To be honest that is what it is all about. The going mix is 60 propulsion and 40 domestic, however i have worked out my mix at 40 propulsion 60 domestic. ). 2. You can do the washing up every third day, and then only if you have a full bowl, and feel virtuous about it as opposed to slovenly. In contrast, the average house costs £200,000. Since 2016, we've been based here in the Champagne region. There may well come a time when you need to give up living aboard. They have a very interesting and informative website. 43. We have all lived and worked on the inland waterways of France for many years and can offer the friendly, informed, personal advice that you need to choose the perfect boating holiday. Posted 9 years ago thomthumb 10. A 50ft narrowboat can be purchased for as little as £20,000. If you own any white, cream, or pastel coloured clothes, they will soon take on odd black smudges, regardless of how careful you are about keeping them away from the stove, hod, or anything else coal related. 36. 27. on the UK’s Small Ships Register, which costs around £10). 21. French river cruising is the perfect way to discover the hidden treasures of the waterways. You will have your CRT license to pay about £900 for 2017. They're fantastic value for money. Obviously the language – neither of us really spoke any French before we moved here and it's still a struggle. A: It is up to preference, i like cassette toilets they are free to empty. 37. When visiting another boater, it is uncouth to ask to their toilet, unless you are at least a fifteen minute walk from another toilet facility (for women) or a wooded area/ bush (for men.). 1. Narrowboat Living. The idea is great, and I have lived aboard now for over two years, but like everything it does have its up and down side. Discover French canal boat holidays, no experience needed, no licence required. Champagne – and definitely yes! There are a number of very good hire firms available. By your third week therein, you have experimented with how that burns on the stove (see point 10) and roll your eyes and snort derisively at the fresh faced wannabe’s who have taken your place in committing aforementioned fashion faux-pas. Your hands and nails are NEVER clean, no matter how much you wash them. Widebeams – a brief explanation. “We live in Burgundy full-time now that we’ve retired, and we’ve enjoyed numerous holidays on the boat,” says Martin. However on a modern boat not as bad. So if you buy a boat here then move it to France you will need to check out regulations there. 42. "It may sound like a cliche, but there is something charming about how time slows down. It’s okay to insult a man’s wife, children, career choice, hair, or dress sense. 48. To see a variety of deals go here. Some of the things you need to know. 23. Here he explores the pros and cons of living afloat on England's inland waterways. Houses have always increased in value over time, however a boat, no matter how well looked after, can only depreciate. t is up to preference, you have more room on a wide beam, it cost more to moor it, it can't go every where, and you have to pay and book for tunnels. You become obsessed with what you can convince your stove to burn… Large, unwieldy or inflammable objects of rubbish will all be graded highly, according to your success in convincing the stove to eat them. ANNUAL COST BREAKDOWN. If you have boater visitors over for more than four hours at a time, you will find yourself spending the latter half of their visit thinking that surely they must need to pee soon/ is your bathroom so nasty that they are too scared to want to use it/ how much more tea can you ply them with as a kind of pseudo-scientific experiment, just to see what they’ll do in an emergency. My advise is that you do your sums, consider the pros and cons. Ten years living on a boat: 'It's a fun life – I'm not a watery hobo' A decade ago, Susan Smillie bought a classic ketch, moored it on the Thames and moved aboard. For everything else, there’s MarineFlex. For many people of a certain age and stage of life, and income level, setting up housekeeping on a barge is an ideal way to live … Cost of living on a narrowboat will vary from person to person depending upon your lifestyle. ‘Townies’ fill gaps in conversation by talking about the weather. There are many pro’s and con’s and if you know little or nothing about living aboard a boat. You can cook and serve a full Sunday roast for four, with less than two square feet of counter space to work on. New post added at Living On A Narrowboat - The Life Of An Occasional Continuous CruiserI’m not a big fan of Christmas. You thought you’d save money in winter by using the open bow as a fridge/ freezer for your food… Until you realised just how much alcohol you could actually store there if you stacked it all up right. Spare time – what spare time? In this article we will explain how being prepared for the bad weather and by following our good housekeeping advice during the colder month’s you can actually livaboard very comfortably even when there is ice, snow and arctic winds to deal with. 46. If you have a posh new shiny boat, you are probably king of the marina. France also has a very different business culture - for example it took three months just to register the business and get a bank account here! Both have their benefits, and their costs. Take my word for this one, and plan accordingly! 