A Case Study Of Liveaboard Narrowboat Pengalanty

I knew Allan’s case study was going to make an interesting read when he said, “I was working full time until I was 77 when doing two or three jobs became a bit much for me.” – And then he mentioned that he cruises with his ex wife who also has her own narrowboat! Enjoy your retirement Allan!

Who are you? (and your significant other and, of course, your dog if you have one)

Allan at the help of NB Pengalanty

Tell me a little about yourself and why you decided to live a life afloat

Itchy feet, I suppose? In Germany, I soon became involved in the Holiday business. This took me as far as Poland, Russia, Hungry, Yugoslavia (Then),UK, France to Italy and all the mountain passes; hard work and immensely enjoyable.

I have always been interested in canals, ever since I lived in Wombourne, near Bratch locks. I found narrowboats fascinating then, and still do. I was lucky enough to be able to design the boat of my dreams (Nearly got everything right) and I had enough money to have the steel shell built based on a trad. design (6 years ago). I have been working towards completion ever since.

What is your boat called and why did you decide on that name?

Narrowboat Pengalanty entering a lock

My boat is named “Pengalanty” I wasn’t clever enough to create the name and it came about almost by accident. Whilst visiting Gloucester docks, I met a boat surveyor on some pontoons (Walking his dog) and we started talking “boats”. He built his own. I was interested and mentioned that I was having a shell build (RLL Boats, Keynsham) and was doing the remainder of work myself
We stayed in touch and he gave me useful information from time to time. One day, I had an e-mail that said – Christine has found the name of your boat – This was because had decided to have graphics with 2 swans intertwined on each side The name stated was Pengalanty – made up as follows: “Pen”, being a female swan, “Galanty“ being a medieval name for amorous. The name sounded good and it rolled off the tongue quite naturally, so that’s how it came about .

What is your boat length and style?

The boat is 58’0” long, supposed to be 2.4” draft but there is so much equipment and timber on board that it more like 2’7” and the stern digs deeper when cruising. This is actually more stable, so I am happy with this.

How long have you been a narrowboat owner?

I have owned “Pengalanty” for over 6 years and have lived full time on my boat for the last 3 years. This is my forth year as my home – I Love the Lifestyle –

How did you finance your boat?

I had 2 separate private pensions that I had been paying into for many years. I converted the pensions and used the cash allowance to achieve my goal.

How much time do you spend working on your boat each year?

Are you still working? (If so, what do you do?)

I have been working all my life, sometimes doing 2 and 3 jobs (Doubling upon shifts etc) I was known as a work-a-holic! I continued working until I was almost 77. I found that some of the heavy work I was doing was becoming too much and I hadn’t recovered completely by the next morning. I then decided it was time to enjoy more time for myself. Now I am fully retired and still HAVE NO TIME to spare – How did I find time to undertake 3 jobs? I’ll never work that one out!

What do you like least about narrowboat life?

Very slippery and muddy towpaths during wet weather and lack of BW maintenance of the hedgerows. Finding a lovely quiet spot, then having another boater moor up less than 6 feet away, making a lot of noise and radio full blast – especially when there are miles of unoccupied canal either side!

What do you like most about narrowboat life?

Being on or near water is therapeutic and relaxing. Unless one has lived in the country, (I worked several years on a mixed dairy/arable farm in my earlier days) you have to experience the joy of country smells and perfumes of some flowers; the quietness (Pure Luxury) with no traffic, no aircraft; no pollution, or diesel smoke (Always excepting the fumes from one’s own engine!). As I prefer the isolated areas, I don’t have any problems from other boaters or their engines.

If you could change just one thing about your boat, what would it be?

Extend it by about 6 feet to have another room available and more cupboard space.

When you are cruising how do you resupply (How do you get to the supermarket without a car)?

I have both a car and a folding moped. The moped stays on the boat and this overcomes the logistics of having the car catch the boat up all the time. I usually by fresh veg when sold along the canal side, as I pass (Straight of the farm, or smallholding is minutes fresh, sometimes dug up, or pick DIY style). As my boat has a UDB fridge freezer combi, I always keep a few days supplies of fresh food. I have ample supplies of dried and tinned goods and can always find something to eat.

