The cost of a new narrow vessel may vary depending on size, features and construction quality. However, you can expect to pay between 50,000 and 150,000 pounds sterling for a new narrowboat. In addition to the purchase price, you'll also need to consider the cost of mooring, insurance and maintenance. From April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, you will need to use the CRT's online calculator to find the prices of individual business navigation licenses.
A good narrow boat, about fifteen to twenty years old with a decent hull and engine, can be obtained for between 50,000 and 60,000 pounds; if it stretches to another 10,000 or 20,000 pounds on top, you should be looking for a good boat. You can see narrow ships advertised for anything starting at 5000 pounds, but in terms of a typical 50- to 60-foot boat, I would say be careful with anything being offered for less than 40,000 pounds these days. Your article outlines the costs of owning a cruise ship instead of living aboard a cramped vessel, but some readers may find it interesting. It's likely to take several months to complete, even if you can do it during the week (I know of a lovely couple who have taken three years so far to only partially equip their narrow boat due to life circumstances that make them go backwards from time to time, which you just can't predict) and, at the end of it all, you may end up with a conditioned dog dinner that's hard to sell if that time ever comes. By September 2024, when hiring in West Leeds, the price of a mini has been reduced to £93.30 for a three-day weekend.
Any repair discovered on a used boat can be negotiated below the sale price or have to be paid out of pocket, so it is clear that a single figure cannot be given here, since it will depend totally on each individual situation. To keep a narrow vessel on inland waterways, you must pay an annual fee to obtain a license from the Canal and River Trust (C&RT). In the past, we've been on some cramped boats and have often thought about moving from bricks and cement to living to float. The average cost of a boat, I think, is roughly the right price for a recently divorced man when the marital home is sold.
Most narrow boaters have an annual membership in “River Canal Rescue”, a kind of insurance policy, similar to the RAC or AA if your car breaks down. Like a house or a car, all narrow boats must be properly insured to obtain a license.
