I ditched my two-bed flat to live on a narrowboat – my gas bill is now £7.50 a month and there’s a loo on board
MAY Mansfield, 30, a yoga teacher and dog walker, lives in Oxford.
Today, she opens up about her choice to buy a £37,000 narrowboat to live on and how it quite literally paid off.
“Opening my latest gas bill, I couldn’t help but smile. Despite it being the middle of winter, my bill was just £7.50 for the previous month.
“While friends and family were struggling financially due to the cost of living crisis, my bills and monthly outgoings were a manageable £560 in total a month, consisting of £360 for a loan repayment, £50 on coal, £90 for a boat licence, £20 on diesel, £7.50 for gas and £33 for Wi-Fi.
“My leap of faith in buying a £37,000 narrowboat to live on two years before – despite never having stepped foot on one – was quite literally paying off.
“In 2015, aged 23, I started travelling the world with my partner Jack, who I’d met at university while studying for a media degree.
“For five years, we wandered Europe, explored Southeast Asia, lived in Australia and drove around New Zealand in a van, doing odd jobs like farm work along the way.
“We had amazing experiences, but in January 2020 we decided we wanted to put down roots and came back home.
“Jack and I rented a two-bedroom flat in Leeds for around £600 a month and I taught English online.
“But when lockdown hit that March, it felt like the walls of our small flat were closing in on me – it was difficult to adapt to not going out after life on the road.
“Nine months later, a friend invited us to see the boat he’d just bought to live on.
“So we took a trip to the Oxford Canal and, after just 15 minutes, I’d made up my mind – I wanted to do the same.
“I researched boat life, weighing up the costs versus renting a property, and the following month Jack and I viewed two boats, making an offer of £37,000 on the second, a 40-year-old, 62ft narrowboat named Duorff, moored in Hungerford on the Kennet & Avon canal.
“It had a kitchen and a washing machine, as well as a bedroom, living area, toilet and space on the deck.
“I could imagine us lying on the roof, looking at the stars.
“When I told my parents, Clare, 58, a podiatrist, and Nick, 59, a landscaper, they laughed and said I was mad, but they understood once I explained how much cheaper it would be.
“We didn’t have the funds to buy it outright, so Jack and I each took out a £20,000 bank loan to buy it, using the remaining £3,000 to cover set-up costs and DIY.
“My loan repayments were £360 a month, which was cheaper than a mortgage on a house.
“In February 2021, we moved onboard and I felt the familiar rush I’d had while travelling – I felt free!
“The rules of our boat licence mean it has to be moved every two weeks, so a month later we moored in Oxford, where we made friends with the local boat community, who were always happy to lend a hand – just as well, because steering a narrowboat for the first time is intimidating and you can easily smash into the sides of the canal.
“In July last year, Jack and I ended our relationship amicably, and I became a solo boater, after using all of my savings to buy him out.
“Initially, I was daunted at the thought of running the boat alone, but after a few weeks I found my sea legs.
“As the world around me battles soaring household bills, I’m thankful for Duorff, or Dwarfy as I’ve nicknamed her.
“But it’s not all plain sailing.
“If something goes wrong, it’s expensive to repair, and there’s a lot of upkeep.
“I’ve had to learn how to change fuses, service the boat’s engine, fix the bilge pump and have painted the exterior myself.
“Because I’m now on my own, I tend to moor in quiet places next to other boats.
“I have a security camera, an alarm system, as well as a loud alarm next to my bed for peace of mind.
“One day, I’d like to settle down and hear the patter of tiny feet on the deck, but for now I’m happily single and busy working seven jobs, including teaching yoga, dog walking and working as a mentor for a mental health charity.
“I don’t see myself ever moving back into a brick house!”
- Follow May on Instagram @Tinyhomeyogawithmay.
BTW
- More than 50,000 people in the UK live on boats.
- In 2022, houseboat sales were up 880%.
- The average price of a narrowboat in the UK is £57,000.