How do you do your washing when you are cruising?

Pengalanty has a Zannussi compact washing machine plumbed in – washing is usually done on the move

How do you connect to the internet when you are on your boat and are you happy with the service you receive?

I had no question of any problem here – Hutchinsons My 3 Fast Dongle is almost hard wired speed. No connections problems, (Other than poor weather that reduces signal strength). My dongle is protected and waterproofed, fitted externally at least 4 feet above the roof. It does usually work inside the boat but the O/S position is much better.

What is your favourite canal or section of canal?

Stratford and Oxford and similar narrow canals. It’s the difference in motoring along country lanes and motorway driving. The GU, Sharpness and K&A are less attractive but often easier to cruise.

How do you generate electricity when you are cruising and how much do you use?

My boat is a high tech boat (Not sure is this is the best though) and is electricity/energy hungry. I have 4 large Solar panels and a wind generator. The V panels produce more energy per ? invested over the 12- months. I am able to leave my boat for a few days, knowing that my batteries will recharge enough to keep my freezer working 24/7. I have a large 24-V alternator to charge the batteries with the main engine. There is a Stirling PDAR digital controller to override the alternator limiter, Due to overheating problems the alternator is cooled with a large “snail” type of blower fan.

What advice can you offer someone considering living on a narrowboat?

Have at least one week’s holiday, preferably 2 or 3 holidays over a couple of years to gain experience. One soon knows what the best layout is, how many you want to be able to sleep and other important basic things. This cannot be gained any other way. It is wise to do this before a large investment is made. If you stll like the idea – then go for it ASAP – Life is for real, when it’s gone, it’s gone and you never know when (Or if) your health will last. It’s no good saying,(When it’s too late), “If only I had done this earlier”

How warm is your narrowboat in the winter?

Lovely and warm, cosy and dry, just like a miniature country cottage – S’wonderful!

You must have a “Peep” at my web site for more information and you must have a look at my special site (With a FREE offer) of children’s story books (Ideal for canals).

Are you one of the lucky few who lives the dream on board your own narrowboat full time? Would you like to share your experience with some of the thousands of potential floating home owners who visit this site? If you can spare the time to answer a few simple questions, I would love to hear from you. Just let me know so I can email the questions to you. I’ll create a post like the one above complete with a link back to your own blog or web site.

A Case Study Of Liveaboard Narrowboat Osprey

One still working and one retired. How does that work? Narrowboat liveaboards Alice and Phil Rosser give you their take on life afloat from their floating home on the Lancaster canal{{{0}}}

Who are you? (and your significant other and, of course, your dog if you have one)

Tell me a little about yourself and why you decided to live a life afloat

Narrowboat Osprey on a Lancaster canal mooring

Phil took early retirement some years ago and I was working very long hours to pay the mortgage and all the other bills incurred from living in a large four bedroomed victorian terraced house. Our two boys had left home and we were rattling around in this big house and thought it was time to make changes so that we had more time for us and a lifestyle which suited our interests. We are very ‘outdoorsy’ people and after plenty of research discovered that living afloat ticked all the boxes for us.

What is your boat called and why did you decide on that name?

‘Osprey’ We wanted a name that described both of our interests. We both enjoy bird watching and the Osprey is a strong, majestic migrating bird which lives near water so we thought it was appropriate..

Inside narrowboat Osprey

What is your boat length and style?

57ft. Cruiser stern. Reverse layout.

How long have you been a narrowboat owner?

18 months

How much time do you spend on your boat each year?

Are you still working? (If so, what do you do?)

Phil is retired. I am a freelance musician and I work part time. I do two days teaching a week in term time, run two music websites, play for weddings and work for an examination board.

What do you like least about narrowboat life?

The spiders!

What do you like most about narrowboat life?

Everything!! Being close to nature.

If you could change just one thing about your boat, what would it be?

Not having the water pump near the bedroom! Phil says ‘Can somebody please invent a silent water pump’ (for the days I get up at 6am for work and turn the shower on).

