Cruising Continuously: Dealing with the Car Ownership Conundrum
Introduction
Life as a continuous cruiser - constantly moving your narrowboat along the UK's waterways - offers incredible freedom, but it comes with unique logistical challenges. One of the biggest debates in the boating community revolves around car ownership: is it a necessity or a liability?
The reality is that life is difficult for car-owning continuous cruisers due to logistical hurdles, security risks, and the underlying financial burden. This post shares practical advice on mitigating the risks if you must own a car, and compelling reasons why you might be better off without one.
The Security Risks of Parking on the Cut
For continuous cruisers, finding a suitable parking space often means leaving a vehicle unattended near rural towpaths for days or weeks at a time. This presents significant security concerns:
Vulnerability: Thieves and vandals know where boaters park. While vandalism is rare, it does occur; for instance, vehicles were set alight near Napton Junction on the Oxford Canal some years ago.
Mitigation Strategy: To discourage break-ins and damage, some continuous cruisers opt to use old, low-value cars that have nothing worth stealing. They often leave these vehicles unlocked so thieves don't have to cause damage to gain entry.
The Financial and Lifestyle Burden
Many long-term narrowboat dwellers find that car ownership contradicts the financial freedom sought from living afloat.
Financial Drain: A car is a significant unnecessary financial burden, encompassing the costs of purchase, insurance, maintenance, and fuel.
Wasted Spending: The author notes that owning a car can become "an excuse to drive to places I don’t need to visit to spend money I would rather save," encouraging peripheral spending that undermines the cost-saving benefits of narrowboat life.
Practical Alternatives to Permanent Car Ownership
If you are lucky enough to cruise continuously, you may find that with careful planning, you can manage life effectively without owning a car.
1. Strategic Moorings
Continuous cruising allows you to plan your route to moor your boat close enough to essential services, town centres, or reliable public transport links. Your boat acts as your mobile base, allowing you to use bikes, buses, or trains for necessary travel.
2. Renting for Special Occasions
If you require a car only for specific, long-distance, or special occasions, using a rental company is an excellent solution. Enterprise is noted for its reasonable rates and, conveniently, will often collect and transport customers to and from their boat before and after the hire period.
3. Parking Before Mooring
If car ownership is required for work purposes, it is absolutely essential to secure a safe place to park it before you commit to a mooring. Safe, long-term parking must be a prerequisite for any car-owner setting up a semi-permanent home base.
Conclusion
The decision to own a car while continuously cruising requires a hard look at necessity versus risk. While cars offer convenience, their security risks and financial weight can detract significantly from the peaceful, frugal lifestyle many seek on the canals. Effective planning and utilization of public transport and hire services offer viable, low-stress alternatives.