I Tried Canal Boat Life For 48 Hours

I tried canal boat life for 48 hours. I am a huge fan of alternative living and tiny houses and I've always wanted to try boat life. When I came across this beautiful narrowboat which was available to rent in Glasgow, Scotland, I decided to book it! The houseboat is located on Speirs Wharf, part of the Scottish Canals network. The UK canal network and Scottish canal network have fascinating histories and this floating home is conveniently located around a 20-minute walk from Glasgow city centre.

In this video, I share a full narrowboat tour and what I get up to while living on a narrowboat for 48 hours...

*I paid for my stay - this is not sponsored*

🍿 WATCH NEXT:

EXTRA CONTENT ON PATREON:

MY OTHER SOCIALS:

MY FAVOURITE TOOLS & GEAR:

WHO AM I?
If we haven't met before... Hi, I'm Ruth 👋 and I recently bought a campervan to travel my home country of Scotland after living overseas for 12 years. I’ve hardly seen anything or been anywhere in Scotland and now is the time to change that!

P.S. Some of the links in this description are affiliate links that I get a kickback from.

[ruthaisling]

Have you ever tried boat life?!

I've added the link to the Airbnb listing to the YouTube description.

[jpatrick]

I'm so glad you enjoyed your stay on our wee house boat in Glasgow. We try to anticipate what guests enjoy and do treasure such positive feedback. You're welcome back to stay at any time.

[Charlies_Dad]

Hi Ruth! As I live on a narrowboat I’d like to clarify a few points from your excellent vlog:
Narrowboats are 6 feet 10 inches wide, any canal boat wider than this is a widebeam (which you stayed on).
They sail under their own propulsion (a Diesel engine or more recently an electric motor).
A houseboat is static and has no propulsion.
The bow-thruster you mentioned is an electric powered propeller in the bow of the boat to help with steering (nice to have as canal boats have a mind of their own in strong winds!)
On the English waterways widebeams are restricted predominantly to the Grand Union and the Kennet & Avon canals where the waterways are wide enough to allow widebeam boats to pass each other and for one to fit in the locks (or two narrowboats side by side).
They are not cold in winter as someone mentioned. Just like a normal house, they’re cold if you don’t heat it but if you do they’re toasty warm.
Grey water is indeed pumped into the canal but there’s a lot worse in our waterways courtesy of the water companies….
Black water (toilet) either goes into a holding tank and is pumped out periodically or you have a chemical toilet which you empty at an ‘elsan’ point every few days.
Anyone who would like to know more about the canal boats and network in the UK, there are many YouTube channels but I’d recommend ‘Cruising the Cut’.
Hope that helps clears up a few things.

[axiomist]

I loooved the houseboat !!! I could easily live there. You're in a city with all the conveniences, but when you go home, you basically separate yourself from all the insanity and crawl down into you cozy cubby hole .Best of both worlds .

[margaretlewis]

Ruth your excitement about what you’re experiencing is so infectious! I love listening to your adventures! Log burning stove is what we call a wood burning stove…they’re pretty illegal in CA (USA)…cause they are fairly toxic on air pollution. But my sister has one in Wyoming and it is so warm and cozy.

[バンブー]

はじめまして、いつも動画楽しく見ています。

これからも身体に気をつけてがんばってください。

[Infiniteavatar]

I live in the USA. Have always dreamed of seeing the Scottish coast in person. Glad I found your channel since your videos are so enjoyable and informative. Simply wonderful.

[cw]

What a great idea. I love Scotland. My father was in the US Navy as was I. We lived in Edzell when I was in primary school and I was stationed there myself in 1974-75 and 1980-83.

[StrawberrySunday]

Oh I could happily live on that full time. What a beautiful boat. The owner has decorated it beautifully.

[Lizzy]

I love this! I could live on this charming boat permanently. It's cozy and roomy, just perfect.
Also, it's beautifully appointed, tasteful with beautifully done bathrooms. That wood heat is the best heat.
Cheers to the owners who did a wonderful job in decorating this lovely little paradise on the water. I'm completely in love with this boat. 😍

[greyghostjay]

That houseboat was so quaint and spacious and very cozy. Thank you for sharing this!

[amandahughes]

the buoy in between the wharf and the boat is called a fender ❤ thank you for your video, I am from Australia and love being educated on other cultures. My family roots come from Scotland and Ireland so it's really great to learn more about it! 🥰

[madammaui]

I’m so glad I stumbled across your channel. We love watching you here in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho! We just love hearing your accent! You bring light into otherwise ugly world right now. If you ever come to America, you’d love our town!

[wayned]

Bourbon pronounced like this ..burrbon, Wild Turkey is a decent one. What you called buoys are boat fenders & windows are portholes😊

[tommymaguire]

23:56 you realize that SO many people would have run screaming from the boat after seeing your lil spiider friend? You are fabulous! Really enjoyed this episode!

[geoffreyruzgar]

I chanced upon this video by accident and I am so glad I decided to watch it! I loved your accent, Ruth, I live in Brazil now but in 1967 I lived in Clydebank beside the Forth and Clyde Canal! It brought back so many good memories. Thank you! I have liked and subscribed, I am a fan now! Thank you and keep up the good work! <3

[crawfordg]

Hi Ruth Thank you for a fantastic video. I used to work in Glasgow in the early 70's and brought back happy memories. The houseboat is a credit to the owners it has been very well thought out, what a gem. Regards Crawford

[stevearmstrong]

Little lady who knows how to enjoy life...❤

[jansturk]

It was a luxury houseboat you were allowed to rent.
A nice fireplace and comfortable beds.
Nice to walk along the canal and fun to go to a concert.

[hollysmith]

Bourbon (we pronounce it like burr-bin), is a whiskey made from corn and aged a minimum of 2 yrs, unlike its cousin scotch made from barley and aged a minimum of 3 years Something interesting we learned during our speyside distillery tours is that a lot of scotch distilleries us Ex-bourbon barrels (which are whisky casks which have been previously used to mature American Bourbon.)