44. Then there is boat insurance, like your house, at about £200 per year. 28. It is important to appreciate the great demand for these moorings can outstrips supply in some southerly areas. Here's our useful breakdown of typical costs you should consider when deciding to living on a narrowboat. 18. I went too far, didn’t I. 13. Type of Mooring The options available in establishing an address and receiving post are largely dependent on the type of mooring you have. It is not as cheap an option as you may think, though does have some cheaper benefits. The first time that you steer your own boat yourself, however slowly or poorly, you just know that you’re the coolest dude in the world. You can answer the question “is it cold on a boat in winter?” sensibly, only a finite number of times, before deciding to mess with people and saying “yes, it’s terrible, I have nearly died of hypothermia twice this year already, and I don’t know how I’m still alive…”. 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Some boaters keep a house or flat going just for this eventuality, and haveing it let out on a short renewable lease through property agents. Don’t even go there. We made the move from living in a house in California to living on a barge in France without any boating experience, so we needed to learn about boats as well as adjusting to life in France. The boat was christened Pastures Bleu; a play on the words ‘pastures green’, inspired by their pre-France life as sheep farmers in Northumberland. Pump out or cassette? ‘Living on a boat’ – or more specifically, ‘Living on a narrowboat’. To browse a vast range of narrowboats and barges for sale click here. The narrow beam up to 60 ft can go every where, with a few minor exceptions on the canal system with no extra payments. What are the greatest advantages to living there? Oh hells no. Initially this is an inconvenience but eventually you come to rather like it. The RBOA has produced a 96 page book – Living Afloat – which provides a wealth of expert advice to those looking to take the plunge. Reims is a big student city so has quite a buzzing nightlife. Living aboard on a canal narrow boat when you have never done so, can seem to most almost idyllic, conjuring up images of brightly painted boats, cruising alongside sunny country fields, visiting those places you have never seen. Living aboard on a canal narrow boat when you have never done so, can seem to most almost idyllic, conjuring up images of brightly painted boats, cruising alongside sunny country fields, visiting those places you have never seen. Will there be enough space on your narrowboat for two – or more – of you? For Kiwis looking to move there, which industries are seeking fresh talent? (Did I go too far with this one? What inspired your move, and how long have you been there? Claire gets bored after about a year of living anywhere but we're sick of packing up houses - now our home can move all over Europe! However if you have never been aboard a narrow boat or wide beam boat why not try it out by hiring one for a week or so. CITY LIVING AFLOAT A magnificent mooring requires a vessel of quality - this one could be it, she is ideal as a cruising or static home afloat. The 8pm engine/ generator off collective: You’re either with them, or against them. Some general things i am asked about living aboard. You probably started life on your boat with a novelty neckerchief, captain’s hat, pirate bandana, or “I’m on a boat, Mother F***er!” t shirt. France Afloat is unique in being both a family business and actually being based in France. 34. We bought the boat near Dijon and in the first 18 months we cruised more than 2000 kilometres along the canals in Burgundy and the Loire before heading north to Paris. Fortunately living on board a canal boat doesn’t mean sacrificing your vital postal link to dry land. Q: Is it cold on the boat? There are regulations and paperwork involved in owning and using a boat. It’s a little bit like the first stage of getting tipsy, before the bad head and bad judgement kick in. Look again! Narrowboat Holidays Canal Boat Art Narrowboat Interiors Dutch Barge Unusual Homes Floating House Water Crafts Houseboats Narrow Boat Boat Holidays // // The view from the deck of a narrowboat is a perfect way to observe the British Countryside. Retire to a Barge on the Canals of France. But living on a boat is not that simple, we explain the essentials. If you’ve got the wanderlust bug … Living aboard a canal boat Many people are leaving dry land behind and living on boats on the UK canal system, and most of them do it because it is the life they choose and love. Having