesel isn't inherently flammable, you have to vaporise/mist it or compress it to make it volatile!
@@simonbaxter8001 propane ?
@@chriscastaldo3596 If there are no leaks there are no leaks! They actually use a flame to look for gas leaks sometimes.
You can see they don't want people living off grid at any level.
There are ways around not paying all the silly fees, and annual costs then become very low to live off-grid (apart from ⛽).
Do it anyway . This is end stage empire. Give em a lil pushy wooshy
Who are THeY?
@Globetrotter i suggest you buy a tent from Aldi and sleep rough
@@ladygardener100 I suggest you get a life...and don't forget your 🧠 this time round.
I actually live off-grid in my vehicle full-time year round, exploring wild regions.
Great breakdown, we are still weekend boaters at the moment, looking to purchase a bigger boat next year , buying a boat and being able to be on the water has got to be the best thing ever , so good to leave the rat race whenever we can 👍👍👍
Ahh good luck with the next boat!
Just to let you know, Screwfix do price match so next time just show the deal you can get on your phone and they match it. Great video. Fair winds.
Seeing the date on the CRT surchage page reignights a rage. Prices go up on the 1st of April but wages go up on the 31st.
😫
Great vlog. We are( I know I've mentioned before) moving from an off grid in the wilderness in Ontario, Canada. Yes, we do have Starlink( it's brilliant). We wanted to buy a widebeam( so our kids can visit and stay over, etc.) But GUTTED about how the government have cut funding and how it is going up over the next 4 yrs...we are rethinking but our hearts are so in to living this life but now just in limbo as next step...
Yeah it’s a shame and must be a kick in the teeth for you - the license is still relatively affordable even on a wide beam it’s comparable to council tax in the UK. Hopefully you can find a way still!
Hi you two. Get a diesel heater and a calorifier for hot water. You can't beat having the options. Or if iremember you already have a diesel heater.!
Liveaboard, gas water heater and cooker, when solo was 4 x 13kg bottles/yr, when partnered up 6/yr. Important thing with the Morco geyser is to keep the pilot light off unless you're actually using it. If and when you've got some cash, invest in solar panels and then lithium batteries.
That’s not bad going!!
I have ‘safefill’ bottles now and refill them with lpg! Super cheap to refill.
Even converting to $, I pay that a month for electricity here in the US. Great video guys. Keep them coming
Do you mind me asking where you brought your boat from? It is a dream of mine to live on a narrowboat!
That’s very good for a month. Wow. And yes Starlink would be amazing. All very tempting. You guys take care. Best wishes
Thank you!
im thinking of getting a narrowboat but just dont know where to start
Nothing comes free. Depends what really is important in life I guess.
Best of luck to you two. Love from Poland. ❤
I hope you get to Birmingham. Gas Street Basin is interesting and lively. There is a small roundabout in the canal with a signpost on it.
Great videos, very informative, thank you, and best wishes for the future.
Yeah Birmingham is high on our list!
It’s a hard life living on a boat . Everything needs to be carried to the boat and out . Water is a problem. You will need to up mooring and find a place to fill up . Then there is the soil tank that will need emptying. Hope you have a strong back because your gas bottle will need to be carried too. It’s always damp , obviously. It all looks lovely until it rains and you have walked a mile back from the shops with you food etc . Find a house where you can live not exist . Unless it’s your only option. Good luck to you . I didn’t take to it because it’s so much hassle. Hard to keep clean too .
On the other hand you are much more self sufficient with alot more freedom. You can move all over the uk and have the bigest garden ever. You can go fishing from your doorstep and the dog will get the best walks everyday. If your neighbors annoy you you can move anytime 😂 all depends what kind of lifestyle you want. Remember these guys lived in a van before the boat
Yea, but the sex is great! 😊
Chris,even I with no experience about boats,I just enjoy these videos ,but I could imagine great expense that boat is forever sitting in cold eventual icy cold water,and that's not cosy,or suited to our human health, arthritis etc these things look neat in sunny times,but even sunny times our UK is cold
A comparison with my 35' Sailing Yacht in the Mediterranean, marina 340€ per month plus roughly €25 for electricity and water (one of the cheeper marinas). Gas cylinders are less expensive here and things like anodes are less expensive (lots of on-line suppliers in the EU), but lift out costs can be up to €1000. So a bottom paint maybe €2000 plus every year or two.
