Here's our story about our buying a narrowboat experience. I cover how we found what we wanted, negotiated, had a survey and found a place to moor it.
You can also watch my buying a narrowboat vlog version here and also find our playlist of narrowboat vlogs on Youtube here.
If you didn't catch my post last week, I gave you an interior tour of our 57ft reverse layout narrowboat.
Well, this week, I think it's time to talk about our own experience of buying a second hand narrowboat. This includes:
- How we decided to hire a narrowboat first
- Worked out what narrowboat layout we wanted
- Future-proofed it for living on a narrowboat
- How we looked for the best place to buy a narrowboat
- Online used narrowboats sold much quicker
- What we looked for when we viewed some
- Negotiated
- Put down a refundable 10% deposit
- Paid for an independent boat survey
- Why you shouldn't consider buying a narrowboat without a survey
- Committed to buying a boat
- Found a narrow boat moorings to suit us
Consider a Hire Narrowboat Experience First
Firstly, me and my husband wanted to be part of the narrowboat world for quite a few years. We've loved seeing them float along the canal during our holiday walks and watching continuous cruising narrowboat vloggers, like:
- Cruising the Cut YouTube channel
- Robbie Cummings' narrowboat adventures
- Silver Fox narrowboat travels (AKA Foxes Afloat)
- Minimalist Narrowboat vlogs
- Country House Gent travels by narrowboat vlogs
So, when when we got married, we thought we'd hire one out for our honeymoon and see how we got on with it. Note, we'd got a bit fed up of going to visit the same (and now overcrowded) camper van camping spots.
How We Decided What Narrowboat Layout We Preferred
It was about a 40ft long narrowboat. The bedroom at the front with no door and the dinette and kitchen at the back. We loved the experience so much, traveling along the Llangollen canal, that we decided we wanted to have a Narrowboat Christmas holiday, too.
This time, it was another similar-sized narrowboat boat, but the layout was totally different. The saloon was at the front. The kitchen and bathroom in the middle and the bed at the back.
It was this experience that helped us realise it wasn't for us. The dog would keep jumping on the bed and we couldn't shut the room off.
Narrowboat Kitchen Layout
And the kitchen was too far away to be social while cooking, or to hear captain commands, like, "Vikkie… we've got a lock coming. Vikkie…. can you drive for a minute while I nip to the toilet?"
You know.. important stuff.
AND, we preferred the idea of a Cruiser or semi cruiser stern as opposed to a smaller traditional stern. That way, we had space to stand together or have friends and relatives nearby while driving. *Note, the tiller can get in the way as it is.
Don't Let Your New Narrowboat Be a Costly Mistake
I think it's generally best to hire or view as many as you can to find the best layout for you.
Plus, we've noticed since lockdown, narrowboats seem to be more expensive, or at least maintaining in price. So, it could end up being a costly mistake.
You've also got to consider things like, whether you'll be ok with land sickness.
Do You Suffer With Sea Sickness?
I remember when we first hiring a narrowboat and feeling disturbed. We went for a bike ride from the Llangollen basin to The Telford Inn pub, in Trevor and we sat down for a meal.
I asked my husband, "is the ground was shaking?! Surely not?!"
It took 10 days after the holiday to wear off, which it made me feel a bit sick. Then after the 2nd trip, it didn't last as long. But thankfully, since buying one, it never came back after my initial 10 day wobble. Which, by the way, can make you feel a bit sick.
Looking For New Narrowboats For Sale
It feels so long ago now, but shortly after our last hire boat experience, the lockdown started. And we were remotely looking for 57ft reverse layout narrowboats for sale constantly, which don't come up for sale very often.
OH, and we found most brokers who make videos for their boats tend to sell them much quicker and more expensive.
These are the ones that most people see on the internet. So, we started to look more local instead.
What Length Narrowboat?
And it may sound like a big jump in length, but after driving one, we felt like a longer one wouldn't be too much of a difference.
Also, you'll hear from a lot of people that a 57ft narrowboat is the perfect length to travel most of the canal network.
The other factor was, any smaller and we'd struggle to have two office spaces.
Other Used Narrowboat Criteria
In an ideal world, we would've loved to have driven to loads of different brokerages too and physically looking inside. But, we decided to stay safe and look from our sofa.
And we found a local one that fit our description:
- 57ft reverse layout
- Not too old - 10 year with 50 hours on the engine, so we were hoping it would have fewer issues
- It was cheaper than the many of the boats we saw for sale on Youtube
- And not too much work to extend the kitchen if needed
And I don't know how common this is, but all boats were sold with a 4 year boat safety certificate, where the owners had to put things right for it to pass.
Viewing a Narrowboat For Sale
We went to check it out and have a good look around. We also filmed it so we could send it to our family, but also keep referring to it to mentally plan.
We noticed the kitchen worktop and sink needed replacing or restoring. But overall, it was exactly what we wanted.
Then, we left it for about a week to think and process where things would go, like whether there was enough space for a narrowboat washing machine, etc.
Second Visit to the Narrowboat Brokerage
When we returned, having processed a few things, this time, we listened to the engine, test the Webasto diesel heating, etc. However, I started to notice more things we didn't see before. This is exactly why you shouldn't rush into things!
This time, we noticed signs of water damage around the window. The sealant looked poor in the bathroom (which later proved in the survey that water had run under.
We then had a good look under cupboards and things for visible water damage and start negotiating to give a final offer, subject to survey.
Never Buy a Boat Without a Survey
So, one thing we would NEVER do, is buy a boat without an independent survey.
The boat brokerage had a perfect example of a woman spending her divorce money on an old Chaplain narrowboat for 20k.