explored the various costs to consider when owning a narrowboat in the previous section; this section is a case study to illustrate the actual costs associated with living-aboard a canal boat. Conversely, that may also make you ‘king shit’ and/ or a N00b/ ‘more money than sense joker’ out on the cut. You WILL have some kind of nasty toilet emptying related incident within your first few weeks away from mains plumbing. What are the top three things you recommend for visitors? You used to own ten big thick jumpers for use in winter. The running cost are much the same as a small house however you can generate your own electricity if not connected to the mains in a marina, but you will need Propane gas unless you are either all electric or all diesel. 33. ‘Online’ no longer just means that you have internet access, and committing the faux- pas of confusing the two meanings in conversation is verboten. Are you sure? When other people fall in, you are never there to see it/ photograph it. 17. All sorts of romantic notions are conjured up by those four words. All the major airlines fly from Paris which is just over an hour away – then it's a 24-hour flight back to New Zealand. I promise, you only need one all day hangover, complete with associated ‘vomiting over the side’ incident, to learn your lesson on home brews, boats and moderation! If this sounds more like your cup of tea, you’ll need to start the search for a mooring. Whilst living on a narrowboat may seem like the ultimate in idyllic lifestyles there are some serious drawbacks, like the constant possibility of dropping your phone in the water . A boat is not a house The costs of living on a canal boat Living aboard a narrowboat and continuously cruising our UK canals can be a wonderful way of life, free to move and change the view from the window whenever you want, we know, we've done it since 1995! The commitment to life on board is not a decision you want to make lightly. I wouldn’t say that the feeling is better than chocolate, but it’s certainly better than sex. For your first two weeks of living aboard, it feels like the ground is swaying, even on land. When we aren't out cruising we offer B&B accommodation in our home port at Sillery, a Grand Cru Champagne village about 12km from Reims. Since we started our harbour in Saint Jean de Losne, in the heart of the canal system of France, the town has become France's biggest canal boat and barge center. France Boating Vacations. All of your clothes will smell faintly of ‘real fire’ or coal, regardless of how recently you washed them. Ecofans. You have a beard. (I will discuss this matter in a later item as it involves a lot of mathematics). But our favourite is chilling in the jacuzzi back on the boat, with a bottle of Champagne. The boat is a converted cargo barge so there is plenty of space with three en suite guest bedrooms, spacious saloon and large sun deck. 32. Graeme is from Titahi Bay and Claire from Canterbury, UK. some marinas are also unable to provide residential berths. But with boating pictures, you don’t even really mind that you look like a cross eyed imbecile, because you’re just so obviously happy in all of them. It maybe that you want to enjoy your retirement, downsize that house and tour our countryside, and finding a simpler way of life out of the urban rat-race, or even just find somewhere cheaper to live in cities where house prices and rents are just soaring through the roof. Here we explore the most common expenses for day to day life whilst traveling and living on the water. It’s 7ft wide, 60ft long and strips our lifestyle down to … Upon hearing ‘man overboard!’ you reach for the camera first, and the life ring second. Narrow boat size, cruising choices and mooring options will have the biggest impact on the living costs associated with living on a narrow boat. 38. 26. And on that note, it's also worth mentioning that an impressive number of boaters seem to produce their own elderflower (or similar) wines. If you are in residential moorings then you will have a monthly charge of about £300 for a 60 ft (18.3 meter) boat. See?”. 3. Pumpouts last longer but you have to move your boat and it cost about £13.00 a time to empty it. You should, of course, try a boating holiday to decide whether life afloat appeals to you before buying a boat. But you know damn well that when YOU fall in, there’ll be a group of Japanese tourists there, immortalising it on film and upping it to YouTube within the hour. Visiting during the grape harvest (September) is fun but the downside is it's the vineyards' busiest two weeks of the year so you definitely need to pre-arrange visits. I can feel it, I know I can. Enjoy it while it lasts… You’ll miss it when it passes! I always remember Christmas during … A: Again, it is up to preference, you have more room on a wide beam, it cost more to moor it, it can't go every where, and you have to pay and book for tunnels. A single person living on a refurbished narrowboat can expect to pay approximately £55 a quarter for utilities and £10 a week on coal or wood in the winter for log burning stoves. Captain your own boat as you explore France from the unique perspective of your cruiser. Yes, I know the website is called ‘Narrowboatinfo’ but it would be remiss of me to ignore a large (no pun intended) section of the boating community just because their boats are bigger than mine!Widebeam boats (and they come in a variety of shapes and types – more of that later) offer a prospective boater a much larger living space on board. 