Taking a trip down the beautiful and complex canal network in a narrowboat hire is like taking a journey into a completely different world, as even the most familiar places look and feel different when viewed from the water.

Most people enjoy having a trip away from their ordinary lives, but some fall in love with the canal life to the point that they want to get a boat, get it licensed and enjoy that life every day, much like how people search for a place in the sun.

Before you take such a major step, however, it is vital that you do your research to ensure that living on a narrowboat is right for you, as there are quite a few myths and misconceptions that have developed about life on the water.

Myth: It Is Cheaper Than Living On Land

With a cost of living crisis biting, housing getting more expensive than ever and a growing number of people living the lives of digital nomads, people have become increasingly tempted to buy a boat for far less than a home and live on the canals.

In practice, unless you are exceptionally adept or are willing to deal with losing a lot of creature comforts (especially in winter), anyone planning on a serious long-term comfortable life in a narrowboat will need to budget significantly more than you may expect.

Myth: You Do Not Need Any Connection To The Land

In practice, you are likely to need some connection to the land, either in the form of a home mooring point or through someone you trust to pick up and keep hold of essential post, deliveries and parcels.

What complicates this is that if you do not have a permanent mooring point you need to follow the CRT’s continuous cruiser rules, with rules that are strictly enforced and can sometimes involve removing the boat from the water in rare circumstances.