Narrowboat Ownership

I cannot speak from personal experience on this topic, but as a regular reader of various online forums etc I have gleaned some information.I hope my thought are useful to some.

The dream of owning your own Narrowboat is the romantic hope of many and the practical reality of a relatively small number.

Firstly Narrowboats are expensive to buy. A typical 55ft boat costing in the region of £55,000 with no upper limit with those with the money. This figure can be lowered significantly by buying a shell and fitting it out yourself, if you have the time knowledge and skill, but it is still a huge commitment. You have to know what you are doing and and have the means and determination to finish the job, the canals are lined with half finished projects. Second hand craft offer a cheaper option, but possibly a whole raft of other problems as well for the unwary. That said there may be a certain amount of sense in looking for a craft that is old enough to have the initial production problems ironed out , but young enough to be in good condition. Whatever you do, do so from the background of experience and wisdom - even if that experience and wisdom has to be bought in, it is a good investment.

Keeping a boat on the water is not cheap either. Licences and moorings have to be paid for and in principal (though possibly there are ways around it ) you need to demonstrate that you have a mooring for your boat before you can get a licence. Moorings are always scarce and at a premium, especially in popular areas such as city centres, where there is obvious interest from residential boat owners. One advantage of buying a second hand boat could be that you are able to get the mooring with it, though you will undoubtedly pay for the priviledge.

Finally you have got fuel and maintenance costs. Fuel as ever, is going up in price, though this is  not a so much of an issue for residential boats. Maintenance costs are  inevitable if you want your boat that stays afloat. Sadly the canals are littered with neglected boats. Purchases that seemed "a good idea at the time", or projects that have run out of enthusiasm, time and/or money.

The easiest way to justify owning a Narrowboat is to actually live on it, and then it is worthwhile and this can present a practical and economically viable residence if the lifestyle appeals all year round. Other than that ownership is justified by the enthusiasm and usage of the owner and it becomes and expensive hobby, the value of which must be judged by its contribution to its owner's lifestyle and happiness.