Not one for staying put? Like to move around as and when you feel like it? Then maybe a boating life, or more specifically a canal boating life, is for you. There are currently about 15,000 people living on the 2,200 miles of waterways in Great Britain, each with their own reason for becoming a liveaboard but who, collectively, may have confronted some common problems. The image you may initially conjure up is one of a charming idyll, where you can moor your brightly coloured boat alongside a summer meadow, but the reality may not be as plain sailing as you would think.

The first question to be answered is, \”Where will I moor?\” Maybe it would be in the heart of London amongst the hustle and bustle of city life, or in a quaint Cheshire marina, where thoughts of the rat race are just a distant memory. Answering this question is of utmost importance. Buying a boat can be relatively simple; finding a mooring is not. You may be able to buy a boat that comes with a mooring, in which case you one of the lucky few and the job is done. If you can’t find that \’golden package\’, you could try talking to other boaters who maybe moored along your preferred stretch of canal and find out how they set about securing a mooring. There are monthly canal magazines that publish annual lists of moorings, and the British Waterways website may also be worth visiting. If you can find a marina mooring, then many extras may be available to you. There may a fully qualified mechanic on site who can perform repairs and maintenance; waste disposal and recycling facilities may be accessible; even a laundrette. In today’s modern world, you may even find that wifi is available.

As I mentioned earlier, buying a boat can be a lot simpler than finding a mooring. You could buy a second hand boat from about £20,000, but be prepared to pay up to and beyond £70,000 for increased space and features. Space on board a canal boat will always be at a premium, but opting for a larger boat can decrease the number of narrow and broad canals that you will be able to navigate. If you have found a boat that you are interested in, and you\’re looking for peace of mind, get the boat surveyed by a qualified surveyor. They will check the general soundness of the boat and, more importantly, the state of the steel hull. If the hull is allowed to get into a state of disrepair, the bottom of your boat could literally fall off.

There are, of course, other costs to budget for when considering a life on board a narrow boat. There is an annual license fee from British Waterways, insurance fees and general ongoing maintenance costs, to name but a few. As far as moorings go, yearly fees can range from around £2000 to £3000 in a picturesque Cheshire marina; a lot, lot more in London.

The canal boating life is not for all, but if it\’s right for you, you won\’t look back.

Tobias Newman is writing on behalf of OverWater Marina, a delightful Cheshire marina with Shropshire Union Canal moorings

Tobias Newman is writing on behalf of OverWater Marina, a delightful Cheshire marina http://www.overwatermarina.co.uk

Author Bio: Tobias Newman is writing on behalf of OverWater Marina, a delightful Cheshire marina with Shropshire Union Canal moorings

Category: Travel
Keywords: cheshire marina, cheshire, marina, canal boating, boating, canal, narrow boat, liveaboard