Living on a boat, off the grid, low-tech, freedom.
This is a listicle style blog documenting the renovation and maintenance of a 40", of 12-metre-long Steel Hull Narrowboat.
Scroll down to the bottom to read the most recent updates.
Traditionally these boats were used for the transport of bulk goods across the British Isles since the 18th century, (1700) using a network artificially constructed waterways we call canals. Since the early 1970’s these canals stopped being used for their intended purposes- Having been replaced fully by trains, planes & automobiles. So the almost five thousand miles of canals became the home to roughly fifty five thousand strong communities of nautical vagabonds. Next to no taxes, no reliance on the national electrical or heating grid, the freedom to relocate when ever you want. The closest one can come from retreating from society in the United Kingdom is by living on a boat.
Compare it to compound or trailer park life in America, we make our own communities.
The first journey after eight months alongside.
On the 1st of December 2025 I purchases a steel hulled narrowboat after departing the Royal Navy. It was in a state is disrepair, due to the previous owner absent mindlessness. He had lived onboard the vessel for eight years and was rather relaxed on the maintenance required to keep water bound craft in the best of conditions. However the hull was in good shape, bulkheads (walls) watertight and the engine was functional- everything you need to sail out. Toilet, log burner & gas oven all worked too. Shower & taps were none functional but some faults are to be expected with any purchase of what is essentially a mobile home.
To play catch up for the lack of past maintenance I arranged for the boat to be lifted out of the water at a dry dock facility. This is so the hull could be re-blackened- a process where the underside of the boat is coated with bitumen to project the steel from abrasion. Alongside the installation of new Anodes- sacrificial blocks of Magnesium which react to the water’s natural electrical currents. They corrode instead of the steel, if there are Anodes present the rest of the boat endures. It will under go a engine & gearbox service too- to ensure safety & longevity.
The journey was only 17 miles. Not far, right? Only the boats top speed is a mindboggling 4mph and due to the lack of use- old dirty filters, loose fittings etc I could only push the engine to 2 ½mph.
The journey took us through 38 locks- water elevators designed to raise the boat up or down inclines, each taking around 10-20 minutes to operate as the process of emptying and filling the locks sadly varies depending on the locks condition. Some of these locks are over 100 years old, others were renovated 25 years ago.
No motorised help, it’s all relies on physics & is a two person Job. One opens & closes the gates, raised or lowers the water level as another sails in & out of each lock. In the End the journey took three days- six hours of sailing per day.
Now fortunately the old canal system left a series of traditional pubs littered across the network, many having been modified into hotels after the industry dried up. This means you can almost always obtain a hot meal every four-to-five mile down the trail. Along with this some of the old lock houses have been converted into cafés and local tourist traps. Where in America, Australia and other large countries have truck stops we have boating pubs which was a big boost to moral as we travelled. Mooring overnight was as easy as finding a free mooring- there are no limits on single night stays only long-term moorings.
The boat is now at the dry dock, has been for two weeks now. Poor weather has hindered all the maintenance but once it’s returned to myself I’ll post updates regarding all of repairs.