greener living on a narrowboat

Being in the shower when everything went dark was quite the experience, but luckily it wasn’t a power cut and no, it’s not an everyday occurrence on water. Instead, I was on my first ever family narrowboat holiday and the appointed skipper had decided on an early-morning journey through Braunston Tunnel…

Life on a narrowboat is different to a house however, and familiarising yourself with those differences might save you from being up the canal without a paddle.

Conserving Energy

For me, as a (mostly) continuously cruising liveaboard, I always have a solar panel on the roof to keep my power topped up but still it’s important to be mindful—unless you want your entire roof to be covered in panels with little space left for spring flowers.

For instance, charging whilst the boat is moving and therefore the engine is on and boosting your batteries is always useful, and device battery time can be prolonged by occasionally switching off. When it comes to using items such as hair straighteners and hairdryers, why not avoid sending sparks flying due to power overload by embracing narrowboat life with a sense of simplicity and carefreeness? I like to let my hair dry naturally in the (hopefully) sunny summer weather, or perched in front of a toasty wood stove!

Need to be tempted to leave the hairdryer at home? Then check out this post:

10 Great things about living on a narrowboat – Fox Blog

Using Less

When it comes to water, you’re bound by what you can carry on board and if there’s more than one of you and you’re all indulging in daily Hollywood showers, then it’s not going to last too long. But here’s the thing: are we not all meant to be thinking about our environmental impact?

There are of course plentiful stations along the canals and rivers where you can top up your tank, but being resourceful first is always a plus. If you’re on a boat just for a holiday, then it might also encourage you to question longer term, if you really need to leave that tap running whilst brushing your teeth…

Caring for your Community

From grey water that goes back out into the canal to then be enjoyed by our beautiful wildlife, to the amount of rubbish we produce that then gets sent to landfill, life on a narrowboat certainly makes you think carefully about waste.

When it comes to shower and washing-up water choosing natural products is always best, for us and also for the feathered and gilled friends we share the waterways with. As for rubbish, when you have to store it on your boat and take it yourself to a disposal point slimming down on packaging is always at the forefront of my mind.

Black water can be disposed of at a pumpout facility as shown in the Imray guides.

The Fun Factor

Perhaps it doesn’t sound like fun to always be thinking about these things but actually, it can be very relaxing. The less you have, the less you have to worry about so why not use your move afloat—or narrowboat holiday—as an opportunity to get back to basics, considering not only the environment, but also the impact that ‘always on’ technology might be having on you and your family. Pulling out a battered copy of Monopoly or Scrabble might be just the bonding experience you’ve been waiting for.

Freedom of the Open Road Canal

Of course, it’s the sense of independence that’s the big selling point for narrowboat life. Imagine: everything you need is on board with you, so why not switch off the Smartphone, pack some books, leave the hairdryer at home and experience ultimate freedom, even in the sense of a shower on the move—with or without light!

If you would like to find out a little more about what you can expect on board

Narrowboat holidays all you need to know – Fox blog

Alice Elgie is a nature-loving writer who shares words about her wandering lifestyle through hold-in-the-hand letters and recorded reflections. aliceelgie.com

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