A different kind of tiny-house -- narrow boats and shanty boats

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1-23-21, 4:16pm
GeorgeParker

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A different kind of tiny-house -- narrow boats and shanty boats

This subject popped up in the thread about my updated SLN profile, but this forum seems more appropriate for it so I've copied it here:

There are a ton of narrow boat videos on YouTube, including a few about the history and restoration of England's canal system.

This is a rather nice primer of life on a canal boat. I love his accent and I double love the cookie jar next to his stove. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMKJR5n4gLw

This is one of my favorite series: https://www.youtube.com/c/floatingourboat They're a very natural down-to-earth couple and there's a lot of variety in their video's. To me, watching their videos is like getting a video-letter from an overseas aunt and uncle.

The closest thing to a narrow boat in America is living on a houseboat on a river, but that's a whole different animal for a variety of reasons. Still I do get some tiny-house notions and inspirations from small-houseboat floorplans and videos. And this shanty boat video is interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OttgPFvGQYI It gives a bit of history and talks about the riverbanks becoming gentrified and the shanty boat people being displaced by condos, marinas, and touristy riverwalk shopping areas.

Attachment 3592 <<-- This is the shanty boat in the video.
It has an outboard motor and a registration number on the bow which means the powers that be have inspected it and OKed it for use on public waterways, even though it's totally homebuilt.
1-23-21, 5:13pm
razz

Tiny houses have been explored on different threads on SLF but none caught my fancy. That shanty boat is a possibility though because one would have space and room to breathe. A number of people live year-round on their boats very successfully even in cold weather so why not a shanty boat?
Fun discussion!
1-30-21, 1:48pm
iris lilies

I watched part of one of these YouTube videos, the one by the former journalist, and will come back later for more.
1-30-21, 8:35pm
Simplemind

I just love those narrow boats. I would love to take some kind of vacation in England and spend some time on one. They just charm the socks off me.
1-30-21, 9:45pm
iris lilies

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simplemind

I just love those narrow boats. I would love to take some kind of vacation in England and spend some time on one. They just charm the socks off me.

That had always been a goal of mine. For my 50th birthday we spent a week on the Shropshire Union canal in a narrow boat. That vacation was called “castles and canals “because we also stayed in a couple of Scottish castles.