Living on a canal boat with children

[Jammydodger23]

Has any one got experience of living on a canal boat with children. I am seriously considering making this move.

I would NEVER be able to relax.

How old are the children?

I used to live in Cambridge, and there were quite a few families who lived in houseboats there. Maybe ask on the Cambridge local board in case anyone can give you advice? (For what it's worth, I'd love to do it!)

One of our neighbours lived on a narrowboat until her son was 2. She says it was really warm and snug but very cramped with a child.

The first question I would ask is why? If it is because you think it will be cheap and relaxed, then stay away! Boats cost an absolute fortune to run - license fee £900 a year, insurance £200, mooring £1500-5000, as well as the endless maintenance costs (been told recently that BOAT stand for Bring Out Another Thousand, which is accurate, there is no such thing as a cheap fix on a narrowboat).

If you are serious about it, then think about a narrowboat as a caravan. Would you genuinely be considering taking your children to live in a caravan? If not, then why do you think a boat is a good idea. I love canal boats and have owned one but they are really not a romantic cheap option. I suggest browsing some of the canal forums for advice.

Many moorings, pretty much all CRT sites, do not allow residential moorings. The ones that do are scarce and expensive. Are you a bit of an engineer who loves fixing engines? If so, then this will help. If not, then be prepared to be patronised and overcharged on a regular basis, as everything that goes wrong will turn into a major, usually involving months of waiting before anything is fixed. Sorry to be such a misery but it is for your own good.

Oh I would love that - but in reality I'd end up bald with stress!

My mum and dad did. 'Damp' was the descriptor they used.

I read a fascinating book about families living on the canal boats when they were the main means of carting goods from one place to another - children overboard and drowned was a just a fact of everyday life. Rather sad.

If you're serious, I'd try it for a holiday first

Don't do it. It looks romantic but is a pain in the bum and the feeling of damp permeates your bones to the core!
Live in a caravan for a year and see how it is. At least there's less damp.

DH lived on a narrow boat before he married me. His children lived with their mum but used to visit at weekends. They were late primary school age by then and it was fine safety wise. Landlubbers tend to get very upset about water and the slight possibility of drowning. The fact is, most people have to manage their children near roads and don't have panic attacks about dangers. Risks have to be managed that's all.
Travelling about in a boat is more dangerous than just being moored up all the time: locks can be especially nasty. Boats can sink quickly and even adults have drowned after getting trapped.
A holiday might help you get a sense of how crowded it can be on a narrow boat. Also, do your research on layouts - it can make a massive difference to your living space.

I agree to living in a caravan first but do it for a whole year. You need to experience the wind, rain, freezing temperatures, not being able to get very far away from whoever is annoying you without going outside, the need to be very tidy otherwise you don't have room to swing a cat, the limited storage space etc etc. If you find that enjoyable and you have plenty of money for all the things mentioned by a pp then why not.

How old are your children?

I met a lady temporarily living on a campsite because her toddler was delayed learning to walk, HV and GP had put it down to him not having any space to roam free in a houseboat. She was taking some time out in a caravan so that he could play outside more and develop his walking skills.

PoisonousSmurf
Live in a caravan for a year and see how it is. At least there's less damp.

I had to live in a caravan when I was a kid while parents were doing up their house. It's shit and very damp. It was one of those bog long ones. Condensation on the windows, if your duvet touched it it would soak in. Mouldy clothes. Got bullied in school being called 'Gyppo'. Horrible.
I would not inflict that on a kid.

*big long ones

I spent a week on a canal boat with my dc (and PIL). That was more than long enough.

Canal boats are cold IME! And the water - oh god the water. How old are your DC and can they swim? I don't think I could relax for 2 seconds if I had babies or toddlers on board a houseboat.

Yes, with DH & DC. You have to be tidy! It can get very cold in the winter .

Happy to answer questions

I like the idea of living on water (ex sea cadet/instructor) loved boating holidays and summer camp but could I do it full time? Alone yes. With kids? Hell no.
Good luck OP doesn't mean it's not right for you and your family.

What do you think would be the upsides?

I'll be honest, all I can think of is the downsides - cramped, lack of privacy, damp, hassle of having to move every two weeks, prevalence of rats, pain in the arse of things like post, lack of a permanent address, etc.

And did I mention how cramped it is? Tiny rooms, paper-thin walls, everything being small - small oven, small table, small shower, no washing machine.

I suppose if you had a huge boat and a permanent mooring it might be better, but those are extremely expensive. Also, boats don't appreciate in value like a house does, so it would be a big up-front cost without being an investment.

I have a number of friends who live on boats and they tell me that the waterways are getting more and more crowded. Most canals aren't exactly pretty and the safety aspect is not to be overlooked - boats are easier to break into and now that they are more likely to contain expensive electricals they are being targeted more and more.

I worked with someone who used to live on a canal boat and have his children every other weekend.

I remember him saying one of the biggest hassles was trudging up and down the towpath with the DC when they were little especially if you also had bags of shopping etc. The logistics of getting more stuff than you can carry plus 2 children from the car to the boat (which can be a considerable distance) was a nightmare as he couldn't obviously leave the children alone whilst he went backwards and forwards.

I live on a Dutch barge with my DH and almost 10 month old son. Would I move back to a house? No way. Yes it's hard in the winter, can be cold so you need to ensure that you have goof heating. You learn to live a simple life, no clutter, being tidy etc. Not everyone is suited to it so I would see if you can rent one for a year and see how you get on. Also speak to the boat families Facebook pages and they can give you a lot of information.

Not personally, but a family with 3 young children at DD's nursery did. They have now moved out (and into a house) - the mum said that it was very hard work watching the children all the time (so they didn't fall in). They were on a double width boat (twice a standard canal boat; all the locks round here are double width), which made it a bit easier. They also didn't have any hook ups (electricity, water, sewerage) which is just hard work after a bit. They can't have had a washing machine on board - there are laundries nearby, but that's an enormous faff.

See if you can rent/borrow a boat for a good period (more than a week!) over the winter, and see how you go. I would find it incredibly hard, but you might be made of sterner stuff!

I was thinking of a big boat ie 60x12 The girls are 7 and 10 both are strong swimmers otherwise I wouldn’t even think about it It would need central heating and hot running water otherwise it wouldn’t be practical I am really wanting all the normal home appliances but on a boat

I had a friend who lived on a working narrow boat so lived in the small cabin....she loved it. But she did talk about the damp.

The children wore reins so they could not fall into the water. She also said neither walked until they were gone 2 due to not have the space to move around..they just cruised round the furniture. However by the time they were 5 you would never have known. In fact one went on to become a professional skateboarder and always put his excellent balance down to having lived on water for the first 10 years of his life.

She only moved off the water when her marriage broke down and she found the life too hard....plus a relative died and left her enough money for a deposit on a house.

Many people love it but it is not for everyone....i would try it but only if you can change your mind if it is not working out.