London's canals are home to thousands

By Cynara Vetch

One hundred miles of canals runs North of the Thames cutting through some of London's most sought after areas and home to thousands of Londoners. Houseboats have never been more popular, there are now 4001 registered boats, up 72% since 2012. This rises to 4786 when you include boats that are moored in private marinas and use the canals sporadically.

Not all boaters make the canals their full time home but an increasing number are. In 2016 for the first time The Canal and River Trust (CRT), which protects and manages waterways across the UK, did a regional survey for London to find out which boaters described themselves as "residential". A total of 58% of respondents said that the boat was their "primary residence", this is a nearly double the national average. The disparity may come from the significantly higher housing prices in the capital compared the rest of the country.

Houseboats offer an alternative to urban living amongst the over 8 million people crowded into the city, the reality though is not a cheap studio on the water. Fran, who leads the communications about boating for CRT, warns that, "Boat living can be a fantastic way of life which many people love, but it comes with its own challenges; having to fill up with water, empty your toilets. Sometimes people can get a bit of a shock, especially in winter, when they realise it's not just a floating house."

The illustrator and cartographer Bek Cruddace drew this map for CRT to show cyclists and walkers tow path routes along the canals

There are two different types of boaters on London's canals, those that have a permanent mooring and those that are at a "continuous cruise", legally obliged to be moving on every 14 days at a minimum. Both approaches have their pain points. Moorings are expensive, a mooring at Limehouse Basin Marina which lies between Canary Wharf and the City of London for example will range between £7,290 -£10,098 a year depending on the size of the berth, or space, you need. These moorings are also very hard to find as there is a high demand. Alternatively the "continuous cruise" lifestyle can be complicated when trying to organise routes to work and schools for children.

Despite the barriers the numbers of boaters continue to rise. Nicolas Symes has been selling House Boats for over twenty years with his marine brokerage company London Tideway. He says that, "The business has changed dramatically it is a lot more popular and there are a lot more boats." The commercial side of the business has opened up and the market has changed. Nicholas explains that boat buying and selling has become less niche and more mainstream. The internet means sellers sell privately now and real estate agents are also getting involved.

Fran from CRT says that the increase in numbers can cause pressure on the canals and the organization that is required to keep everything moving on the water, "Canals are a finite resource and there has been a massive influx in the number of boaters wanting to come into London. I sometimes think of it as being like a big game of Tetris!"