When you are cruising how do you resupply (How do you get to the supermarket without a car)?

We have a bike on the roof which makes for great transport and most shopping will fit in a rucksack.

How do you do your washing when you are cruising?

We have a washing machine on board

How do you connect to the internet when you are on your boat and are you happy with the service you receive?

A 3G dongle. Usually service is OK depending on where we are moored. On the marina it is excellent.

What is your favourite canal or section of canal?

The Glasson arm of the Lancaster canal, but we only know the Lancaster canal so far

How do you generate electricity when you are cruising and how much do you use?

Run the engine for an hour a day for the 12 volt appliances and we use the inverter sparingly for the television, laptop and radio. We ditch our electric kettle and use one for the gas stove.

What advice can you offer someone considering living on a narrowboat?

Do lots of research, talk to lots of liveaboards. Buy the biggest boat you can afford. Think about what you will do with all the contents of your house if you are downsizing. Are you prepared to get rid of lots of possessions? You won’t be able to have much on a boat.

You can find out more about the adventures of narrowboat Osprey here.

Are you one of the lucky few who lives the dream on board your own narrowboat full time? Would you like to share your experience with some of the thousands of potential floating home owners who visit this site? If you can spare the time to answer a few simple questions, I would love to hear from you. Just let me know so I can email the questions to you. I’ll create a post like the one above complete with a link back to your own blog or web site.

Boat TV – Narrowboat Television License Requirements

Most boats have a television on board, but how many of them are licensed and do you really need a license to watch boat TV? Here’s a guide to legal television watching on your boat.

Personally, I don’t watch very much television. In fact, I don’t watch any television as far as the licensing authority is concerned. I use a mobile broadband dongle from 3 which allows me, most of the time, to get my televisual fix by streaming from BBC iPlayer or the other stations’ equivalent.

I do actually have a television. I’ve had an all singing, all dancing flat screen telly for over six months but there’s no ariel attached to it so it won’t actually pick up any programmes at all. It is capable of receiving live broadcasts though, as is my laptop, so – in theory – I either need to buy a license or let the licensing authority know that I don’t need a television license. I know I don’t need a license. They say on their web site that…

boat TV – watching boat television legally

“You need a valid TV Licence if you use TV receiving equipment to watch or record television programmes as they’re being shown on TV. ‘TV receiving equipment’ means any equipment which is used to watch or record television programmes as they’re being shown on TV. This includes a TV, computer, mobile phone, games console, digital box, DVD/VHS recorder or any other device.”

As I mentioned earlier, if I want to watch a programme or two, I stream previously broadcast programmes from the internet. But I could watch live television and, in theory, expect a visit from the licensing authority for viewing live television from an unlicensed address. And there’s the problem. Most liveaboard narrowboaters don’t have a fixed address for them to check. They’re moored along the cut near a bridge or are continually cruising. I haven’t heard of a single narrowboat owner having to face the wrath of the BBC but that’s not to say it won’t happen and won’t happen to you if your boat is unlicensed.

You may not need a licence for your boat though if…

1. You have a bricks and mortar home and you have a television license for that home and there is no one watching television simultaneously at both addresses. So, if your house is empty when you are cruising, you’re OK. However, if you rent your house out, or you have other family members living at the address, you will need an additional license for your boat.
2. You genuinely don’t watch television. You need to let the authority know though. You can declare that you don’t need a television license on your narrowboat online.
3. You are over seventy five

There you go. If you watch television on your boat you probably need a license. Enjoy your viewing but don’t forget, half of the pleasure of being on a narrowboat is to get away from “normal” life and lead an life closer to nature instead. Turn the telly off and go for a walk instead!

Living With Children On A Narrowboat

Is it possible to live on a narrowboat with young children? Aren’t there too many risks living on the water? Here are some suggestions if you are considering a family life afloat.

Here’s some advice from Peggy Melmoth who lives on board her 70′ narrowboat with two children.