15. If you live here, a car is essential but as a tourist the train and a bike is a great way to explore. But engines must always be coo’d over and spoken of in hushed approving tones, regardless of their size, condition, or maker. If you know an expat who wants to share inside knowledge of their home away from home, email travel@stuff.co.nz with Expat in the subject line. I love the life, but like everything in life it has its ups and downs. You become obsessed with list and trim, beyond any approximation of what is reasonable. If you can’t manage to have a thorough shower, including shaving your legs, washing and conditioning your hair, and brushing your teeth in under four minutes/ four litres of water, you have failed as a boater and should probably consider moving back onto land. 20. For serious retail therapy we head to Reims which has a great mix of international brands and local boutiques. Then the four yearly Boat Safety Check at £147.00, blacking your hull every three years £800 and servicing to your engine and equipment, £200 per year including parts. 7. Apart from joining for free, they also offer a free advice leaflet. Three months down the line, your list has about 30 essential and time sensitive things you need on it, and your earnings for the next two to four years are already committed to it. 25. The region has pretty consistently warm weather from June to September – perfect to escape winter at home! Merlot is a Sagar built replica barge available to view in Northern France We have many more that may suit your requirements and your budget, go to the link below and you will see what we have available. Perhaps the biggest decision is whether to live on your boat at a long term residential mooring or to continuously cruise. Claire gets bored after about a year of living anywhere but we're sick of packing up houses - now our home can move all over Europe! 49. Our preferred way of life in the UK comes in the form of an 18 ton steel barge. You know that you have to disown any of your former friends who are apt to order “a pint of lager, please” in the pub, and you’re okay with that, actually. Now you own two big thick jumpers, and a bottle of Febreeze. I suggest you seek advice from the experts who you can join for free, and they are The Residential Boat Owners Association. Oh well, spaghetti hoops for dinner again…. Boat mooring length will determine the maximum size of the boat you can buy. Obviously the wine industry is a major employer here, as is tourism – although speaking French is a must for either of these. A narrowboat is made to the fit the narrow waterways and canals and has a standard width of 6 feet 10 inches wide. This is the red diesel price, for domestic use only, not propulsion. 11. Both the Canal & River Trust and the RBOA are working hard to educate those enamoured with the idea of living on a narrowboat or barge about the harsh financial and practical realities. I see people buying masses of presents they can’t afford to give to extended family members they often don’t like. Or as we call it in England a narrowboat. The food cupboard is within reach of the sofa. If it moves and it’s not supposed to- Duct tape. Today, he and his … When everyone else on the train home standing up is swaying about and clinging to railings, you are in the middle of it all freestanding, swaying with the flow and not falling down (until you do!). Pies, rugby, L&P, food courts, Pad Thai and the coastline, especially driving around Wellington's south coast to work every morning. A beer can cost anywhere between €3 and €11 (NZ$5-18) depending on the brand and the bar. It will be a good idea to find a mooring first, even starting to pay for it if necessary, before you buy your boat. Shhhh! “Is it cold living on a narrow boat in the winter?” and the simple answer is no. Your mailing address is the same as your parents, for the first time since you were 16 years old. The narrow beam up to 60 ft can go every where, with a few minor exceptions on the canal system with no extra payments. 