Great video guys. Going forward to summer cruising you might think of a second channel where you just post normal speed cruising video even from a fixed camera point. Having a meandering river/canal trip on the TV for a few hours makes for great background while people are pottering in the kitchen. Think Tour de France.. few of us watch it for the bike racing
Thanks again and good luck
I’ve thought of that before actually, if we could guarantee signal then we could livestream it
Used to watch these boats when I lived in Maidstone, loved the thought about living on one. But then I have no clue about what it is like. Liked your video, makes me want it even more. :)
Ahh lovely! Thank you
@@ItsOhJoe Higher costs will mean less incentive to live on the cannels plus no money from governments thus waterways will slowly be abandoned and it`ll be like the 70s-80s overgrown, polluted, bikes, mopeds, shopping trollies dumped in there adding to owners repair/upkeep of the boat and even filled in... I`ll give it 8-10 years max till they are abandoned again.
I´m convinced that the duck will be back onbord on the next Joe DIY vid ... 😇🥰
😂😂
Thanks for these precious informations. I'll move in a (tiny) flat if I'm lucky. The narrow boat is too tricky for me to handle on a budget. 👍🏾
Thanks for uploading very interesting to see the daily runing cost of Narrowboatd life.
Great vlog as always. It’s definitely the best decision we ever made. Great fun and living in nature is fab. We agree regards having a generator it was a game changer for the winter. Happy cruising x❤
Thank you!
Instead of using gas to heat the water, why don't you get a calorifier that is fed from the engine and back boiler from the wood burner.
Well I've just pictured Joe washing his smalls and whizzing up and down the towpath on his bike naked with the said small trailing from a little flag pole affixed to the bike and just as they're almost dry .........
It starts to rain😅😅😂😂
Thanks for this guys, answered a lot of the questions I had about the financial side of narrowboats! All the best
£350 a month is still cheap, you would be lucky to get a house share in Cornwall for £650 a month. Love your vids,kerp them up.
Thank you!
From what you say, I gather that some dreams are slightly nightmarish - d'ya know what I mean??? Very good and interesting video, thanks for your honesty!!
😂😂 yeah they can be!
Good insight into costs. A couple of others to add to the list. Every 4 years the boat safety scheme certification needs renewing. That would be in the region of £150 (depending on location etc). Your internet connection through Smarty, a subsidiary of 3, comes in at £20 a month for 4G, unlimited data. There are some estimates that all costs included, £5K per annum is a reasonable figure (£416 per month), so not far off your numbers. Good video, thanks.
Hey guys, nice vid. I noticed you saying you don't have a calorifier tank, I couldn't live without mine must admit.
80l tank passes both central heating hot water and engine coolant through a twin coil set that harvests any waste heat into hot water.
I only have gas connected to the cooker, 1x bottle per year generally.
Hot showers whenever I want as the tank is always hot.
Consider it an option if you have the room.
6x years on my 55ft and I'm not looking forwards to these increased charges!
Very interesting and realistic. Btw I loved the chill background music
Thank you!
Hi Danni and Joe , it cost me around $10,000-$11,000 a year and run the house without any repairs. I suppose if you look at it which is about 5665 GPP so I don’t know how I stayed is but my house is a three bedroom, one bathroom etc etc home At least if you don’t like the neighbours and you don’t like the scenery you can move. Cliff from Logan City Queensland Australia 🇦🇺👨🏻🦽😁
Yeah that’s a big bonus being able to move whenever you feel like it!
Really good information...you did a great job...very clear and direct. I have a 37-foot sailboat in saltwater in Seattle and the monthly moorage in 2024 is $900 dollars. Every two years you should have the boat hauled out and the bottom painted. Two years ago, it was $ 4,000.00 dollars...today I was stunned as the cost went up to $ 7000.00 dollars. The Port of Seattle has been increasing the monthly moorage by 10% per year. All central banks have been printing money they don't have hence huge inflation. God help us...! and keep up the videos. If I lived in England I would be drawn to the Sea or perhaps a narrowboat. Best...SV Aquila Shilshole marina...Seattle.
love you guys.....always look forward to your Sunday Video :)
Thank you!
We live in our converted luton. Coming up to year 2!
Seem like a really nice couple - will follow your exploits. Have fun.
Great Blog As Always ❤️ Can't Wait To See The End Result 👀👏👏
Absolutely fantastic breakdown - really clear and this has been incredibly helpful! Thank you.
Great vlog, the cost of living is def cheaper on a boat, I pay £250 council tax alone, 😢❤
Ouch!!