“My children were born on the boat and have lived on a boat all of their lives, but if you are thinking of making the transition from land to boat what sort of things do you need to consider?

living on a narrowboat with children

The first questions people often ask me are about safety. However, we’re probably less worried about the dangers of the water than non-boating parents. We keep the doors locked shut, and in the summer we put play pen barriers around the front deck. Locks can be particularly dangerous places because of the depth of the water and the currents caused by open paddles. Beside a lock we have a
strict rule of no running and our youngest must always hold hands with a grown up. When travelling our eldest knows to sit very still on the roof, and the youngest is secured safely with toddler reins.

During the winter we take a winter mooring but during the summer we are continuously cruising. This can mean a lot of commuting with the children which can be challenging. It’s a good idea to take a few books and small toys for long bus and train journeys.

Living aboard is not necessarily a low-cost option for a family. It depends on the size of your boat loan repayments and the cost of your mooring. However, it does mean that we can own our home, more easily than if we had to buy property. It’s lovely to be able to live so close to nature; the children enjoy towpath walks and blackberry picking.

The other obvious challenge is space. Our boat is 70 foot long which means we have the space for two bedrooms but storage of toys, clothes and books is an ongoing problem. We have to continually review our possessions and de-clutter. The other challenges are limited electricity, running out of water, and engine trouble. When you live aboard with children it is very important to make sure you can afford to maintain everything in good working order, so that your home comforts are not upset too often.

It can be very hard work but when I see my children feeding swans from the front deck or running down the towpath on a sunny day I remember that this is the rural childhood that I dreamed of for them.”

Peggy Melmoth is a writer, business blogger and virtual assistant. She offers social media services and writes guest posts and articles on the topics of parenting, hypnotherapy, narrowboating and living aboard.

www.peggymelmoth.wordpress.com
www.narrowboatwife.blogspot.com

How To Collect Snail Mail When You Live Afloat

Most of the mail you receive at home may be a nuisance – bills, junk mail, reminder notices for eye tests, hearing tests, doctor and hospital appointments etc – but at least you can throw it away when you don’t want it. But how do you deal with this necessary evil when you’re living afloat or cruising for extended periods?

mail forwarding for liveaboard boaters

If you are living afloat and moored at a marina, there’s a chance that the marina will agree to accept post on your behalf. Of course, if you’re moored on the cut this isn’t an option. In this situation, you can ask a friend or relative to accept mail on your behalf. Of course this won’t help you if you’re cruising or moored far from the address where your post is.

If the post is important to you and you don’t mind whoever has received it reading the contents, you can ask them to scan the letters and then email them to you as attachments to emails. If you would rather keep the contents of the envelopes for your eyes only you can use a Post Office service called Post Restante (French: Post Remaining). Simply pick a post office on your route, call them to make sure that they run the service, then ask whoever is holding your post to send it on to that address.

The final option is to use a mail forwarding service. Boatmail is such a service. They will hold your mail, forward it to a post office or an other address you nominate or scan and email your post to you. They will even allow you to type a letter on your boat and email it to them where they will print and mail it for you. They will also provide you with a UK postal address for occasions when a PO box isn’t acceptable (e.g. opening bank accounts)

So there you go. There’s no need to go without your junk mail ever again!

A Case Study Of Liveaboard Widebeam Takey Tezey

Heth and Dave are a little larger than your average narrowboaters… or at least there boat is. They own a widebeam and it’s a beauty. They came close to missing out though but good old Lady Luck was smiling…{{{0}}}

Who are you? (and your significant other and, of course, your dog if you have one)

Tell me a little about yourself and why you decided to live a life afloat

First of all does a widebeam count?!

