Ahoy thar landlubbers

I've started a new contract in the godforsaken boarded up wilderness that is Burton-upon-Trent.

To make life more bearable I've decided to live on a narrow boat for the duration of the contract.

I've sorted the boat and moorings at a nearby marina but wondered if anyone else had any experience of doing this and if so whether you have any tips?

Don't walk the plank.

watch out for kids chucking stones at your windows and other boats nicking your diesel in the night.

watch out for kids chucking stones at your windows and other boats nicking your diesel in the night.

Marina is secured at night so hopefully be OK on that front.

Don't walk the plank.

Good advice.

Much like if you were aboard an aircraft, ensure that you do not fire a gun whilst inside the boat.

nothing really useful to add, but have an awesome time, i've always wanted to do that.

Cheers Velo. I was going to give an open invite to forum members to come up for a free weekend chugging down the trent.

Max's gun post has put me off...

the only thing i can think of is - check the weed hatch regularly if you are going around. on previous expeditions we have managed to get a toilet seat and even a tyre around the propeller.

Mmmm - weed hatch.

PM me your address Max. I'll happily post down the scratchings from the weed hatch on a weekly basis.

Much like if you were aboard an aircraft, ensure that you do not fire a gun whilst inside the boat.

Nice advice Max, I agree. You should fire your guns outside, always.

cannons?

Gas GAs GAS............. (assuming you're cooking/heating with gas......) if there's any sort of a leak it festers at the bottom of the boat till you light up, then you'll blow up.

Simples.

So make sure fresh batteries in your gas alarm, as well as the fire alarm.

one forumenger has a barge parked up just near stratford he's beeen living on it for a year or so
cold in winter i believe but get a decent supply of wood and you'll be fine ( as long as it has a fire )

My good friends Ian and Laura have been living aboard ship for over 5 years now in Islington and love it, I've stayed over a few times and its the best nights sleep ever. +1 on doubling up on gas/fire alarms. Also staying on top of the damp is a big issue(dehumidifier/keep the fire ticking over) as is keeping your chemical lav clean and fresh(tanked or portable?).
Until recently they were living on a 35ft narrow but just moved next door onto a doublewide dutch when Laura became pregnant - friday saw the birth of baby Rowan who'll be bought up as a bandy-legged boaty kid.
Also, drunken rides up and down Regents canal is awesome. We dredged a stunning oak church pew last year, many epic reasons to live on a boat. I want one.

A mate of mine,Dan, who now owns lovelane carvans, lived on a boat in the thames for some time.... Dont invite all your mates over at the same time!!! he managed to sink it twice.....

I lived on a boat my whole life up till uni, and lived on a 28ft sailing boat when I first moved into london (I still have it, but my ladyfriend thought it was a bit small for the both of us). Ditto on the gas thing. Im assuming it is insulated, but check your lockers in winter to make sure your stuff is not getting damp. And I assume you know that the hull is in good nick. Also, if your heating involves burning stuff, you need to get a C02 detector and make sure the ventilation is good. Have fun.

Live like royalty and eat swans.

get a sea-searcher magnet from the chandlery, windlass fishing fun.

Get a crayfish pot and a bait box. You can actually make do pretty well with one of those little net bags that clothes washing tablets come in. Stick some meat in this and hang it inside your crayfish pot so that it doesn't sit on the bottom but wafts deliciously in the water. You can use any old meat, including things the fishmonger can't sell, like heads and so forth. Bacon works quite well, though I don't know why. Prime your pot, stick it in the water and come back a day later to harvest your bottom feeding dinner. You should be able to catch enough for dinner every time you want to eat for free, as long as you plan ahead. Search on youtube for ray mears crayfish in order to learn how to kill them cleanly and remove the alimentary canal. You need to look out for scallies nicking your pot though. Ain't that always the truth.

Wow. Some proper advice!

Thanks all - I know I have a wood burning stove but he gas advice seems sound. Keep em coming. I get a proper handover next week when I get the boat, Crayfishing sounds cool - I should definitely give it a go.

Here's one I caught earlier:

Marinated in Burton's finest stagnant silt

mmmmm

Maybe best to get these from flowing waterways

You need a special liscence to catch cray fish in England
As you must be able to decern between the native specie
(which are endangered) and the foreigne ones...

Love the magnet fishing idea.

You need a special liscence to catch cray fish in England
As you must be able to decern between the native specie
(which are endangered) and the foreigne ones...

Love the magnet fishing idea.

It's easy, the american ones are fookin massive and bright blue, native ones are a bit smaller than your hand and purply-blackish. I think. Just eat the bright blue ones.

You need a special liscence to catch cray fish in England
As you must be able to decern between the native specie
(which are endangered) and the foreigne ones...

Love the magnet fishing idea.

It depends which post code area you live in. I think all of London you do not need a license.