Narrow Boats For Sale, Midlands

• Insurance: Either 3rd party or fully comprehensive.
• Licence: Canals and Rivers Trust. Price varies on boat length. Please note that some waterways have different fees.
• Boat Safety Certificate: Every 4 years.
• River Canal Rescue (optional): The canal boat equivalent to the RAC. Price varies on level of cover.
• Boat blacking: Painted protection for the hull. Your boat needs to be taken out of the water, either using a slip or in a dry dock. Most boats are blacked with Bitumen or longer lasting Epoxy 2 Pack. Other products used include Keelblack and Comastic.
• Diesel: Propulsion only or propulsion and heating
• Marina mooring fees (if required)
• Coal and/or gas
• Engine Service: Usually every 250 hours or once per year.
• Pump out fees: If the boat has a pump out toilet. This can cost between £15 – £20 per cycle. Elsan points for cassette toilets are usually free.

One thing to bear in mind: the longer the boat, the more expensive many of the running costs will be.

It is always advisable to get a survey done when buying your boat to determine its condition. There are three types of survey:

• Full Survey: This is a comprehensive check of the structure of the boat and the internal condition and working status of all the appliances on board.
• Hull Survey: this is an external survey only to check the condition of the hull.
• Internal Survey: having an internal survey only determines the internal condition and working status of the appliances on board.

A Traditional Stern narrow boat has the helm at the back that only serves for steering. This leaves you with more internal room and is beneficial for those who plan on living onboard.

Cruiser Stern narrow boats offer the most external area and are ideal for people who go on holiday or are just looking for an outdoor social space to enjoy their boat with a nice cup of tea. It's even perfect for those looking to moor in a nice spot!

Semi-Trad narrow boats are an ideal combination between the Traditional and Cruiser Stern narrow boats. They give the traditional boat feel but with some extra features such as external seating and storage beneath.

Canals and rivers have visitor mooring spots along the network. In most areas you can moor for up to 14 days.

Note: Some areas have permanent moorings, which are reserved for those who pay a fee to stay there for extended periods. There will be notices advising if an area is permanent mooring only.

Most boats have either a pump out or cassette toilet.

A pump out toilet has a waste holding tank within the boat so that when the toilet is flushed, the waste goes into the tank. Tanks are usually large, so the time between having to empty them is much longer than a cassette toilet. There are pump out stations along the network and in most marinas. A fee is charged, usually between £15 – £20.

• Advantages: Not having to clean the tank yourself. Toilets are usually ceramic and feel more like a house toilet.
• Disadvantages: Boat has to be moved to empty the tank and emptying the tank costs a fee.

A cassette toilet is the same principle as a toilet in a camper van, although some modern types have a direct water feed and electric flush. The bottom cartridge is removed when full, which you then take to an Elsan point to empty and clean.

• Advantages: Elsan points are usually free. No need to move the boat to empty the tank.
• Disadvantage: The cartridge is much smaller than a waste holding tank so it requires emptying more frequently.

There’s also a new arrival on the scene that’s becoming increasingly popular: the eco-friendly composting toilet. It’s quite an expensive alternative but kinder to the environment.

Opinion is divided amongst boaters over which is the best option. Choose the one that suits you best!

There are lots of ways to have hot water on a boat!

There are many types of boilers and heating systems currently available on the market. Gas boilers from brands like Alde, Morco, and Rinnai are a popular choice in narrow boats. Diesel ones such as Webasto, Eberspacher, and Mikuni are also gaining popularity. Last but not least, a multi-fuel stove can feed your radiators and hot water tank too.

Boats need a calorifier to heat the water when the engine is running and an immersion heater which is great for when docked at a marina, as it utilises shoreline electric power. To get the most out of your vessel, look for boats that have both heating options available.

There are many options to heat a boat.

Canal boats traditionally utilize multi-fuel stoves, running on coal and/or wood. Certain stoves are further equipped with back boilers, which are tightly sealed water systems. Hot water would then be circulated through the pipe lines to heat up the boat's full length.

Other options include:

• Gas central heating, e.g. Alde gas boiler;
• Diesel central heating e.g. Eberspacher or Webasto, and;
• Some boats have a diesel drip fed stove, which looks similar to a multi-fuel stove but uses diesel from the main tank (or sometimes a separate tank).

Canal boats generally use approx. 1 litre of diesel per hour when cruising.

Boats these days come equipped with diesel heating systems, and the amount used is determined by your usage. When purchasing diesel to use for this purpose, make sure to specify which portion is for domestic needs (heating) and what portion is intended for travelling (cruising). Domestic usage diesel tends to be more cost-effective than that meant for propulsion.