Are you thinking of moving onto a narrowboat or just fascinated by life on the canals? If so, you’re certainly in the right place.
Narrowboats are arguably one of the most interesting areas of the boating world, especially thanks to the lifestyle they’re associated with. You can’t deny that living or holidaying aboard one of these vessels is like something out of a fairy tale.
Here you’ll find the best narrowboat blogs in the UK, giving you a real insight into living aboard.
1. Narrowboat Wren’s Nest
Retired couple Chris and Joy have lived on their narrowboat since 2010 and set up the Narrowboat Wren’s Nest blog to share their experience.
It’s one of the more traditional narrowboat blogs, filled with updates on the couple’s journeys on the canal network. Much of their content is posted during the summer, as this is when they do most of their exploring.
Want to track their travels, so you can later visit some of the places that feature on their blog? Check out the sidebar, as they conveniently display their boat’s current location.
2. Briar Rose
Adrian and Adam have been living aboard Briar Rose since 2011 and have regularly posted about their travels.
If you’re looking for visual narrowboat blogs, this is one of the best examples. It’s updated regularly, and each post includes multiple photos that depict the day’s events. You’ll love scanning through Adrian and Adam’s posts if you’re not a huge reader.
They also have a list of ‘overnight moorings’ on the right sidebar, which is handy if you want to visit any of these locations. Each link brings you to the post that is tagged with that mooring.
Related: The 9 best narrowboat YouTube channels
3. Seyella’s Journey
Geoff and Mags are the couple behind this narrowboat blog, sharing the ‘travels and tribulations’ of their beloved ‘Seyella’.
Their first blog post dates back to 2006, and they’ve posted over 2,500 times since then, making them two of the most committed narrowboat bloggers.
In terms of content, you can expect visual posts with plenty of photos to accompany the text. They always include how many locks they’ve passed and how many miles they’ve covered at the end of each entry.
4. Jameisons Afloat
‘Free Spirit’ is the name of Ian and Irene Jameison’s narrowboat they purchased in 2006.
The couple fell in love with the idea of living aboard back in 1977 after renting their first narrowboat and made it their goal to traverse each of the UK’s rivers and canals. They never looked back and created the Jameisons Afloat blog to share their story.
Their posts are beautifully detailed yet broken up by many photographs, so they strike a good balance of what you’d usually expect from written content.
Plus, their dog, Toffee, brightens things up further with her loveable personality.
Related: Complete guide to narrowboat paint designs
5. Captain Ahab’s Watery Tales
Rather than hunting down Moby Dick, Andy Tidy is the man behind this narrowboat blog. He was given the nickname ‘Captain Ahab’ due to his passion for boating.
Andy and his wife Helen live aboard the ‘Wand’ring Bark’, a 42.5ft narrowboat. They also run their business Wild Side Preserves from ‘The Jam Butty’, a 27ft engineless boat.
The blog follows their adventures together, covering photography, the industrial revolution, and England’s lost canals, some of Andy’s main interests. If you’re into boating history, this is one of the best narrowboat blogs on the topic.
6. Narrowboat Hadar
Keith and Jo Lodge are the couple behind the Narrowboat Hadar blog, which dates back to 2005.
Their impressive archive features over 250 posts in one year, showing their commitment to providing insightful content.
If you’re heading on a narrowboat holiday or living aboard, their blog has an index of places to eat. This is cleverly listed in alphabetical order, so you can find suggestions for the exact locations you’re looking to visit.
Related: 17 funny narrowboat names to inspire you
7. Insure4Boats blog
We hate to toot our own horn, but we thought we’d take the opportunity to share our narrowboat content.
On the Insure4Boats blog, you’ll find lots of helpful tips from maintenance to the best places to visit on your narrowboat. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get our latest posts delivered to your inbox.
8. NB Holderness
‘Holderness’ owners Helen and Tony spend around half the year travelling the canal network.
They document their cruising through written content and bright, picturesque images. You’ll love scrolling through this narrowboat blog if you’re looking for a visual representation of places you could visit.
Each blog post also gives a touch of history, which gives the images context and makes their presence much richer.
Related: Complete guide to fitting out a narrowboat
9. Narrowboat Oleanna
Mick and Pip moved on board their bespoke narrowboat ‘Oleanna’ in 2017, alongside their cat Tilly.
This came after living aboard ‘Lillyanne’ for three years, leading them to start their original narrowboat blog.
They post daily updates on their life aboard ‘Oleanna’, which makes their blog one of the best to follow, especially if you can’t get enough narrowboat content.
Their unique selling point is their recipes, which add extra value to those looking for something new to try whilst adjusting to living aboard.
10. Hannah the Narrowboat
We saved one of our favourite UK narrowboat blogs until last.
The design is modern and extremely user-friendly. It’s a breath of fresh air for those looking for blogs that truly stand out.
Paul and Lee, the married couple behind the blog, give a handy insight into boat life for those thinking of taking the plunge. They also blog about various topics, from their adventures on the canals to the ins and outs of living in a confined space.
They also run a YouTube channel, which is great if you want something visual to accompany their content.
Specialist narrowboat insurance with Insure4Boats
Thinking of living aboard? You may want to consider specialist insurance to protect your boat and personal belongings.
At Insure4Boats, we arrange specialist narrowboat insurance that protects your boat against theft, accidental damage, malicious damage, and salvage charges.
Our policies also include £3m Third Party Liability as standard, so you’re covered if someone makes a claim against you for injury or damage to their boat following an incident on the waterways.
Click here to learn more, or hit the button below to get an instant online quote.
Please note the information provided on this page should not be taken as advice and has been written as a matter of opinion. For more on insurance cover and policy wording, see our homepage.