While lease and ground rent is getting pillered the licence approach seems to be going into a similar level of fiscal extraction ...
Really interesting video, get really good vibes from you both, very natural at making a video. I have absolutely no interest in boats 😂 just stumbled across this whilst flicking through and stayed for the lot!
😂😂 that’s lovely to hear thank you!
Well done very informative will help many we sure tc now luv from the oldies ❤️🤗❤️🤗
Thanks guys!
I've spent £45 on gas in my house in 2 days peak winter. Probably average £5 per day over the year. So that's a win for boat life I'd say.
Oh wow!
Well done guys good informative video 😊😊😊😊
Thank you!
No matter how you look at it there's just no free lunch guys . stay safe be happy .
True!
I've been thinking about a canal boat for years know I can think about it more cause I didn't know about the money wish so thanks for the video really helps
Hi Danni and Joe
Regarding the CRT surcharge increase.
Two things I never hear boaters speak of are the increases that marinas do/will be applying to the cost of staying at one and do the CRT surcharges and fee equal or exceed the cost of staying at a marina. I can't help but think that the surcharge and fee is still cheaper than a marina.
I really enjoy how organized you are and how well you research your information.
One other question, as the boat is your permanent home does the government offer any grants if you were to convert to an electric motor or improve the weather stripping or windows/doors? In Canada we do have such grants for homes.
Mark
Alberta, Canada
Hi Mark, there’s no grants that I know of in place at the moment, there are for cars etc but boatings seen as more of a leisure thing still (despite being thousands of peoples homes)
Yeah it’ll still be cheaper to continuously cruise even with the surcharge
Red diesel question - different taxes for propulsion and heating - is the heating fed off the same tank as propulsion and if so, how do you know how much of which tax is relevant?
So it’s the same tank & just generally accepted that you’ll use roughly 60/40 or 50/50 ratio, it’d be near impossible to prove either way. Seems crazy but it’s completely up to boat owner to declare usage & gets written down for you to sign on a receipt
@@ItsOhJoe Thanks. Don't abuse it is the thing.
We repair Rudders at work amongst other marine parts, the anodes are very important to relieve the electrolyte effect between the dissimilar metals in water. It's a worry as I'm looking at a way of putting a Sand Battery in a Narrowboat!
We foraged for wood stored it at our allotment and have only used four bags of coal for this winter saved a fortune its very possible if you put the work in
That’s my plan this year - we weren’t expecting to be in the country over winter so overlooked it. Love collecting/chopping & even stacking logs! 😂
Narrow boat & Land Rover = life sorted👌
How do you juggle a car and a boat...do you have to run back and get it every few miles along the canal? Where do you keep a car?
London marinas shot up in price at some point between 2010 and 2012 or so. New ownership IIRC. Right now it's about the price of renting a flat in the same area, which means it's extortionate.
It's luxury these days unless you're in an old concession and these expire. People are moving outwards, it's much more cost effective to commute by train, as expensive as they also have become by the way.
I live 50k from coast in NZ , we don't have privilege of canalboats and watching you two is really good insight into canalboats and everything that comes with it.
Thanks I'm jealous
Great video, thanks. I don't know if you're familiar with The League Of Gentlemen but if you are then all I can say is ' Gary! You lucky, lucky man 😘
I liked the video and run down of the costs but don’t think we could do it now. Come to Spain. Butane bottle 14kg 18€ property tax on my 320 square meter house €325/ year. I have 14 acres of woodland but usually buy in a trailer of olive wood for 150€ which lasts all winter (we’re in the mountains and can get snow). We’ve been off grid for 34 years. I get a uk state pension only (wife doesn’t get a penny) and I still save 600€ a month. We thought about selling and buying a house boat but we couldn’t afford to live in the UK. Not now.
I would love to live in a narrowboat, I know someone who has a brother living on one that said he will ask if its ok for me to visit and just learn first hand what its like. Im doing my homework and I understand closer to the city = more cost and waiting lists for a mooring and having a job where I need to commute with tools it still seems better for me to be on a narrowboat moored in one location for work then take my quiet times which can be 2-3 weeks in a row to travel and return when it picks up for few months and repeat. Would see more of the UK from a unique view than a road.
