People typically conjure up a picture in their head when they consider the different types of houseboats, and a lot of the time it’s a narrowboat with flowers on the roof. There are other choices, and the one you pick affects where you can boat, how much room you have, and what it’s like to live on board on a day-to-day basis.
Narrowboats
Narrowboats are constructed for the English canals with 7 foot wide locks. Because of this, narrowboats are 6 ½ to 7 feet wide and length is where you gain space. Longer boats give more space, but there are northern canals with shorter locks, so full length boats can’t go everywhere.
It’s like living in a very long skinny hallway. All the living spaces are in a straight line and to get to the back of the boat you have to walk through one of the living spaces. It can be cramped and storage can be hard to figure out. If you’re downsizing from a house you’ll be getting rid of a lot of stuff anyway, but storage is still a major concern for a lot of people.
During the summer the deck is a bonus, and in the winter it’s a waste. If you’re going for a traditional look you have to pick between a trad stern or a cruiser stern. A semi-trad is between the two.
Wide beams
It can be difficult to define a wide beam. In the UK, we consider anything over 7 feet to be a wide beam. Some can even be over 15 feet! Wide beams can be 50% wider than some narrowboats, so the difference inside can be dramatic. A wide beam can fit a full-size bed with a sofa around it and a proper kitchen. They can feel more like a house than a boat.
Wide beams, however, have limits on where they can travel. Rivers and broad canals are no problem for wide beams. Narrow canals and locks are. This means wide beams are typically used by people looking to spend most of their time moored in one place. Finding a mooring for a wide beam can also take longer.
Dutch barges
Dutch barges can also be wide beam, so they have similar issues when it comes to where they can travel. Old Dutch working barges that were exported from the Netherlands and converted can have a lot of character and be quite spacious. Surveys are extra important on old boats because a lot of the steel has been in the water for a long time. Some can have a lot of corrosion. Many of the newer converted Dutch barges can be more expensive.
To learn more about what it’s like to live on a barge in general, check out Could you Live on a Barge?.
Static houseboats
Houseboats that don’t have an engine and can’t move are called static houseboats. These houseboats can resemble small houses and have even two levels. Static houseboats are a good option if you don’t plan on moving and are looking for the most space for your money.
To move a static houseboat you’d need to hire a boat towing service, so the mooring is part of the price. A static boat is as good as where it’s sitting.
Cruisers
Many people also live on river cruisers, especially on the Thames and the Broads. These boats are cheaper and easier to move. However, these boats are tiny and hard to adequately heat, so many people who start out on these houseboats move on to bigger houseboats in a couple years.
Whichever you’re leaning toward, see a couple or three to check for variations in price, quality and size. Once you’ve decided, see our buying guide to learn what to look for when taking a tour of a boat for sale, and see the Houseboats page to learn what to expect living on houseboats.