With the rapidly rising price of rent in many cities, more and more people are getting creative with their living options. From converted warehouses to small cabins, there are plenty of alternatives to a standard house or flat. One popular option is to live on a canal boat; which offers the freedom to move around while still having a cosy place to live.
If you’ve never lived on a canal boat before however, it might take some getting used to, and you may not know where to start. If you’re thinking of making the leap to boat living, see below for a few of our top tips when it comes to living on a canal.
Be realistic about the space
You have to get used to streamlining your possessions if you want to live on a canal boat, after all their narrow spaces simply don’t have room for bulky pieces of furniture or piles of miscellaneous objects. Having said that, canal converts talk about how refreshing it is to not live amongst a lot of clutter, and there are always storage units for hire if you want to keep excess items.
Invest in double glazing
Life on a boat can get very cold during the winter months, so a boat with double glazing is one of the best investments you can make. Thick curtains also help retain the heat, as does a thick, high tog duvet.
Decide if you want to cruise or moor
Some people might be happy changing their location on a regular basis, and exploring the UK and beyond via the waterways. However, if you have regular study or a full time job, it’s likely that you’ll need a permanent place to moor your boat. You’ll need to select the waterway where you want to moor, and choose whether you moor online (on a main line of a canal run by a navigation authority), or offline (run by a private business).
Think about technology
We take mobile phone signal and WiFi pretty much for granted nowadays, but signal on a boat can be harder to come by. Most people use a mobile router to connect to a WiFi hotspot, or use a USB cable and dongle to improve phone signal, as the metal material of canal boats can block signal strength.
If you’re thinking about embracing life on a boat, chances are you’ll need to transport the boat to you first. At SG Haulage, we have all sizes of transport to bring your boat wherever you need it to go, from dock to dock or across the UK, so all you have to worry about is getting to the next mooring spot. For more information about our boat haulage services, give us a call today or visit our website.
