I posted something along these lines about 6 month ago, we are seriously thinking about this life and have been moochin' around different Marinas over the last few week, we are going over to Scarisbrick and Fettlers wharfe in an hour or so. The Mrs. will only move onto the water if we get a widebeam, now they are obviously wider than a Narrowboat,hence you have restrictions on where you can travel or the route that you take anyway, what with the Locks being a certain width and all that.
We don't plan on going any great distances on the Canal plus you have 20 mile of Lock free canal in some parts,(bridgewater/L AND L), it is just the life that we want and not for the cruising, although 20 miles is quite ample or even to go for a spot of lunch at a Canalside pub,within reach.
From what i can gather, it is cheaper to live, not by a great deal and especially if you take finance out/mortgage for your Boat, it is the way of life, the freedom of the outdoors, the Old School and the community thing that will do it for us, i mean you can get your Coal delivered by a working Narrowboat and also your logs for the fire, or even better, go and get your own logs from the woods, it really appeals to me and i think it would be a fantastic way to bring up a little'n', get her away from the Roboticised life with the computers and endless brain washing television,don't get me wrong, the way the world is at the moment then she will need some sort of technology savvy, but not 24/7 head in the bloody thing.
I realise the dangers with the water etc and kids but shes a good kid and a decent swimmer and she is 6 so hardly a rugrat,(most of the canals are 4ft deep,obviously that varies but this is the basic overall depth).
If its gonna happen it will happen either within 6 months or we will get a cruiser(smaller boat) for 2 years or so and then flip our gaff and put whatever we get off it, into a Widebeam. Some of them are like Palaces, i can't do the picture thing so i will put 3 links on to show you the difference in Boat, for those that can be arsed anyway. :)
I'll have to put them on a seperate post, i've ran out of room. DOH! Has anyone lived this life or know someone that does? Cheers.
-- Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:41 am --
<a class="postlink" href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Viking-26-6-Berth-Narrow-Beam-Aft-Cabin-Cruiser-Boat-NB_W0QQitemZ190382689457QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item2c53b14cb1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Viking-26-6-Berth ... 2c53b14cb1</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/70ft-Wide-Beam-Barge-2007_W0QQitemZ270556388473QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item3efe6adc79" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/70ft-Wide-Beam-Ba ... 3efe6adc79</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2005-AQUALINE-NARROWBOAT-CRUISER-STERN-57FT-17-5-MTS_W0QQitemZ150428457419QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item23063c19cb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2005-AQUALINE-NAR ... 23063c19cb</a>
We don't plan on going any great distances on the Canal plus you have 20 mile of Lock free canal in some parts,(bridgewater/L AND L), it is just the life that we want and not for the cruising, although 20 miles is quite ample or even to go for a spot of lunch at a Canalside pub,within reach.
From what i can gather, it is cheaper to live, not by a great deal and especially if you take finance out/mortgage for your Boat, it is the way of life, the freedom of the outdoors, the Old School and the community thing that will do it for us, i mean you can get your Coal delivered by a working Narrowboat and also your logs for the fire, or even better, go and get your own logs from the woods, it really appeals to me and i think it would be a fantastic way to bring up a little'n', get her away from the Roboticised life with the computers and endless brain washing television,don't get me wrong, the way the world is at the moment then she will need some sort of technology savvy, but not 24/7 head in the bloody thing.
I realise the dangers with the water etc and kids but shes a good kid and a decent swimmer and she is 6 so hardly a rugrat,(most of the canals are 4ft deep,obviously that varies but this is the basic overall depth).
If its gonna happen it will happen either within 6 months or we will get a cruiser(smaller boat) for 2 years or so and then flip our gaff and put whatever we get off it, into a Widebeam. Some of them are like Palaces, i can't do the picture thing so i will put 3 links on to show you the difference in Boat, for those that can be arsed anyway. :)
I'll have to put them on a seperate post, i've ran out of room. DOH! Has anyone lived this life or know someone that does? Cheers.
-- Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:41 am --
<a class="postlink" href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Viking-26-6-Berth-Narrow-Beam-Aft-Cabin-Cruiser-Boat-NB_W0QQitemZ190382689457QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item2c53b14cb1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Viking-26-6-Berth ... 2c53b14cb1</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/70ft-Wide-Beam-Barge-2007_W0QQitemZ270556388473QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item3efe6adc79" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/70ft-Wide-Beam-Ba ... 3efe6adc79</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2005-AQUALINE-NARROWBOAT-CRUISER-STERN-57FT-17-5-MTS_W0QQitemZ150428457419QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item23063c19cb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2005-AQUALINE-NAR ... 23063c19cb</a>