Floating Bargain Alert! You can own this unique 55' narrowboat for just £55k
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Are you tired of the hustle and bustle of city life? Do you long for a simpler, less rooted lifestyle, surrounded by water, nature and kindred souls? If so, buying a narrowboat might be just the thing for you. And if you're in the market for a narrowboat that perfectly captures a free-spirited vibe, we've found just the one for you! Introducing "Peace Frog" - a charming and quirky retro narrowboat being sold by an adventurous young couple who love music and a boho lifestyle.
This is more than just a home - it's a statement, a symbol of the carefree and unconventional life that its owners have embraced. So if you're ready to join the ranks of the canal-loving bohemians, come aboard "Peace Frog" and start your own adventure…
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We were lucky enough to connect with the Owners for an exclusive BHA Q+A:
Tell us when you bought the boat and, more importantly, WHY you bought it.
We bought the boat around four or five years ago - we'd known for ages we wanted to live on one and spent months touring the marinas around the UK on the weekends looking for one we liked. The canals in London have a really special feel – the pace of London slows right down and there is a lush community. We’ve always felt that we wanted to live near water, we also wanted to travel, not work as many hours, spend more time at home and not be tied into a mortgage – Peace Frog ticked all those boxes.
Where did the name Peace Frog come from?
She's called Peace Frog - named after a song by The Doors. We love The Doors & felt the name epitomised a bit of canal life living - peaceful and water based!
Did you ever live on it, or just use it for leisure?
Yep we lived on her – we bought her as our home.
Tell us about some of your adventures aboard the boat.
We've had some rad adventures on her - we once managed to get about 20 of our best mates onboard for a cruise down the waterways. It was carnage but so funny. We also did a busking tour for our friend who is a musician - he played on the roof to a packed tow path in Camden. We’ve had a lot of late night parties too – and are always shocked at how many people we manage to squeeze in.
Where have you traveled, and what has been your favorite destination?
So the boat is our home, so we stay in London. Our favourite spots to moor have to be Broadway Market (for the food!) and Victoria Park, but all of East London really. The Hackney Marshes are great in the summer as they are more open and wild, with great picnic spots and trails for running.
What has been the best part of owning the boat?
The best part about owning the boat has to be the summer evenings sat up on the bow - sunsets on the canals are the one. You also get beautiful morning light living on the water. And ducks coming to visit! It's a much slower way of life and you feel more connected to nature.
Keeping it real…what are some challenges with owning/maintaining this kind of boat?
Your resources are finite so you become more grateful for small things like topping up with water. It's a blessing and a challenge. You need to have time to dedicate to managing your life - keeping an eye on your water levels, knowing how much gas you have left, or how many hours of battery power. It was a lot of trial and error at the beginning before we found our rhythm - running out of electricity is a pain when you're supposed to be working from home!
Talk to us about mooring – how to find it, how much does it cost, etc.
Our mooring is free because we continuously cruise, but we pay a yearly one-off licence fee to the Canal & Riverside Trust which goes towards the upkeep of the waterways. Continuously cruising means you have to move every two weeks, and cover over 20 miles in a year, which sounds like a pain, but for us it was actually a big draw. Every week we have a new local and a new area to explore. There are so many great areas in London so it's nice to not tie yourself to one.
Do you have any owner resources (websites, groups, etc) you can share that will help learn more about narrowboat life?
The London Boaters group is a brilliant resource if you can ignore the occasional unhelpful comment! YouTube is our main go-to for troubleshooting most things such as engine issues.
Can you share some words of wisdom for anyone considering this boat?
Do it for the way of life, not because you want to save money. Also be real with yourself about if you can actually cope with tiny living – it's not for everyone! Doing some road trips in a van is a good way to see if you actually enjoy it.
Why are you selling?
We’re moving out of London for new adventures – sad to go but excited for the next chapter.
The Details
Asking £55,000 {Update 28 March 2023: SOLD}
1 Bed | 1 Bath | 55 feet
Current Location: Hackney Wick, East London UK
SHOP THE LOOK
Photos (Mid-Renovation)
Photo Gallery (Post-Renovation)
LISTING DETAILS (From Owner)
{UPDATE 28 March 2023: SOLD}
Peace Frog is a 55ft narrowboat manufactured by Colecraft in 1993.
We have lived in Peace Frog for 5 years and 2 and a half years ago we performed a full refit, bringing the boat back to the bare hull, treating any rust and repainting the entirety of the inside with red oxide rust primer and then had a spray foam insulation specialist come and insulate the hull (see photos).