Liveaboard wide beam Takey Tezey on a canalside mooring

How we got to where we’re at now: We’d lived in the same place for 25 years, our kids who we’re very proud of had left home with careers to follow. So there we were, happy together but rattling round a big house with nothing left to offer us… Even with great memories from our past in that place, we needed to move on, besides you can take memories with you wherever you go… And we also had our precious dreams, so why not do something about it? What had we got to lose? We both realised it was time to get away from the suburbs & make the move to a more rural area, this was what we wanted to do… At this point we made the decision to sell up & started discussing our options…

Buy a house in the country? Too expensive when you want a 360 view…
Buy a narrowboat? Too small…
Move to Florida – our second home…? It turned out to be a Visa nightmare, with a waiting list of up to 2 years…

So we bided our time & concentrated on getting the house ready to sell, neither of us panicked about it – like we knew there was something out there for us, all we had to do was wait…

We’ve walked the canals for years, & after ruling out a narrowboat, the 27th June 2007 was the day that changed our lives. We almost didn’t go for a walk that day along the Rufford canal because I wasn’t feeling very well, but we did. We almost didn’t stop for a brew at St Mary’s marina cafe afterwards, but we did. We almost walked past our (unknown) dream without looking back, but something made Dave turn his head. He saw a boat on the end of the pier with a “FOR SALE” sign in the window. I carried on walking away (dream on), but something made me turn around & look. We both walked down towards it & noticed it was wider than the others, for all our travels down the towpath we hadn’t noticed WIDTH. We asked the owner if it was still for sale, “Yes & it’s not yet a year old” came the reply. For them, circumstances dictated the sale…

We got the guided tour of this boat called “Takey Tezey” & we were totally in awe of it. The magic of the lifestyle, the boat itself & the space on-board captured our imagination, it was exactly what we’d been looking for, even tho we didn’t know it! We stayed there for a couple of hours just talking to the owners about their life afloat. It was intriguing & surreal…

During our drive back to the house that day we were like a couple of kids in a schoolyard chanting “WE CAN DO THIS, WE CAN DO

Heather stering her floating home

THIS…!” All the way home… Then we had to remove the rose tinted glasses & discuss the reality of it all, this wasn’t something we were going to rush into & potentially regret later, it needed a lot of thinking about first. Handover date was 30th November 2007. However due to work commitments we were “part timers” for 18 months till early retirement came along…

Something I’ve learned over the years: You’ve only got one life so make the most of every day…

In December last year we had Takey Tezey moved from St Mary’s marina in Lancashire (where she’s been “based” since she was launched) to Mercia marina in Derbyshire. We really enjoyed our time at St Mary’s, we miss our friends, but it was time for a change, time to move on again. On 5th December 2011, TT was lifted out of St Mary’s marina & put on the back of a wagon. The following day she was put in at Mercia marina, 100 miles further south at the heart of the canal system. Just over a month later we’re settled in here now. Being “fair weather boaters” we spend as much time out on the cut as we can in summer, take off & return when we please. Meet up with friends & enjoy the social side of living afloat. It’s a wonderful lifestyle & we’re really looking forward to exploring “unchartered waters,” (excuse pun) this year…

What is your boat called and why did you decide on that name?

Takey Tezey takes flying lessons

“Takey Tezey” aka “TT” we didn’t name the boat, but someone had a sense of humour just like mine.

What is you boat length and style?

57ft x 10ft, widebeam, cruiser stern, reverse layout.

How long have you been a narrowboat owner?

Widebeam – 3 years.

How much time do you spend on your boat each year?

Are you still working? (If so, what do you do?)

Retired

What do you like least about narrowboat life?

Nothing to do with the lifestyle, although the spectre of the canal system falling into disrepair is a concern.

What do you like most about narrowboat life?

Freedom & happiness.

If you could change just one thing about your boat, what would it be?

Not a thing, as “newbies” we learned the hard way & spent a fortune improving tech specs on the boat. It can’t be improved on now, not after all the work we’ve had done, unless something goes wrong!

When you are cruising how do you resupply (How do you get to the supermarket without a car)?

We have a fridge freezer & never go out cruising long enough to need food deliveries. If necessary we’d do the online Tesco thing & meet up at bridge number whatever.

Dave enjoys a spot of fishing off the front deck

How do you do your washing when you are cruising?

Washer / Drier on-board.

How do you connect to the internet when you are on your boat and are you happy with the service you receive?

Marina Wi-Fi & Vodafone 3G dongle on the canal

What is your favourite canal or section of canal?

