I will never forget an elderly gentleman telling me that he had left the rat race in the 80s with his partner with the idea they'd sell their home and move into a narrowboat as the community was strong and a welcome antidote to all the stress.
As the years went by it became harder and harder, stoking the woodburner around the clock so never having a full night's sleep in the winter months; the bone
hilling and freezing wet dampness that seeped into his bones so that he was constantly freezing cold and everything, including his clothes and bedding was always damp and smelt damp.
There was no where to have a bath or feel properly fresh and clean, and the smell of diesel permeating every pore.
He became depressed, his partner left him and it became impossible to navigate it through the locks without support so moving became stressful.
Mooring fees shot through the roof and not having easy access to the internet made it difficult to connect with others.
Having sunk all his savings into that way of living and now being arthritic he felt his mental health slipping.
So I think if you can afford it, living like that part time or as a holiday home or as a period of your life would be the thing to do, but have a contingency plan too 