Peace Frog had a full out of the water survey in October 2020 and new Boat Safety Certificate issued in May 2022.
Included in the refit:
- 11 new removable double glazed windows purchased from Channel Glaze (cost £4,500). These are great in the summer for taking the windows out on hot days but most importantly prevents any cold spots in the winters and makes a massive difference to keeping the heat in the boat.
- Webasto Central Heating & Hot Water system, 3 radiators and calorifier (cost £3,100). A central heating system that runs off the main diesel tank is extremely cost effective, burning less than 1/2 a litre an hour and heats the entire boat up in about 20 minutes. This has a control panel in the bedroom that can be set on a timer so you can program it to come on before you wake up and before you get back from work. Having the heating on heats up the hot water tank and calorifier as a by product, giving you hot water for the day (calorifer keeps the water hot for 24 hours).
- Professionally made and fitted kitchen with various space saving mechanisms in the cabinets
- Belfast sink
- Oak dining table
- Full sized double bed (a rarity in a narrowboat)
- Compost loo from Strumpet & Trollop
- Brand new shower and bathroom fittings
- Reclaimed Iroko hardwood floor
- Very secure remade front and back doors with deadbolts and latches
- Lots of storage space including under the fitted sofa, under the benches on the table, big wardrobe and drawers in the bedroom and storage under the bed.
- Oak sleeper flower beds on the roof for all you greenfingered potential buyers out there!
- 12v phone chargers in the bedroom and kitchen
Other things to know about Peace Frog:
- Log burner stove. This is situated in the middle of the boat rather than in the more traditional end of the boat which makes such a massive difference to spreading the heat to both ends on those cold winter nights.
- 1.5 BMC engine (it's an old chugger but works well, you won't be going anywhere quickly but that's not the point when it comes to living on a narrowboat!)
- Huge water tank that only needs filling up every 4-6 weeks depending on use, this is a life saver for anyone looking to use Peace Frog to continuously cruise because it allowed me and my partner to both shower every day and wash up etc. without stressing about running out of water.
- 2 solar panels that mean you never have to run the engine for power in the summer (as long as it's nice) and provide enough power in the winter to mean you only have to run the engine for half an hour or so every few days in the winter
- swan hatch
- New paintjob done by the both us which is very DIY but we think it added character (and we hope you do too)!
Things that need work/replacing:
- The swan fridge that we have had for 5 years packed in at the beginning of this winter - we didn't replace it because the only thing we really needed to keep cold was milk and beers which we could just keep outside. You may want to replace this with exactly the same fridge so it is the same style or anything else, but it would need to be a 12v fridge (happy to advise on this after sale).
- The inverter needs replacing and rewiring
- There is a tiny bit of tiling that needs doing behind the stove - we have the tiles that you can have but we just never got round to completely finishing it.
The boat is currently based in East London and we're looking to try and sell quickly as possible hence what I hope people think is a realistic price.
This is genuinely a one of a kind boat due to the circumstances in which we were able to renovate it, it never gets cold in the winter because of the heating, stove and double glazed windows (a rarity living on a boat) and it's the dream boat in the summer with plenty of space on the roof/back/front deck to chill out with friends on long summer nights. We will be really sad to sell it but after 5 years we're both ready for our next adventure and we hope that we can find someone to look after Peace Frog as well as we have.
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Location & About the Area
Hackney Wick is a vibrant and diverse neighborhood located in East London, England, known for its industrial heritage, street art, and creative community. The area is situated on the banks of the River Lea and is bordered by the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham, and Waltham Forest.
Historically, Hackney Wick was a major center for industry and manufacturing, with factories and warehouses lining the streets. Today, the area has undergone significant regeneration, attracting a diverse community of artists, designers, musicians, and entrepreneurs.
Hackney Wick is particularly well-known for its thriving street art scene, with numerous murals and graffiti pieces adorning the walls of buildings throughout the neighborhood. The area is also home to several galleries and studios showcasing the work of local artists.
The neighborhood has a range of bars, cafes, and restaurants, serving a variety of international cuisine. There are also several outdoor spaces in Hackney Wick, including parks and the Lee Navigation Canal, which provides opportunities for cycling, walking, and boating.
Transport links in Hackney Wick are excellent, with several tube stations, bus routes, and Overground trains connecting the area to other parts of London. The area is particularly well-connected to the City of London, making it a popular destination for young professionals and commuters.
Check out Hackney Wick with Google Street View
WATCH & LEARN
Life as a London liveaboard narrowboater
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