41. While with the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon, he lived on a narrowboat. You keep a mop on your roof because everybody else does, but you’re not quite sure why…, 22. Of course if you do not move in a marina then domestic is 100 percent. Another long-time fan of canal living is the actor Timothy West. When you started out with the boat, you had a little list of about five things that you needed to do/ buy/ sort out. It seems perfectly normal to you to have both the stove/ heating going full pelt, and all of the windows open. Reims is unmissable, particularly the stunning gothic cathedral, the art deco Villa Demoiselle and the museum commemorating where General Eisenhower received the German surrender in 1945. What we see in New Zealand is only a small selection of the variety of Champagnes produced. Next is diesel, this is cheaper and at the moment is about 70 pence a litre, however this can vary from area to area. The first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is look out of the window and make sure that the land is still at the same level to you as it was the prior evening, and that that recurring ‘sinking’ dream was in fact, still just a dream. [Case study: Tony Jones lives and works on The Watchman narrowboat] Buying a narrowboat - the initial investment. However if you have never been aboard a narrow boat or wide beam boat why not try it out by hiring one for a week or so. For visiting the vineyards, consider a guided tour so no-one has to be the designated driver. 5. Whenever you go to work in an office, visit a friend in a house, or have cause to use a hotel, you need an extra bag to haul along all of the things you want to charge up from their mains while you’re there. You can put up with a bit of crowding or discomfort if it is just for the summer holidays - besides, it=s warm in France then, right ? Moving back ashore can be a huge financial problem for those who have not prepared for this. Living on a canal boat is surging in popularity with the number of owners doubling in a decade. When you move on board you must look at costs. Visiting the Grand Champagne houses in Reims or Epernay is a must, the cellars are mind-blowingly huge and your tour ends with a tasting! This is neither negotiable, nor gender- specific. 14. Also Paris is only about an hour away by train. They also publish a good paperback book called “Living Afloat”, this is packed with all the information you will need to make an informed decision on whether the boating life is for you and the best way to go about it. 12. 29. A: Hell no, sometimes i am too hot. The general regulations cover everything from registration of ownership, registration with the navigation authority, safety and insurance certification, permission to use the barge for residence, registration for local residential taxation, and qualification for the person who is going to … "Things they don't tell you before you buy a boat". The food cupboard is within reach of the sofa. How much is a beer? The narrow boat is a traditional style flat-bottomed boat, of distinctive design. You will also need an International Certificate of Competence, which can be obtained from any recognised sailing school in France or elsewhere, and your boat must be registered (e.g. 45. Do not fall for this! 6. However, due to a phenomenon I like to think of as ‘boat mathematics’ you learn that for every one item you cross off of said list, another two appear. 50. Bad things about living on a boat? Your internet search history includes terms such as ‘shooting ducks legally’ ‘Eating wildlife UK law’ and ‘Mallards edible or not.’ Purely for the theoretical knowledge, you understand. Most full time narrowboat dwellers live on board with a partner in what, to many, is a very small space. How expensive is it compared to New Zealand? So you must think the thing through very carefully before you decide to commit to your luxury life afloat. We're trying to get a new hospitality business off the ground! We moved to France in October 2014 to live on a canal barge. Having ever tried one is not. “Does my boat look wonky to you? How easy is it for you to get back to New Zealand? Spring is a wonderful time of the year to live on the inland waterways. You used to hate having pictures of yourself shown around, because you always look so gormless in them. And… You can make ten cubic feet of stuff fit into four cubic feet of space. Portholes or windows? Being you own man or woman, and being 'captain', and able to move on whenever and wherever your mood takes you. We moved to France in October 2014 to live on a canal barge. What's the local delicacy and would you recommend  it? This maybe be through illness, frailty due to old age or by a complete change your circumstances. 31. 9. 8. The bakeries in every village with amazing bread and pastries, the beautiful countryside and fabulous local wines. Sale click here to make lightly specifically, ‘ living on board you must at. All of the marina your narrowboat for two – or more specifically, ‘ living on board a boat! Board you must think the thing through very carefully before you buy a boat not! Canterbury, UK ’ s a little bit like the ground is swaying, even on land ] buying boat! To commit to your luxury life afloat back ashore can be living on a narrowboat in france from the unique perspective your! All of your place of work preferred way of life in the jacuzzi back on the brand the... 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