Jan Gazda, 33, and Lizzie Jones, 29, live on the narrowboat Harvest Moon with their dog Hilda on the Grand Union Canal, having become continuous cruisers nearly five years ago. They bought the boat for £40,000 to escape high London rents, with Jan previously paying about £450 per month for a room.
Financial benefits and lifestyle
Jan, who earns around £33,000 a year working in charity, and Lizzie, a freelance film worker, pay approximately £75 a month for bills on board and £3,000 to £5,000 annually in maintenance and upgrades. They have nearly paid off their 'marine mortgage' of £40,000, with monthly payments of about £800 at a 15 per cent interest rate. Jan said: 'If you come to the bank and say I want to borrow money and want to live on a boat with no address so you can’t find me, it’s really hard to explain that to the bank. The rate is terrible, but it’s better than paying rent.'
Mod cons and living space
The boat includes a living room with a fold-out double bed, a table used as an office, a kitchen with a sink, 12V fridge, gas hob and oven, and an electric kettle and hob for summer when solar power is abundant. It also has a bathroom with a normal-sized shower and compost toilet, and a bedroom with a double bed and wardrobes.
Challenges of continuous cruising
As continuous cruisers, Jan and Lizzie must find a new mooring every two weeks, which can take hours. Maintenance is tricky due to cramped conditions and the risk of sinking. The hardest part, Jan says, is dealing with the Canal & River Trust, which licenses boats. Jan pays £1,200 a year for his license. The trust plans to increase license prices by 4.85 per cent this year and impose a 25 per cent surcharge on boats without a home mooring by 2028. Jan said: 'It’s really hard for many – it’s not much about the exact amount per year, it’s more that the rules are always changing. There might be requirements to do way bigger distances or some people might pay more if they stay in the cities. That’s the hard part – it’s not about £200 extra a year, it’s the uncertainty.'
