UK narrow boats very different from the Great Lakes scene.

Chako · **on:** August 09, 2020, 01:36:36 PM

I stumbled upon a walk-through of a narrow boat on YouTube...and I must say I find the whole thing fascinating. Probably because I am located in the Great Lakes region of Ontario. So we have a very active shipping industry, mostly with Great Lakers that ply their trade through the various canals of the Great Lakes region and the Saint Laurence Seaway.

So to see what life aboard a freighter looks like...

That is what I am used to seeing.

These narrow boats are completely foreign to me, and I find the whole canal system and narrow boats in the UK very fascinating.

I see myself researching and watching many narrow boat videos online now.

Aloha · **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2020, 03:56:56 PM

Pretty neat.

dks · **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2020, 08:29:34 PM

One of the UK members is an expert on them, if he is around

Syncop8r · **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2020, 10:15:32 PM

AimlessWanderer (formerly 50ft Trad) used to have one I believe and I think his parents and Gareth's parents have them.

Gareth · **Reply #4 on:** August 10, 2020, 12:08:17 AM

Quote from: Syncop8r on August 09, 2020, 10:15:32 PM

AimlessWanderer (formerly 50ft Trad) used to have one I believe and I think his parents and Gareth's parents have them.

Wow, you've got a good memory! Like Al my folks got rid of their boat a few years ago now. Not that they didn't like the idea any more but that it was a lot of work, time and expense for something they didn't get enough time to actually enjoy. Not helped by the fact they live a couple of hundred miles from where the boat was moored.

Syncop8r · **Reply #5 on:** August 10, 2020, 09:09:27 AM

Quote from: Gareth on August 10, 2020, 12:08:17 AM

Wow, you've got a good memory!

Either that or I did a search for "narrow boat" to see if there were any earlier threads on them.

Quote from: Gareth on August 10, 2020, 12:08:17 AM

.. it was a lot of work, time and expense for something they didn't get enough time to actually enjoy. Not helped by the fact they live a couple of hundred miles from where the boat was moored.

Probably works great though if you live solely on them and have nothing on land tying you down

Show content

(apart from a mooring rope perhaps

)

.

dks · **Reply #6 on:** August 10, 2020, 09:17:00 AM

further study...

Syncop8r · **Reply #7 on:** August 10, 2020, 11:23:03 AM

That fuel boat video was indeed fascinating - making a living just ambling along the canal, the old engine put putting, working the locks by hand....

I remember as a child being fascinated by a National Geographic article about the old canals in the US and how the locks worked.

pomsbz · **Reply #8 on:** August 10, 2020, 01:08:44 PM

I've been tempted by the idea for decades but the reality of the situation, first and foremost being that I no longer live in the UK, have a family, etc tells against it.

I would be interested in the economics of it though. Cost of a boat, cost of fitting, upkeep, utilities (gas, electricity, diesel) including mooring fees, licensing and taxes, etc.