Know It's Purpose

Knowing how you intend to use your new narrow boat and how often, will help you decide what style and length will best suit your needs, leading you to find the perfect narrow boat.

Not all boats suit everyone’s tastes, budgets and dreams. So by thinking about how you are going to use it i.e. for leisure purposes or for living aboard as a permanent home, this will determine the boats that will be right for you.

Think About Space

Space is one of the key elements to finding the right boat, if you intend to live aboard then it's vital that you have the right about of space and storage for everyone on board. If you are just going to use it for short cruises during the year it's not as important to concentrate on the space issue.

Generally a boat that is 50 foot plus will be large enough to live on as a home and it should provide enough storage. Boats that are around 30 – 40 feet are perfect for just cruising around in.

Once you have settled for the length of boat that best suits your needs, then consider the internal layout. Do you want open plan living or would your prefer separate areas for dining, sleeping and seating. This is all personal choice and only you will know which you prefer. It is a good idea to look at lots of different interior layouts to see which you feel more comfortable in.

Choose A Stern

There are 3 different types of sterns the traditional, semi traditional and cruiser. If you don’t know much about sterns then here is a brief description of each stern;

The traditional or the trad stern narrow boat is ideal for live aboard purposes, typified by short back deck of 2 -3 feet in length, giving more room inside for living accommodation.

The Semi-Traditional narrow boat is commonly referred to as 'Semi-trad' and is a modern version of the traditional style narrow boat.

The cruiser has been designed to give the largest open space on the deck for outdoor cruising. The deck is usually 2 metres or more long, giving lots of space for socialising.

Once you have seen all three styles you will be able to decide which is right for you.

Have a Budget

The budget you have will affect the condition and the size of vessel you will be able to afford. You should consider the actual boats purchase cost and then the ongoing running costs to maintain the boat.

It may seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning that the larger the boat the higher the costs for things like moorings, blacking, licenses, heating costs and day to day running.

Where To Look

Narrowboat Brokers such as ourselves are a great place to look at all the different types of boats available. Having a good selection of boats for sale in one location allows you to see direct comparisons, saving you time and money by not having to travel up and down the country to lots of different venues.

If you would like to receive email updates of narrowboats that may be of interest, then simply fill in your details here and we will email you any new boats that match your requirements as they come in.   

Our marina is open 7 days a week and no appointment is necessary, we hope to see you soon!