While on the canal, she needed to be rescued. And then she decided to pay for a survey, only to be told the hull was beyond economical repair.
Different Levels of a Boat Survey
I believe there are different levels of surveys you can pay for. We were going to pay for the most thorough, although our surveyor only offered one type anyway.
What we got back though was an intense booklet that was 18 pages. But to start this process, we committed to paying a 10% deposit (refundable if we never went ahead).
But we also paid a fee to get it out of the water in order to proceed.
Going Along To The Survey
On the day it was taken out, I thought it was best to go along and get a feel for how it was going. And as soon as I arrived, I was told all of the outsides was almost like new.
He'd already been checking lots of different places for thickness with a fancy £4000 ultrasound probe gagdety thing to see if of the hull had corroded anywhere.
Apparently, it was well within the new minimum requirements to pass. I'm not sure when the limits had changed.
Types of Narrowboat Blacking
The boat had also been treated with a 2 pack epoxy on the hull, including the bottom, as opposed to Bitumen.
Note, I was informed that epoxy is more hard-wearing, although more expensive. And it could have done with some touch-ups.
I also got the lesson of never to put bitumen on if you 2 pack epoxy on later, otherwise it'd need grit blasting first, which can be much more expensive.
Checking The Narrowboat Hull
The surveyor also found some very slight pitting on the bottom, which is probably why it had been painted with the epoxy after.
He also ran over areas of the hull with the edge of a hammer and would tap away to see if he could hear for any loose framing, filled areas. Generally, things you can't see.
But to test with his ultrasound device, he'd scrape any marine growth in several areas with a chisel. And then test to get a reading on how thick the boat was and wrote on the blacking with chalk.
Narrowboat Anodes
I also asked about one of the anodes having a crack and corrosion on the propeller's anode, but apparently, it wasn't too much of a worry due to several factors.
Although we now suspect the anodes are so big because we found images of it moored at Hull a few years ago, next to the Humber estuary.
And while I was there, he pointed a few other things he'd spotted, like a missing hull fitting… rusty fender pin holder.
Inspecting The Inside
When it came to inspecting it inside, I didn't want to interrupt him from doing his job. Plus, due to covid, I don't think we were allowed to be in there at the same time.
But in short, he came back with a leaking bathroom tap which I've since fixed now. A cracked shower tray and a handful of things to meet its boat safety.
I wasn't happy at all with the cracked shower tray, which they did replace. It's just that, when we committed to the boat, I wanted to relax on it. I didn't want to find myself needing to do DIY on it immediately.
Double Glazed Windows
Most of all, the double glazed windows panicked me as the ash veneer showed signs of water damage, possibly from condensation or leaking. So, the seller resealed them, but I'll be looking at tightening them on the hinges.
The surveyor also said if we changed them to more traditional Wesley Windows, the boat would increase in value. He wasn't keen on the metal and plastic expanding and contracting at different rates.
So I did a fair bit of ringing around to see how much it could cost to replace if we ever went down that route.
Other Narrowboat Buying Tips
- Ask for an inventory to prevent unwanted surprises
- Be cautious that when you give your final price, you may need to renegotiate due to more surprises
- You'll need to pay for your Canal and River Trust Licence before you drive away with it
- And get narrowboat insurance
How Long Does It take to Buy a Narrowboat?
For us, the whole UK canal boat buying process took 6 weeks from the time we placed our deposit and becoming its new owners.
That's mainly because of any fixes it needed to meet its boat safety scheme and paying for the engine to be serviced.
Finding a Narrowboat Mooring
With a bit of luck, you've already found a narrowboat for sale with mooring included. If not, really, you should be looking into this even before you put a deposit down.
Most marinas I rang had a waiting list, which tended to the cheapest ones. But, these also tended to have a policy where they preferred people to have a trade, and donate a few days a month to do boatyard maintenance.
Luckily we found one close to home, although a bit dearer, where we don't have to muck in. I DIY for a living, so wanted all of our free time to chill and relax on the boat or touring.
Neighbours on a Mooring Are Valuable
When paying mooring fees, you can pay weekly, monthly, or yearly. But, as this is our first boat and we knew we'd need to make some adjustments before even cruising.
But, what's also surprised me is how invaluable it's been to have experienced narrowboat neighbours, with boat life tips.
Driving Into Our Marina For the First Time
When we first drove our narrowboat to our new mooring, it was the most embarrassing experience ever! It was a windy day, and we weren't quite used to driving a 57ft narrowboat yet, so we probably did a 20 point turn.
Thankfully, we've bought a 12ft ash pole to help!! And you assume everyone in your marina are seasoned boaters, know how to drive, which we later found out some haven't left the marina yet.
Phew. I'm glad we're all in the same boat(!)
Adding Cork Keyrings to Keys
Also, I'm very conscious of losing important things in the canal. So, we've attached keying corks to our car keys and floating lanyards for our waterproof phone.
Oh, and tested to see if they still float in our bath first!
Another thing I've found essential is a telescopic fishing net.
More Project Boat Reads You Might Like
- Our narrowboat interior tour
- Hiring a narrowboat experience
- Changing a mixer tap on a narrowboat
- Replacing a leaking bathroom sink drain
- Installing one way privacy window film on our boat
- DIY boat fender holders
- Goodbye house, hello boat (video on how we got in a position to buy a boat)
- Insect O Cutor Nomad Fly Killer Review - tested on our Summer narrowboat holiday
- Our favourite narrowboat recipes
Updates: Adding a Canopy
Since purchasing, we've now paid for a specialist canopy on the front and back.
It's also been the subject of narrowboat art which is now for sale in my Etsy shop.
You can find even more narrowboat pictures in my etsy shop overall.
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