courtesy of Elizabeth Earle, Katherine Clover, and Laura Woodley
- Business Insider spoke with three women in the UK who live on narrowboats full time.
- They each said it's not for everyone, but they love the freedom and community it offers.
- One of the women lives on a narrowboat that's less than 7 feet wide.
Overtime, the increased cost of living in the UK has pushed residents to look for less conventional housing arrangements. For those who want to live alone, moving onto a narrowboat and cruising along the British canals has proven to be a good option.
Three women who gave up their homes on land to live in narrowboats spoke to Business Insider about their experiences. They don't recommend it for everyone, but said life on the canal could be good for people who want a closer community and more exciting lifestyle.
Meeting other people from the boating community feels very wholesome
Elizabeth Earle started her boat-life journey in 2017, after coming in contact with two American brothers who would share content of themselves sailing around the world. When they asked Earle to join their crew for a trip from South Africa to Brazil, she agreed.
Earle told BI she never planned to live on a boat full time, but that experience launched her transition from living on land to eventually paying £34,000 for a 70-foot, 1920s boat. She's been cruising along the British canals — also know as The Cut — ever since.
"One of my favorite things about living on a boat is that I can just be cruising somewhere and find a nice pub along The Cut," Earle said. "As soon as you tie up, you step off and you are meeting all these people from the boating community, and it just feels so very wholesome."
Earle emphasized that she finds life on a boat much more exciting than living in a two-bedroom flat or house in the country.
Living on a canal boat can be difficult and more expensive than expected — but still worth it
Laura Woodley told BI she had a fantastic experience living with housemates, but after she turned 31 years old she decided it was time for her to live alone. Her natural next step was to take out a loan and move onto a boat less than 7 feet wide.
"Whenever I was walking down the path near the canal, I'd always look at the narrowboat community," Woodley said. "I'd see people sitting together on the boats, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it."
Living alone on a narrowboat turned out to be more expensive and difficult than Woodley thought it would be — since she no longer had roommates — but three years later she said it was still worth it.
Her main monthly expenses include her £650 loan repayment, which she will complete in 2025; £60 license fee to keep the boat on the canal; £175 budget for maintenance; and £190 budget for coal, wood, and waste management.
The great thing about boats is the freedom to choose your neighbors
In 2022, Kathryn Clover told BI about her experience as a single mom living on a narrowboat. She and her son Marty had been living on a 53-foot boat on the Grand Union Canal since he was a newborn — only 3 days old.
Clover's journey has evolved overtime. At one point, during her pregnancy, Clover said she wanted to be near other people. To accomplish this, she moved into a marina for a week, but it was too close for comfort.
"My boat had a decent engine and sound hull, so I didn't need to be wired up to shore power, with swearing neighbors only feet away," Clover said. "I revved up and out of there."
Once her son was born, Clover cruised with a family that had four kids. But after several months she decided she needed her own space and got a mooring, to secure her boat in one spot.
Clover said she loves the freedom she has to choose her neighbors and is happy her son has a natural playground full of red kites, waterbirds, otters, and fish.
Read more: I've been living with my son in a boat since he was 3 days old. As he grows the challenges change.