On assumptions I have: I feel like it is cheaper to move your home to a location for a holiday, and only worry about the additional cost of traveling further and the holiday expense vs leaving your house, travel, book a room hoping for inclusive food that is decent or buy food at resturants/bars to be fed daily and the prime reason of the holiday expense. Correct me if im assuming wrong but having food already with you, a place to stay is already a huge money saver where you can either save money or spend that expense on other things for the experience.
Great things in life ,,no 1 buying your 1st boat 2nd when you eventually sell it ,😮having had one wouldn't have another given free ,it's none stop hassle and stress 😢
We use only use 1 bottles of gas every 2 to 2.5 months. We do use about 3 bags of coal a week in winter which is our only source of heat.
Very interesting video, thank you. Lots of useful information (even though you spelt licence wrong!!!).
Excellent video u2
I'm seriously thinking of retiring on a boat eventually, looks amazing.
Anodes, zinc is used in salt water seagoing boats, fresh water preferred is magnesium ie canal boat , somwtimes aluminium in brackish water
Great video- very informative 👍.
Done a lot of canal walks over the years and always wondered , how much etc etc.
Q. - how about for official address? For example your drivers license, broadband bills etc
Great vid 👌👌
Still not living on Sardine yet but cracking on. Found evidence of a fire so ripped a load of walls down in the engine room. still loving it mind and using all your old vids for refreshes. I’m on electrics while
I’ve got these walls down and been getting under and over myself a bit with choosing the right cable thicknesses for the runs etc 🤯 bit of decision paralysis going on. Got a question about the geni, have you got a galvanic isolator between that and the charger? It’s been throwing me a bit. Do you know anything about it? I think I understand it that the galvanic isolator is for stray current under a certain watts, so if your plugged into shoreline permanently the there’s a danger when everything is off that you could be drawing just under one watt and that’s when you need the isolator but if your draw is higher (ie that of an appliance) then the problem is removed?? Is this too much for RUclips comment ? Probably. I was thinking about battery charger plugged straight into the generator and avoiding the consumer unit all together I’ll be eco Flo to Charge laptop that’s my only 240 appliance so seems a lot to get all that stuff in there. Any way, I’m moored up at Mercia and I think my rent is the same as your total out going’s on a 30 footer so. You’re doing alright I’d say. Cheers Botha ya! Thanks xx
Khali Sara has been moored outside the greyhound pub in Enfield for over a year..in fact longer than I lived here & I bought a house…so much for the 2 week rule..
Great vid. Something I'm thinking of doing with my wife👍Thanks folks. New sub😊
Good video. I like your man's glasses. Any chance of knowing where they are from so I can see if they suit me?
Thank you! They’re from a company called ‘iolla’
very interesting vid, thanks, makes me think about it, you did a brilliant job on your boat.
If you put your boat in a marina that is connected to the canal network, approximately 9% of the mooring fee goes to the CRT, so marina moorers are paying more already. So making CC’ers pay a slightly higher licence fee to use the canal continuously is not as unfair as a lot of boaters would have you believe.
I'm going to date myself, but when I got my first gas (propane) grill, a 20-pound (9.1 kg) tank of propane cost $5.00 US. So, that 13 kg Calor tank would have been $7.15 or 5.65 pounds-sterling.
Wow!!
I reckon your generator was quite reasonable especially when compared with the cost of a Honda .
Yeah don’t get me wrong we’re really happy with it! Screwfix was really handy being able to collect same day too.
👌👌👌👍.......Not sure why this popped up for me. However a good watch👍. Lovely couple.
Excellent breakdown.... Thanknyou . Subscribed.
We are saving up to live on a boat our aim is 10-15 years. We would have to live in the docks as my husband has a office job unless work ever is able to be remote we could cruise 😊 we are putting 50 a month aside atm or as much as we can
When people talk about the increases they tend to only talk about the cc hikes but not the widebeam hikes
It's the same as buying a semi-detached house or a mansion - you expect the latter to cost more in every bill.
@@jillosler9353 yes but it already does cost more, so a 50% increase on a bill that is already takes into account the house being larger. It’s like saying you should expect to spend more per unit of electric just because you have a larger house than if you have a semi. 🤷🏼♀️
Yeah widebeams a double whammy!
@@jillosler9353 and we aren’t talking a mansion, many widebeam residents are families who have moved on board as affordable housing, it’s actually targeting some of the most vulnerable
Great vlog, do you wish you stayed vanlifers as I am ? I'm looking for a mooring and boat the next few years , can't wait ...safe cruising
I cook during the winter on my solid fuel stove. It can halve your gas bill.