So far? Has to be the Leeds Liverpool – away from Liverpool.

How do you generate electricity when you are cruising and how much do you use?

If we moor up in the same place for a few days, we run the engine for half an hour morning & night to keep the batteries charged via the alternator. Average used: Probably considered a lot! All electrical appliances are 240V except for a 12V TV in the bedroom. However we swap the plug in kettle for a whistling gas stove kettle when we’re out.

What advice can you offer someone considering living on a narrowboat?

Do your homework / research in depth & if you’re not sure about something, say no. If you are sure, have a survey done before any money changes hands. Or find & friendly boater with experience to share.

You can find out more about the adventures of wide beam Takey Tezey here.

Are you one of the lucky few who lives the dream on board your own narrowboat full time? Would you like to share your experience with some of the thousands of potential floating home owners who visit this site? If you can spare the time to answer a few simple questions, I would love to hear from you. Just let me know so I can email the questions to you. I’ll create a post like the one above complete with a link back to your own blog or web site.

Choosing the best type of toilet for a narrowboat

There are two types of toilet you can use on your narrowboat; there’s the pump out toilet and the cassette toilet (sometimes referred to as a “Porta Potti). Each has advantages and Continue reading

How Do I Pump Out My Narrowboat Toilet

Living on a narrowboat draws you closer to nature and the pleasures of a simple uncluttered life. Unfortunately the simple life also brings you closer to your toilet and its contents. It’s one of the few unpleasant aspects of life on board but you soon get used to it. Here are a few tips to make sure that emptying your toilet tank goes according to plan.

There are two types of toilet on a narrowboat. The cassette toilet (often referred to as a “Porta Potti”) and the “pump out” toilet.

The cassette toilet has a conventional toilet bowl where you sit or stand to deliver your waste and a removable container beneath the toilet which collects the waste. With this type of toilet you simply keep an eye on the level of the waste in the container and then remove it to empty the contents in a dedicated disposal point either by the side of the canal or in a marina or boatyard which offers waste disposal.

The pump out toilet is more like a conventional house toilet. The liquid and solid toilet waste is stored in a large (sealed) holding tank on your boat which requires emptying every two to three weeks depending on how much you use it.

Most marinas offer a pump out facility and will charge from about ?10 for a self-service pump out to ?15 or more for a pump out by one of their staff.

The process is straightforward but must be adhered to. A hose attached to a powerful pump is attached to draw the waste out. A hose is also attached either to an external rinse point or directly into the toilet bowl if there is no external point. The rinse water is introduced to help swill out the holding tank but MUST NOT be turned on until the waste removal hose has started drawing out the waste. If your tank is full to start with and you turn on the rinse hose before the pumping out has started, you will flood your boat with waste. You have been warned!

There is a sight glass on the pump out head hose which allows you to check whether waste is still being drawn out of your boat. As the hose draws the waste out faster than the rinse water goes in, you will eventually see through the glass that the liquid has ceased flowing. At this point you turn off the flow on the waste hose but leave the rinse water to flow into the holding tank for a few minutes. If you rock your boat gently at this stage you will swill the rinse water around the holding tank. Turn the flow on the waste hose back on and check the sight glass. If the liquid is clear the tank is clean(ish) and you have finished. If the liquid is still dark, repeat the rinse process several times.

The whole process should take no longer than 10-20 minutes depending on the volume in the tank. You’ll soon get used to it. Just remember to wash your hands when you’ve finished!

Blue Water Marina

We are a friendly, family run Marina and have a large selection of new & used Narrowboats for you to view on site.

Whether you’re a first time buyer or a seasoned sailor we may just have the right boat for you……Come and visit us to have a look!

{{{0}}}

Blue Water Marina

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Brinklow Marina

Set among 44 acres of rolling Warwickshire countryside, Brinklow Marina offers a modern fully serviced mooring in a prime canal location. Relax and enjoy the carefully landscaped grounds in harmony with the stunning views, or cruise off and take advantage of the leafy North/South corridor that is the Oxford Canal.

{{{0}}}

Brinklow Marina

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…