Abandoned yet lived in boats on Thames

[croyde]

I walk and cycle a lot along the south side of the Thames from Hampton Court to Weybridge area.

I notice a lot of shabby looking narrow boats, Dutch barges and others moored up against the banks where there is thick foliage and trees.

Normally tied up to tree trunks or using hooks. Some look beached and are at crazy angles but all look lived on.

Washing out, bicycles on decks, people fishing from them.

Is this a free way of living, after buying said shed of a boat?

Or is it just a cheaper type of mooring as opposed to the nice bits and the marinas?

[anonymous-user]

Seem to remember a grand designs episode witha house boat on the Thames and everywhere was a hard fought/sought after mooring no matter how s***y or muddy looking. He ended up in some right rough places as his boat was ugly so no one wanted him. That's the extent on my knowledge may be totally wrong!

[Foliage]

Yeah, really cheap way of living in london, also living in a van on the street is another way.

[croyde]

Foliage said:

Yeah, really cheap way of living in london, also living in a van on the street is another way.

I saw a little boat for sale at a Thames Marina. A Hardy 20. Cute old school looking thing.

Little galley in the cockpit, outboard motor, room for 2 to sleep and a tiny head but with no loo fitted.

£9500

Thought it would make a nice hobby but apart from loads of Broads holidays and the ability to moor a 10 berth on my own (blows on fingers) lol, I have no idea about boats.

Guess I'm looking at cost of mooring, insurance, maybe I need a licence, anti fouling etc

Nice thought but I guess the on going yearly costs mount up.

[john2443]

To have a licence for a boat on canal or river you have to pay a licence to someone - canals are Canal and River Trust, some/all rivers are Environment Agency.

Also you need to pay for using the bit of the bank you're moored on, unless you own the land.

So, the boats you refer to will either be paying to be there....or sneaked in and moored up in a quiet spot where no-one looks and hoping no one notices them!

Either way, it's probably a cheaper way of living near London than being on land.

[Bacon Is Proof]

EA river licence is ~£800pa where I am IIRC. Also need insurance and boat safety cert to get the licence. The EA were out yesterday checking everyone was upto date, which is pretty pointless as they are months late in sending the badges out.
Where my boat was moored was £160pm but just for parking; you weren't allowed to live on it. It's about £240pm up the river at a marina, plus extras (leccy hook up et cetera).

[croyde]

£800 a year, for the licence

I understand the other costs.

[naturals]

croyde said:

I walk and cycle a lot along the south side of the Thames from Hampton Court to Weybridge area.

I notice a lot of shabby looking narrow boats, Dutch barges and others moored up against the banks where there is thick foliage and trees.

Normally tied up to tree trunks or using hooks. Some look beached and are at crazy angles but all look lived on.

Washing out, bicycles on decks, people fishing from them.

Is this a free way of living, after buying said shed of a boat?

Or is it just a cheaper type of mooring as opposed to the nice bits and the marinas?

If you look on Facebook Marketplace you'll often find adverts to rent rooms on these boats. A few appear to be owned by the same fella. Given how rough the boats look, they're far from cheap forms of accommodation.

[Simpo Two]

croyde said:

I walk and cycle a lot along the south side of the Thames from Hampton Court to Weybridge area.

I notice a lot of shabby looking narrow boats, Dutch barges and others moored up against the banks where there is thick foliage and trees.

Normally tied up to tree trunks or using hooks. Some look beached and are at crazy angles but all look lived on.

Washing out, bicycles on decks, people fishing from them.

Is this a free way of living, after buying said shed of a boat?

Yes, the collective term is 'liveaboards'. You forgot the pile of rubbish on the bank. Another crop of them can be found on the Cam near Cambridge.

john2443 said:

To have a licence for a boat on canal or river you have to pay a licence to someone - canals are Canal and River Trust, some/all rivers are Environment Agency.

Unsurprisingly many occupants of these floating cholera pits don't pay the licence fee. Normal people with bank accounts will be swiftly prosecuted of course, but if not it takes quite a while to evict the boat or get it scrapped.

[Rower]

naturals said:

croyde said:

I walk and cycle a lot along the south side of the Thames from Hampton Court to Weybridge area.

I notice a lot of shabby looking narrow boats, Dutch barges and others moored up against the banks where there is thick foliage and trees.

Normally tied up to tree trunks or using hooks. Some look beached and are at crazy angles but all look lived on.

Washing out, bicycles on decks, people fishing from them.

Is this a free way of living, after buying said shed of a boat?

Or is it just a cheaper type of mooring as opposed to the nice bits and the marinas?

If you look on Facebook Marketplace you'll often find adverts to rent rooms on these boats. A few appear to be owned by the same fella. Given how rough the boats look, they're far from cheap forms of accommodation.

Yes they are the famous Slum Boats ! Owned by a very clever guy who outwits the local authorities who own the land where they are moored , when they have the permissions to clear them away , he tows the hulks too new moorings overnight when the lock keepers are off duty . The EA are a bit stuffed because as the things don't have engines they do not need licencing . He advertises rooms on board which look appalling , the tenants all look rather vague and may not have full time jobs.....

At the moment they are at Molesey and seem to have struck lucky as the ownership of the land is unclear ,

[Simpo Two]

Rower said:

The EA are a bit stuffed because as the things don't have engines they do not need licencing...

Odd; in the Anglian region the EA have categories for unpowered vessels and for houseboats, and certainly do want a licence, and insurance as well.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anglian...

[pequod]

Simpo Two said:

croyde said:

I walk and cycle a lot along the south side of the Thames from Hampton Court to Weybridge area.

I notice a lot of shabby looking narrow boats, Dutch barges and others moored up against the banks where there is thick foliage and trees.

Normally tied up to tree trunks or using hooks. Some look beached and are at crazy angles but all look lived on.

Washing out, bicycles on decks, people fishing from them.

Is this a free way of living, after buying said shed of a boat?

Yes, the collective term is 'liveaboards'. You forgot the pile of rubbish on the bank. Another crop of them can be found on the Cam near Cambridge.

john2443 said:

To have a licence for a boat on canal or river you have to pay a licence to someone - canals are Canal and River Trust, some/all rivers are Environment Agency.

Unsurprisingly many occupants of these floating cholera pits don't pay the licence fee. Normal people with bank accounts will be swiftly prosecuted of course, but if not it takes quite a while to evict the boat or get it scrapped.

The bit in bold, I would imagine, is an 'inland waterway' term for these people?

The genuine 'liveaboards' are different as chalk and Stilton to your floating traveller/ drug taking scum living in squalor in the ditches of merry England!

Kindly refer to them accordingly!

There are many who choose to live on the water that are respectful of the rules and play accordingly, and many of them are not short of the necessary funds to do it in some style whether that be inland or offshore, both here and worldwide.

[SydneyBridge]

They moved around on the river in Kingston for a few years, hideous things. Surprised they can actually float and move!

[Zarco]

There was a little shanty town of crusties living on boats in Reading a few years ago. Probably still are but I haven't been down that part of the river since.

[Europa1]

Simpo Two said:

Yes, the collective term is 'liveaboards'. You forgot the pile of rubbish on the bank. Another crop of them can be found on the Cam near Cambridge.

Unsurprisingly many occupants of these floating cholera pits don't pay the licence fee. Normal people with bank accounts will be swiftly prosecuted of course, but if not it takes quite a while to evict the boat or get it scrapped.

Is there still a collection of them between Green Dragon Bridge and Elizabeth Way Bridge? When I was rowing, it seemed most years one would give up the struggle against being afloat.

[Simpo Two]

pequod said:

The bit in bold, I would imagine, is an 'inland waterway' term for these people?

The genuine 'liveaboards' are different as chalk and Stilton to your floating traveller/ drug taking scum living in squalor in the ditches of merry England!

Kindly refer to them accordingly!

There are many who choose to live on the water that are respectful of the rules and play accordingly, and many of them are not short of the necessary funds to do it in some style whether that be inland or offshore, both here and worldwide.

Fully agreed, though any boat that people live on is called a 'liveaboard'. Some as you say are brand new shiny barges costing a six-figure sum with occupants from the same branch of evolution as you and me, but many are societal fringers in unkempt narrowboats who make a mess and pointedly ignore you as you go past. Of about 20 such boats, only 1 or 2 displayed licences. Some others display the remains of EA Caution notices. Whilst it is tempting simply to tow them out to sea and torpedo them, sadly that's not approved of

Europa1 said:

Is there still a collection of them between Green Dragon Bridge and Elizabeth Way Bridge? When I was rowing, it seemed most years one would give up the struggle against being afloat.

Is that by the concrete wall? If so yes, though there are many further out of town.